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Home of the Worlds Famous Chocolate Hills
Bohol - The island province lies southeast of
Cebu in Central Philippines and is
approximately one hour and fifty minutes from
Manila. Apart from its world-famous Chocolate
Hills as its attraction, Bohol's beauty lies
in its unpolluted waters which are rated among
the best diving havens in the world and being
the home of the world's rarest shells such as
the "Gloria maris" and the Golden Cowrie.
Bohol Island is the first province in Asia
ever to receive ISO 14001* for environment and
ecology. The islands of Panglao, Balicasag and
Pamilacan are superb diving spots of the
province. In Panglao Island, a popular
destination is the Hinagdanan Cave where you
will find underground springs. Bohol is also
the home of the tarsier, the big-eyed
insect-eating monkey whose size is smaller
than a boy's fist. Scientists regard the
tarsier as the oldest mammal now inhabiting
the earth.
Brief Description
Another gem of the Visayas, Bohol’s historical
significance extends way back to the blood
compact between Boholano Chieftain Sikatuna
and the Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi, in 1565.
Scenic Bohol casts an enigmatic charm drawn
from the many archaic mementos spread
throughout the oval-shaped island: from the
Chocolate Hills and the tarsier to 16th
century watchtowers and Jesuit Baroque mission
churches. The Chocolate Hills, all of 1,268
perfectly cone-shaped hills, are undoubtedly
the most famous tourist attraction in the
province. Among these hills that abound in
Central Bohol, two have been developed into
top-class resorts.
One of the rare faunas found in the Philippine
archipelago, the Tarsier is the smallest
primate in the world. It is a nocturnal
primate measuring from four to five inches,
with a tail that is longer than its body.
Those interested in tarsier watching are
always welcomed by the Boholanos to see the
famous primate in its natural abode up the
hills in the town of Corella.
A tropical haven of natural beauty, the
coastline of the province is skimmed by gentle
coves and white sand beaches. You can find
some of the country’s great dive sights here.
Balicasag in Bohol is one of the very best and
most popular dives in the Visayas. A black
coral forest is among its main attractions but
virtually anywhere you drop in is sure to be
rewarding. Another major attraction, Cabilao
is renowned for the hammerhead sharks that
shoal around the clear waters. Large pelagics
are very common here, and if you are really
lucky, you can find yourself swimming with a
passing school of dolphins.
Geography
Bohol is about 700 kilometers directly south
of Manila and is about 70 kilometers southeast
of Mactan Island. The province must have been
developed from the magmatic tectonic mechanism
which resulted from the underthrusting of the
southwest Philippine plate east of Samar and
Surigao. The Alicia Schist, the oldest known
rock formation in the island, is inferred to
be a part of the Bohol crystal rocks before
plate interactions. All the succeeding igneous
extrusive and intrusive rocks to accumulate
were marine and terrestrial deposits in the
Bohol basin.
Political Subdivision
The province of Bohol is a first-class A
province composed of 47 municipalities and one
city, Tagbilaran, which serves as its capital.
There are 1,109 barangays with an average
household size of 5.4.
Climate
The province falls under the climate type IV
characterized by no very pronounced maximum
rain period and no dry season. It is usually
warm and dry along the coast while cold and
humid in the interior. Typhoons are not a
frequent occurrence; maximum precipitation
occurs in June to October. Average annual
temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Population
As of the year 2000, Bohol had a population of
about 1.137 million growing at an average
annual rate of 2.79%. Tagbilaran City is the
most densely populated area at more than 2
thousand persons per square kilometer of land.
Language / Dialect
The majority speak the native dialect, which
is distinctively Boholano. Cebuano, Tagalog,
and English are widely spoken and understood.
Major Industries
Bohol is essentially an agricultural province.
Its main products are rice, coconut, and corn.
The province is fast becoming a tourist
destination. It is graciously endowed with
natural and historical attractions.
Infrastructure projects have supplemented
their investment potential. Topping Bohol’s
natural tourism assets are the wondrous
Chocolate Hills which have drawn thousands of
foreign and domestic tourists. These perfectly
cone-shaped hills that abound in Central Bohol
are the only ones of their kind in the world. |
