Bohol

Overview
An oval-shaped mainland surrounded by 73 smaller islands, Bohol is nestled securely at the heart of the Central Visayas region, between Southeast of Cebu and Southwest of Leyte.

Very accessible by air and sea travel, it is the closest province to Cebu City, with travel time of less than 2 hours by fast ferry and 20 minutes by plane.

Bohol is known for the world-famousChocolate Hills, which turn chocolate brown in summer.

Location
Bohol is located in Central Visayas, 803 kilometers south of Manila, 79 kilometers southeast of Cebu

Capital : Tagbilaran City
Municiplities: 47
Barangays: 1,109
Land Area: 4,117.26 square kilometers
Population:Province: 994,440 (1995)
City: 66,683
Language/Dialects: Boholano/ Cebuano, English, Tagalog, Chinese
Literacy Rate: 93%
Labor Force: 404,000 (1996)
Climate: Generally fair; average temperature is 29 percent centigrade
Arable Area: 256 hectares
Sectoral Establishments: Limestone mining, cassava starch/ glucose plant, galvanized iron sheets factory, softdrink bottling plant, frozen prawn food processing, ice plant, handicraft, metalcraft, furniture
Leading Non-traditional Exports: Prawns, baskets, woven raffia
Leading Domestic Items Traded: G.I. sheets, limestone, handicraft, marine products, rice, banana, cattle, hog, mangoes, fish, copra

Leading Domestic Trade Partner: Visayas, Mindanao Land Classification: Certified alienable & disposable: 310,455 has Classified Forest: 101,271 has. Agri/Aqua Products: Rice, corn, coconut, root crops, vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, prawns, crabs, seaweeds Power

Capacity: 93.5 MW
Water Supply(City): 19,000 cubic meters daily
Road Network: 5,385 kms.
Seaports (Domestic):
Base Port: Tagbilaran City
Terminal Ports: Tubigon, Jagna, Ubay, Talibon Subports: Cattagbacan & Gettafe
Municipal/ fish ports: 15
Private Ports: 2 Airport (Domestic): Tagbilaran City Airport

Communications
Telephone Lines: 12,200
Cellular phone firms: 1,010
Telecommunication cos.: 6
Radio Stations (AM,FM): 5 TV/Cable
Stations: 5
Messengerial/Courier: 7
Post Offices: 49
Newspapers: 3
Internet Service Providers: 2
Trade Publication: 1

Financial Systems
Commercial Banks: 14
Development Banks: 21
Government Banks: 2
Coopertive Bank: 1
Savings Bank: 2
Rural Banks: 7
ATM Facilities: 7
International Credit Cards Available: 6
Lending Firms: 65
Pawnshops: 70

Topography
Bohol’s mountainous interior is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna.

At certain points, hills drop steeply to the coast from a maximum elevation of 870 meters above sea level. The interior uplands are fit for agro-forestry and high value agricultural production.

The central and northern lowlands have fertile grounds and abundant water supply Over a hundred caves have been identified, the biggest of which is found in the eastern part which makes Bohol ideal for spelunking adventures.


Education
A host of learning institutions, among the best in the region, includes 1 university, 7 colleges in agriculture and fishery and 5 technical/ vocational schools.

Skills Development Centers are handled by TESDA in 5 towns The annual turn-over of college graduates, approximately 3,800 a year, assures a reliable supply of highly trainable and dynamic manpower. Engineering course graduates comprise 20%.


Airports
Bohol has two airports: the one located in Tagbilaran City is classified as secondary; while the other, in Ubay town, is a feeder airport. Stretching to 1.7 kilometers in runway length, and 30 meters in width, the Tagbilaran City airport handles regular Asian Spirit and PAL Boeing 737 flights to and from the cities of Cebu and Manila.

Daily direct flights are plying the Tagbilaran-Cebu and Tagbilaran-Manila routes. Manila can be reached in a span of 2 hours while Cebu is only 25 minutes away.

As part of the government’s long-term program on air transport, plans are earmarked to establish a new airport in Panglao, which is also capable of handling Boeing 737 144-passenger capacity planes.

The Panglao Airport will then serve as an alternate to the Mactan International Airport in Cebu. Complementing the airport is the newly expanded Tagbilaran City Port, which has ample space for the increasing cargo and passenger ships.

It has fine port facilities such as: > 245 meter berth length and 2 dedicated berths for fast ferries > capable of handling a container traffic of 5,142 TEUs > 2 roro ramps, 18,200 sq.m. storage area and 13,300 sq.m. backup area > 300 sq.m. transit shed

Seaports
At least 12 shipping lines sail to and from various destinations in the country. Average ship calls per day is 15 vessels which accommodate a daily traffic of 4,140 passengers.

There are 9 trips bound for Cebu daily, 7 of which being fast ferry trips. Fast ferry catamaran-type vessels are now deployed in Bohol which reduce travel time to Cebu in 1 hour and 30 minutes only.

Destination to Manila is available twice a week. There are also boats from Siquijor, Dumaguete, Dipolog, Iligan, Plaridel, Ozamis and Cagayan de Oro cities serving the island.

The Jagna Port serves as Bohol’s gateway to Mindanao, specifically to Cagayan, Agusan and Butuan. Bohol can also be reached from Cebu through the terminals of Tubigon, Ubay and Talibon. There are 18 minor ports in some areas of the province.

Bohol will be linked with the Visayan Intermodal Transport which includes the establishment of roro ports in Getafe connecting Bohol to Mactan Island in Cebu. A port expansion project in Tagbilaran City costing about P 85 million is being pursued and is currently being implemented for the construction of additional berthing space for fast craft ferries.

Power
The province is fully electrified with the National Power Corporation (NPC) being the sole supplier.

Actual generation capability of 93.5 megawatts is supported by the following facilities:

Diesel Power: 18 MWLoboc
Hydroelectric: 1.2
Janopol Hydroelecttric: 1.8
Power Barge 105: 10.5
Power Barge 207: 30
Power Barge 101: 32

The P21 billion Leyte-Bohol interconnection will bring geothermal power of higher capacity base at 80-100 megawatts.

Power rates are then expected to be very competitive. Industries with power requirements of at least 100 kilowatts can apply for a direct interconnection with NPC.

Water
Abundant supply of surface water is provided by 434 springs, 59 rivers and 197 creeks, providing a ready reservoir for a water development program.

Several water projects are in the pipeline to respond to water requirements for both domestic and industrial use.

The Central Visayas Water and Sanitation Project and the construction of Level III water systems have made water available in 16 other unicipalities.

Likewise, the development of Ujan Spring in Cortes with a daily capacity of 3,500 cubic meters and Loboc River which will generate at least 100,000 cubic meters daily capacity are currently being pushed.

Eco-tourism
Bohol is gaining prestige as a prime eco-cultural tourist destination in the region. Like other islands in the region, Bohol has an abundance of pristine white-sand beaches and azure blue waters.

Coral reefs teem with a variety of picturesque marine life. Most notable of these sites and gaining worldwide recognition are those found in Pamilacan, Balicasag and Cabilao. These islets are becoming favorite havens for tourists and scuba divers.

Some of provincial sights also earned worldwide interest such as: the 1,268 perfectly coned haycock hills more popularly known as “Chocolate Hills”, bunched together with elevations of 40-120 meters high, the Baclayon Church reputed to be the oldest stone church in the Philippines and even in Asia; the reclusive Philippine Tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey endemic only to Bohol and other protected species.

Gradually taking shape is the 2,000 hectare-Panglao Island Tourism Estate (PITE) just off Tagbilaran City. Declared as a flagship project of government, the PITE is one of the 5 tourist satellite destinations in the country where investments in hotel/resort complex, convention facilities, sports/recreational facilities, golf course, shopping centers, retirement and handicraft villages and marina are being promoted.

Agriculture/ Aquaculture
The province is blessed with fertile soil and bountiful sea making it the farmland and fishpen of Central Visayas. Forty-five percent of its land area is devoted to agriculture. Rice production is applied in 80,918 hectares yielding an average of 4.4 metric tons per hectare. Coconut on the other hand, is grown in 63, 502 hectares.

Ubi kinampay, a violet yam, is also grown. Mango is an emerging agricultural product with 120,000 fruit-bearing trees and 180,000 more by the turn of the century. Mango harvest in the province reached 422 metric tons in 1996 or an average of 1 metric ton per hectare. Processed prawns are directly exported to Japan.

Lobster, seaweeds and milk fish are likewise harvesed.. Seaweeds of the euchema variety are cultured and remarketed to Cebu for processing into various grades of carageenan.

Road System
The road network is well developed, facilitating access to all barangays. The P1.2 billion Bohol Circumferential Road Project,covering a total of 262 kilometers along the national highway, will soon improve the road nework. Phase I of the project, which will link about half of the province’ network from Calape to Candijay, is ongoing.

Amenities
Bohol has adequate accommodition facilities to offer to tourists aaand investors alike. In place are 6 hotels, 34 lodging/ pension houses, and 39 beach resorts registered with DTI. There are about 674 rooms of varying standards. Other tourist facilities are 9 diving shops, 8 sports centers, 11 high-end diving centers and 16 centers for shopping nd recretion. There are 7 establishments that can cater to conventions.

Likewise, a strong and enthusiastic banking sector has enabled the province to be at par with the rest of the urban centers in the country. There are 45 banking units providing modern banking facilities.

History
Created by virtue of Act 2711 of March 10, 1917, the island province of Bohol is the tenth largest island in the country. The people of Bohol are said to be the descendants of the last group of inhabitants who settled in the Philippines, called Pintados (the tattooed ones).

Before the Spaniards came in 1521, Boholanos already had a culture of their own, as evidenced by the artifacts dug at Mansasa, Tagbilaran, and in Dauis and Panglao, using designs associated with the Ming Dynasty (960-1279).

They had already a system of writing although most materials used were perishable, like leaves and bamboo barks.They spoke a language similar to that of the nearby provinces. The name Bohol is thought to be derived from the name of the barrio of Bo-ol, a barangay found in Tagbilaran City, which was among the first places toured by the Magellan expedition.
History has it that one of the Spanish ships of Magellan (the Concepcion) was burned in this province after Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu in Mactan. In 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi anchored in Jagna, one of the eastern municipalities of Bohol. He made a blood compact with Chiefs Sikatuna and Sigala in a small village near the present capital of the province, Tagbilaran City, signifying that they were blood brothers.

The province became a Jesuit mission in 1595. At this time, Bohol was a part of the province of Cebu and was called a residencia. It became a separate politico-military province on July 22, 1854, together with the island province of Siquijor. In 1879, there were 34 towns belonging to the province, with a total population of 253.103.

Two significant revolts that occured in Bohol were recorded during the Spanish regime: the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 led by a Babaylan (native priest), and the Dagohoy Rebellion from 1744 to 1829 led by Francisco Dagohoy, which is considered as the longest revolt recorded in the annals of Philippine history. American forces seized the province in March 17, 1900. (lakbaypilipinas)