Bohol is not just famous for the hills, the forest, the smallest monkeys, the sandbars, the dive sites, nor the beach. Bohol is famous for having the most unbelievable Churches in all of the Philippines, in one Province - and that brought us there.
The tradition to visit (at least) Seven Churches (Visita Iglesia) during the Lenten Season to pray and recite the Stations of the Cross before the Blessed Sacrament in each church started by Saint Philip Neri in 1553 - a hundred year's tradition for the Roman Catholic faithful's in the Philippines.
In our detailed planning weeks before departure and based only from research of the so many Churches in Bohol, we initially plan to visit the majestic Churches in Baclayon, Lila, Valencia, Ubay, Inabanga, Cortes, and in Dauis.
Arrival in Panglao-Bohol.
After just over an hour in flight nearing the brandnew Panglao International Airport, we were so thrilled to see from the window the amazing aerial view of Pontod Sandbar, and the Balicasag Island. These would be our side trip after completing first the Visita Iglesia through the Bohol Circumferential Road.
Panglao International Airport was then newly operational after replacing the old Tagbilaran Airport. The architectural design is undoubtedly world-class that the Boholanos would be proud of.
Finding a place to stay very near the beach is a bit difficult during the Lenten Season. Most of the hotels ate too expensive - which mainly targeting foreign tourist with lot's of cash to spend. With a suitable space and a queen size bed, Ging Ging Homes was perfect for us in Alona Beach in Panglao.
After unpacking our stuffs, it's time to head for brunch in Alona Beach area. The Alona Hidden Dream Thai Seafood Restaurant offers Thai seafoods just outside of Ging Ging Homes.
This crab meat fried rice is so unbelievable.
While the Thai lemon shrimp called Gung Phat Kapao is the mouth-watering perfect match.
Mixing it together will go like this - a plate full of fullness and goodness, Thai style.
The Alona Beach.
According to a folktale, Alona Beach was named after a daring actress and director Alona Alegre, the mother of actor star Philip Salvador - who used to film in Panglao during the 60's and 70's. Fruit shakes while walking along the road leading to beach under the sheering heat of the sun will give you a breather.
At the beach, the sea is calm and seem getting ready for the night party ahead.
The sand is full of people from all walks of life - foreign tourists and Filipino workers taking advantages to one other.
Alona Beach in Panglao sits between Boracay and Puerto Galera. It's a little bit of both that makes it "another destination" to visit - and spend your money.
You can enjoy the sumptuous seafoods if you have the money and the guts to spend it.
After briefly roaming the beach, we look for a scooter to hire at cheap price - sorry for my NMAX at home, we brought helmets and safety gears all aboard from Clark. You won't believe it but if you rent the scooter for days, the rent per day goes down.
As researched, the best timing to visit Baclayon Church is during the night when it glows. So we head back to Ging Ging's Homes to sleep and take some rest for the night ride going to Baclayon.
La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church, Baclayon, Bohol.
A National Cultural Treasure and famously known as Baclayon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church in the municipality of Baclayon, within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran.
Founded by the Jesuit priest Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sanchez in 1596 and completed in 1737, it is the oldest Christian settlement and considered as the oldest church in Bohol.
The majestic façade leads to an undeniably stunning interior that will make your jaw wide open.
The murals are stunningly beautiful - you can easily tell that it's a great artwork - originally painted by Max Aya-ay in 1957.
The gold-plated altar and the assortment of centuries-old religious images and artifacts inside will put your faith even more stronger.
Baclayon Church is truly a priceless piece in history and faith of Boholanos. We were not expecting that the Church built hundred of years ago would appeal like it's timeless.
After the prayers and a few minutes of taking photos with great amazement, we ride 21km back to Alona Beach.
First Night in Panglao.
The night life starts to fill in with people of mostly foreigners and Filipino workers. The best experience is always joining the locals - not the foreigners. It is there that you will see the true beauty of the place, when with the locals, on their natural environment.
We usually eat where the locals eat, and the experience is overwhelming. We took our dinner at the side of the road. A famous scene similar to Bais City street food in Dumaguete. BBQ's with rice wrapped in palm tree leaves is a common thing to savor for dinner.
Back in the beach, it's almost the same in Puerto Galera and in Boracay - local massage services on warm sand, drinks and beverages, people chatting together, etc.
And the beach is busy with people trying to maximize the moment on the beach of Panglao.
We call it a night in preparation for the 200km Bohol Island Loop rides early morning tomorrow, April 17, 2019.
Our Lady of Assumption Church, Dauis, Bohol.
Just 15.5km from Alona Beach is where the Our Lady of Assumption Church, a National Historical Landmark, and has a rich history after the Spanish missionaries arrived in the town in 1697.
It has a dome adorn with stunning marbles, and the altar is wide and elegant.
A deep well was constructed in Poblacion in 1900 by a Spaniard leader where the well is now located inside the Church below the altar. It is said to be miraculous as the Church was never hit by a single Japanese bomb during WWII, and the well provided clean drinking water for the community to survive, as the Church Administrator tells us.
Santa Monica Church, Alburquerque, Bohol.
About 11km ride from Dauis, the Alburquerque Church is famous for its manually carved altar made for it since the 1800's, along with its sturdy arches that leads to the nearby convent. The paintings inside and in the ceiling suggest that this Church was meticulously planned.
The Church and the Convent was off limits during our visit - but from the perspective of how it was built was awesome from afar. In silence, we stood from it's ground and pray under the shade of trees - then we continue our journey passing a famous road in Bilar.
The Man-Made Forest.
The manmade forest is a 2-kilometer stretch of mahogany trees that carpet the sloping ground where the municipality of Loboc meets Bilar. It is about 49km from Alona Beach, or 23km from Alburquerque Church.
Riding along this forest brings you the feeling that you are constantly being watched by little monkeys. Most tourist stop on this unbelievable road to Tarsier Conservation Area to take quick photos.
Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area.
Riding 3km from the man-made forest, the Tarsier Conservation Area is 5mins away. A facility that was entirely a private initiative, and strongly supported by DENR and DOT.
These area well secured and managed by Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Incorporated (PTFI), a non-profit, non-stock corporation based in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, established in 1996 to conserve, promote research and establish a sanctuary for the Philippine tarsier.
The Philippine Tarsier is the smallest monkey in the world. Measured only at about 85 to 160 mm, their large eyes is fixed in its skull and cannot move in their sockets, has thin, rough fur which is colored gray to dark brown.
Within the facility receiving area, there is a briefing before allowing you to circle a path where Tarsiers are just very near you. It is so small, you can't touch it nor do horse play in the area because they cannot be disturbed.
As shared by the guides, Tarsiers here are only part of the conservation program. Tarsiers are rounded for display batch by batch - to minimize human disturbance on Tarsier's natural habitat. About 29km from the Tarsier Conservation Area, the famous Chocolate Hills is the next stop on our way to Inabangga Church on the west side coast of Bohol island.
The Chocolate Hills.
A geological formation in the Bohol province of the Philippines, there are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers. They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season - that is why is it called the Chocolate Hills.
The hills are starting to go green during our visit as the green vegetation starts to fill in, yet the sheer heat of the sun was still taking toll to us.
There were flowers too within the area which suggest that hills, trees, and flowers are in harmony with nature on that wonderful place.
From Chocolate Hills, we ride 31km through the Central Nautical Highway passing Sagbayan leading to the west side of the Bohol Circumferential Road, going to Inabangga.
St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Inabanga, Bohol.
The Inabanga Parish was built by the Jesuits in 1724. The church is built on a higher ground which makes it look so extraordinary.
Inside is the awesome four marble pillars and a beautiful altar, rebuilt by the locals after Francisco Dagohoy destroyed it, and the American soldiers burn most part of the church, and now beautifully standing up to this day.
Inabanga town is very clean and calm. It was the town where element of Abu Sayyaf from Mindanao where spotted and killed in 2017.
We ride about 11km southward to visit Clarin, Bohol.
Saint Michael the Arc Angel Parish, Clarin, Bohol.
The Clarin Parish was heavily damaged during the earthquake, that only the facade remained intact from its original form.
Now standing like brand new, the interior is simple, clean, and elegant, and present itself with a brand new feeling of calmness and serenity.
From it's original design destroyed and rebuild by locals, the St. Michael the Arc Angel Parish become even more glorified.
San Isidro Labrador Parish, Tubigon, Bohol.
The Tubigon Parish has the Basilical plan of being astonishing with its own plaza. The church lost its facade during the earthquake but the locals miraculously rebuilt it piece by piece, using the original materials.
The internal ceiling is true to the magnificent churches in Bohol - stunningly beautiful in it's own style and design.
The murals is extravagant - you will only dream to see such beauty in Cathedrals, I guest - but this is a humble town in Tubigon.
A few kilometers of rides safely brought us to the next town of Calipe.
St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Calipe, Bohol.
The Calape Parish is one of the oldest in Bohol, built in the early 1800's. Although the town was named after a type of rattan, the church is famous as the "epitome of Bohol gothic"
What is amazing to the unique design of this church is it's arching pillars inside that is so unbelievably astonishing. While marble slabs is blending with it's equally powerful ceiling, a testament of great engineering altogether.
St. Joseph The Worker Cathedral, Tagbilaran, Bohol.
It will not be called the Cathedral of Bohol if it does not emanates the splendors and influence in faith of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.
The St. Joseph The Worker Cathedral was built by the Jesuits in the late 1500's and rebuilt by the Recollects in the 1700's - this church has the beauty of all the churches in Bohol packed into one. The lightings alone is extra ordinary, and all the paintings inside are too great to be in massive proportions.
Attend a mass there and you will be stunned by everything so spectacular all around you.
From the outside, the bell tower is still under reconstruction, yet the beauty cannot be hidden.
St. Agustine Church, Panglao, Bohol.
Arriving late after more than +200km of rides for our "Visita Iglesia in Bohol 2019", the St. Agustine Church is still awesome even in the dark. It has a bell tower that is separated from it and serve as watch tower.
The murals depicts the Seven Sacraments, and inside has the same astonishing feeling same as with all the old and historical churches in the entire of Bohol.
Tired and wasted as it may seem, the fulfillment of visiting some of the magnificent churches in Bohol is a great relief, to both spiritual fulfillment and that of the mind.
The 200km Loop.
We decided to not entirely cover the outer circumferential road of Bohol to save time and be able to be back in Panglao before night fall. Instead we searched for the famous churches locations, passing the man-made forest, Tarsier Conservation Area, and Chocolate hills - then plot the quickest route that will be enough for us to cover within the day, and back to Alona Beach in Panglao.
The Dolphin Watching.
Early in the morning on the 3rd day, we ride a boat to watch dolphins, on our way to visit one of the most beautiful sandbars, and Balicasag Island. Unfortunately though, we were not given the chance by dolphins to showcase their amazing jumps, same in Manjuyod Sandbar.
Isla de Pontod Sandbar.
It is a beautiful sandbar that is not to miss when in Panglao. I dreamed of visiting this sandbar too many times. I was so excited seeing the sandbar from afar.
The feeling on the sand was so unbelievable - same feeling that you can find only in the likes of Kalanggaman in Western Leyte, Ave Maria in Guimaras, Anguib Sandbar in Cagayan, Tinalisayan Sandbar in San Pascual, Masbate, etc. that makes your jaw drop to great disbelief.
You can even see how beautiful it is in the aerial view from the window of the plane - how pure - how white. - that is why tourists call it "The Virgin Island of Bohol" which gave justice to it's mazing beauty.
Some locals enjoying the white sands even gave us a little favor upon asking why we were there too - we are Lakwatserong Hampaslupa, s we have to be everywhere..!
The Balicasag Island.
A tiny, round-shaped island drawing day trippers for snorkeling and scuba diving with coral reefs and sea turtles in its south-eastern part. The water is crystal clear even from your near approach to the beach.
The beach is calm and full of fishing boats as well as tourist transport boats from the shore of Panglao. The locals there were very accommodating to the point that you can ask for any freshly catch seafoods available in the island, and choose whether grilled or cook for anything Filipino dishes you would want.
Taking time to relax and recollect you thoughts is another way of spending time in the island, other than snorkeling, scuba diving, and eating seafoods of your choice.
The Hinagdanan Cave.
Within the municipality of Dauis in Panglao Island, Bohol, there is a cave not to miss visiting. The hole to get inside has small opening and is a bit steep - although stainless steel railings and a concrete stairway down was made available to avoid slippage.
Inside is naturally lighted cavern with a deep lagoon and many large stalactites and stalagmites. The cave is lit by sunlight which filters through holes in the ceiling.
It is worth your time visiting Hinagdanan Cave when in Panglao, Island.
Swaki.
In a race with time on this final day before our flight, we went to the local market in Dauis to look for this is a famous fermented sea urchin unique to Central Vijaya's. The locals call it "Swaki" but in my home town in Masbate, it is called "Sisi". With hot steamed rice, most people survive with it in worst times, including me when I was young. We bought some bottles back to Angeles City by packing it in a tightly sealed plastic bottles inside s styro-box fully taped. And, it's not cheap.
Scuba Bohol.
Scuba diving shops in Alona Beach is also available for new divers and experience certified divers - and again, it's not cheap there.
The dive sights is within the Balicasag Island, with lots of soft corals, school of fish, and some amazing unexpected visitors at times - sea turtles, sharks, and school of fish.
Back to Alona Beach, we packed our stuffs for a flight back to Clark, here in Pampanga. Ging Ging Homes is a family owned and managed by a very young and promising entrepreneur named Luke who gave us a big discount - and we give thanks to Luke for his very warm hospitality.
From it's majestic Churches, hospitality of local people, the hills, the cutest monkeys, the forest, the food, the island, and the sandbar - Bohol is one province to fulfil your 4 days of amazing getaways. It is not cheap there to be honest, but it is worth your every cent turned into wonderful excitements.
If I am to describe Bohol in one word, I might say it is "BEAUTIFUL".
In 4 days, we were able to visited and prayed in 9 majestic Churches in Bohol.
We've seen the Man-made Forest, the Tarsiers, the Chocolate Hills, visited the Balicasag Island, step on the amazing Pontod Sandbar, went inside the Hinagdanan Cave, eat seafoods in Alona Beach, and brought back home some "Swaki" to feast on.
Byahe lang.. cheers!
2019 April 16~19, Panglao, Bohol
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