Bohol's captivating charm

By DAISY LOU C. TALAMPAS

March 26, 2011, 3:53am

Chocolate Hills

I am a wife and mother of OFWs. My husband is an overseas Filipino worker in Abu Dhabi, while my son is based in Qatar. Quite understandably, vacation times are precious and much awaited moments for my family. We make it a point to travel to interesting destinations when we get the chance to be together.  We had joined international travel tours in the past, but this time, motivated  by the  “Pilipinas kay Ganda” campaign, we opted for a domestic tour. We chose to visit Bohol.

Our favorite national airline flew us for an hour to Tagbilaran airport.  We were welcomed by the Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground representative and as he drove us to the hotel, he assured us of a thoroughly enjoyable stay in the Province of Smiles and Fine Beaches.

Culture Vulture

Apart from being the site of the famous Chocolate Hills, as well as being home to the smallest primates on earth, the Tarsier, Bohol  is where Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth Philippine president was born. Equally replete with history is barangay Bool, where the blood compact between Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Legazpi  was made.

In every place we visit, we find it spiritually uplifting to hear mass in the local churches. That  is why we were thankful to be able to pray at the one of the country’s oldest churches, the Baclayon church. 

Moving on, we took the Loboc River cruise, having our lunch at the floating restaurant with foreign tourists who likewise enjoyed tasting the native dishes, singing and dancing along with the entertainers. Then, we discovered that if one is brave enough, he can defy gravity at the hanging bamboo bridge as its sways back and forth above the Loboc River.  (It was drizzling that day and I didn’t attempt to walk on it.)

Bohol also has an intensified environmental protection program, marked by its man-made forest of mahogany trees in a two-kilometer stretch  at  Loboc and Bilar towns.  Bohol is also conserving and protecting its natural wonders and rarities.  In captivity is the 26-feet phyton named Floni. At 250 kilos, it feeds on live native pigs and goats every month! (Reason enough for me not to come near, even as I admired others who dared enter its cage.)

Simple, Godly people

While Metro  Manila and other urban cities’ Land Transportation offices impose strict rules on motorists, Bohol has its simple and yet powerful regulation :  Vehicles must have bible verses written on them, conspicuous enough for the riding public to feel  safe.  

Cruising around Bohol in our hotel car, we saw a number of Boholanos smiling and waving at us.  Likewise, Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground impressed us with their amenities, service and friendly staff.  Truly, the Boholanos are living up to their slogan: “Bohol has a low crime rate and thank you for visiting us.”

A song rendered at the Loboc River Cruise rings in my ears. It’s simply entitled  “Balic balic Bohol”, an invitation to return and relive the experience. Hopefully, when my son comes home for his vacation, we’ll get a chance to come back.

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