Bohol Churches

by Stacy Tan

“Let’s visit the church of Our Lady of Assumption!” I excitedly suggested.

“Okay, let’s add that to our list. After all, it is a must that we visit at least one church there,” replied Jorge in a mix of English and Filipino.

Indeed, a trip to Bohol cannot be complete without visiting at least one of its numerous stone churches. They are not hard to miss considering that nearly all 47 of the towns in Bohol have one. Founded by Jesuits as early as 1595 and then taken over by the Augustinian Recollects upon the expulsion of Jesuits in 1768, these churches are rich with much local culsture. For these reason, they serve as historical landmarks which are often found at the top of the tourist detinations list in Bohol. Amongst the popular ones is the Dauis Church.

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DAUIS CHURCH, a.k.a. Our Lady of Assumption Church

In the other island of Bohol, located not far away from the mainland, is the Dauis Church. Another Jesuit church, it was founded by Fr. Diego de Ayala and Joseph Gregorio. Construction of the church was conducted by Fr. Julio Saldana in 1863 and was only completed in the early 1920’s. Three years later, it was inaugurated by Cebu Bishop Jan Gorodo. Records show that the church of Dauis was built over an old cemetery location.

For some strange reason, the church was deserted when we arrived there at around 1PM. There were only a few people outside the building. We didn’t let this deter us though and we continued on in our exploration. It took us some time to find an entrance to the church as the main doors were closed but luckily we found an open doorway at the side.

The interior of the church was predominantly of the shades of royal blue on the wall and gold among the frescoes painted on the ceiling of the church. There were no glass windows with colourful mosaics on them but above the window frames there had numerous paintings of angels and religious symbols. Definitely, it was not like the modern churches you’d find in Greenhills area wherein the building is air-conditioned, made of marble, and very well-kept. This is not to say that the Dauis Church was not well-kept. Rather, it had a very old feel about it—an ancient, historical and beautiful aura. Walking silently and surveying my surroundings, I could feel as though I was one with nature and history as the layout of the church served as reminder of the olden times. It is in fact, the first church I have seen with an actual wooden pulpit. Two antique-looking confessionals were also found at the back area of the church, near the main entrance.

Personally, what largely attracted me to the church is its famous healing well. Sadly, my groupmates and I went around the church but we weren’t able to find it. I’m not certain if we just overlooked it, perhaps. Supposedly, the water in the well possessed healing powers through the miracle of the church’s patron saint—after whom it is also named after—the Virgin of Assumption (the church is also popularly known as the "Our Lady of Assumption Church") Legend has it that once, when the town was besieged by pirates, the townspeople locked themselves in the church to seek refuge. Eventually, when provisions and water ran out, a miraculous event occurred. A well suddenly materialized at the foot of the altar. What was further amazing was the quality of the water. It was very pure in spite of the well’s closeness to the seashore. Today, the well serves as a main source of water for the people living nearby the church. It is interesting to note that this very same water is also rumoured to have healing properties. Pilgrims visit the church, a pilgrim site now, to bring home a bottle of this miraculous water.


Trivia:
• It is one of the two major attractions in the municipality of Dauis. The other being the Hinagdanan cave.
• It has been constructed over four times already. The fifth one, the modern one, was constructed by Fr. Julio Saldana in 1863. On the principal arcade above the frieze, Saldana’s name can still be read—written on it—in spite of the many renovations the church has had.
• The church’s interior has some impressive frescoes on the ceiling painted by Ray Francia in 1916.
• Considered as one of the most beautiful churchest in Bohol, the Dauis church has one of the most sophisticated and complex structures of its kind in the province. It is, in fact, built according to a plan for basilica’s.
• The main altar isn’t fixed to the ground. It actually has wheels and can be moved around.

Getting There:
The church is a nice three-kilometer walk from Tagbilaran city. Alternatively, you may catch a tricycle or jeepney to bring you across.

Images from:

http://www.bohol-philippines.com/dauis-church.html

http://www.jennwashere.com/dauis-church/

The Bohol Bee Farm

by John Villalon

If you are an environmentalist or enjoy living in a peaceful, beautiful and natural setting, then the Bohol Bee Farm is definitely for you. The Bohol Bee Farm was our first destination for our day trip. Situated within Panglao Island, Bohol, the Bohol Bee Farm provides visitors with a tour of the bee farm where one can get to learn about some fresh, natural herbs used in flavoring favorite dishes as well as herbs used as home remedies. One can also learn about the life cycle of the bees. Visiting the Bohol Bee Farm is a good opportunity for us to learn about the importance of bees to our ecosystem.

Upon arrival, we immediately explored the area. Going down a flight of stairs was the Bohol Bee Farm Restaurant. Every meal that they serve is prepared with different combinations of fresh and natural ingredients straight from the farm. Further down the stairs was a terrace with a spectacular view of the Bohol sea. One could enjoy the breathtaking view and relaxing sound of the ocean. The ambiance was very peaceful and relaxing. We stood still as we watch the waves roll in and pound against the rocks.

In order to make the best out of our visit in Bohol Bee Farm, we decided to take the tour. Our first stop was the garden where they grow the various herbs, including basil, parsley, peppermint, tarragon, lemongrass, coriander and oregano among others. These herbs are used in flavoring the dishes served in the Bohol Bee Farm Restaurant to ensure a healthy diet for their customers. Our second stop was where the bee colonies are found. One thing that we’ve learned is that the queen bee and the worker bees, who are all female, does all of the work in a beehive colony. However, the drones, who are all male, are responsible for mating with the queen bee and die immediately after mating. As the tour guide says, at least they die happy! Our third stop was the sewing and crafting area where they use many different machines to make the raffia bags, mats and other native products and accessories.

Towards the end of the tour, we went to The Buzzz Ice Cream Shop that sells homemade ice cream. Although they made the typical flavors like chocolate, mango, buko, and avocado among others, what intrigued us to buy was the Malunggay flavor. As we all tried it, the very first bite gave a very rich and unique taste, leaving us wanting for more.

Afterwards, we decided to visit the gift shop. They sell various native products such as soaps, raffia bags and accessories as well as ingredients such as pure honey, pesto spread, mango spread, jams, wine, herbs and other delicacies.

The Bohol Bee Farm is definitely a tourist spot worth visiting. If you want to experience living a healthy lifestyle or help promote a better environment by learning about organic farming, or need a nice and quiet getaway surrounded by beautiful greenery, then you should consider staying at the Bohol Bee Farm. The Bohol Bee Farm has everything you need to ensure that your vacation will be a memorable and a unique travel experience.

"If all bees in the world die, mankind would perish after four years" -Albert Einstein

What to bring?

by Ged Fabros

As with every trip, you need to be well prepared to bring all the necessary things to make your vacation the best that it can be. Here’s our list:

1. Camera/ Video cam – Bohol is just filled with natural beauty and it would be a waste if you wouldn’t take pictures. From the white sand beaches to places such as the Hinagdanan Cave and Loboc River, leaving a camera behind would be one of the biggest mistakes you will make. It would also be highly preferable if you can afford to bring a underwater camera because Bohol has a lot of snorkling spots with some of the best fishes and corals you will see in the Philippines.

2. Clothes, Swimwear, Jackets – I guess all these are self-explanatory. I would advise you though to bring a lot of swimwear as the beaches in Bohol are simply hard to resist. Snorkling is also one thing that you must do while you’re in Bohol. At night the wind becomes really chilly and that’s were those jackets come in. Its really nice to go out for a stroll along the beach when the stars are up and the moon is shining brightly.

3. Money – Believe it our not, the locals in Bohol can easily spot if you are a tourist or not. If they figure out that you are not from there, prices immediately sky rocket which is why you should already be prepared for that.

4. Guidebook – If you don’t have anyone who would accompany you around the area, it would be nice if you have a guidebook along with you. You would want to really explore the entire island and you can do so in just a couple of days if you know where to go to.

The Hinagdanan Cave

by Ged Fabros

One of the most interesting places to visit when you are in Bohol is the Hinagdanan Cave. The natural underground cave is located in Dauis, Panglao island which is a 10-20 minute drive from Tagbilaran City.

The cave is small compared to other limestone caves but nonetheless still impressive. Only one person at a time can enter the cave as its opening is really tight but becomes wider as you go down. You have to be really careful going down as the ceiling near the entrance is quite low. Once inside, you will immediately see the cave’s beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The natural light shining through from the ceiling all the more emphasizes the rocks inside the cave.

The highlight of the Hinagdanan Cave for me is its lagoon right in the middle of the cave. It was dark and very deep but at the same time very alluring. Itwas as if your experience inside the cave would not have been complete without taking a dip in its icy waters. The water was clear and looked like it was fresh from a mountain spring amidst reports that it is polluted.

More than just a tourist attraction, the Hinagdanan Cave has become a swimming spot for most of the locals as well. On our visit we saw a number of locals climbing rocks and diving off into the lagoon.

Even though this place is always occupied, whether by tourists or by locals, it is good to know that the waste has been kept to a bare minimum. All in all, it is a spectacular place to go to especially to those who can appreciate natural beauty.

Bohol's "Did You Know?"

by Miko Yacaba

• Did you know that tarsier's eyes are very sensitive to the camera's flash? Their eyes are so sensitive that when flash hits the eyes, they commit suicide.

• Did you know that there are about 1,400 caves that have been identified just in the province of Bohol? One of which is the Hinagdanan Cave.

*Cabjawan Cave in Anda, Bohol

• Did you know that the chocolate hills turns brown in color during the dry season? That is why they look like chocolate mounds.

• Did you know that there are at least 1,268 individual mounds or chocolate hills scattered around Bohol?

• Did you know that the name Bohol came from the name Barrio Bo-ol, a barangay in Tagbilaran City (one of the first places visited by Magellan)?

• Did you know that Panglao Island was named after the word "mapanglao" which means lonesome place?