Loboc River Zipline, Alona Palm, and Panglao International Airport

Bohol now has its second zipline. It is located over the Loboc River! :) 400+ meters long, and 100-120 meters above ground. As soon as I get more info, will post it in here.

Other news as well:

1. Alona Palm Beach Resort closes
2. Panglao International Airport plans will push through

New things to do in Bohol this summer :) Best itineraries with the best rates! :)

I am neither the owner nor in any way related to these businesses, but I strongly recommend the following if you're going to Bohol this summer!

http://eatdanao.multiply.com -zipline, rappelling tour, camping, all those outdoorsy and sporty stuff you probably have always wanted to try...Bohol has it now!

http://www.boholrentacar.com - have always recommended Ramil to all our friends who visit Bohol, am uber delighted to know he finally has his own website! Check out the itinerary and rates, I don't think you'd get better deals than the ones here. Believe me. :)

http://www.bezo.org.ph/ - support eco-cultural tourism, see beautiful Baclayon, and ride dune buggies! Visit this webpage for more info.:)

Love,
Ivy

Maribojoc

The Punta Cruz Watch Tower is in the quiet town of Maribojoc, but read on to explore and discover what more this town has to offer :)

Maribojoc
By Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:06:00 05/14/2009

It is not very often that one gets out of the city to find and experience the pristine and the primeval. Last week, I was in Maribojoc in the island province of Bohol to enjoy not just the fiesta and behold its ancient landmarks but to also experience its “secret places,” the blue and green quiet spaces that glide in and out of one’s dreams.

While Bohol now figures big on the tourism map because of the beaches of Panglao, the Chocolate Hills and the cultural sites, it has other little-known spots that could draw a different breed of visitors, explorers who are drawn to paths less traveled. Like myself. Maribojoc has such special places.

The town is only a 30-minute drive from Tagbilaran City, but it still holds one of the country’s last frontiers. I am referring to its vast mangrove areas that are still thick with nipa palm and different species of trees. (More on these later.)

I must mention that I arrived a few hours before the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing match which was over after only two rounds. The town’s gym was packed with people for the free live show. (My photo of the jubilating crowd came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer the next day, and it thrilled the Maribojocanons.) But you know what? The bout came live via Indonesia (with anchors speaking in Bahasa). This was because, this time, only theaters and malls in Bohol could have cable TV pay-per-view. Obviously, so people would pay to watch.

Maribojoc couldn’t get it live for its poor constituents even if it would pay the cable company like what it did for the past bouts. So where would the hoi-polloi go? Mayor Leoncio “Jun” Evasco Jr. found a way, a “guerrilla” way.

This is the Jun Evasco I had met many years ago (but I do not remember where or how). He was a Catholic priest. He later became a ranking member of the communist New People’s Army. He was arrested and so heavily tortured by the military he wished they would finish him off. Four comrades who were arrested with him were summarily executed, leaving him the only survivor. He was in prison for several years and was released during the Aquino presidency. He worked in government for many years, his last job being as chief of staff of the unconventional mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte.

The details of Evasco’s life story deserves a separate telling some other time.

Now back in the town of his birth, Evasco, 65, married, with children and grandchildren, is bringing his life experiences as former priest, communist rebel, NGO worker and public servant to his elective post. Coming from a prominent family of Maribojoc, the homecoming Evasco won as mayor by a landslide in 2007.

Maribojoc has a population of only 18,000. Many are into farming and fishing. It has its share of legends and history, among them the bell at the bottom of the river, the centuries-old Punta Cruz watchtower by the sea, and beside it, the wooden cross planted by Italian navigator Pigafetta. This weekend, national historical markers will be installed on the watchtower and the church of Maribojoc. The film “Lagablab sa Maribojoc” starring the late Fernando Poe Jr. was filmed here.

The spiritual life of Maribojocanons deeply connects to the limestone church with ornately painted ceilings, which is dedicated to St. Vincent Ferrer who is nicknamed “Enting.” During feasts, people dance the Enting-Enting to seek the intercession of the Spanish Dominican saint who was a great missionary in his time. Of course, I joined in the revelry inside the church, and earlier, the fluvial procession of fishing boats out in the open sea and got my pants all wet.

But to go deeper into the heart of this place, one must meet the hardy folk who are working hard to move the town into the future while preserving its natural heritage. Many an application for quarrying, mining and fishpond permit has the mayor rejected if they looked like threats to the environment.

And as to the blue and green spaces I mentioned earlier, Maribojoc still has some of the biggest mangrove areas in this country. Fantastic is an understatement. Lining the banks of the Abatan River (which runs through four towns) are thick rows of nipa palms and mangrove trees that sustain a variety of wildlife. Multi-awarded poet Marjorie Evasco (a cousin of the mayor’s) wrote of this habitat as “a temple of dark green silence.”

We rafted on the Abatan River in the afternoon with only the sound of birds and insects to accompany us. At some point, we transferred from the raft to a tiny banca (boat) and paddled quietly into the smaller inlets under a bower of leaves. I thought of the river scenes in Francis Ford Coppola’s film and Joseph Conrad’s novel. For me, this was the next best thing to sailing on the Amazon, minus the anaconda.

Cooper Resabal Jr., a journalist who was based abroad for several years, is back in his hometown to help jumpstart the ecotourism program. This kind of tourism is not for everyone, he said. No dining cruises here like in Loboc. Just the green silence for rafters, kayakers, wildlife watchers, fishers, mystics.

I visited another mangrove area thick with 21 species of trees and with a half-kilometer board walk that leads to an islet planted to coconuts and with a good view of the sea. This serves as camping site. The sanctuary is managed by the San Vicente Mangrove Association. I also visited a farmers’ group that practices organic farming.

I stayed in a bed-and-breakfast place with a breathtaking view of the mountain in the distance, the vast and misty mangrove down below and the silvery sheen of a bend in the river.

For inquiries related to Maribojoc, write to tribukauswagan@yahoo.com.

Send feedback to cerespd@gmail.com

Bohol Spa and Massage Services

I got the rates of the Bohol Bee Farm Spa Services. I have personally tried the 1-hour whole body massage "Hilot and Tea" and it was so relaxing, being on the cliff and all. :) Everything they use is grown from their own farm. :)

Hilot and Tea for 1 hour - P500

Body Scrub and Hilot Package for 1 hour and 45 minutes - P1600
Includes: fresh grated coconut milk, fresh ginger, and moisturized with molave honey

Facial Treatment for 1 hour - P800
Use of: warm peppermint and avocado with coconut milk

Foot Spa and Pedicure Package for 1 hour and 15 minutes - P800

Manicure P150 and Pedicure P180

***
There's also a Spa in the Panglao Island Nature Resort which I haven't tried but based from feedbacks from a fellow Boholana, it is also very relaxing at a P800/hour rate. They allow up to 15 minutes rest after the massage.

***
You can do a DAY STAY at the uber exclusive and posh Eskaya resort with an entrance fee of P2000/pax, consumable with food and spa. I do not know the rates of the Spa, but I know the food prices are similar to hotel rates, like P900 for a plate of pancit.

***
There is also a new spa at the Peacock Garden, this is another very posh hilltop resort which serves fine German cuisine and has Rizal memorabilia. :)

***
There are several small massage areas around Tagbilaran. For your usual BARBER massage, we recommend Bil Romo Barber Shop along CP Garcia Avenue near the Park. My bf had his for P150, head and body massage. Haha! :)

My latest Bohol trip: itinerary and budget! :)

In Bohol, the highest influx of tourists is said to be during Fiesta Month, which is May. Starts off at May1st which is the Fiesta of St. Joseph the Worker in Tagbilaran City, followed by May 3 in Panglao, and so forth.

With my grandmother based in Tagbilaran, we appropriately scheduled our annual vacation in time for the Fiesta! We were there April 27 to May 2. We decided to do the main tours during weekdays because weekends at the tourist spots can become congested!

Three of us flew via PAL which cost P3833/pax and three of us flew via Cebu Pacific which cost P5200/pax. It really is important to book earlier because we booked only 2 weeks in advance. My cousins who flew via CebPac merely booked a day after I booked with PAL, and see the difference in the fares. I'd also like to mention that the CebPac flights to and from were both delayed by over an hour. So when planning, always take in to account delays in flights! :)

BTW, EF = Entrance Fee

Monday April 27, 2009
We arrived in the afternoon so we just went to Bohol Quality Mall for some toiletries and had dinner at home. We went to bed early. :)

Tuesday April 28, 2009 - COUNTRYSIDE TOUR, THE EXTENDED VERSION!
7 am - Left Tagbilaran City, picked up by van c/o Ramil (cheapest rates in Tagbilaran, Ramil is a former DENR inspector, and is actually from Laguna but now as Boholano as can be!)
8 am - Punta Cruz Watch Tower in Maribojoc EF P5/pax P25/van
10 am - Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan Peak (newer, closer, privately owned) EF P20/pax
11 am - Chocolate Hills in Carmen (the more popular viewing deck, govt owned) EF P50/pax
1130am - Man-Made Forest of Bilar, free of course
1145am - Butterfly Sanctuary of Bilar EF P20/pax and must try home made ice cream P20/bar
12nn - Hanging Bridge of Sevilla EF P10/pax
1pm - Loboc River Cruise EF P300/pax
230pm - Tarsier Sighting EF by donation
3pm - World's Largest Python in Captivity EF P10/pax
4pm - Baclayon Church and Museum EF P25/pax, will not allow sleeveless tops in the church
430pm - Blood Compact Site no EF
5pm - Hinagdanan Cave EF P10/pax
530pm - Panglao Island Nature Resort P450/pax consumable so dinner was included here
8pm - headed back to Tagbilaran, which is 20 minutes away :)
Van rental was P3000. Originally at P2300 but since we decided to go for Punta Cruz, Sagbayan, and Panglao, we had to pay more. And trust me, super cheap yan. Others would rate it at at least P3500. :)

Wednesday April 29, 2009 -DOLPHIN WATCHING AND ISLAND HOPPING DAY!
515am - Left Tagbilaran and headed for Alona Beach
6 am - Out at sea! Dolphin Watching!!!
8 am - Balicasag Marine Sanctuary EF P150/pax. Bring bread, snorkeling gear, and aqua shoes. Rental of snorkeling gear and aqua shoes is P150. This part of the itinerary is definitely a MUST-DO!
10am - Brunch at Balicasag, we had eggs and fresh tuna and drinks etc, for 7pax we paid P400.
11am - we decided to go back to Panglao because the waters were a bit choppy, but we were really slated to go to Puntod Island aka Virgin Island
12nn - Bohol Beach Club EF P250 consumable...we had heavy merienda!:)
4pm - we visited our lot in Panglao Island, and we even went to the munisipyo to check on our taxes for it, and wow their system's computerized! :)
6 pm - dinner at Bojol Grill in Tagbilaran...love the inasal (P85) and balbacua! Shakes (P30) are awesome too!
Boat rental: P2000
Van rental: P1000

Thursday April 30, 2009 - RELAXATION DAY!
715am - Mass at Tagbilaran Cathedral...drop by the park after
9am - Dauis Church (really beautiful) and Museum aka Hinandumanan, developed by the Zobel family
10 am - Bohol Bee Farm!!!!! Your BEST bet talaga is to go for the BUFFET which they REFILL! For 6pax, it is P420/pax plus 10% SC. Consists of...seafood soup, fresh garden salad, organic rice with camote, bread and squash muffins, seafood lasagna, honey glazed chicken, baked pork ribs, and grilled marlin, bottomless lemongrass iced tea, 2 scoops of homemade ice cream! Grabe!!! :)
Farm tour is a must-do as well, which is P20/pax. I had the massage which was so relaxing because it was on a cliff...the best ambiance! P500 whole body 1 hour massage with 1 cup of tea. :) You can also go swimming but we just decided to chill by the deck/massage area.:)
6 pm - bisperas ng Fiesta...we were at home and my lola prepared a FEAST complete with LECHON!!! :)

Friday May 1, 2009 - Tagbilaran City Fiesta!
715 am - Mass, played some games at the Park afterwards
Morning - shopping at Island City Mall
Afternoon - shopping at Bohol Quality Mall
Evening - just at home :)

Saturday May 2, 2009 - Returned to Manila

Photos to follow! :)

Update: Some ads from the Bohol Chronicle

10 things to love about Bohol by Ricky Lo and my comments :)

I fell in love with Bohol the first time I went there three years ago to attend the wedding of a friend's brother. I've been going there every chance I get since then, to what my Boholano friend Raoul Tidalgo and I call "our paradise on earth."

When my big-city-trapped friends ask me why I'm always in Bohol (it just seems like that because I keep on mentioning the place and the people in this corner every once too often), I want to tell them, "Let me count the ways," rattling off the following "10 Things to Love About Bohol" (not necessarily in this order):

1. The Tarsier - I saw it perched on a tree along the Loboc River made even more famous by Cesar Montano, one of Bohol's pride, in his movie Panaghoy sa Suba. I looked at it eyeball-to-eyeball and that's how I noticed lonely its eyes were, so huge that, for a while, I felt that those eyes would kill me with gentleness. (you could also visit the National Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, Bohol - Ivy)

2. The Chocolate Hills -One of Da King FPJ's favorite settings of his blockbusters, the hills are alive with the whatever sound you can imagine, all those 1,268 mounds (count 'em!). If you have the stamina, try climbing the 200-plus steps up one of them and, from the peak, be mesmerized by a panoramic view of the province. Breath-taking! How did the hills got the name? Give the credit to the Americans who, many years ago, stood transfixed by the natural wonder that reminded them of Chocolate Kisses. Thus, Chocolate Hills. (there are 2 views of the hills: the older one is in Carmen and the newer one is in Sagbayan Peak. I still like the Carmen one better. But, Sagbayan Peak has a nice butterfly garden too. - Ivy)

3. The Amarela (in Panglao) - Touted on its flyer as "...not just a beautiful beach resort but also a showcase of Bohol's rich cultural and artistic heritage...", Amarela is Spanish for yellow. Said its owner-manager Doy Nunag, "We called it Amarela by accident. Three years ago when we were on a family vacation in Portugal, we noticed that the subway lines were identified by color, one of them the Amarela Line. We were looking for a name for the resort and we thought that Amarela was perfect for it." Most of the rooms face the sea. Watch the sun rise and set from your window, and you will sing the famous Sunrise, Sunset song from Fiddler on the Roof with new lyrics coming spontaneously from your heart. I heard that Bea Zobel stays at Amarela when she's in Bohol, which is often. (Note: For inquiries, call 038-5029497 to 98 or cell phone 0906-5884145.) (Great food, and great service. - Ivy)

4. The old churches - Raoul and I visited 14 churches the first time I was in Bohol, completing the Visita Iglesia even if it was the Lenten Season. We lingered a bit in the vicinity of Baclayon Church in Baclayon town, several meters away from it stands the lighthouse where Cesar Montano proposed to Sunshine Cruz at sunset, to the enchanting music of the Loboc Children's Choir. Romantic! (what an awesome way to propose!! i didnt know that fact.:) )

5. The Bohol Bee Farm - Owned and managed by Vicky Wallace, the Farm serves all-organic food, including - would you believe! - Bougainvilla Salad ("Anything that the bees eat is edible," assured Vicky, a retired nurse who worked in the States, now the widow of an American husband) and Camote Bread. To digest an "organic" meal, you can stroll around place and have a close look at the bees of various species, coming from different parts of the country (and Australia). (I think Wallace is Australian, not American. Anyhow, Bohol Bee Farm food is my favoritest EVER!!!)

6. The Peanut Kisses, Ube Jam and Torta - Don't just bring home beautiful memories from Bohol, complete with album-fuls of pictures. Remember to drop by any of the groceries in department stores (BQ Mall - BQ for Bohol Quality - one of them, owned and managed by Raymond Ong who also owns and manages Metro Center which has a cozy hotel at the heart of Tagbilaran City) and stuff your back-pack with as many packs of Peanut Kisses and Torta and Ube Jam as you can. Family and friends back home will love those pasalubongs. Yummy! (I'd also like to endorse BOHOL CAFFE LATTE!!! :) )

7. Payag Restaurant - Your weekend in Tagbilaran will not be complete if you don't take lunch or dinner at Payag (#18 CPG East Avenue). My favorite item on the menu is the Chicken Barbecue, served with fresh achara and cold buko juice (or any juice of your choice). When Floy Quintos brought balikbayan international model Anna Bayle to Bohol, they went to Payag for dinner. "They occupied that table in the corner," Raoul pointed out. "Anna looked as delicious as the chicken inasal, holding a bottle of ice-cold Beer Light." Burp before you leave the place. (Note: For reservations, call 038-4112527 or 038-5019447.) (There's also Payag in ICM Mall, btw. But nothing beats a resto feel.)

8. The Loboc River Night Cruise - For a touch of romance, take this tour with a loved one (lover or friend) - or even alone (you can "romance" yourself, can't you? By day, the cruise comes with buffet lunch. At night, you first take dinner at a floating restaurant and then you transfer to a boat that sails oh-so-slowly along the river between tall trees on both banks, adorned with lights that turn from red to orange to pink to violet to green to blue and then to light blue-green. Those lights were donated by Carlos Chan (Benchan's brother) to the tune of... P12 million!?!... including the Children's Palace where the Loboc Youth Band caps the cruise with an hour of soothing music. But first, enjoy a homegrown group composed of children and adults, waiting on a raft at the far end of the Loboc River to serenade the "cruisers" during the brief stopover. (Don't forget to donate a few bucks to the singing group; they need it.) Cruise prices are very affordable. (Note: For inquiries, call the Loboc Tourism Port Office at 038-5379292 or mobile phones 0928-5077627 and 0920-9623550.) (Cruise with lunch buffet...I forgot how much per person but I don't think it's past 300php per person. The opening song is...Welcome to Bohol, the land of the chocolate hills...):)

9. The Panglao Island Nature Resort - Owned and managed by Raymond Ong, this resort is another haven for weary souls from the big city. If you're looking for a place so quiet and so serene that you can feel your heart gently beating and yourself thinking, with only the sound of the wind rustling among the trees, this is the place for you. Your muscles grown tired? Walk to The Spa nearby. Or take a swim or do a lap or two at the Olympic-size pool. Or run to the beach just beyond your cottage. The resort's new feature is the just-opened Verdant Pavilion which is a perfect venue for concerts (Sitti was the first to hold one there; and, if negotiations push through, Martin Nievera just might do a Valentine concert there in February next year, keep your fingers crossed!). For inquiries, call (63-38) 411-5875 or 502-2451. (PINR is extremely romantic, and they serenade you during dinner...you can drop by for day stay, around P250/pax consumable...don't you just LOVE Bohol?!?! Same's true for Bohol Beach Club and most resorts. Eskaya, the most upscale one, is P1000 for day stay, also consumable.)

10. The Beautiful Boholanos - Bohol has produced a lot of stars, including Cesar Montano (of course, who is rumored to be running for governor or congressman), Luke Mejares, retired actress and now US-based Rebecca del Rio, Giselle Sanchez, the late Yoyoy Villame, StarStruck finalist Rich Asuncion, Star in a Million Champion Jerome Sala (now managing the family's hollow blocks business and, on the side, driving the family-owned passenger jeepney), Rebecca Lusterio, Hot Babe Sheree, Lutgardo Labad, 2006 Bb. Pilipinas-World Mariz Igpit and "adopted son" Maryo J. delos Reyes (who has a house in Tagbilaran. And, last but definitely not the least, my friends (aside from Raoul Tidalgo, Raymond Ong, Vicky Wallace and Doy Nunag), Betty Veloso-Garcia (and the Veloso Family), Boy Echavez and Liklik Schroeder (now based in Sacramento, California). (And...*EHEM*)

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com) - Ricardo F. Lo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)