The Famous Panglao Island, Bohol (Alona Beach/Bohol Bee Farm)

PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

Municipality of Panglao - is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 33,553 people. It is one of two municipalities that make up Panglao Island. Panglao is known for its diving locations and tourist resorts.

The name Panglao may have come from its former name Panglawod, meaning "to the open sea" or derived from the word panggaw, referring to a fishing implement used by locals. Panglao Island International Airport will serve as Bohol's primary airport replacing Tagbilaran Airport. It is expected to be commercially available in August 2018.

History

Well before the Spanish colonization, the area was already long visited by Chinese and other Asian traders, as evinced by archaeological finds of Tang, Song and Ming dynasty porcelain and trade wares. Panglao flourished during the rule of the Dapitan kingdom, but raids by Moluccans and conquest by Ternate resulted in periods of depopulation when its population fled mostly to Panay and Mindanao, including Dapitan.

During the Spanish rule, a Jesuit mission post was established, that in 1782 was formed into a parish, known as La Iglesia de San Agustin de Panglawod. In 1803, the town was officially made into a municipality. The Panglao watchtower was built in 1851. The 5-storey octagonal tower is the tallest of its kind in the Philippines but suffers from neglect. 

Tourism

The primary tourist attraction of Panglao are its white sandy beaches, of which Alona Beach is the most famous and most developed. Alona Beach is about 1,500 metres long, lined with palm trees, resorts and shops. However, it has drawn critisms for its unrestrained development that ignored municipal development policies, warning against overcrowding and Alona to lose its paradise-like image. Therefore, the municipal, provincial and national governments are ploughing ahead with a plan to build a new international airport on Panglao Island, with the final approach path directly over Alona Beach. Currently plan is to be operational at the end of 2018. Other beaches include Bagobo, Bolod, Danao, Doljo and Momo Beaches.

Panglao is renowned for snorkeling and dive sites such as Doljo Beach, Garden Eels, Arco Point, Kalipayan, Napaling and Puntod. The island's southern portion is ringed with reefs that are relatively narrow and shallow (5 to 6 metres or 16ft to 20ft) with submarine cliffs plunging to depths of 33 to 56 metres. Tours can readily be arranged to further dive sites, including Balicasag and Pamilacan, Bohol.

ALONA BEACH

One of the most famous tourist spots in the province of Bohol, because of its white sand and the rocky cliffs. The beach is situated on the Panglao Island, 20 kilometers from Tagbilaran City and accessible by a sealed road. Compared to other locations, the beach is rather small as it spans less than one kilometer of white powder sand surrounded by a rocky cliffs.

The beach is located near a "house" reef, where corals and colorful fishes can be seen even without diving equipment. It is a popular diving and snorkeling spot.

BOHOL BEE FARM

The Bohol Bee Farm is a very cozy and relaxing place on Panglao Island. Owner and Chef Vicky Wallace prepares delicious meals from organically-grown vegetables on her farm - from squash muffins, vegetable lasagna to her specially-brewed coffee from roasted corn and wild berries. She rents her chalet-styled home to guests who want to enjoy the peace and serenity of having the entire farm to themselves...

This is certainly a place apart: not only is it a wonderful relaxing place for visitors, it also tries to contribute to the local community and the environment. 

Bohol Bee Farm is geared towards encouraging and inspiring our farmers to practice Organic Farming. They don't need to spend for costly conventional fertilizers, nor use harmful pesticides in their farms. Basic composting and companion planting are alternatives we offer in their stead.

Facilities: Swimming Pool / Sea View / Garden / Restaurant / Wi-Fi / Scuba Diving / Transfer Service

Address / Contact: Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines.

Phone: +68 38 502 2288

+63 917 304 1491

Email: vicky.beefarm@gmail.com

Chocolate Hills in Bohol

The Chocolate Hills are probably Bohol's most famous tourist attraction. They look like giant mole hills and remind us of the hills in a small child's drawing. Most people who see pictures of this landscape can hardly believe that these hills are not a man-made artifact.

There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,766 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers. They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name.

The chocolate hills form a rolling terrain of haycock hills - mounds of a generally conical and almost symmetrical shape. Estimated to be from 1,268 to about 1,776 individuals mounds, these cone-shaped or dome-shaped hills are actually made of grass-covered limestone. The domes vary in sizes from 30 to 50 meters high with the largest being 120 meters in height. 

Legends has it that hills came into existence when two giants threw stones and sand at each other in a fight that lasted days. When they were finally exhausted, the made friends and left the island, but left behind the mess they made.

For the more romantically inclined is the tale of Arogo, a young and very string giant who fell in love with an ordinary mortal girl called Aloya. After she died, the giant Arogo cried bitterly. His tears then turned into hills, as a lasting proof of his grief.

However, up to this day, even geologists have not reached consensus on how they were formed. The most commonly accept theory is that they are weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone on top of a impermeable layer of clay. If you climb the 214 steps to the top of the observation hill near the complex, you can read this explanation on a bronze plaque.