Aiming to become the top tourist destination in the Philippines, Bohol launched its newest tourism campaign yesterday.
Called "Bohol: Heart of the Islands, Truly Philippines," the campaign focuses on the province's historical and cultural backdrop—which have not really been highlighted in the past.
Famous for being home to the Chocolate Hills and the world's smallest primate, the tarsier, Bohol wishes to showcase its people and culture.
"Every town has a unique character, a unique attraction," says Governor Edgardo Chato, adding that Bohol is also home to the biggest mangrove plantation in Asia, and Danajon, the only double barrier reef in the region.
Tourist arrivals to the province were estimated at around 560,000 in 2011. Chato is optimistic that with the construction of the new airport on Panglao island, they will have no trouble hitting 1.5 million visitors soon.
Earlier this year, the island was named one of the world's best secret beaches by a travel magazine.
Bohol is perhaps most famous for the tiny tarsiers, one of the smallest primates in the world. The tarsier is already a tourist symbol, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Philippine tarsier as a near threatened species.
Bohol is also a prime spot for dolphin- and whale-watching, but conservationists warn against plans to establish a dolphin rescue and breeding facility.
Located in the Central Visayas region, Bohol is the geographic center of the Philippines. With an abundance of natural beauty, the province also has a unique sense of spirituality. "There is a lively dynamic between the animistic and Catholic culture," says Amor Maclang, director of PR and communications of Geiser Maclang, the public relations firm handling the campaign. Bohol's colorful history can be seen all over the province, in structures like preserved churches, including the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, and the miraculous Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Dauis.
There is the Dagohoy Cave in the town of Danao, which served as Francisco Dagohoy's headquarters when the Boholano patriot led the longest revolt in Philippine history.
Of course, there is also the food—fresh seafood like oysters, clams, lobsters and scallops, and sweet desserts like melt-in-your-mouth broas, torta, polvoron, peanut kisses, and the ube halaya. "Masarap talaga ang pagkain sa Bohol. Sa sobrang sarap, malilimutan mo pangalan mo," promised one Boholano during the launch.
According to Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Bohol is among the country's most prized tourist destinations. "You don't have to be from Bohol to love Bohol. It's simply being part of a rich cultural experience that makes a visit to Bohol unforgettable," he said, citing the Loboc Children's Choir as an example.
"The Loboc Children's Choir is symbolic of the province precisely because as an American friend who heard them once said, ‘You cannot sing the way they do if you are not happy,' says Jimenez.
Chato says that Bohol is a complete package of not only natural attractions, but culture and heritage.
With the many attractions that Bohol has to offer, visitors can stay for a week and not run out of things to do. But for travelers in a hurry, Bohol can also be experienced in just five hours.
"If a tourist comes to the Philippines for only a short period of time, but would like to experience the Philippine experience then they might consider Bohol because it's the heart of the islands and it's truly Philippine," says Chato. –KG, GMA News
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