Teddy's Choice: May 2019

BOHOL; A WHOLE NATURAL ADVENTURE IN CENTRAL VISAYAS

Touting itself as an ecotourism site, bucolic Bohol simply could not be ignored and no disaster (the earthquake that crumpled centuries-old churches and did not spare even the iconic Chocolate Hills) could stop travelers from putting Bohol on their bucket list.

Bohol is the tenth biggest island in the Philippines, is located in the middle of the archipelago (the country has more than 7.000 islands). It has a bit more than 4k square kilometers and is surrounded by others 75 small islands.

The Tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world, measuring less than a human hand (85 to 160 millimeters). They are really shy animals with nocturnal habits, spending most of the day sleeping in hidden places. Because the Tarsier is shy and nervous, touching, hugging and camera flashes can really stress the animal. The stress leads to the Tarsier commit suicide by hitting its head against objects. 🙁

Alona beach in Panglao Island is the most famous place in Bohol. The majority of the tourists stay there. Panglao is connected to Bohol main island by a bridge, and the commuting between the two islands is super easy.

Breathtaking MAYACABAC Man-made forest

The dense forest stretches up to 2 kilometers between the Loboc and Bilar towns. In 1947 the government started a project of reforestation. Together with the community, red and white mahogany trees were planted in 19,410 hectares of land, putting an end to the deforestation process that was happening in the Loboc watershed.

Loboc river cruise

Best blends at BUZZ CAFE in Tagbilarana City is a restaurant -cum novelty shop

Healthy plate at BUZZ cafe

PHA staff and Manila Media

Founded in 1596 and built in 1727, The Immaculate Cocepcion of the Virgin Mary Parish , commonly known as Baclayon Church, is the oldest Christian settlement in Bohol.

Chocolate Hills

Can you imagine 1.700 symmetric hills all them side by side with same shape and size?

Incredible isn’t it? And it´s true!

Facade of AMORITA resort in Bohol

BELLEVUE Resort in Panglao

AMORITA resort in Panglao

ALONA TROPICAL BEACH RESORT

PANGLAO, BOHOL

A RETREAT TREAT IN ALONA

Bohol has been basking and banking on its tourism jewel, the legendary Alona strip in Panglao. Located near a "house reef" where corals and colorful school of fish can be seen, the water strip became famous that it is now a tourist and culinary district on every traveler's bucket list.

The beach was named after a movie shoot top billed by a gorgeous and alluring actress of the '70s Miss Alona Alegre.

ALONA TROPICAL BEACH RESORT, PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL

SAN JOSE - Economic Hub of MIMAROPA

The Municipality of San Jose, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 143,430 people^[3], which represents a third of the provincial population, and the largest among cities (excluding Puerto Princesa City) and municipalities in the MIMAROPA region.

In pre-colonial times, it was named Pandurucan by the indigenous Mangyans, before later renamed for its patron saint, St. Joseph, the husband of Mary.

San Jose is located about 400 kilometres (250 mi) kilometers south of Manila at the southern part of the province with a total land area of 44,670 hectares (110,400 acres), and is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Rizal and Calintaan, on the east by the municipalities of Mansalay and Bulalacao, on the south by the municipality of Magsaysay, and on the west by the Mindoro Strait. Its jurisdiction includes Ambulong and Ilin Islands.

PANDAN GRANDE REEF .,SABLAYAN, OCC. MINDORO

Selected media group going to San Jose, Occidental ,Mindoro

Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines situated on the western waters of Occidental Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait. Encompassing 34 square kilometres (13 sq mi), it is considered the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system, and is the largest in the country.^[1] The reef and its surrounding waters are protected areas in the country administered as the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular dive sites in the country. It is listed in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[2]

Courtesy call to the Mayor of San Jose, Occidental, Mindoro

Ilin Elementary School in Ilin island, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

FATHER Fernando Suarez, popularly referred to as the “healing priest,” helped build a new and bigger Chapel of the Santissima Trinidad on Ilin Island.

Ilin Island, Occidental Mindoro

Lunch at Ilin Island, Occidental Mindoro

ILIN ISLAND, OCCIDENTAL MINDORO

INASAKAN Beach on Ilin Island offers a beach getaway for tourists.

LUMANG SIMBAHAN NG SABLAYAN

PANDAN GRANDE REEF .,SABLAYAN, OCC.MINDORO

A popular tourist attraction in the area is not actually in San Jose. The Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation, Research and Education Center, popularly called by its former name, the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm, is actually in the barangay of Manoot in the adjacent town of Rizal, and it houses the only captive-bred tamaraw in the world, named Kalibasib, short for Kalikasan Bagong Sibol (literally, newly sprung nature). The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (Bubalus mindorensis) is the only endemic bovine of the Philippines and to Mindoro Island. It is a critically endangered species, estimated to number about 500 left in the wild, mainly found in Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Aruyan-Malati Tamaraw Reservation and Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary in Occidental Mindoro and the mountain ranges in Bongabong and Naujan in Oriental Mindor

WHITE ISLAND (MANADI IS.) OCC.MINDORO

ZIPLINE IN SABLAYAN ,OCCIDENTAL MINDORO

Further up the barangay is the Iling Elementary School, where there is huge tree. This bubog tree, also called kalumpang or bastard poon tree, is said to be about a hundred years old. It marks an area called Ingbanhawan, said to be an old settlement site. No traces of the old settlement can be readily found, the place grown with weeds and trees.

THE Dap-ayan Center for Culture and the Arts and the Bantayog-Wika para sa Mangyan ng Occidental Mindoro on Aroma Beach in the town proper of San Jose.