By Fung Yu
Contributor

Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.

“Welcome to Bohol” the sign says upon landing in Tagbilaran airport. I found myself joining yet another media test drive with Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. for the newly launched Honda City.

The onset of the summer months bring hot and humid weather, more evident as the intense heat of direct sunlight pierce your skin and sweat slowly crept on the insides of your shirt.

Fortunately, it was rather cloudy when we landed; but the photographer instinct in me wished it was rather radiantly sunny.

Famous for its Chocolate Hills, Bohol is an island province in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It comprises of the Bohol mainland plus 75 surrounding minor islands of which the Panglao Island is the biggest. It is also the home province of President Carlos P. Garcia, the fourth Philippine president, who was born in Talibon, Bohol.

Our start of the tour was the Clarin Ancestral House. Built in 1840, this typical Filipino-Spanish stone house was the residence of Don Aniceto Velez, former governor of Bohol and his son Jose Butalid Clarin, former president of the Senate.

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By Marjorie Gorospe

BOHOL is just an hour away from Manila if you were to travel by air to Tagbilaran Airport. Even before landing, you will be amazed by the scenic view of Bohol from above.

But once you’re on the ground, smiling faces are the most consistent trademark in this province, which known for its Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier, an endangered species that is endemic to the country.

A group of journalists and I were eventually billeted in Panglao Island, courtesy of computer giants HP and Intel.

It took us 30 minutes to settle in. The resort’s good service – not to mention wonderful accommodation and endless line of seafood and Filipino cuisine – was something that you can only have once in a while. There was also a pool where one can bathe while enjoying beach scenery. To top it all, there was wireless Internet through wireless fidelity, which to journalists like us was heaven-sent – or at least to those who were planning to work remotely.

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By Lawrence Casiraya

BALICASAG Island in Bohol is described as one of the best dive spots in the country with its protected marine sanctuary teeming with healthy corals. For non-divers, it is also a great place for snorkeling.

Last Saturday, I was part of a small group that ventured near Balicasag for dolphin watching. I did read about dolphins in Bohol although around nearby Pamilacan Island.

Anyway, one important lesson is to wake up early – early as in don’t wait for the sun to rise. Or rather, it pays to be at sea on sunrise because that’s mating time for dolphins.

We set out past 6AM and by the time we reached the area where the dolphins are, it was already swarming with many boats with the same idea.

As one colleague puts it, it was more like “dolphin chasing”, rather than watching. Each time dolphins were seen rising out of the water; it was like off to the races. And it just seemed to scare these poor creatures.

Fortunately, before we headed for home we did see dolphins - one more like twirling rather flipping out of the water. And just when we least we expected it, a whale shark passed by in front of our boat rousing our sleepy eyes.

By Niño Mark M. Sablan, 2bU! Correspondent
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–There was something mystical and gentle about dolphins—plus I’d never seen one—so when I went to Eskaya Beach Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol, several months ago and was informed that dolphin-watching was part of the itinerary, I was extremely delighted.

Eager and excited (and armed with sandwiches, an MP3 player and a digital camera), I woke up extra early to join our group in a little motorboat for what I expected would be an intimate time with the dolphins.

It took us almost an hour before we spotted our first school of dolphins and the moment I laid eyes on them, I felt like a kid seeing his first, well, dolphin. It was just pretty disappointing how, when we tried to zoom close for a better view, they would suddenly stay underwater. I guess the sound of our motor (15 motors actually, since there were 14 other motorboats with us during that morning) scared them.

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By Joey Alarilla
INQUIRER.net

FUNNY enough, we only went to Bohol Beach Club to have lunch.

This was on June 24 when I flew to Bohol to cover the launch of three Animal Bite Treatment Clinics by the provincial government, in cooperation with Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics Inc. and IP Foundation, the corporate social responsibility division of IP Ventures Group.

Still, even that brief visit was enough to impress us with the resort’s pristine surroundings and beautiful white sand beach. It was the first time for me and my companions to go to this resort, and I’ve actually vowed to go back there in the near future with my family because this place is truly a sight to behold.

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