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| ==[[Bohol News]]== | | ==[[Bohol News]]== |
| <!--- Note: KEEP ONLY THE CURRENT NEWS HERE ---> | | <!--- Note: KEEP ONLY THE CURRENT NEWS HERE ---> |
| '''Beyond Chocolate Hills: 5 reasons to visit Bohol''' | | '''Bikers ride the waves for ‘Ocean Month’ celebration in Bohol''' |
| *Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/05/07/12/beyond-chocolate-hills-5-reasons-visit-bohol | | *Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R07&article=1101336384775 |
| *By: Karen Flores | | *By: Rey Anthony H. Chiu |
| *''Monday, May 07, 2012'' | | *''Wednesday, May 09, 2012'' |
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| The island province of Bohol has long been known for the Chocolate Hills, a breathtaking sight of 1,268 hills which are colored brown during the summer.
| | TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol- Over 200 bikers composed of cops, civilians and organized bike racing groups covered more than 60 kilometers of coastal highways in towns near Tagbilaran City, to drum up community awareness on marine conservation during the opening launch for the Month of the Ocean in May. |
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| There is also the Philippine tarsier, one of the country's smallest and oldest primates, as well as the white sand beaches of Panglao island.
| | Coming from three jumped off points, the bikers simultaneously took off at around 3:00 PM from Loon, Lila and Panglao town halls after a brief program and send-off activities at the Tagbilaran City Port. |
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| The average traveler only knows this much against Bohol, which attracted over half a million tourists last year. But the its governor, Eduardo Chatto, argues that they have much more to offer -- thus the launch of Bohol's official tagline, "Heart of the Islands, Truly Philippines." | | The Bohol Coastal Resource Management Task Force (BCRMTF) also organized mobile public address systems that loop-broadcast information education communication (IEC) awareness messages to complement the massive show of pedal power during that day day. |
| | PNP Community Relations branch in Camp Dagohoy led by PO3 Ronnie Conarco said that the ‘Bike for the Ocean’ dubbed as “Pulis, Katawhan, Sikad alang sa Kadagatan” was initiated to advocate for the proper management of Bohol’s coastal and marine resources. |
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| "We want to highlight the other aspects of Bohol such as its culture and heritage. We're more than just the Chocolate Hills, the beaches and the tarsier," Chatto said in an interview during the launch of the new campaign on Monday.
| | “Especially that Bohol largely profit from its marine eco-tourism activities,” Conarco added. |
| | Conarco said that it is the police that enforce coastal resources laws. He added that most of the violators they apprehended were unaware they have been using destructive fishing gears and methods and or they were already encroaching in municipal waters or in protected areas. |
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| "Heart of the Islands, Truly Philippines" supports the country's tourism slogan, "It's more fun in the Philippines," which was launched in January.
| | Bohol Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer Nestor Canda added that these people should be informed that while the sea sustains them, abusing the resource means killing the very source of food they have. |
| | The bike for the Ocean activity also started with a dialog among mayors and coastal law enforcement experts with police officers to thresh |
| | out issues in implementing coastal and marine laws. |
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| Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., who also graced the launch of Bohol's official tagline, said the province has always been "one of the Philippines' most prized tourist destinations."
| | Aside from the opening launch, May also brings province-wide Coastal Clean ups, mangrove planting, marine protected areas congress, Coastal law Enforcement Council meetings, MOA signing for cooperation among local governments, bike for the ocean, as well a dolphin festival on May 31 as the capping celebration for the Ocean Month. |
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| 'It's all in Bohol'
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| Amor Maclang of public relations firm GeiserMaclang, which helped develop the campaign, noted that Bohol "has the most complete portfolio of what it means to be in the Philippines."
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| The only thing left to do, she said, is to get the word out about the island-province.
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| "We started working on the campaign last year," Maclang said. "We want to bring Bohol in the same radar as Boracay during the summer. Every time of the year, there should be a reason to go to Bohol."
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| "The objective is not just to bring in foreign tourists, but also local tourists," she added.
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| Bohol, located in Central Visayas, literally sits at the heart of the Philippine archipelago. Maclang gave five reasons why tourists need to visit the island province:
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| 1. Strong sense of spirituality. Bohol has a mix of Catholic and animistic cultures, with the island-province popular for its manghihilot (traditional healers) and tawas (aluminum potassium sulfate, a substance commonly used as a deodorant or as alternative medicine). Maclang said it is a great place to learn more about Filipino culture. "Bohol is like Peru, if not better," she said.
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| 2. Unique architecture. Bohol is home to centuries-old stone churches, ancestral houses and other historical sites. Among them are the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Baclayon, the Assumption of Our Lady Shrine in Dauis, and the Clarin Ancestral House in Loay.
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| 3. Arts and crafts. Bohol also lets its visitors experience its culture through the arts, from creations of National Artist Napoleon Abueva to the performances of the world-renowned Loboc Children's Choir, a group of young Boholanos. Centuries-old crafts such as pots, brooms and jewelry are also sold all over the province.
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| 4. Boholano cuisine. Bohol is also known for its rich seafood selection, as well as delicacies such as polvoron (a pastry made from compressed toasted flour), and aromatic ube (purple yam). Every July, the province celebrates a festival where locals and tourists can eat food from at least ten houses for free, Maclang shared.
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| 5. Sense of vibrancy. Aside from the beaches and wildlife, Bohol also offers different attractions to thrill-seekers such as the Danao Adventure Park. The place offers a range of activities such as rappelling, spelunking, kayaking, trekking, river tubing, root climbing, wall climbing, and zip lines. Visitors can also explore caves in Anda, paddle through the Abatan river, or have an all-purpose terrain vehicle tour in Carmen and Baclayon. The Balicasag island, meanwhile, is said to be one of the world's top diving spots.
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| Maclang hopes that Bohol will be the preferred eco-cultural tourist destination in the country over the next 12 months -- and in Southeast Asia in three to four years -- with the help of their newest campaign.
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| "We want tourists to visit Bohol even if they only had seven days to visit the Philippines," she said.
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| More visitors
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| Chatto, meanwhile, said they are expecting tourist numbers to rise after the construction of the Panglao airport, which was recently approved by President Benigno Aquino III.
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| "The DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) has already sent consultants," he said, adding that P7 billion has been allotted for the project. "By then, a million tourists would be easy to reach."
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| Chatto also noted that there is a growing number of visitors from nearby provinces.
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| "They usually go on day trips, that's why they are not recorded in the DOT (Department of Tourism) figures, which get data from resorts and hotels," he explained.
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| ==Bohol Zip Codes== | | ==Bohol Zip Codes== |