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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF BOHOL
FAST FACTS
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LOCATION
Bohol is an oval-shaped island province in Central Visayas. It is east of Cebu and southwest of Leyte and bounded on the north by the Camotes Sea, on the west by the Bohol Strait, and on the south by the Mindanao Sea.
THE LAND
Bohol's terrain is rolling and hilly. The island's interior is generally flat but dotted with numerous haycock-shaped hills popularly known as the "Chocolate Hills." The southern part is basically mountainous, with deep gullies and gorges that slope abruptly to the sea. The northern section has alluvial upland valleys and low-lying hills.
The province has four major rivers: Inabanga and Ipil in the north, and Loboc and Abatan in the south. The 161 km. long coastline, except in the north, is characterized by woodlands, grass, and areas of dense swamplands. Off the mainland are about 75 small islands, the largest of which is Panglao. Because of the varied topography, the climate is not uniform - warm and dry along the coast, and cold and humid in the interior. Rainfall, however, is evenly distributed.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Bohol derives its name from the early village of Bool near what is now Tagbilaran. After Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu in Mactan in 1521, his ships sailed across from Cebu to Bohol. In 1565, Legaspi entered into a blood compact with Datu Sikatuna, bringing Bohol under Spanish rule, administered from Cebu.
The island was the scene of two major rebellions against the Spaniards: the Tomblot revolt in 1621 and the Dagohoy revolt from 1744 to 1829, the longest in Philippine history. Bohol is the home province of the fourth President of the Republic of the Philippines, Carlos P. Garcia, who was born in Talibon. The province of Bohol was created under Act No. 2711 on March 10, 1917.
THE PEOPLE
Boholanos are known to be industrious and thrifty so much so that they are often referred to as the "Ilocanos of the South." They are also good traders. the peopled speak a distinctive Cebuano dialect.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Bohol is essentially an agricultural province. Its main products are rice, coconut, and corn. Fishing is important in the northern towns beside the Camotes Sea. There are also a number of ranches there. Among the minerals the province produces are manganese, iron, and tin. Bohol's handicrafts are famous throughout the country. These include baskets of bamboo and nito, items woven with saguran fibers, abaca mats and slippers, the buntal hats of Talibon, and shellcraft. The province is also fast becoming a tourist destination.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:February 10, 1999.
