Anything and Everything about Bohol. Get familiar of the History of Bohol, it's Geographic Information, the Demographics, Socio-Economic Profile,Provincial Symbols and Maps of Bohol.

Created by virtue of Act 2711 on 10 March 1917, this island province of Bohol is the 10th largest island of the Philippines. Its people are said to be descendants of the last group of inhabitants of the country called "pintados", meaning the tattooed ones.

The name Bohol was supposedly derived from the word Bool, the place where a treaty of friendship between two people of different races, culture, religion and civilization occurred in 1565 between Datu Sikatuna, a native chieftain and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, representing the King of Spain through a blood compact known today as the "Sandugo". In honor of this occasion, the late Pres. Elpidio Quirino established the Order of Sikatuna, a presidential decoration conferred upon diplomats.

During the Spanish regime, two significant revolts occurred in Bohol. One was the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 led by a native priest or Babaylan. The other was the Dagohoy Rebellion, considered as the longest uprising recorded in the annals of Philippine history, led by one Francisco Dagohoy from 1744 lasting until the year 1829. It was also during the Spanish era that Bohol was politically part of Cebu and was called a residencia. It became a separate politico-military province on July 22, 1854 together with the island of Siquijor. In 1879, Bohol was composed only of 34 municipalities having a population of 253,103. The Americans, led by Major Henry Hale of the 44th Infantry Battalion, arrived in Tagbilaran on March 17, 1900. The Japanese also occupied Bohol several years later during World War II. The American liberation forces arrived in Bohol on April 11, 1945.

Generally flat and plain with only few mountainous areas at the northeastern portion, Bohol is suitable for massive cultivation of agricultural products. Bohol exports some of its agricultural products to Cebu and other provinces.

The slopes of these mountainous areas have good potential for commercial/urban and even industrial site development because of their natural drainage capacity. Some of these mountainous areas, particularly those preserved from degradation, can serve as habitat for interesting flora and fauna as well as natural land forms that travelers look for, such as the landform for which Bohol has been noted, the Chocolate Hills.

The interior uplands are potential for commercial forestry, fruit production, livestock-raising and to a certain extent, high value crop production.

• Coastal Resources
Bohol's coastline is very extensive with its natural as well as artificially planted mangroves of different species. These mangroves serve as a good breeding ground for marine resources. Total mangrove area in the province is reported at 8,151 hectares. The marine waters also serve as a reliable source of income for fisherfolk. Fish catches and other marine resources are in surplus that these are exported to Cebu and other provinces. In addition, its coastal resources is fast gaining popularity as haven for tourists, particularly to scuba divers. Vast coral reef formations and the presence of indigenous and rare species are sure attractions for leisure divers. The waters off Panglao Island, Balicasag Island, Pamilacan Island, Danahon Reef in northern Bohol and the Anda Peninsula area are identified as excellent scuba diving sites.

• Climate and Water Resources
Climatic condition in the province is generally fair with the highest rainfall recording at 1,923.7 mm in 1961 and lowest recording at 711.9 mm. in 1964. Generally, the rainy season is longer from June to December. Typhoons and other tropical depressions have rare occurrences in the province at an average frequency of about 28 occurrences. Likewise, droughts and other dry spells are a rarity. Water is abundant throughout the province. Five major rivers and their tributaries serve as good sites for aquaculture and irrigation. These water sources are also tapped for hydro-electric generation and as source of potable water for the people.

Based on the latest population census by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 1995, Bohol had an estimated total population of 994,440 which is 19% of Central Visayas' population. Growth rate is 89% while population density is 266 persons per square kilometer. In that same census, Bohol had a total of 191,657 households. Tagbilaran City, its capital, had the biggest population while, among the municipalities, Ubay leads the group. By age structure, Bohol had the following population census results:

14 years old & below 380,778 or 38.3 %
15 to 64 years old 551,156 or 55.4 %
65 years old & above 62,506 or 6.3 %

It is estimated that in 1999, Bohol's population would increase by 1.9% from the 1995 figure. The steady increase in its population is mostly attributed to the increasing number of live births. Although CBR in 1999 decreased to 23.45 per thousaand population compared to 1998, the number of births continues to outnumber deaths in Bohol. CBR, per projection by NSO, is expected still to decrease in the ensuing years.

Over the years, Bohol had a more or less the same death rates, thus ascribing its birth rate to the province's population growth. For several years, pneumonia was the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Bohol. But, in 1999, the incidence of cardio-vascular disease as a cause of death has significantly increased in the last 5 years in Bohol surpassing pneumonia. It was the number one cause of mortality in the province in 1999. Noted also is the rise in the number of deaths caused by TB (all forms) and cancer which trend was also carried in 1999. However, among infants, deaths were caused more by Pneumonia/Acute Respiratory Infection at the rate of 4.52 per 1,000 live births. Diarrhea was still the number one cause of morbidity, both for adults and infants, for many years in Bohol as well as in 1999 indicating that much still has to be improved especially on the people's access to potable, safe water, among others.

Per results of the Labor Force Survey conducted in 1999 by NSO in Bohol, the province's potential labor force increased to 691 thousand of which 66.4% are in the labor force. Employment rate, at the end of 1999, increased to 90.5% from 85.35% in 1998. However, an increase in underemployment was noted by 6.7 percentage points from 5% in 1998 to 11.7% in 1999.

Employment was predominantly agriculture-led. Bohol's inflation rate in 1999 increased to 11.3%, 2.5 percentage points higher than the rate in 1998. The purchasing power of the peso at 1988 prices was pegged at P0.71 in 1999, among the lowest in the region. A slight difference in the minimum daily wage rates between Tagbilaran City and Bohol's municipalities was also noted at P121.00 for the city and P108.00 in the municipalities.

Based on the 1997 survey, Bohol's average annual family income , pegged at P56,940.00, was among the lowest in the region. The average annual expenditure in 1997 for a Boholano family amounted to P50,754.00, the highest in the region. Fifty (50) percent of Bohol's families have their main source of income from entrepreneurial activities while 27% from wages and salaries. In 1994, Bohol's poverty incidence rate of 42.3% was the highest in Region 7, higher than the national average rate of 37.5%. However, this has been decreasing over the years from a high 60.5% in 1985 and 54.7% in 1991. Monthly poverty threshold in Bohol in 1994 was at P5,978.00, higher by 24% from that in 1991. Magnitude of poor families was placed at 44%, a decrease by 16% from 1991.

As to the flow of commodities in and out of the province from Bohol's ports, limestone top the list of exported commodities of the province in 1998 toppling G.I. sheets which became the number 2 exported product of Bohol. Other outgoing top commodities include rice, banana, cattle, mangoes, native products, hog, carabao, nipa shingles copra, raffia, salted fish, salt and cooked fish with a total volume of 426 thousand metric tons. Plywood top the list of incoming commodities followed by manufactured goods, appliances, hardware/construction materials and feeds, among others with a total recorded volume of 264 thousand metric tons for the top 15 commodities.

From this same report, it is noted that, among the incoming goods in Bohol, the province had been importing rice over the years. In 1999, Bohol was estimated to have imported 290,008 bags of rice per report gathered from NFA. Noteworthy, also, is the significant increase of foreign ship calls in Bohol which the PPA is attributing to shipments of limestone by foreign vessels. As of 1999, a total of 34 foreign ship calls were recorded by PPA at the PSC Private Port. Also, there was an increase in the number of domestic ship calls as well as in passenger and outbound/export cargo in the province as reported by the agency. In 1999, a total of 6,997 ship calls were recorded for the 7 major seaports in Bohol. For the Tagbilaran Port, the average monthly number of ship calls for 1999 was 300 for fastcrafts and 778 for conventional vessels. A cargo increase was also recorded with more inbound cargo than outbound cargo.

As of September 1999, the Board of Investments (BOI) Portfolio of Investments registered one new project in Bohol costing P7.501 million in the area of alcohol production. The combined paid-up capital of corporations and partnerships registered with the SEC for Bohol rose to P500 million from P200 million in 1998 levels.

The number of DTI-registered single proprietorships increased in 1999 relative to 1998 levels, but value of corresponding planned investments dropped. Average value of intended investment per single proprietor was P132.0 million, down from P253.117 million in 1998. Although predominantly an agricultural province, micro and cottage industries also play a vital role in Bohol's economy.

In the light of Bohol being identified as a tourist hub, inflows in the area of tourism and manufacturing can serve as possible venues for Bohol's future investments. Letter of Instruction No. 75 issued on 22 May 1973 serves as a major guideline in indicating areas for tourism related investments and infrastructure development while Proclamation No. 1801 proclaims certain areas in Bohol as tourist zones which includes the Islands of Panglao, Cabilao and Balicasag.

Aside from its pristine white-sand beaches and the Chocolate Hills, Bohol's tourism assets also include centuries-old churches and towers, scuba diving haven, majestic falls and caves and historical landmarks as well as primitive and exotic fauna and flora. Different tourist destination sites have been developed by the Government to boost this industry.

PROVINCIAL SYMBOLS

The Provincial Flag shall have the following design and symbolism : 

Size and Dimension : It shall have the same size and dimension as the Philippine National Flag. 

Colors: The provincial flag shall have three (3) colors, namely ; blue for nobility, white for purity, and red for courage. The path and/or strip of the blue and red runs in a perpendicular grain with the patch of white in-between.

The Provincial Seal of Bohol has the following inscriptions:

Chocolate Hills : the famous tourist attraction symbolizes the Boholano's belief in the dignity of labor. The supplementary background of green in the reproduction of the Province's "Coat of Arms" is interpretative of Bohol as an agricultural province, that the people depend much of their livelihood on farming.

Blood Compact : The Sikatuna - Legaspi Blood Compact symbolizes the Boholano's love for peace.

The two Bolos: The bolos with their handle and hand-guards on top, rclining respectively towards the left and right depicts the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts; that a true Boholano will rise, and will have to fight if supervening factors embroil them into it unreasonably and unbearably.

The Lone Star: The Lone Star represents Carlos P. Garcia, a native son of Talibon who was the only Philippine President produced by the Province of Bohol. Another star shall be added for every Boholano who shall also become president of the Philippines.

Other Provincial Symbols:

Hero
The Provincial Hero is Francisco Sendrijas, also popularly known as Francisco Dagohoy or Dagohoy. He was known to have led the longest revolt in the Philippine history.

Dance
The Provincial Dance is the Kuratcha Boholana.

Plant
The Provincial Plant is the Ubi Kinampay, a rootcrop with white or light to dark purple meat. These rootcrop is very aromatic and is cooked as plainly boiled , mixed to other vegetables or dried and used as a flavoring for ice creams, candies , cakes and other goodies. The best kind of Ubi is believed to be found only in Bohol. An Ubi Fest is celebrated every January in Bohol.

Tree
The Provincial Tree is the sturdy molave (vitex parviflora), which is locally know as "tugas".

Flower
The Provincial flower is the White Gumamela which symbolizes the characteristics of simplicity and naturalness of the Boholano. Its extra-length and bowing stamen evokes a language of welcome, its tender structure with pollens characterize the people's simple tastes and simple needs. The greenish, close-knit petals depict the loyalty and constancy of the Boholano family towards each of its members, conspicuous of the bond and the blood that join them together - in adversity or in joy.

Bird
The Provincial Bird is the colorful Antolihaw or Dimodlaw (Oriole : Oriolus Chinenses) which is found all over the province.

MAPS OF BOHOL

QUICK FACTS:
• Bohol is the 10th largest island of the Philippines
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