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"Bohol: Heart of the Islands, Truly Philippines" campaign in full blast
By Lily O Ramos

Remember nature's most wondrous 1,268 big mounds of limestone in Carmen called Chocolate Hills and the tiny but saucer-eyed monkey called tarsier whom every visitor in Bohol wants to cuddle once the primate shows up?

These makes it more fun in Bohol as a prime tourist destination

This is the reason why Governor Edgardo M. Chatto has launched a new campaign "Bohol: Heart the Islands, Truly Philippines."

What about the cool brooks, streams and rivers like Loboc river and Busay falls that seem to sing at the foot of the mountains and hills that gently spread like sparkling jewels in the morning sun?

How about sighting the playful and showboating dolphins in Pamilacan island which seem to have become their natural habitat?

Pamilacan in the Bohol Sea used to be fishermen's haven as they caught variety of fishes endlessly, including today's tourist favorites -- dolphins.

But having realized the importance of keeping the balance of nature by caring for the environment and its different marine lives, the locals have turned as tour guides, dolphin spotters and nature for their daily needs.

These are other attractions Bohol can show the awed world, said Gov. Chatto, who added that the province is also entwined with history.

Chatto spoke of Baclayon Church, the Philippines' second oldest church built in 1595 but was only finished in 1717 from coral stones cut in squares then welded together so closely with millions of egg whites that lasted for centuries!

It has a museum which holds intact, fully preserved religious artifacts in the 1600s, baptismal and marriage records since the Spaniards conquered the countryside and music sheets from carabao skin.

Chatto also explained that Bohol is as authentically Filipino as it can get by promoting old, old traditions and beliefs of our ancestors.

However, the natives preserved the traditions brought particularly by the Spanish colonizers, Chinese, Americans and European people who landed our shores as merchants and traders.

“As a nation, Philippine tourism is in search of its own identity because our local culture is a complex mix of many different cultures,” said Chatto.

“Bohol and its people have a certain respect and appreciation for heritage and tradition, this is why we have come up with this campaign to highlight the captivating charm that Bohol exudes and the heartwarming hospitality offered by Boholanos themselves,” he told invited mediamen.

Chatto said the new campaign brand is the handiwork of the Provincial Government of Bohol, in partnership with the province’s tourism stakeholders led by the Provincial Tourism Council, and the Philippine Bohol Arts Foundation Institute (PBAFI) to showcase the rich historical and cultural backdrop of "Bohol: Heart the Islands, Truly Philippines."

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