Behold Bohol

There are magical places that leave an imprint in our hearts and minds. All we need to do is listen to that heartbeat that serves as inspiration. Welcome to Bohol, it’s more than just a destination.

An hour aboard a peaceful Air Asia flight from the bustling city of Manila was all it took. We arrived in Tagbilaran airport raring to behold the bounty of this paradise as we excitedly prepared to stay in our home way from home, Ananyana Resort, owned by lovely Emma Gomez.

Yes, Ananyana is our favorite jaunt away from the city of Manila. It is a cozy boutique hotel where comfort meets excellent cuisine. It is located in Doljo Beach, Panglao Island.  Ananyana is known for its warm service and exquisite food like gamberi, uni pasta and pizza. Its farmer’s breakfast is to wake up and die for. Ananyana has 10 double bedrooms, two family rooms and a magnificent suite with an amazing view of the ocean that will leave you breathless as you lie on a Voyage bed by Kenneth Cobonpue.

We arrived in the blessed month of May, when the thanksgiving fiestas are held, all the flowers are blooming and each and every one is warmly welcomed into each other’s home. This is the time when the annual fiesta serves lavish food and entertainment. 

When we visited the province, it was in the middle of implementing “Behold Bohol,” the new motto of the province that highlights the resilience of its people. This campaign is accompanied by developments such as the opening of the new airport next year as well as the continued support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It will be remembered that Bohol was struck by an earthquake in 2013.

Welcoming us to the scenic province of Bohol were Bohol Provincial Tourism Council executive director Emmylou Palacio-Noel and Bohol Tourism Board tour guide Fritzie Mae D. Zamora. At Ananyana, we also had the chance to interact with Tourism Promotions Board COO Cesar Montano.

Our Boholano driver Nonoy drove us through the lush greenery of nipa huts, mangroves, coconuts and bananas plus fire trees profuse with flaming red blooms. We passed the cleanest rivers. We saw the Punta Cruz Tower, which is under the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Frietzie told us that because of the abundance of nipa in the province, Bohol exports nipa shingles to other provinces.

Firefly watching is a delightful attraction in the two rivers of Abatan and Loay, according to Peter de Jaresco and his charming wife Zara, publishers of the Bohol Chronicle.  The awe-inspiring beauty of nature is spread all over the island. The grandeur of the Chocolate Hills, the tranquil rivers of Loboc and Abatan, the alluring white sand beaches in Panglao and Anda, soothing forests and delightful countryside life await to enthrall visitors to Bohol.

The Bohol experience is an amazing blend of natural wonders and cultural local flavors and ecological endeavors. Heritage sites abound as well. While rustic, it is replete with current conveniences. We were able to view old churches that were down to the rubble as well as those that were being restored. The stunning richness of Bohol’s heritage is evident in the centuries-old stone churches with exquisitely done interiors, painted ceilings and elegant retablos housing rare images of saints. Ancestral homes and historical sites also dot the island.

Declared a national historical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Baclayon is one of the earliest built stone churches in the country. Its museum holds a treasure trove of antique images, vestments and church relics. 

Now a pilgrim center for Marian devotees, the Assumption of our Lady Shrine in Dauis has a freshwater well near the altar, the water of which is said to have healing qualities. This church is being restored at the moment. The Clarin Heritage House in Loay and the heritage houses in Baclayon provide a glimpse of the Boholanos way of life in the 19th century. Ancient watchtowers built as part of the islands defense system is worth a visit like the Punta Cruz watchtower in Maribojoc.

On my youngest sister Yvonne’s birthday, Fr. Victor Bompat celebrated a thanksgiving Mass. He spoke about loving others and his apostolate of taking care of deaf and blind students, which is why he put up a school.

The blessedly beautiful province of Bohol has so much to offer. Our four days and three nights were not enough. My brother-in-law Benny Soliven who is into diving shared that Balicasag is an internationally recognized dive spot. Pamilacan Island is home to one of the world’s diverse marine life sanctuaries. Being a turtle lover, my sister Michelle was in turtle heaven in Balicasag as she was able to swim and snorkel with a multitude of friendly sea turtles in various sizes.

Other great dive sites are Cabilao Island (Loon) and the Anda Peninsula. The Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef Marine Park offers unique diving experience with the submerged 14-foot statues of the Blessed Virgin and Sto. Nino.  Benny said the pristine clear waters teeming with marine life are a diver’s paradise.

My sister Jaqui enjoyed the food in Ananyana, especially the uni and gamberi pasta. I downed half a pitcher of cold mojito refreshed by the minty sugary lime concoction that lulled me to a deep sleep. Yvonne benefited from the soothing hands of the reflexologist, Elna Hora Librando, who kneaded her aches and pains while my brother-in-law Pael enjoyed his favorite farmer’s breakfast and the vanilla ice cream with Chocnut, bread pudding flamed with brandy drizzled with cream and caramel sauce.

Yvonne and Pael’s children, Cito and Carin, couldn’t seem to get enough of the pizzas, chicken inasal and vanilla milkshakes. Yvonne and her family were in the second floor family suite facing the pool and ocean while the bedrooms of Michelle and Benny and Jaqui and me were fronting the lower garden’s lushness.

Emma created a beautiful floating lounge where one can have breakfast, lunch, sunset cocktails, and be served dinner while squid and starfish gazing. One can paddle board around the cool shallow waters on the white sandy beach fronting the resort, view armies of exotic blue soldier crabs during low tide and play with hermit crabs at night.  The food is consistently excellent. The staff is attentive and thoughtful. The menu has a variety of dishes composed of comfort food-very enjoyable and even habit forming. 

For Yvonne’s birthday dinner, we had this very delicious paella a la Ananyana, a refreshing gazpacho and goat’s cheese salad. Emma surprised Yvonne with a luscious lemon cheesecake specially made by Mosia Café, a quaint bakeshop in Tagbilaran along the coast of Bohol near the airport. We also tried pan chocolat, flaky buttery croissants and baguettes from Gavroche French bakery served also by Emma with her homemade pineapple jam.

Emma can also arrange diving tours with her brother Kuatz Gomez who is a dive master. One highlight of our trip was the sardine run. The experience of swimming with thousands of sardines is unforgettable.  Swimming with the sardines involves swimming with hundreds of thousands of sardines in all directions.

We also had lunch in Amarela, and being here is like living in a lush artist’s garden. The owners, Bohol Tourism Council chairman Lucas Nunag and his wife Ludichi, are both lawyers with a passion for art. They collect old houses or rather pieces of houses and have found the best use for them. In Amarela, every antique door, brick stone or window is used as a vivid accent. Paintings and religious icons are staged in their in-house art gallery. Centuries-old crafts are kept alive in manu villages: bolo-making in Loay, pottery and rock salt making in Albur and wood carving in Panglao.

The quintessential Bohol experience means a convergence with the local culture — be it listening to a world-class choir (Loboc Children’s Choir), dancing to the music of an old folk’s guitar or taking home pieces of local ingenuity in a handcrafted product.

The Bohol experience is heightened in resorts like Ananyana where joy and comfort are like soft whispers carried by the breeze to your room, down to your heart.

The province is a paradise. Behold Bohol!

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For more information about Ananyana, call 038-5028101 or 0913-5947486. Bohol Provincial Tourism Council can be reached at 038-5019186 or 038-4123666.

E-mail me at miladay.star@gmail.com.