Although people have been living on Bohol long before Magellan reached the islands that are now the Philippines, our written records start here, and about the events before that time, little is known, and has to be carefully reconstructed from oral traditions and archeological evidence.
It is said that around 1200, the Lutaos arrived from northern Mindanao. They build a settlement on stilts in the strait between mainland Bohol and the island of Panglao. This town later became a prospering local center of power, also known as the the \\\\\\\"Kingdom of Dapitan.\\\\\\\" It lasted until it was abandoned in 1563, out of fear for raids by the Portuguese and their allies from Ternate. It will be seen below how this event helped the Spanish to get a foothold in the Philippines.
The Arrival of the Spanish
In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew were the first Europeans to reach the Philippines coming from the East. When they arrived they weren\\\\\'t really welcome: Magellan himself was killed on Mactan Island near Cebu, by the hand of a local chieftain or \\\\\\\"Datu\\\\\\\", Lapu Lapu.
Following Magellan\\\\\'s route, the Loaisa Expedition left La Caruña in Spain on 24 July 1525. This expedition also reached the Philippines, but on the first of June, 1526, a hurricane separated the ships. One of the ships, the Santa Maria del Parral, stranded on on the shore of North-East Mindanao. The survivors were captured and sold into slavery. One of the crew members, Sebastian de Puerto (or de Puerta), came in the hands of the Boholano chief Sikatuna. This is the first contact on record between a Spaniard and a Boholano.
More than forty years after Magellan\\\\\'s demise, in 1564, Spain sent out four expeditions to establish colonies in the Far East, and to pick up a share of the lucrative spice trade under control of the Portuguese. These expeditions failed, but in the next year, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was more successful. Sailing westwards from Mexico with four ships and almost four hundred men, he reached the Philippines in the beginning of 1565, and established a Spanish settlement.
This wasn\\\\\'t an easy achievement. Just like Magellan before him, Legazpi met with hostile native warriors, who didn\\\\\'t like the idea of foreigners invading their islands. His attempt to land on the island of Cebu was thwarted, and he decided to look for a friendlier place. He lifted his anchor and headed south in the direction of Mindanao. A change of wind, however, forced his fleet back to north in the direction of Bohol. With the help of a Mohammedan Malay pilot from a captured trading ship from Borneo, he learned that the Filipinos were involved in trade with the Moluccas, Borneo, Java, Malacca, and even far away places such as India and China.
The Blood Compact of Legazpi and Sikatuna
Also at Bohol, Legazpi was given a hostile welcome. From his Malay pilot, he learned that this hostility was due to marauding expeditions of the Portuguese. Coming from the Moluccas, the Portuguese raiders traversed the Visayan seas, and just a few years before, in 1563, had plundered Bohol and killed or enslaved about one thousand of its inhabitants. Of course, the Boholano\\\\\'s easily mistook the Spaniards for Portuguese.
Again with the help of his pilot, Legazpi explained two chiefs of Bohol, Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc that they were not Portuguese, and had come in peace, and not to plunder or kill. This convinced the Kings to end their hostility and enter pact of friendship. On 16 March 1565 (or 25 March, records are confused due to the Georgian calendar reform in 1584), Legazpi and Sikatuna performed the now famous blood compact, probably not far from the modern town of Loay. This event is still celebrated in Bohol every year in June with the Sandugo (\\\\\\\"One Blood\\\\\\\") festival. The same ceremony was repeated three days later with Sigala.
The Conquest of Cebu
After he assured himself of the aid of Sikatuna and Sigala, Legazpi decided to try to establish a permanent Spanish settlement on Cebu. With the native kings as guides, he lifted his anchor and left Bohol on Easter Sunday, and arrived at Cebu on 27 April 1565.
On the shore of Cebu, the local king Tupas already expected them. He had grouped his warriors in full battle array, ready to resist Legazpi and his invaders. In an attempt to negotiate a resolution of the impasse, a priest, father Urdaneta, went ashore, but he wasn\\\\\'t able to convince Tupas. Legazpi then initiated an attack. While the ship\\\\\'s artillery battered the coast, Spanish soldiers landed and attacked the Cebuano warriors. With their superior weapons the Spanish won a victory, and forced the troops of king Tupas to retreat to the hills.
After his defeat, king Tupas was more inclined to enter into peace negotiations. With the help of Cid Hamal, a Mohammedan Malay who stayed in Cebu at that time, a peace treaty was drawn up on the fourth of June 1565. In this treaty, king Tupas recognized the Spanish king as sovereign and agreed to pay a tribute, for which, in return, Legazpi promised to protect him against his enemies and to allow trade between the Filipinos and Spaniards. Also, Legazpi was granted a strategic site on Cebu, where he founded the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Philippines.
Establishment of Catholicism
In the footsteps of the Spanish explorers came the missionaries. About thirty years after the Spanish established themselves on Cebu, on 17 November 1596, two Jesuit priests, Father Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sanchez, arrived in Baclayon, Bohol. It is said that the mother of the encomendero of Bohol, Doña Catalina de Bolaños invited them. They established their headquarters in Baclayon, and quickly started to further spread the Catholic faith on the island.
Only a few years after the Jesuits\\\\\' arrival, on 26 October 1600, Baclayon was raided by some 300 Maguindanao Moros commanded by Datu Sali and Datu Sirongan. In response, the Jesuits moved their headquarters to the inland town of Loboc, at a save distance from the coast. Since then, until the departure of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1768, Loboc has been the residence of the local Jesuit superior. Here they also founded the first parish on the island in 1602, followed in 1604 by a school, the Seminario Colegio de Indios, a training school for the children of the local ruling class.
The Revolt of Tamblot
The new religion was not easily accepted by all. In the year 1621, Tamblot, a native priest or babaylan called upon the people to return to the faith of their forefathers, and to liberate themselves from the Spanish oppression. Around two thousand Boholanos joined him, and started a revolt when most of the Jesuit fathers were absent, celebrating the feat of the beautification of St. Xavier in Cebu.
When the news of the uprising reached Cebu, the alcalde-mayor Don Juan de Alcarazo, rushed an expedition to Bohol to suppress it. on New Year\\\\\'s Day, 1622, an army of 50 Spaniards and over one thousand Filipinos started their campaign against the rebels. In the following battle, fought out in a torrential rain at Malabago, Cortes, Bohol, the mayor was wounded and the Spanish had to retreat. Six months later, in a second attempt, the rebels where victorious again, but then some Spanish priests from Loboc managed to enter the camp of Tamblot and assassinate him. Then, Without their leader, the insurgents where easily defeated, and Spanish power was restored.
After these events, the Spanish more firmly established their power on Bohol. Using the labour of local workers, a number of magnificent stone churches were built, including the Church of Baclayon, which is one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines, and was build, in its current shape in 1724, and the church of Loboc with its separate bell-tower.
By 1733, the Jesuits had established six settlements or reducciones: Loboc, Baclayon, Jagna, Talibon, Inabanga and Maribojoc. In these settlements, the people were forced to live together, so that it was easier to christianize them, as well as to collect taxes.
The Rebellion of Dagohoy
The oppressive methods of the Jesuits once more led to a serious insurrection against Spain. In the year 1744, Francisco Sendrijas alias Dagohoy started a revolt that was to last more than eighty nine years. The cause of this was an incident, in which the brother of Dagohoy was killed. Father Gaspar Morales, the Jesuit curate of Inabanga ordered a this brother, who was a constable, to capture a man who had left the Christian religion. The constable pursued the fugitive, but then was killed by him in a duel. However, when his body was brought back to town, the Jesuit refused the constable a Christian burial.
Infuriated at the priest, Francisco Dagohoy organised the people in an armed rebellion. The uprising started on 24 January 1744 with the killing of the Italian Jesuit curate of Jagna, Father Guiseppe Lamberti. Not long after that, Dagohoy also killed Father Morales, and the rebellion swept over the entire island. In vain, the Bishop of Cebu, Miguel Lino de Espeleta, attempted to calm down the situation, and restore Spanish rule. Dagohoy defeated the troops of Spanish and Filipino forces sent to subdue him. He established a free government in the mountains, and with his followers, was able to control much of the island. Even after Dagohoy\\\\\'s death, his rebellion continued, while the Spanish were only able to maintain their power in some settlements along southern coast.
In the span of 89 years, no less than twenty Spanish governors-generals, from Gasper de la Torre (1739-45) to Juan Antonio Martinez (1822-25), failed to suppress the uprising. In 1825, general Mariano Ricafort (1825-30), became governor-general of the Philippines. He send alcade-mayor Jose Lazaro Cairo to re-establish Spanish power in Bohol. With an army of 2,200 Spanish-Filipino men, he invaded Bohol on May 7, 1827. However, it took more than a year of fierce fighting, and another Spanish expedition under Capitain Manuel Sanz, who landed on Bohol in April 1828, before the patriots were defeated. He captured last remnants of Francisco Dagohoy\\\\\'s rebel forces from their hideout in the Cave of Caylagon. So, finally, by August 31, 1829, the rebellion was ceased. Most of the followers of Dagohoy were pardoned and resettled in new villages in the lowlands. These villages have now become the towns of Batuanan, Cabulao, Catigbian, and Vilar.
In the mean time, in 1768, the Jesuits had been expelled from the country, and their missions taken over by Augustinian Recollects headed by their former Provincial, Fray Pedro de Santa Barbara. Under their leadership, by 1800, the towns of Tagbilaran, Dimiao, Guindulman, Panglao and Loon had been founded.
The Last Years of Spanish Rule
After the end of the Dagohoy rebellion, a period of relative peace starts in Bohol. During most of the Spanish era, Bohol was a part of the residencia of Cebu, but on 22 July 1854, it was made, together with the island of Siquijor, into a separate politico-military province. In 1879, when a census was held, Bohol had 34 municipalities and a total population of 253,103 souls. (Less than one fifth of the population today!)
Spanish rule came to an end in April 1899. In that year, after winning the American-Spanish war, the U.S. \\\\\'bought\\\\\' the entire Philippines for twenty million dollars. The Spanish left the island, and Bohol became a \\\\\\\"Gobierno de Canton,\\\\\\\" run by important Boholanos as part of the independent republic proclaimed by Emilio Aquinaldo.
The American Era
After almost one year, on 17 march 1900, American troops landed in Tagbilaran. Lead by Major Henry Hale of the 44th infantry Battalion, they came to take over control from the followers of Aquinaldo. The Boholanos started an organized resistance against the new invaders. On 3 September 1900, under the leadership of Col. Pedro Samson, a bloody struggle started, which lasted for several months. In their attempt to force the Boholanos to submission, the American forces burned to the ground 20 of Bohol\\\\\'s 35 towns, killed hundreds of people, and indiscriminately slaughtered livestock. Finally, on 23 December 1900, the resistance leaders surrendered to the Americans. A peace treaty was signed in the convent of Dimiao, and peace was restored. Unfortunately, a cholera epidemic following the turmoil of the war killed hundreds of Boholanos in the following year.
With the peace restored, the American government started to reorganize and reform much of the country. Roads were constructed and schools established, and the living conditions started to improve somewhat. It was also during this period, on 17 March 1917, that Bohol was created a separate province.
World War II
The American Era, effectively ended with the Second World War. On 17 May 1942, Japanese forces landed in Tagbilaran. Three very difficult years where to follow. Again, the Boholanos stood up to defend their freedom. The resistance movement, which consisted of disbanded soldiers and civilians, organized a guerilla style war against the Japanese oppression. At first, their headquarters, \\\\\'Behind the Clouds\\\\\' was hidden in the deep and inaccessible ravines near Catigbian, and later this was moved to Carmen, while the original encampment remained a prisoners\\\\\' camp.
The American forces returned on Bohol on April 11, 1945. This time, they were welcomed as liberators, and only to stay for a relative short time, as on the 4th of July, 1946, Bohol became a part of the independent Republic of the Philippines.
After Independence
After independence, a long period of relative peace and slow development started. Freedom loving and independent, Boholanos don\\\\\'t like to be ruled by others, and, unlike on many other islands in the Philippines, there are few large landowners or haciendas on Bohol. Many
Boholano families were and still are subsistence farmers, who till their own small plots of land for their own food, and grow coconut trees for copra (dried coconut flesh), to earn money for their other needs. Although Bohol is still mainly an agricultural province, the capital Tagbilaran was elevated to a city on the first of July 1966, and today has a population of about 70.000 people. The entire province is now (according to the 2000 census) home to about 1.3 million people.
Like in many provinces in the Philippines, no longer all people can earn their livelihood in agriculture, and many have sought a better future outside Bohol. Many have found work in the large banana and other plantations on Mindanao, or in the industry or in all types of service jobs in the big cities, especially Cebu and Manila. Boholanos are also well known as sailors. When on board a ship, both within the Philippines, or internationally, you have a big change that some of the crew members originally come from Bohol. Finally, a large number of Boholano\\\\\'s have moved abroad, to live and work in the Middle East, the United States, and Europe.
Only in recent years, the touristic potential of the island has been realized, and work has started to develop resorts and hotels to make Bohol\\\\\'s magnificent natural environment accessible for tourists.
Jeroen Hellingman
Bohol - Splendor Underwater And Over Hills
Brief Description
Another gem of the Visayas, Bohol’s historical significance extends way back to the blood compact between Boholano Chieftain Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, in 1565.
Scenic Bohol casts an enigmatic charm drawn from the many archaic mementos spread throughout the oval-shaped island: from the Chocolate Hills and the tarsier to 16th century watchtowers and Jesuit Baroque mission churches. The Chocolate Hills, all of 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, are undoubtedly the most famous tourist attraction in the province. Among these hills that abound in Central Bohol, two have been developed into top-class resorts.
One of the rare faunas found in the Philippine archipelago, the Tarsier is the smallest primate in the world. It is a nocturnal primate measuring from four to five inches, with a tail that is longer than its body. Those interested in tarsier watching are always welcomed by the Boholanos to see the famous primate in its natural abode up the hills in the town of Corella.
A tropical haven of natural beauty, the coastline of the province is skimmed by gentle coves and white sand beaches. You can find some of the country’s great dive sights here. Balicasag in Bohol is one of the very best and most popular dives in the Visayas. A black coral forest is among its main attractions but virtually anywhere you drop in is sure to be rewarding. Another major attraction, Cabilao is renowned for the hammerhead sharks that shoal around the clear waters. Large pelagics are very common here, and if you are really lucky, you can find yourself swimming with a passing school of dolphins.
Geography
Bohol is about 700 kilometers directly south of Manila and is about 70 kilometers southeast of Mactan Island. The province must have been developed from the magmatic tectonic mechanism which resulted from the underthrusting of the southwest Philippine plate east of Samar and Surigao. The Alicia Schist, the oldest known rock formation in the island, is inferred to be a part of the Bohol crystal rocks before plate interactions. All the succeeding igneous extrusive and intrusive rocks to accumulate were marine and terrestrial deposits in the Bohol basin.
Political Subdivision
The province of Bohol is a first-class A province composed of 47 municipalities and one city, Tagbilaran, which serves as its capital. There are 1,109 barangays with an average household size of 5.4.
Climate
The province falls under the climate type IV characterized by no very pronounced maximum rain period and no dry season. It is usually warm and dry along the coast while cold and humid in the interior. Typhoons are not a frequent occurrence; maximum precipitation occurs in June to October. Average annual temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Population
As of the year 2007, Bohol had a population of about 1.230 million growing at an average annual rate of 1.8%. Tagbilaran City is the most densely populated area at more than 2 thousand persons per square kilometer of land.
Language / Dialect
The majority speak the native dialect, which is distinctively Boholano. Cebuano, Tagalog, and English are widely spoken and understood.
Major Industries
Bohol is essentially an agricultural province. Its main products are rice, coconut, and corn.
The province is fast becoming a tourist destination. It is graciously endowed with natural and historical attractions. Infrastructure projects have supplemented their investment potential.
Topping Bohol’s natural tourism assets are the wondrous Chocolate Hills which have drawn thousands of foreign and domestic tourists. These perfectly cone-shaped hills that abound in Central Bohol are the only ones of their kind in the world.
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