History: In early history, Panglao was known to Chinese, Malay, Siamise and Indonesian traders. In 1803, Spanish explorers came to the shores of Panglao in search of fresh water. At the time a couple of natives on the seashore were making fishing devices called "panggaw". One of the Spaniards asked what the name of the island was. The natives--who thought the visitors were asking what they were making--then replied "panggaw". Hence, from that term, was derived the name Panglao. Currently Panglao is the one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines..
Geography: At Panglao has a terrain that range from plain, hilly to mountainous. Panglao is made of Maribojoc Limestone, the youngest of the limestone units found in the western area of Bohol. The limestone composition halted the development of an airport as Coralline Limestone is soluble which causes formation of caves and SinkHoles. One interesting geological feature found in the island is the Hinagdanan Cave which has an underground water source. The cave is an important water source as the island has no rivers or lakes.
Biodiversity: About 250 new species of crustaceans and 2500 new species of mollusks were found around the island. The discovery was the work of the Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project. It is claimed that Panglao alone has more marine biodiversity thank Japan and the Mediterranean Sea.
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Panglao Island nestled in the central Visayas region that is located southwest of Bohol and east of Cebu. Panglao is renowned for its word class diving locations and many tourist spots as well as motorcycle adventure tours. It is said the Spaniards who came into this island in 1803 named Panglao after the word “mapanglao” meaning “lonesome place”.
Beach Hopping
Among the finest tour attractions in Bohol are its white sand beaches with crystal clear waters. To a lot of beach enthusiasts, they would be surprised to find out that one attribute that adds to the beauty of the island is its unpolluted shoreline of captivating white sand beaches. Most of which can be found in the humble island of Panglao and in some neighbouring islets that have similar pristine white sand beaches.
Primarily, these beaches in Panglao Island have gained fame because of their high quality white fine sand that is even exported to different beach resorts not only in the country but around the world. What usually draw attention to these beautiful beaches of the island are the clear blue waters that are unpolluted and well maintained. There is no wonder why there is a thriving beach resort industry in the island of Panglao. Most of the beach resorts in Panglao Island have become favourites for locations shots by a lot of film productions, adding more to the fame of these beaches.
Besides the fine white sand and the crystal blue waters that most beach resorts of Panglao island boast of, most of which offer various enjoyable water activities for their guests such as jet skiing and banana boating. Not only that, they also provide fine dining experiences matched with entertaining musical bands every night. Although Bohol has gained reputation for having some of the finest white sand beaches around the world found in the island of Panglao, this island province also has a treasury of white sand beaches that can be found in the coastline of the mainland. Compared to the aforementioned beach resorts in Panglao island, several well-known beach resorts in the mainland are affordable when it comes to their amenities. Most of these beach resorts are blessed with long stretches of white sand and calm waters and shaded with tall coconut trees as well as palm trees. If one wants to take pleasure in undisturbed tranquillity of one’s visit in Bohol, the beautiful white sand beaches of this province are just the right places to be.
Loboc River Cruise
Considered as the town of musical artists because of its world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir, Loboc is a peaceful municipality that is easily associated to its well-known river which is aptly called Loboc River. This river is known to be one of the cleanest rivers in the country. What basically made this river famous is the role it plays in improving the economy of the town with the many varied activities that are being offered to tourists involving it. One of which is the thriving river cruising business that has drawn a lot of local and foreign visitors.
One’s visit of the town of Loboc would never be complete without experiencing cruising along the river on board small bancas or floating restaurants. The river cruise starts either the Loay Bridge which is located in the neighbouring town of Loay or at the town proper where one can choose from a variety of river cruising vessels. The river cruise usually runs for almost an hour back and forth. If one is up for simply enjoying the lush tropical vegetation along the river bank and communing closely with nature while enjoying the cool breeze, one can rent a motorized or non-motorized banca at a minimal fee. On the other hand, if one wants to enjoy a whole different dining experience while on board a water vessel, one can take the floating restaurant.
Floating restaurants have become a major thriving business that has contributed in boosting the tourism industry not only of the town but also of the province of Bohol. As the name suggests, first class fine dining is offered by these floating restaurants where one can enjoy a sumptuous Filipino cuisine buffet including local delicacies. Besides the sumptuous dining experience that these floating restaurants have in store for tourists, dining guests are treated with are serenaded by an in-boat band that plays a variety of songs and even songs requested by the passengers. So, while enjoying one’s sumptuous meal, one enjoys a memorable musical cruise along the river of Loboc. If the river cruise is upstream, it ends at the Busay Falls which drops one and a half meters only. But before reaching this one of the sources of the Loboc river, the floating restaurant makes a stopover to bring the passengers to a much more different musical experience by the riverbank. At this time, guests are treated to a unique musical presentation of a rondalla group that is sheltered under a floating cottage. This rondalla band usually plays Boholano folk songs and Filipino novelty songs in Tagalog or Cebuano much to the delight of the passengers. What is so unique about this river cruise is that along the way passengers are able to see the idyllic lifestyle of the townspeople who live by the riverbanks.
All in all, this Loboc river cruise brings a whole new experience to tourists who go for something uniquely different in their participation and exploration of touring activities that the municipality of Loboc offers to its guests.
Creatures Sighting
Boholanos are protectors of Mother Nature’s gifts that their island is blessed with. They not only protect and preserve their natural bounty but they also show similar care to their wildlife, most especially to endangered species that are found only in the island province. This intense protection that Boholanos show to their alluring wildlife has produced, in return to the favour done to Mother Nature, certain benefits by which they are able to generate income. One perfect example would be the dolphin-whale watching trips that have become the new occupation and source of income for a lot of whale hunters who now serve as dolphin-whale guides to tourists.
The best area to for dolphin and whale watching would be the sea that surrounds Pamilacan Island. This tiny island lies at the heart of Bohol Sea and can be reached by boat ride for 1 hour only from the town of Baclayon, specifically at a port area fronting the Baclayon Church. This island is famous for residents who used to be expert whale hunters. Most of these male whale hunters have produced skeletal remnants of whales and other marine mammals that they are mounted on the walls of their houses, suggesting that the whaling industry has been a large one for several generations. However, laws have been strictly enforced to preserve marine life and to prohibit any form of whale and dolphin hunting especially in the area surrounding Pamilacan Island which is now highly considered as a marine sanctuary. This particular law enforcement did not steal from the whale hunters’ opportunities to generate income since their expertise in whale and dolphin sighting can be beneficial for them to become dolphin-whale watching guides to foreigners. As a matter of fact, these Pamilacan men are described to have the skills to locate mammals with accuracy even without the use of GPS equipment.
The months between April and June are believed to be the best period for whale sighting since the waters at this time are calm and clear, which makes the whole activity safe and convenient for tourists. Dolphins on the other hand can be spotted at any points daily. During this period also various species of dolphins and whales can be spotted. The playful spinner and the bottlenose dolphins can be frequently spotted anytime. On the other hand, small and huge whales can be found irregularly. Among the small-sized species of whales, the pygmy killer whale, the melon-headed whale and the short-finned whale usually appear can be spotted in groups. In the case of the huge types of whales, the Byrde’s whale and the sperm whale can also be sighted but not all the time.
Whale and dolphin watching activity is one fascinating tour activity that should be part of the itinerary of any tourists. This leisure interest will basically lead visitors to develop a caring attitude for marine life.
In order to take part of whale and dolphin watching activity, one can avail of packaged whale and dolphin watching tours from travel agencies especially in Tagbilaran City and beach resorts in Panglao Island. These packaged tours are set at reasonable prices and it includes experienced and trained guides.
Scuba Diving
The rich marine life that exists in the sea of Bohol draws a lot of diving enthusiasts not only from the country but also from around the world to explore numerous diving locations most especially those that are located near the islets of Panglao, Pamilacan , Balicasag, Jao, Cabilao, Mahanay and Lapinin. Some of these dive spots have been part of the list of best dive spots around the world.
Among the many well-recognized dive spots in Bohol, Balicasag Island has earned international fame because of the variety of marine life that can be sighted in waters surrounding the island. The island is famous for its cascading coral wall that is the dwelling place of very interesting marine species including exotic seashells. Pamilacan Island, on the other hand, is rich with various species of fishes that come in schools such as tuna, mackerel, surgeonfish, snappers and groupers. Another interesting feature of this island is the frequent sighting of various kinds of whales and dolphins that one can experience while exploring the waters surrounding the island.
Exploring the island of Bohol can be done in varying possibilities may it be on land or in sea. The rich marine life that thrives in the waters surrounding the island and its islets is a reflection of how well-blessed the province is.
Panglao was proclaimed under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) by virtue of Pres. Proc. No. 426 on July 22, 2003
The terrain of Panglao Island ranges from plain, hilly to mountainous. Panglao Island is of Maribojoc Limestone which is youngest among the limestone units occurring extensively in the western portion of the Province of Bohol. It is flat, poorly bedded, cream to buff to brownish yellow. One of the geological features found in the protected area is the "Hinangdanan Cave" found in Bingag, Duis which features an underground water source. Panglao Island has no rivers and lakes and has this water source in the cave. An estimated 1,500-2,500 mollusks are believed to be found in the waters of Panglao and Balicasag. Inventoried were about 1,200 decapods and 6,000 species of mollusks were identified in a study area of only about 15, 000 hectares. In comparison the Mediterranean Sea has yielded only 2,024 species in a 300 million hectare area.
Justification for Outstanding Universal ValueSatements of authenticity and/or integrity
The composition of the research team involved in the field, in particular those from many other European countries were Italy, Sweden, Austria, Spain, Russia, United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands, the USA, Australia, Costa Rica, and other South East Asian countries like Singapore, Viet Nam, Thailand, and Taiwan: over 60 specialists from 18 countries;
The site selected for the field study is Panglao, SW of Bohol in the central Philippines. Since the late 1980s, Panglao and nearby Dauis and Balicasag Island have been a source of precious deep-water specimens, collected with tangle nets by small-scale fishermen for the international shell trade. The site thus offers a unique opportunity to combine academic approaches on molluscan biodiversity and the social dynamics of the shell trade and its impact on the household economy.
Submission prepared by: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau State, Province or Region: Dauis, Balicasagand Panglao, Bohol Coordinates: N09 40 40 E123 56 9 Ref.: 5027 Description
