A Brief History of Bohol

by Alan S. Cajes
Bohol’s Geology
Bohol’s geological formation may be explained under the
karst theory. According to this theory, sea level changes
and uplift (combined with terrestrial erosion), and air
exposure of biognic reef regions gave rise to hummocky
landscapes that are often impregnated with sinkholes
and caves. The chocolate hills are among the examples
of striking karts topography. According to the National
Committee on Geological Sciences (NCGS), the chocolate
hills were formed "ages ago by the uplift of coral deposits
and the action of rain, water and erosion."
The Origin of the Word "Bohol"
That Bohol comes from the word "Bo'ol," which refers to
the name of a place (the place thought of as the site of
the Sikatuna-Legazpi blood compact) located a
few kilometers away from Tagbilaran City is quite well-
known. Some sources, however, claim that it actually
comes from the Visayan term "boho" (hole) owing to the
abundant caves, caverns, and holes in the island.
In "History of Bohol," a doctoral dissertation in history
written by Lumin B. Tirol in 1975, Tirol established that
the name of the province actually came from "bo'ol," the
local name for a kind of tree that used to grow in the
province. This claim partly relied on the expert opinion
of the Botany Department of the National Museum. A
picture of the tree is also exhibited as proof in Tirol's
disseration.
The bo'ol tree is short and shrubby. Its leaves are heart-
shaped with a dimension of about two inches in width
and three inches in length. It bears white flowers in
summertime. Its fruit, which is smaller than that of a
grape, is edible and appears bluish in color when very
ripe. In Jose Panganiban's "Diksyunario Tesauro Pilipino-
Ingles" (1974), which Tirol cited, "bohol" is described as a
"thorny or small tree with elliptic leaves, long yellow
flowers, and nearly round fruit."
The penchant of calling a place after a tree or a person is
quite common in the province. The upland barangay of
Bayabas in Guindulman is obviously named after a guava
tree. And so is the town of Batuan (this writer actually
saw the batuan tree and tasted its fruit during his
childhood). A batuan tree is exhibited in a museum
ground in Butuan City.
16th Century Boholanos
It is safe to assume that today’s Boholanos (and Filipinos,
in general) are descendants of what is known to
anthropologists as Southern Mongoloid and to laymen as
the brown race. This wave of migrants entered the
archipelago around five or six thousand years ago.
The early Boholanos, however, differed from the rest of
the Visayans. Pedro Chirino, writing in 1604, said that
Boholanos were lighter in color, more handsome, braver
and more spirited than other Visayans.
The Boholanos then, as it is now, were also good
drinkers. Historian William Henry Scott quoted what he
describes as Chirino’s well-known tribute to the
Boholanos’ ability to carry their liqueur:
“It is proverbial among us that none of them who leaves
a party completely drunk in the middle of the night fails
to find his way home; and if they happen to be buying or
selling something, not only do they not become confused
in the business but when they have to weigh out gold or
silver for the price…they do it with such delicate touch
that neither does their hand tremble nor do they err in
accuracy.”
Boholanos in Dapitan
Jose Rizal bought a historical document from the
descendants of Lagubayan. The document is dated 7 July
1818. According to the document, Lagubayan founded
Dapitan. Lagubayan was a Boholano. He resided in places
such as Baclayon, Mansasa and Duis – all located in Bohol.
He went to Mindanao, particularly in Iligan. Later, he
settled in Dapitan. Lagubayan was known as the "lord of
the Subanons" and the "terror of the whole Moroland". He
gave the Spaniards pilots and guides, who took the
Spaniards to Catunas (Raja Sikatuna) in Bohol.
Dapitan means "a place for rendezvous or meeting
place". Dapit literally means, "invite". Perhaps Lagubayan
invited other Boholanos to the place, hence, the name.
Dapitan was not the only place with Boholanos as the
first settlers. Villaba in Tacloban was discovered by
Boholano traders in the later part of the 18th century.
The Boholanos were also the first settlers of Zamboanga,
where many people up to now speak Cebuano with a
Boholano accent. There is also a claim that Pagbuaya’s
son, Pedro Manook, aided Legazpi in his conquest of
Manila and Camarines. Manook subdued the village of
Bayug (now Iligan City), which he established as a
Christian settlement in 1626.
Bohol Today
Bohol is the tenth largest island of the country. It was
created as a province on March 10, 1917. It produced
Francisco Dagohoy, who led the longest revolt against the
Spaniards in Philippine history. The revolt took the
Spaniards 85 years (1744-1829) to quell. It also gave the
Philippines its fourth president in the person of Carlos P.
Garcia. Garcia was president of the 1971 Constitutional
Convention when he died.
Bohol has a population of about 1.3 million. The annual
population growth rate is 2.9 percent. The Boholanos
today live in the habitable areas of Bohol’s 3,862 sq kms
land area. They can also be found in various places
throughout the country and the world.
The island-province is well known for its top quality
handicrafts made of bamboo, saguran and abaca fibers,
romblon, buntal and shell craft. It is also famous for its
delicacies like Calamay (made from rice, coconut milk
and brown sugar packed in a coconut shell).
Bohol is famous for its Chocolate Hills (1,268 haycock
hills that turn green during rainy days and brown in
summer). It has one “of the most beautiful eco-marine
systems in the world” -- the Bohol marine triangle that
covers Pamilacan, Balicasag and Panglao. This area is the
habitat of whale sharks, stingrays, dolphins and other
forms of marine life. The other famous tourist attractions
are the man-made forest and mangrove areas, tarsiers,
coral reefs, white sand beaches, diving spots, caves,
watersheds, rivers, underground rivers, waterfalls, old
churches, bell towers, etc.
Aside from its natural wonders, Bohol is also bursting
with talents. It contributes to the nation’s well being by
producing highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs, seamen,
lawyers, teachers, priests, artists, etc. In addition, its
internationally acclaimed Loboc Children Choir could
open the gates of heaven with its voices described as “so
pure and angelic”.
Wonder no more why Bohol is God’s little paradise on
earth.
References:
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History of the Filipino People.
GAROTECH Publishing, 1990 (8th Edition).
Arcila, Jose S. Rizal and the Emergence of the Philippine
Nation. 2001 revised edition.
Constantino, Renato. The Philippines: A Past Revisited.
Tala Publishing Series, 1975.
Corpuz, Onofre D. The Roots of the Filipino Nation. 1989.
Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth-Century
Philippine Culture and Society. AdMU: 1994.
Zaide, Gregorio F. Great Filipinos in History: An Epic of
Filipino Greatness in War and Peace. Verde Bookstore,
1970.
Zaide, Gregorio. Dagohoy: Champion of Philippine
Freedom. Manila: Enriquez, Alduan and Co., 1941.