Kapilya Fiesta: The astonishing hospitality of Bohol

This past Sunday was the anniversary of Sr. San Sebastian Chapel located in Sapa, Bolod at Panglao Island.  What makes its annual celebration quite remarkable is that members of the chapel contribute to a fund to throw a feast not only for their fellow congregants but for the entire barangay (village), including their friends and relatives from other areas as well.

To top it all off, I was told that tradition calls for everyone to eat as much as to their hearts’ delight.  Hence, last Sunday’s buffet included the ever popular pork humba (adobong Visaya), beef caldereta, pancit canton, pakbet, and dinuguan. Also provided were unlimited soft drinks and tuba (local wine).

When it comes to fiestas, the hospitality of Boholanos is simply impressive.  The following photos show the various jovial scenes from this one single event.

So here goes:

The chapel is not all that expansive; thus, at such celebratory occasions, devotees tend to spill out in the street.  And for those who arrived late, the chapel’s grounds offer some  shady spots as respite from the blazing mid-morning sun.  

A few minutes prior to the end of the mass, the members of the Food Committee had already started laying out some plates for the starved congregants and their guests.

And the feast begins much to the delight of everyone!

This is an earthen jug filled to the brim with tuba (local wine).  Tuba is concocted through a process of extracting the sap of an unopened coconut bud.  It has a stinging sweet and bittersweet taste. The tip of the bud is lopped and the pale juice allowed to trickle into bamboo containers.  A sturdy tree yields about a gallon of liquid daily.

At this festivity, there were some tuba in plastic containers.  They were for the groups of revelers served along with a liter bottle of soft drinks as chaser.  I was somewhat surprised because in the provinces of Luzon, tuba is enjoyed as is -- without any chaser or added sweetener.

Finally, the photo below is one of my favorites. It shows a father and his son enjoying the sight of the never-ending cooking.  You see, this is an entire day of celebration.  Food is prepared and served until the start of the evening’s procession.

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The Nova Shell Museum of Bohol

The Nova Shell Museum, in Panglao Island features an enchanting collection of sea shells, especially those endemic to the waters of Panglao and Bohol.

The museum is owned and operated by Mr. Quirino Hora who has practically devoted half his life in the collecting, study and archiving of these underwater creatures. It was his elder brother’s introduction to this enchanting sea creatures that eventually turned Mr. Hora into a compulsive collector of shells.

And such compulsion was so infectious that subsequently, many of his friends started collecting shells as well.  Most notably, his hobby soon developed into a source of income for his family and provided employment opportunities to the local folks.  

And since the waters of Panglao in particular and Bohol in general were deemed a haven for the biggest variety of shells in the South Pacific, shell collectors enjoyed immense supply of fascinating species for a thriving business.

Shells that resemble snake skin patterns and colors are considered lethal by experts. They have needle-like protrusions on their heads that contain deathly venom which they use to to ward off predators.

The museum features a limited number of corals, which are not for sale.  There are also some fascinating rare shells on display such as the one on the above photo (right).

I went to the Nova Shell Museum mainly to find out if they have any nautilus shells.   They do!

Nautiluses are the sole living cephalopods whose bony body structure is externalized as a shell. The animal can withdraw completely into its shell and close the opening with a leathery hood formed from two specially folded tentacles. The shell is coiled, aragonitic,  nacreous and pressure resistant, imploding at a depth of about 800 metres (2,600 ft).

The nautilus shell is composed of 2 layers: a matte white outer layer, and a striking white iridescent inner layer. The innermost portion of the shell is a pearlescent blue-gray. The osmena pearl, contrarily to its name, is not a pearl, but a jewelry product derived from this part of the shell.

My great interest in the nautilus shell began when I first saw Allan Razzo's photographs with nautilus shell as subject.  It was truly stunning.  And since then, I've always wanted to have this shell to use as photography subject as well.

Mr. Quirino Hora

Included among Mr. Hora's collections is the rarest and minute shell found deep down the waters of Balicasag Island.  It was named after Emperor Hirohito of Japan. It is so tiny that you have to use a microscope to fully appreciate it. 

His highly prized collection, however, are the two shells named after him. The first was discovered in 1987 and named “Bursa Quirihorai”. The other was christened “Primovula Horai” upon its discovery in 1994. Both these shells were found in the waters of Panglao. These honors certainly were the ultimate rewards to his love for these sea creatures.

The museum also has a gift shop that carries souvenir items, handicrafts, necklaces, lamps, hanging shell designs, bracelets and wind chimes.   There are also packages of starter collection sets and some slightly damaged shells that you can buy at a very good price.

Nova Shell Museum 

is located in Panglao Town, Poblacion Proper, 

(adjacent to Petron gas station)

It is open from 8am till 5pm.

  

Tel: 038 502 8074 -- Cell: 09215103151

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Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

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Panglao Island Weather Report

Daybreak at Alona Beach, Panglao Island in Bohol

The PhilippineAtmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)  recently announced the soaring temperatures does not imply that the country is in the grip of a heat wave.

PAGASA senior weather forecaster Jori Loiz said the sweltering heat is normal at this time of the year.

He cites the highest recorded temperature in Metro Manila so far this year is 35.9 degrees Celsius, and the highest in the country is 38.4 degrees Celsius registered at Clark, Pampanga. And that the hottest hour in a day is about 2 p.m. because ''although the sun is overhead at 12 noon, there is a lag time of two to three hours before the land heats up and that is the time that the temperature rises.''

This month, PAGASA said the expected temperature in the Visayas, which includes Bohol, hovers between 23°C to 34°C.

Be that as it may, here in Panglao, fine white sand beaches abound where one can go to and get respite from the soaring temperatures.  However, the island weather remains very pleasant – cool in the early mornings and evenings, and not so unnervingly hot and humid during midday. 

There was a brief torrential downpour the other night that lasted no more than 20 minutes.  It cooled the night and provided an even more restful sleep for everyone.

Skywatch

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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

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DBR Grill at Panglao Island

DBR Grill at Dumaluan Beach Resort 1 has got to be the most affordable beachside restaurant in the entire island of Panglao.  It offers scrumptious grilled meat and seafood dishes.

For example, for a party of four people (minimum), each one gets the popularly termed sutukil meal (su stands for sugba or ihaw [grilled], tu is sula [simmered in tasty broth], and kil for kilawin or kinilaw [soaked fish in a strong vinegar solution] – the fish is a fresh catch of the day such as tuna, mackerel, marlin, etc.).

Hence, a diner can get a grilled dish of either meat or seafood, a bowl of either tinola or sinigang, and a dish of kilawin fish, as well as unlimited rice, a platter of fresh fruits, and a glass of soft drink.  All it costs is 175.00 pesos per person.  Now, how affordable is that?

The only downside is that since everything is prepared as ordered, you may have to wait at least half an hour for your order to be served.  However, it is worth the wait.  

While waiting, for only 50 pesos, you can order one of their incredibly luscious fruit shakes – strawberry, melon and mango combo, avocado, durian, watermelon, etc.

You may want to check out this review written by another blogger, Jazzy Jaz, who exclaims, "It's unpretentious dining amidst the sound of waves and cold night breeze."

Incidentally, besides all that incredible food, DBR Grill has other fantastic offerings such as its wide beach front, volleyball court, and a game room with regulation-sized pool tables.  They also rent out brand new motorbikes for those who would like to explore Panglao Island.

DBR Grill is open from 6:00 AM until 11:00 PM.  It is located in Bolod, Panglao Island, 

right next to Bohol Beach Club.

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Yummy Sunday

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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

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Cloribel House: A grand ancestral home

The Cloribel House is located in Barangay Lourdes in Panglao Island, Bohol.  It was built in 1926 by Gaudencio Cloribel, touted to be the first lawyer in Bohol and in the entire Visayas.  To date, this ancestral home is still being used as vacation residence by some of Cloribel’s descendants who now live mostly in Manila.

Other than the usual concrete reinforcements on the ground floor’s foundation, this bahay-na-bato has not undergone any major renovations. 

The well-crafted wooden scrollwork, panelling, and hardwood floors came from two or three large trees cut down to build the house.  They truly enhance the sepia-toned photographs, mementoes, and portraits that hang on the walls.

As in most Spanish-style houses in the archipelago, the main living room is situated on the second floor. Large windows surround the upper floor.  

The window sashes still feature the original sliding panes of capiz and wood, easily shut tight during rainstorms. Vents above the windows, protected by the roof eaves, let air in even when it's rainy. 

Small shuttered windows below the large windows, called ventanillas, are screened with grillwork.  These can be left open when the large windows are closed.

Powered by rolls of punched-out paper, this “programmable” piano is a real collector’s item from the turn of the last century. It is one of the many furnishings in the house that gave the Cloribels much pride and joy

The family patriarch, Gaudencio Cloribel, eventually became a respected judge and friend to some notable historical figures such as the former president Carlos P. Garcia.  The chess table on which they used to play remains in the living area, but now used as coffee table, because a few pieces from the chess set are missing.

The majority of the furnishings in the house are original pieces acquired from the 1920s, but since they have been taken care of so well they don’t look so old and worn-out at all.

Not everyone in Bohol's tourism industry has access to this historical ancestral home.  Visits are arranged through the Cloribel family or through resorts like Amorita, because the Cloribels still use it as summer/vacation residence.

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Suggested read:

Manila Bulletin:  The heritage beyond the hills


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Tips & Picks

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Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

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