Peter Garant asked:




Known as one of the island provinces of the Philippines, Bohol is located at the Central Visayas region and is beside Cebu and Leyte. This province is one of the many attractive tourist destinations in the country. Like Boracay and Palawan, other tourist spots in the Philippines, Bohol also has many beautiful and fascinating resorts and beaches. Hence, it is reported that the tourism industry contributes a lot to the economic developments in the province.

Based on the 2000 census done at the province, there are 1,137,268 permanent residents in Bohol. The census also found that there are 209,588 households in the province with an average size of 5.41 people. The life expectancy in the province is greater than those in Negros Oriental and Siquijor which is 72.93 for women and 68.19 for men.

Most residents in the province speak Boholano, which is a Cebuano dialect. However, since migration is a constant trend in Bohol, there are also residents who use Chinese, English and Tagalog as their primary languages. In addition, some schools in the province taught Eskayan language to their students.

Each year the number of travelers who visit Bohol increases. This is due to the attractive tourist spots and natural wonders that can be found in the province. The famous formation of limestone called the Chocolate Hills are the most visited spot in Carmen. Meanwhile, many tourists also visit the popular rivers in the province which are the Loboc River and the Inabanga River.

Panglao Island in Bohol is famous for its white sand beaches. Along in these beaches are beautiful hotels and resorts where travelers and foreigners can stay and enjoy the sceneries. Travelers can also visit the Mag-aso falls, which is located at Antequera as well as the Bilar Mahogany Forest.

Travelers are encouraged to experience and have a glance at the festivals that are held in this attractive province. The Sandugo Festival, the Tagbilaran City Fiesta, the Bolibong Kingking Festival and Festival of Lights or SidlaKasilak are the renowned festivals in Bohol, Tourists who would witness these festivals will remember their stay and vacation at the province for the rest of their lives.

Transportation to Bohol is very easy since the province is very accessible. Tourists can travel by land, air and water. The national government of the Philippines established seaports and airports in the province so that travelers will not experience problems when it comes to visiting the beautiful island of Bohol.

Kansieo.com

Peter Garant asked:


Region 7 in the Philippines is characterized as central Visayas with places such as Dumaguete, Bohol, Siquijor and most importantly Cebu. Cebu is one of the biggest cities in the Visayas and it is the ultimate trade city of the south. Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and has the only International Airport in the Visayas which makes Cebu an important metropolis in the Visayas.

The native language of the Philippines is Tagalog, but the native language of Cebu is Cebuano, which is also spoken in other places such as Bohol, Leyte, Negros Oriental and parts of Mindanao. Every city in the Philippines has a patron saint and the patron saint of Cebu happens to be Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are many religious events in Cebu and the saint that is widely used by the natives is Santo Niño de Cebu. A whole festival is dedicated to him, called the Sinulog which is celebrated every January with street shows and dances.

Cebu is the center of economic activity in the central Visayas. The total investments, export and import of Cebu city totals an amount of an estimated 10 Million US dollars, which makes Cebu a powerful metropolis. Cebu has big industries including electronic, computer, food processing and most importantly mining and shipping industries. When you take a bus to Cebu city you will see the big coal mines near the sea and you will even drive underneath a mining company that is situated alongside the highway. Most of the shipping industries are located in Cebu which makes this metropolis the most and easiest accessible city in the Philippines. National and International shipping is going through Cebu and the city earns millions just from the shipping taxes and toll taxes.

Other multimillion business chances can be found in the Mactan International Airport at Mactan City, Cebu. This International Airport gives access to all the trade opportunities in Asia, Europe and the US. Cebu is also the home of the International Convention Center in which the 12th ASEAN summit has been held where world leaders congregated. This shows that Cebu is already the international metropolis that it should be. The education in Cebu is also very international. The first International Academy of Film and Television has been established in Mactan, Cebu in 2004 and is the only international film school in the Central Visayas.

The central Visayas also have a big network of print media and broadcasting media. Cebu itself has three local newspapers that are published daily and several other little tabloids and community newspapers. Broadcasting outlets are also numerous in the queen city of the south. Cebu has three television stations that can be accessed through cable and a total of 23 radio stations with 13 AM radio stations and 20 FM radio stations. This is just another proof that Cebu City is not only the oldest city in the Philippines, but also one of the richest and economically stronger cities in the Philippines.

You can also find many historical monuments in this central Visayan city. One of the most important and often visited monuments is the Magellan’s Cross. Magellan’s Cross can be found in a small chapel that is located next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, which is fronting Cebu’s city hall. Cebu has something for everybody; good food, great malls for shopping, and monuments for your cultural desires. Cebu will be unlike any other city you can visit in the Central Visayas.

Jose Maria Abada asked:

More than the usual- this is how the Philippine is positioned in the tourism block. The country is an archipelago and known officially as the Republic of the Philippines. This archipelago is located in Southeast Asia and holds the distinction of being one of only two predominantly Christian countries in Asia. The other country is East Timor. There are around 7,107 islands in the country and these islands host around 90 million people. This population based on 2008 estimates makes the country as the 12th most populous country in the world. For the traveler interested to know more about the country, it should be learned that the country has around 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide and these are the Filipinos who work in other country and one of the main reasons why the economy of the country is competitive.

According to 2008 estimates, the gross domestic product or the GDP of the country is pegged at over US$ 327.2 billion and this is considered as the 37th largest in the world. The name ‘Philippine’ traces a long history. This name was derived from the name of King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. It was the initiative of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos to use the name Las Islas Filipinas or the Philippine Islands as his name for the islands Leyte and Samar. And the use of this name was in reference and in honor of the Prince of Spain.  A further examination of the name ‘Philippine’ will reveal that this has Greek roots and according to historians this was the name of the father of Alexander the Great.

The country is divided geographically into three groups:

•    Luzon

•    Visayas

•    Mindanao

And these three major island grouping is then sub-divided into 17 regions, another 81 provinces and 136 cities. The country also plays host to 1,494 municipalities and 41,995 barrios. The government also controls Sabah, North Borneo as asserted by Section 2 of the Republic Act Number 5446. Ecologically, the country is known as one of those countries which feature diverse flora and fauna. This feature of the country is one of the major reasons why the archipelago is one of the favorite places for travelers who seek to experience nature at its best. Another main reason why the country is always part of the list of preferred travel destinations is that the country is rich in natural resources and its scenic spots are panoramic and ready to comfort and to overwhelm the first-time visitors. The natural resources of the country are extensive and this can be seen in many areas like agriculture, forestry and minerals.

Talking about the archipelago is not complete without talking about its fertile and arable lands, the forests that host diverse flora and fauna and the panoramic coastlines. For those travelers willing to sample what the country has to offer over a limited amount of time, it is suggested that the interested traveler should focus on its culture, its beaches and its heritage. The unique Philippine culture will let the traveler experience the many festivals in the country- from Sinulog in Cebu to the Penafrancia Festival in the Bicol Region. The country has a number of festivals and these festivals will usually peak during April and May- the time for the country’s fiestas. Most of these festivals have links to the church and religious in nature.

Visiting the country without visiting some of its finest beaches is not suggested. Since the country boasts of around 7,107 islands and a coastline twice the length of the United States, you can really expect that the country will have some best beaches. Mere mention of the Philippine will evoke images of fine and white beaches of Boracay, Palawan and some of the more not-so commercial yet beautiful sands of other beaches. Some names that should be part of the plans of the traveler include Pagudpud, Mactan Island and Panglao. And speaking of heritage, the country is home to Ifugao Rice Terraces which is now part of the UNESCO Heritage List in 1995. Aside from this rice terraces, Philippine also plays host also to many old churches- baroque churches in Metro Manila and these are all considered as heritage sites that carry the country’s culture and history.