13 MARCH 2019

Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Daily Tribune
LIFESTYLE 19
Why we love
Bohol
Emblem Jewelry’s exquisite election of 24K gold
dipped sterling jewelry.
Bringing
in summer
Kultura celebrates fun in the sun with Summer
Hardin, a resort pop-up store at SM Makati’s Upper
Ground Level Concourse Area from 12 to 20 March.
A curated selling event, Summer Hardin
showcases Kultura’s latest resortwear and
accessories, personal care products and juices.
Summer Hardin sparkles with Micki Olaguer’s
fine silver Emblem Jewelry dipped in gold and
adorned with genuine gemstones and freshwater
pearls; and Marilu Batchelor’ Maison Lourdes
Handbags a bespoke and limited-edition handbag
line specializing in snakeskin and leather clutch
bags and totes.
Island Girl’s tropical fruit inspired pouches.
Go natural with Island Girl’s hand-woven and
hand-crafted bags made from native materials
found in the Philippines. And you’re on holiday
with Sundae, swimwear that embodies the kind
of beach loving spirit that combines style and
comfort.
Pamper yourself with all-natural personal
care from Forest Magic the first and original hair
formulation made from Gugo back and blended
with natural plant extracts for healthier hair;
and be beach-ready with Bare Body, the first
and original all-natural no strip cold sugar wax
in the Philippines.
Tropical Shop converts all the fruit and herb
extracts that would otherwise be disposed in
manufacturing food and beverage into personal
care products. CocoBody, on the other hand, creates
natural earth-friendly
handmade natural
cosmetics from virgin
coconut oil which
soothes, moisturizes,
cleanses, and heals
from head to toe.
Enjoy fun
summer goodies with
Healthy Pinoy’s array
of favorite Filipino
snacks, delicacies,
and beverage that
everyone loves and
will love once they
try it.
natural skin products from
the Tropical Shop.
Check out Kultura’s Summer Hardin resort
pop-up store styled using lush greens by Tierra
Plants and furniture from SM Home. Shoppers
can also enjoy a juice bar by Healthy Pinoy.
From its name is a movement — it’s
both a call to action and a message
from its people
Though born and raised in Manila, Terrie Fucanan-Yu
is a Bol-anon at heart having spent most of her childhood
summers in the simplicity and beauty of Bohol’s culture
and traditions.
It is not surprising then that when she goes to
weekend markets, she’d look for something from her
beloved Bohol only to be disappointed. Terrie says,
“Weekend markets and trade fairs would always have
products from Cebu, Bacolod, Ilocos and even Davao, but
Bohol goods, zero. I feel that my fellow Boholanos are
losing out on the growing interest and support of Manila
and its expat community to locally-produced goods.”
This is how Terrie came up with Love Bohol.
What is the idea behind Love Bohol? What are
the circumstances that brought it about? What are
your objectives?
The idea behind Love Bohol is to celebrate the beauty
of the province through the stories and creations of its
people - the village economies, the artisans, farmers,
and small entrepreneurs who are creating good, quality
products that are unique to the island. We choose to
focus on their craft and successes to spark new interest
about Bohol — because yes, there is more to it than just
about the Chocolate Hills — and at the same time help
local communities.
Love Bohol from its name is a movement — it’s both a
call to action and a message from its people. The orange
pin on our logo represents the people of Bohol, where the
true beauty and charm of the province emanates from.
We are just starting to put content on its social media
The women loom weavers of Tubigon.
platforms, and in terms of product representation we
have a shelf now in Frankie & Friends General Store in
SM Aura that offers quality Bohol products that I have
pre-selected from my own personal trips to the local
communities.
What are your fondest memories of Bohol?
My fondest memories are of my childhood summers
spent in my grandparents’ homes. Because they were
very conservative Catholics, we participated in religious
customs - the processions, the novenas, and the early
Sunday masses with the beautiful backdrop of Panglao’s
San Agustin Church that dates back to the Spanish times.
In the late afternoons we would pick fruits from the
backyard with our lolo — mangoes, sinigwelas, makopa.
During fiestas and get-togethers, the kitchen would be
Sustainable wooden necklace from Crissander
Enterprises of Loboc.
very busy with sikwate being made from the fermented
cacao beans harvested from our tree, and putong bigas
cooked from scratch. Frequent trips to the beach were
also our favorite, but so were our house-to-house visits
during the month of May — all 31 days of it — when
every town in the province would have a fiesta in honor
of different saints.
see the world’s
smallest primate
up close in their
natural habitat.
With its population
fast decreasing, the
Tarsier is now classified
as a near-threatened
species. The Tarsier should
be viewed in their natural
Can you name five
destinations where to which
you would take a first time
Bohol visitor? Why did you
choose these destinations?
The Tarsier Sanctuary by the
Philippine Tarsier Foundation
in Corella,
Bohol to
environment and in complete silence because they are
nocturnal creatures and have an extremely sensitive sense
of hearing. They are also not to be touched because this
gives them a great deal of stress and drives them to commit
suicide.
Take a heritage
tour of Bohol’s
Spanish era
churches. We have
so many of these
in Bohol, perhaps
the most number
in one province.
The NCCA has even
published a book
of more than 40
historic churches in
the province. A lot
of these churches
suffered major
damage during the 2013 earthquake though most of
them have been restored. Go to the St. Joseph Cathedral
in Tagbilaran and the churches in Panglao, Dauis,
Baclayon, Albuquerque, Loon, Loay, and Loboc.
While you’re in Loboc, take a Loboc River cruise
while having lunch and visit the award-winning Loboc
children’s choir to hear their angelic voices. Drop by
Crissander Enterpises for handcrafted and laser-cut
accessories and souvenirs that are made of sustainable
wood and recycled materials.
Witness how fine handicrafts are made at the
Tubigon Loom Weavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative in
Tubigon (where raffia bags, placemats and tablerunners
are made), the Antequera early Sunday market (Bohol’s
basket capital), and Crown Cabilao in Cabilao Island
(where the women continue the tradition of romblo
mat weaving).
Visit the cacao farms in Calape and Sierra Bullones
and learn from the farmers. Bohol has hundreds of
heirloom cacao trees of the rare and delicious criollo
variety. Bohol’s chocolatier Dalareich Polot and cacao
farming advocate Cecilia De Leon are spearheading
their preservation in Calape town. Also visit Dalareich
Chocolate House in Tagbilaran, the only chocolate maker
that produces single origin bean-to-bar chocolate, called
Ginto, in the province.
Visit Anda’s beaches as an alternative to touristy
Panglao. While you’re there, try the coconut burger and
other healthy and nourishing food at Coco Loco Cafe.
Lula Land
Jing Lejano
Raffia handbag by Ninobasilio of Cebu, featuring
raffia from the Tubigon Loom Weavers Multi-Purpose
Cooperative.
What is your criteria for choosing companies/
entrepreneurs that are part of Love Bohol?
Criteria 1: The brand/entrepreneur/community
must have products that are made of materials that
are local or indigenous to the province. Because
Love Bohol advocates sustainability, the raw
materials must come from Bohol but must be
sustainably sourced.
Criteria 2: The brand should be supporting
local communities through livelihood
opportunities, skills training, or direct
procurement of raw materials.
Criteria 3: The products should have
a global appeal. There must be an effort
to elevate the quality and design of the
products to appeal to a global audience.
What is your dream for Love
Bohol?
My dream for Love Bohol is to
make it into an active social media
movement where people can share
all their positive, uplifting, and memorable
experiences about Bohol and its people, and a platform
through which local brands are able to introduce to
the world their products that empower community
livelihood. There are still so many communities in Bohol
that I haven’t visited, and so many of them are in need
of capital for their equipment, production, and skills
training. My dream is for Love Bohol to get the much
needed funding support for these communities through
awareness and network building.
From page 20
Something worth visiting
After satiating your hunger at
Plum, it is nice to come home to
Lima Park Hotel. Located at the
heart of the Lima Technology Center
economic zone in the towns of Lipa
and Malvar, the hotel has 136 wellappointed
guest rooms, categorized
into Superior, Deluxe, Premiere Luxe,
Suite, Executive Suite and Governor’s
Suite.
Plum perfect
A four-star hotel in Batangas has summoned the gastronomical
power of plum in its newly-renovated restaurant
You can also hear Mass at the
Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
With its unparalleled amenities
and excellent services, the hotel
has received its clean re-accredited
status from the Department of
Tourism, making it the first and
only four-star hotel in Batangas.
For the second year, Lima Park
Hotel has been recognized as
a Top Hotel for Families by the
2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice
Awards for hotels, an award that
is given to exceptional properties
and presented to the top businesses
across select categories.
Located at the ground
floors of the hotel, it has
a magnificent view of the
pool and the well-manicured
garden leading to the
ballroom.
“We have been continuously
improving our facilities. But
ultimately, what really matters
are the positive guest encounters
that result in great unforgettable
experiences,” said Lima Park Hotel
resident manager who believes that
the award speaks about the hotel’s
excellent service.
Lima Park has always been
known as a business hotel,
attracting a huge number of
expatriate executives who work
in multinational companies in
Batangas. In the past years,
however, the hotel has been winning
over families and leisure travelers,
not just with its facilities but with
its tour packages.
drop by one of the bee farms that
abound in the town of Balete.
A front-liner in promoting
tourism in Batangas, the hotel will
whisk guests aboard the Amore
Bus to different destinations in
Batangas. The Amore Bus will
pass through the Lima Technology
Center, home to international
manufacturing companies such
as Hitachi, Yamaha, Daiho and
Bandai. After exiting the economic
zone, the bus goes to Levitown in
Marawoy, Lipa and head to Balete
via the Star Tollway.
From here, you can explore the
beautiful gardens of Marian Orchard,
a pilgrimage site home to a Via Crucis,
a linear garden with life-sized statues
depicting the Passion of Christ, and the
Rosarium with a giant rosary. Listen
to the Chimes of Mary, with 14 custommade
bells from the Netherlands that
peal every 15 minutes. Enjoy the view
as you walk up the Calvary Hill and
Meditation Garden. You can also hear
Mass at the Chapel of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus.
After a devotional journey, the bus
heads to Amore Point, where guests can
board a boat to begin the cruise around
Lake Taal. The boat will stop at Lake
Point Manakah, where guests can enjoy
a magnificent view of Taal Lake, the
Volcano Island, and Mt. Maculot while
sipping fresh buko, the perfect place for
your Instagram-worthy selfies.
On the way back, drop by one of the
bee farms that abound in the town of
Balete. Learn about apiculture or bee
farming, how to maintain a bee colony
and how bees help maintain balance in
the ecosystem. Experience how honey
is harvested. Some bee farms will let
you taste pure honey and even the
honeycomb. Don’t forget to take a bottle
(or more) of wild honey and their famous
honey vinegar.
At Levitown, you can buy some local
delicacies such as suman magkayakap,
which is made from glutinous rice
cooked with coconut milk and then
wrapped in banana leaves and bundled
together. It is served with coconut
caramel sauce.
After a whole day of adventure,
revitalize yourself with hand-crafted
artisan coffee at the Brew, the hotel’s
cafe. Or have some sun-downer at the
Patio Bar. Or simply call it a night
and enjoy a good night’s sleep at your
home-away-from-home accommodation.
CHIMES of Mary.