Tagbilaran City

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Tagbilaran
other_name = "Lungsod ng Tagbilaran"
native_name = "Dakbayan sa Tagbilaran"
nickname = City of Peace and Friendship
settlement_type =
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption = As viewed from Panglao Island


flag_size = 150px
image_

seal_size = 100px


mapsize =
map_caption = Map of Bohol showing the location of Tagbilaran City
Coordinates = 9°39′N, 123°51′E
national_anthem = _fi. "Lupang Hinirang"
"Chosen Land"|

mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =
pushpin_mapsize =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Philippines
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 = Central Visayas (Region VII)
subdivision_type2 = Province
subdivision_name2 = Bohol (capital)
subdivision_type3 = District
subdivision_name3 = 1st
subdivision_type4 = Barangays
subdivision_name4 = 15
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Atty. Dan Neri Lim (NPC)
government_type = Strong Mayor-Council
established_title1 = Incorporated (town)
established_date1 = February 9, 1742 by General Don Francisco Antonio Calderon de la Barca, Governor of the Visayas
established_title2 = Incorporated (city)
established_date2 = July 1, 1966 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4660
area_land_km2 = 32.70
population_total=92297
population_as_of=2007
population_footnotes = [cite web
url = http://census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2008/pr0830tx.html
title= Philippine Census August 1, 2007 Official Count]
population_density_km2 = 2822
website = [http://www.tagbilaran.gov.ph www.tagbilaran.gov.ph]
timezone = PST
utc_offset = +8
postal_code_type = Postal Code
postal_code = 6300
area_code = 38

Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class city in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is the capital and a component city of the Province of Bohol. It is situated some 630 kilometers southeast of Manila and 72 kilometers south of Cebu City. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², including about 13 km. of coastline. The city is situated to the south of Cortes, southwest of Corella and west of the town of Baclayon.

It is the principal gateway to the island province of Bohol and is known as the "City of Peace and Friendship". It is one of the eight (8) Philippine Dream Cities along with the Island Garden City of Samal, San Fernando, La Union, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Marikina, Naga, Calbayog City and Surigao City. It is also one of the 20 Most Competitive Cities in the Philippines in 2005 awarded by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center.

There are 15 barangays comprising Tagbilaran, with an population of 92,297 for the year 2007 census, with an annual growth rate of 3.6%. However, 41% of the entire population reside in the 4 urban districts where trade and commerce are concentrated.

History

The city was originally a native settlement, involved in trading with both China and Malaysia a hundred years before Spaniards arrived in the Philippines. The settlement first encountered the Spaniards in 1565, where the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna pledged peace and cooperation through the famous blood compact, where they drew their own blood, mixed it with wine and drank together. This is celebrated annually in Tagbilaran and the rest of the island during the Sandugo Festival which lasts throughout July.

(San Jose de) Tagbilaran was established as a town on February 9, 1742, when it was separated from the town of Baclayon. Since then it was part of the province of Bohol until it became a chartered city on July 1, 1966 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4660.

The city was occupied by the United States during the Philippine-American War, and again by Imperial Japan during World War II.

Historical events

One of the most important historical events etched in the annals of Philippine history and immortalized in canvass by the famous Filipino painter Juan Luna as one of his masterpieces is the famous Blood Compact between Datu Sikatuna, a local native chieftain, and Captain Miguel López de Legazpi, the intrepid Spanish explorer and colonizer. That historic event took place in the unpretentious coast of Bool, now a district of Tagbilaran, on March 16, 1565, a day after Legazpi and his crew of conquistadores on four ships were drifted into the shores of Bool during the course of their trip to the province of Butuan from Camiguin Island because of strong southwest monsoon winds and low tide. On that day, March 16, 1565, Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi, the conquistador from Zumaraga, Spain, with Fray Andres de Urdaneta and some of his crew set foot on land for an audience with the local chieftain Sikatuna. The two bands of different nationalities, race and creed met at a murky place, a few hundred meters away from the beach, and after a few pleasantries, the Basque seafarer and the native chieftain of Bool sealed off and strengthened their newborn friendship in a historic Blood Compact.

In that Blood Compact, Sikatuna and Legazpi each made a cut on the left arm and collected the dripping blood into a single vessel and mixed with wine. From that single vessel, two others were filled giving one to Sikatuna and the other to Legaspi. The two leaders drank the mixture of their blood.

The Blood Compact sealed the ties of friendship between two people once different in religion, nationality, culture, and civilization. The Tagbilaran native chieftain who swore by his ancestral Anito and Bathala, and the Spanish intrepid explorer and colonizer who sought New World with the sword and the cross, drank to the common cause - friendship. It was the first international treaty of friendship and comity between the Filipinos and Spaniards.

To perpetuate the memory and spirit of that first treaty of friendship and comity, the late President Elpidio Quirino established the "Order of Sikatuna", a presidential award and decoration conferred upon visiting dignitaries. A historical marker now stands on the very spot where Sikatuna and Legaspi perpetrated that famous Blood Compact.

Another significant event that took place in Tagbilaran City was the Battle of Ubujan where a guerilla unit under the command of Captain Francisco Salazar, nome-de-guerre of Vicente Cubello, by helped to the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth forces in Tagbilaran city engaged a Japanese troops against overwhelming odds. It was a display of Boholano bravery of raw and naked courage against a well-equipped and well-trained Japanese soldiers. The battle, however, cost the life of Captain Salazar.

Government

Tagbilaran City is politically subdivided into 15 barangays with the following population (2007).

Transportation

The city is just over an hour's flight from Manila, and a fastcraft ferry ride from Cebu would take approximately 1.5 hours. Cebu Pacific, the country's low fare leader operates a twice daily flight to Tagbilaran. Philippine Airlines also operates two flights daily. City transportation consists of tricycles, multicabs, jeepneys, buses and taxis.

Gallery

Economy

The city of Tagbilaran has that relative advantage as the main business capital and center of governance of the province of Bohol aside from being the center of education and transportation. It is on this climate that commerce and trade is very promising in the city although business activities also thrives in port towns (e.g. Tubigon, Talibon, Jagna) known to be growth centers of the province.

Many residents of Tagbilaran are considerably moneyed, but when it comes to business development, they become investment shy. It is observable that dollar earners and entrepreneurs would rather save and bank their money rather than invest them for business endeavor. In the light of this situation, the inflow of investments from foreign investors are steadily pouring in to finance business ventures especially in the area of tourism.

The two local food delicacies, Peanut Kisses and Edelweiss torta, are started and promoted by the Alvarez family.

Tagbilaran, considering its size as a small city of 32.7 sq.km., has 23 banking institutions with several branches each. This is due to the "thriftiness" attitude of Bol-anons and remittances from Overseas Foreign Workers who hails from Tagbilaran City and other towns in Bohol. The average household income is P 141,028.00/annum for a total 12,876 households.

Major establishments existing in the city are shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, fastfood centers and banks.

Banking Institutions:

* Metropolitan Banking Corporation (2 branches)
* Equitable PCIBank / Banco de Oro
* Unionbank
* Chinabank
* Philippine Postal Bank
* PSBank
* United Coconut Planters Bank
* First Consolidated Bank (3 branches)
* Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
* Security Bank
* Allied Bank
* Development Bank of the Philippines
* Philippine National Bank
* Landbank of the Philippines (2 branches)
* Bank of the Philippine Islands (3 branches)
* City Savings Bank
* Cooperative Bank of Bohol
* Bank of Calape

Major Shopping Centers:

* Island City Mall
* BQ Mall
* Alturas Supermarket
* Plaza Marcela
* Shoppers' Mart

chools and Universities

Colleges and universities

* Holy Name University or HNU
* University of Bohol or UB
* BIT International College, formerly the Bohol Institute of Technology or BIT
* Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology or CVSCAFT, Tagbilaran City campus, formerly the Bohol School Of Arts And Trades (BSAT)
* PMI Colleges Bohol or PMI
* Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary or IHMS
* Bohol Technical Institute
* AMA Computer Learning Center
* STI Colleges
* Informatics Computer Institute

econdary schools

* Bohol Wisdom School or BWS
* Bohol International Learning Center or BILC
* Holy Spirit School or HSS
* Holy Trinity School or HTS
* Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School formerly the Bohol National High School (BNHS)
* Holy Name University, formerly Divine Word College of Tagbilaran High School Department
* University of Bohol or UB High School Department
* Tagbilaran City Science High School
* Mansasa National High School
* Manga National High School

Elementary schools

* St. Therese Elementary School, Mansasa
* Victoriano D. Tirol Advanced Learning Center
* Royal Christian School
*City Central Elementary School
* City East Elementary School
* Cogon Elementary School
* Dampas Elementary School
* Holy Trinity School or HTS
* Taloto Elementary School
* Booy Elementary School
* Bool Elementary School
* Ubujan Elementary School
* Mansasa Elementary School
* Dao Elementary School
* Cabawan Elementary School
* Manga Elementary School
* San Isidro Elementary School
* Tiptip Elementary School

Pre-elementary schools

* D M L Montessori School
* Grace Christian School
* Holy Trinity Foundation School
* Merne Graham Montessori School
* Royal Christian School
* St. Therese Kindergarten School
* Victoriano D. Tirol Advanced Learning Center

Tourism

The city has much to offer when it comes to beautiful scenic spots and tourist attractions. Home to several first-class hotels, resorts, and restaurants, the city has recently become a haven for national conventions. The Manga (District) Public Market is a reliable source of fresh seafoods when it comes alive every evening from 5 to 9 P.M.

Bohol is famous among others, for its Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier – arguably the world’s smallest primate, for its white sandy beaches, dive spots, heritage sites and old stone churches. The province is noted for being one of the five Eco-Tourism destinations identified by the Department of Tourism and most recently declared as the top tourist destination in the country.

Notable hotel accommodations in the city:

* [http://www.metrocentrehotel.com/ Metrocentre Hotel and Convention Center]
* [http://www.darundaymanor.com/ Darunday Manor]
* [http://www.boholtropics.com/ Bohol Tropics Resort]
* [http://www.linawbeachresort.com/ Linaw Beach Resort]
* [http://www.vestpensionhouse.com/ Vest Pension House/Hotel]
* [http://www.ladagainnbohol.com/ Ladaga Inn/Hotel Panglao]
* [http://www.cocogrovebohol.com/ CoCo Grove Tourist Inn/Hotel Panglao]
* [http://www.elportalinn.net/ El Portal Inn]
* Hotel La Roca
* Wregent Plaza Hotel
* The Meridian Hotel
* Gie Gardens Hotel

References

* [http://www.bohol.ph/municipality.php?id=43 Tagbilaran City] www.bohol.ph
* Tirol, Jes. [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=64&s1=863&s2=867&s3=875&s4=&s5=873&s6=234&s7=874&s9=&s10= Three Best Mayors of Tagbilaran] The Bohol Chronicle
*Tirol, Jes. [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=128&s1=1726&s2=1731&s3=1738&s4=&s5=1737&s6=486&s7=&s9=&s10= The Pink Marbles of Tagbilaran City] The Bohol Chronicle
* Tirol, Jes. [http://www.theboholchronicle.com/opinion.php?issue=132&s1=1769&s2=1774&s3=1785&s4=&s5=1783&s6=503&s7=1784&s9=&s10= Tagbilaran Wharf in 1932] The Bohol Chronicle

Online resource

* [http://www.tagbilaran.gov.ph City Government of Tagbilaran]

External links

* [http://www.tagbilaran.gov.ph/ Official City of Tagbilaran Website]
* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.gwaps.com/ A lot of pictures and important links of the City of Tagbilaran]