Philippine Tarsier

PHILIPPINE TARSIER

The Philippine Tarsier, Tarsius syrichta, is found only in the central Philippines. It is sometimes known as the world’s smallest monkey but it is neither a monkey or even the smallest primate. Being a primate, it is part of the group of mammals that includes lemurs, monkeys, gorillas and man. The tarsier falls somewhere between the lemurs and monkeys on the evolutionary scale. Tarsiers are certainly small – an adult Tarsier can easily fit in the palm of a person’s hand. Whatever it is scientifically classified as, the Tarsier certainly looks cute and unique! We had the opportunity to check out a few of these Tarsiers at the Philippine Tariser and Wildlife Sanctuary at Corella during our trip to Bohol island on a day trip from Cebu.

To protect the Tarsier, the Philippine Tarsier Foundation was founded in 1996. It had acquired a Tarsier sanctuary of about 167 hectares in the municipalities of Corella and Sikatuna in Bohol where tourists can see the Tarsier in its natural habitat.

It is quite hard to spot a Tarsier in the wild as it is a shy nocturnal animal and sleeps at daytime near the trunks of trees and shrubs deep in the bushes and forests. They only become active at night – with their better sight and ability to maneuver around trees, they are very able to avoid noisy humans before they are detected. Their diet consists mostly of insects such as cockroaches and crickets. Charcoal has been mistakenly thought to be what Tarsiers like to eat but in fact they lick from charcoal mainly to eat salts.

After paying the P50 (Philippines Pesos) entrance fee to the Bohol Tarsier Sanctuary, you will be led to a fenced off (to keep away other animals e.g. cats which could attack the Tarsiers) area of the sanctuary where there are well marked paths and volunteers/staff posted at places where you can likely see a Tarsier.  There are about 10 Tarsiers in the sanctuary – don’t worry about having to do a “Spot a Tarsier” game as all locations where a Tarsier had been spotted by a staff, had been clearly marked with a red flag.

You can take pictures of the Tarsiers but no flash photography is allowed as camera flashes will scare these creatures.  Also visitors are not allowed to clap or make loud noises to get the Tarsier’s attention.  A staff is always on site at the trees marked with a red flag to ensure that visitors don’t disturb the Tarsiers.  The staff can also assist to take pictures of you with the Tarsiers so just ask nicely – of course, the camera angle should be reasonable since most of the Tarsiers are resting quite high up in the trees.  The whole Tarsier experience will take about 30 minutes and you can check out a video about the Tarsiers for more information at the sanctuary.  As you will be walking in the wild, expect uneven surfaces (there are some steps to climb) and insects, mosquitoes (insect repellant is recommended).

The Tarsier sanctuary allows the Tarsiers to move freely in the wild and monitors their health.  Tarsiers generally do not do well in captivity.  A Tarsier’s life expectancy could be shortened significantly to just 2 years – 12 years if they are kept in cages (Tarsiers living in the wild can live for around 24 years).  While under captivity, these Tarsiers can develop sore eyes due to poor diet and bright lighting (causing permanent damage to their eyes).  Tarsiers tend to commit suicide while in captivity as they will feel very nervous and stressed when they are touched and repeatedly exposed to camera flashes and restricted in their movements (while in a cage).  The Tarsiers will commit suicide by hitting its head against trees, cages or anything hard and this action kills it almost instantly as they have a thin skull.

There are places around Bohol which keep the Tarsiers in cages or semi-captive (allowing them to feed at night within limited spaces) especially those Tarsier shops along the Loboc River or at Chocolate Hills and at other popular tourist spots around Bohol island.  Avoid these places as the Tarsiers here live quite miserable lives and don’t survive very long due to long term exposure to stressful conditions.

Visit the Tarsier sanctuary at Corella, Bohol instead – here you will contribute to the conservation of these unique Tarsiers.  Also you can get your own “Tarsiers” in the form of souvenirs e.g. magnets, key chains at reasonable prices at the sanctuary gift shops.  There is a wide selection so you will be spoilt for choices!

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Baclayon Church

BACKLAYON CHURCH

Bohol with its natural sights and adventure sites is also rich in history. Who would have thought that the country’s tenth largest island with its kind and friendly people is also famous for holding the longest revolt in Philippine history, when Francisco Dagohoy led an 85-year rebellion against the Spaniards? But the link between Bohol and history is none more obvious than in the numerous old churches (32 of them) dotting the island. The oldest, Baclayon Church, is central of them all, situated along the main highway, six kilometers away from the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City. It’s hard to miss, with its massive frame visible over the trees and houses approaching it.

Baclayon Church was built in 1595 and, next to Intramuros’ San Agustin Church which was built in 1571, is regarded as the second oldest stone church in the country. It was originally built by Spanish Jesuit missionaries, who first settled in Baclayon before moving their headquarters to Loboc town which they considered safer from Moro pirates.

The church as it stands today was first constructed in 1717, when Baclayon was elevated to the status of a parish and Jesuits thought it safer from Moros. Native slaves used coral stones from the sea for the structure, moving their heavy weights around with bamboo poles, and cementing them together with a million egg whites mixed with sand. What happened to the egg yolks is part of culinary history – they were used for pastries.

It took more than 200 of these slaves ten years to complete the construction, and more than a century later, a pipe organ was built (1824) and a large bell was installed (1835). A jail was also built inside the church compound to punish those who violated Roman Catholic laws. Like other Jesuit churches in the country, though, the Augustinian Recollects took over when the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines, and additional buildings were constructed around the church. Today, another building stands perpendicular to the church – the old convent, which also houses a small museum that contains religious relics and other antique items, mute witnesses to the country’s rich history, religious or otherwise, for the past 400 years. These artifacts, though, have been a lure to burglars, especially the images which are mostly made from ivory, and with their adornments in gold threads and diamond-laden jewelry. The museum started the trend in having parish museums, and a visit to the one in Baclayon is worthwhile as one takes in the numerous precious material contained there.

The church shows combinations of what the Jesuits and the Recollects had built. The three arches of the portico or façade, like the museum, are credited to the Recollects. The Jesuits built the watch tower, perfect for the church as it stands watch over the Mindanao Sea. Baclayon Church is reputably one of the best preserved Jesuit-built churches in the entire Central Visayas. Recently, the 185-year old pipe organ, which is touted to be the third oldest in the Philippines, was restored through the initiative of the Zobel de Ayala family who appreciated the history of the Philippines through Baclayon. The restoration was painstakingly undertaken in Manila by European-trained pipe organ specialists. Having not been played for over 60 years, the return of the pipe organ was celebrated in 2008 with a concert featuring various classical European and Filipino classical music. The concert was held on December 6, just two days away from the feast of the church’s patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Realizing this background, one can understand why the Baclayon Church would be an interesting site for a destination wedding. The wedding party would surely sense the charm of its history as they march down several meters of an aisle of gilded Mexican tiles leading up to the grand altar, lit by chandeliers. The church features an original pulpit, with a canopy shaped like the Virgin’s crown, as well as frescoes, and stained glass windows. A magnificent backdrop, too, would be the grand altar featuring seven figures in neo-classical design.

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Chocolate Hills

CHOCOLATE HILLS

The most famous tourist spot of Bohol which marked the symbol of this Province is in the Municipality of Carmen. These unique landform known as “Chocolate Hills” was formed ages by the uplift of coral deposits and the action of rainwater erosion. The hills are scattered throughout the towns of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan, and consist of 1,268 of the same general shape. During summer, visitors admire the scenery of the spot where rice paddies between hills are like golden waves of grains when it feels the winds’ breath. Mounds would gracefully transforms into brown like chocolate cones during summer season and it looks like verdant haycock during rainy days. Last June 18, 1988, Fulgencio S. Factoran Jr. Former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources declared these world famous hills as the National Geological Monument in recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, uniqueness and scenic value.

Carmen, Bohol is home to a wonderful sight -- 1,260 hills like mounds of chocolate In truth, there might be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers. These hills have secret stories to tell, legends that even Filipinos don't know about.

The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in Bohol Province, Philippines. There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province. They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; they have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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