Tourism

Getting There

Travel inside Jagna

While in Tagbilaran City, anyone can start traveling to Jagna at the Dao Integrated Bus Terminal. Public Utility Vehicles, e.g. Dory Transit, are always available at P60.00 or Vans for Hire at P80.00 to P100.00 per passenger .

Nature

Lying in the Southern coastal part of Bohol Jagna is peopled by humble, peace loving and God-fearing inhabitants. To many people Jagna is, far and wide, known not for its seaport, but for its tasty and delightful delicacy – the calamay . 

Besides it’s lovely and intelligent women, there are still more that Jagna can be proud of. While Carmen town boasts of it’s inverted kettledrums popularly called “chocolate hills”, Jagna is also blessed with various aspects of nature that can undoubtedly equal, if not surpass, other places in the archipelago. For a good reason, therefore, its people can justifiably claim of their pride for, right in this town, there are wonders of nature, virginally existing, untouched and unexplored by the pens and minds of writers.

The following write-ups are honest attempts of portraying to the nature-lovers, the beauty of Jagna – the wonders of God.

1. Eva CaveImage

Eva Cave in Odiong is named after a big tree locally known as “ISA” that grew near its entrance. For so many years, this cave appeared small and narrow, but owing to a high magnitude earthquake that happened thereat, its depth and width increased considerably. It lies about one and one-half kilometers from Odiong Elementary School.

The Eva Cave provides aesthetic value and economic importance to the barrio folks. Near the cave wild orchids and tree ferns of the tropics grow abundantly. Different species of birds abound and these birds build edible nest, which are gathered in large quantities for sale.

Stonewall covers the entire interior area. Strangely enough several compartments may be found therein. In one of the big compartments is a knee-deep body of water which, nobody has ever attempted to drink.

2. Luinab Rice Terraces

The Luinab Rice Terraces is known for its beautiful panoramic scenery probably unmatched in the whole town. Two high mountains that have carved a ravine nestled the Rice Terraces. It occupies a total area of fifty (50) hectares.

3. Kinahugan FallsImage

The wonderful Kinahugan waterfalls is located in a small hilly sitio of Karap-agan, which is only a kilometer away from Cabungaan Elementary School. The trail that winds up is approximately 5 kilometers from the Poblacion. Strolling along to it on foot needs only 1 and half-hours to reach the spot. One would surely come to marvel how these beautiful waterfalls were created.

The three waterfalls are trigonominal in nature. The center fall is flanked by one on the northern dice of the cliff and the other on the southern part where all sides are almost covered with moss. The cliff is about 50 feet high. The biggest and the swiftest of the three waterfalls settle down into the great basin of about 15 feet deep and no less than 60 feet in diameter.

The unique attraction of this scenic spot spells great difference from other waterfalls throughout Bohol since it became the site of the shooting location during the Miss Bohol – Sandugo 2002 Search.

4. Can-uba Beach

One of the many splendored places in the town which has undoubtedly drawn a high degree of attraction to hundreds if not, thousands of “nature lovers” and curious sightseers is the sprawling Can-uba Beach in barangay Can-uba.

Can-uba Beach, is about 400 meters long, proudly extends with a negligible curve from the boundary of Jagna and Garcia-Hernandez to a small point of staggered cliffs where the territory of this barrio ends. It is almost five kilometers from the barrio proper.

One interesting feature to note is that, unlike other shores, the water along the strand is deep and seemingly non-receding, even at ebb or at low tides. During fine weather, the clean, ever briny deep and crystal clear waters along the beach is very inviting to children and adults. On week-ends, people from practically all walks of life come to the said beach to spend their leisure moments gliding and splashing themselves into its silvery water under the transparent canopy of the bright sunshine. “Picnicking” is a common activity especially during Sundays and Holidays.

5. Cantuyoc Cave

This underground chamber is declared as the Philippines’ second deepest cave by its discoverers-the two Siovenian spelunkers in 1995. It has very cool underground rivers.

6. Mayana

This barangay which is 17 kilometers from the town proper has a lot of wonders to boast of. Famous for its very cold climate due to its elevation of 820 meters above sea level probably the highest peak in Bohol- is home to the Philippines’ second biggest centennial tree, a narra specie, 3.2 meters in diameter, 30 meters high and believed to be 195 years old.

Mayana is also known for its fresh cut flowers, vegetables and breathtaking rice paddies manually formed into terraces.

7. Boctol WaterfallsImage

Recently discovered by some young adventurous settlers of Boctol, this body of water cascades like clothing arranged in loose folds grounded to two different focal points hued of the color of the blue sky.

8. JAGNA CORALS

Corals in Jagna are so blessed in their formation since it is nurtured by the sea nutrients carried by Mindanao sea currents
happened during the equalizing of two bodies of water namely China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Southern Bohol shoreline fronting Mindanao sea had its islets Balikasag, Pamilakan and Panglao are known to SCUBA divers as world class dive sites. While Jagna shoreline corals are waiting to be discovered by adventurous SCUBA divers and snorkelers who’d like to discover new dive sites.

Jagna beaches are naturally set. Nature itself performs the transformation of beach image of driftwoods and other tropical
debris that are naturally washed in its shoreline.

Jagna shoreline is already known to local snorklers for the beauty of its coral reef formation and is very identical to other Bohol famous diving sites. It’s cool water is crystal clear and refreshing especially during summer times. Following are the shore lines for you to enjoy:

1. Larapan to Nausok Point – This area is famous for its hard corals and a variety of tropical fishes is abundant in the area. A sea drop off is located on this area towards the depths of Mindanao sea. A lucky diver can encounter hammer head sharks in the area. Local fishermen reported sightings of these famous sharks on this shoreline.
2. Nausok  Point to Pangdan ,Canupao Point and Cantagay Point – These shorelines are ideal for snorkeling and you can SCUBA dive the area via beach entry. These dive sites are very abundant of hard corals like spiny and table corals, colorful soft corals and sea anemones with various kinds of coral fishes so stridently noisy in feeding themselves. Sea snakes can also be found at Nausok point area.

Come relax and enjoy Jagna corals!

Festivals

Sinu-og

For more than a century, this distinct cultural tradition performed during the annual fiesta celebration of Jagna manifests the rich cultural heritage of the town. A native war dance performed in the accompaniment of a drum, it depicts the battle between the early Jagnaanon Christians and the invading Muslims from Mindanao and how the most revered patron of Jagna, St. Michael the Archangel rescued the people from the hands of the invaders. The male dancers fight with their bolos while reciting verses.

Presently, there are two groups of Sinu-og dancers. One group comes from Mayana and the other from Cabungaan. The dancers come down during the “vesperas” to join in the vesper procession. They also join in the morning fluvial procession on September 29, the feast day itself.

Sinuog-Estokada

This two-year old modification of the original sinuog is an added form in character. It is a war dance this time depicting the good and evil but the basic sequence of movements are modified conforming to a rhythm in marching and regular procedure. It started in 2001 and
the young adolescents usually participate in this annual fiesta activity.

Town Fiesta Date

September 29 – Town Fiesta in Honor of Saint Michael Archangel

Barrio Fiesta Dates

JANUARY
10- BALILI
17- LOOC

APRIL

5 – CAN-UPAO

MAY
1- PONDOL (POBLACION)
3- CANJULAO, LARAPAN, BUYOG AND TUBOD MAR
4- NAUSOK
6- PAGINA
7- CAN-UBA AND PANGDAN
8- TEJERO
9- IPIL AND FARAON
10- BALBALAN (POB AND PANGDAN AREAS)
11- MALBOG
12- CANTAGAY
14- BUNGA ILAYA
15- MAYANA, CANTUYOC AND ALEJAWAN
16- CABUNGAAN, CAMBUGASON, NAATANG AND CAN-IPOL
17- TUBOD MONTE
18- KINAGBAAN, BUNGA MAR AND LACA
19- LONOY
22- BOCTOL
27- CALABACITA

JUNE

13- SAWANG

DECEMBER

15- ODIONG

Historical Tourists

1. Birhen sa Barangay Shrine

This religious haven and favorite holy place for pilgrimages is located in Pangdan, just a walking distance from the municipal building. Hundreds of devotees come to venerate the image of the miraculous lady clad in bare and says thus declared by the local diocese as a national shrine. It is also a protected municipal park.

2. Lonoy Martyr Site

This historical site declares the bloody saga between the Filipino revolutionists led by Capt. Gregorio “Goyo” Caseñas and the American invaders in the First World War in 1891. Barangay Lonoy is also known for its clear and cool springs and swimming pool.

3. St. Michael Church

This centuries old church is the center of all religious activities in Jagna especially on September 28-29, the feast days of the parish.

Declared as one of the oldest and the biggest in Bohol, this church was built through forced labor completed in 1808 by Rev. Fr. Bias de las Mercedes, a very pious Augustinian Recollect missionary.

4. Ilihan Shrine

Ilihan Hill has become a religious site for pilgrimages by the faithful. It is located about half kilometer from Jagna town by winding road. It overlooks the Sea of Mindanao and the evening vista is beautiful. On top of the hill is the image of the Barangay Sang Birhin where a chapel has been built in her honor.