Tourism means jobs, according to Tourism Secretary Ace Durano. This is the reason why the local government unit laid out its blueprint for tourism development in the municipality.

“Branding” Catigbian

The most effective strategy for Catigbian in terms of attracting investors and tourists is “branding” or “marketing” the town as a lakbay-aral site for local governance initiatives. It can be recalled that Catigbian received the “2008 Best Pamilihan ng Bayan” award in Bohol and prior to that, it also bagged the “2006 Third Best Pamilihan” in Region 7. All for a post-war building that has since been transformed into a very efficient and viable business center. Catigbian also boasts of having the most modern and the largest Livestock Auction Market in the Visayas. The World Bank-CBRMP granted the town the chance to go big after getting a Loan Facility in year 2006 for the ambitious structure and its succedding operations.

Lakbay-Aral Sites - The LGU has had a promising number of visitors ever since.

Other than the color-coded sectioning, the digital weighing scale of large and small ruminants in the Livestock Auction Market and other features of the Public Market, the newly renovated Municipal Hall has gained numerous praises from visitors owing to the fact that it is spotlessly clean and tastefully unique in its set up. More than its physical appearance, the municipio deserves a second look because of its smiling and accommodating personnel and its efficient service. Professionalism, like what Mayor Salinas always impresses from every government servant. The peoples' hall's main feature is the air-conditioned People's Lounge for taxpayers and guests. The lounges is now furnished with a television set and two restrooms at the first floor for male and female. Other lakbay-aral sites are the Pick and Pay Demonstration Farm and the newly constructed 14-Million Municipal Health Center with Lying-In Clinic located at barangay Poblacion Weste just along the town's main road and national highway.

Caves

To cater to other special interests, the Municipal Tourism Council has explored several caves for nature lovers' experience. Opened for extreme outdoor experience are Candumayao Cave , Cantalina Cave , Bongbong Cave , Haguilanan Cave , Sinakayanan Cave and Baang Cave. The Sangguniang Bayan has also passed Municipal Ordinance No. 1 Series of 2008 and Municipal Ordinance No. 5, Series of 2006 to regulate and properly manage the caves within its territiorial jurisdiction.

Dagook Falls

As an active Chairperson of the Abatan River Tourism Development Council, Mayor Roberto L. Salinas, PN (Ret) is spearheading workshops in the preparation of the mega tourism project in the first district of Bohol with the initiative from the Office of Congressman Edgardo M. Chatto, DTI, PROCESS Foundation and other government agencies. Other member municipalities are: Balilihan, Antequera, Maribojoc and Cortes. For Catigbian, the flagship project under the Abatan cluster is the Development of the Dagook Falls in Poblacion Weste which is called “The Abatan Upstream Eco-Tour”. Projects worth more than millions are already in the pipeline for the construction of necessary support facilities. The local government has plans to develop several amenities within the area for the Catigbian Adventure Course. Activities like rappelling, via pirata, monkey walk, zip line and spelunking would surely attract the attention of the able-bodied adventurers. Up next.

Katigbawan Festival

The people of Catigbian are getting excited with all of these plans because they know these would all more job opportunities for Catigbianons. To educate and encourage the people to take part in these projects, the local leaders initiated the “Katigbawan Festival” to feature and promote tourism and investment potentials of the town namely: Livestock Auction Market, Cave Exploration and Livestock raising. Katigbawan is a feast for human and spiritual satisfaction from the Visayan word Katagbawan”. It is also a combination of the words katigbi, tigbaw and kabawan. The root word katigbi is the origin of the word Catigbian which is a specie of grass abundant in the town. Tigbaw is another word for caves while Kabawan is Visayan for Carabao Auction Market which Catigbian is known for in the province since the early 50's.

The festival started in 2005 to commemorate the foundation day of Catigbian. The Sangguniang Bayan has passed Municipal Ordinance No. 8, Series of 2005 institutionalizing the Katigbawan Festival celebration every third week of June of each year. This year's Katigbawan Festival will be the town's 60th Diamond Jubilee Celebration. That is why aside from the usual Agri-Fair and Street Dancing, there will be the Diamond Jubilee King and Queen Coronation and the Tanda Kaliwat Catigbianon (see program).

Tanda Kaliwat Catigbianon

For sustainable eco-tourism, the local team for the festival has started the tedious task of establishing a data bank of all Catigbianons all over the world and then inviting them to come in an activity dubbed as the “Tanda Kaliwat Catigbianon”. It is hoped that this year, Catigbianons will conduct family and school reunions in time for the Katigbawan Festival. The activity and the Diamond Jubilee King and Queen is also a fund raising project for the existing Municipal Scholarship Program of the municipality.

One Town, One Product

To complement these initiatives and to facilitate livelihood projects with the actual and projected increase in volume of tourists in the locality, the LGU has established the “ One Town , One Product” or OTOP Center located within the public market complex. The center is in the process of finalizing a memorandum of agreement with the Mantacida Multi-Purpose Cooperative to sustain the management and operation of the OTOP Center. Members of some women's organizations namely: Haguilanan Women's Organization and Rizal Women's Organization were already trained in Tapa Making and Meat Processing. It has been known that Carabeef Tapa, Catigbian One-Town-One-Product product has a high demand from tourists who visit the town during their lakbay-aral activities and during the initial launching of the OTOP Center in the previous year's Katigbawan Festival.

Katigbawan Resto

The newest addition to Catigbian's must-see sites is the Katigbawan Resto infront of the public market. Mayor Bertsal, in his eagerness to develop tourism, has placed his personal stake at the restaurant called “Katigbawan Resto”. The facility boasts of a VIP room for videoke enthusiasts and a perfect venue for watching world sports events live via Dream satellite. More than the entertainment, tourists and locals alike can have a taste of adobong kabaw, adobong manuk bisaya and papaitan nga kanding daily at the restaurant which can accommodate 100 guests at any given time.

Katigbawan Cultural Groups

Dance Troupes of different schools in the municipality are now named Katigbawan Dance Troupe. The Candumayao Rondalla is now known as Katigbawan Rondalla. There is also the Katigbawan Ukelele Lovers performing here. Yes, we do have some cultural groups already established here. As a matter of fact, the Sangguniang Bayan has authorized the hiring of Mr. Marianito Luspo of Holy Name University to train and create a theater group to present some cultural shows in time for the full operation of the Dagook Falls Development Project. The local government unit with stakeholders only need to sustain these cultural groups in the future. Katigbawan delicacies, hotels. atbp

For now, a hotel or hostel is still wanting in Catigbian.

More than that the town has envisoned the need to develop local delicacies, which are potentials for the town. Perhaps, in the near future, Catigbian will not only be known because of its festival, or the Livestock Auction Market or Carabeef Tapa but also for other delicacies…like the camote candies sold every Monday at the market. The Bienvenida Biloy tinunuang awang is truly delicious, the crispy fried pork of Felimon Maglajos is also something one can really recommend and of course, the Gabi Pie/Roll of Mrs. Avelina Gille has made visitors come back here in Catigbian. These are simple things that have the potential of making Catigbian better known ….there are no limits….