By: Rey Anthony H. Chiu

CLARIN.- With arms outstretched to receive the baton, Clarin comes abreast with fast-paced tourism development activities in Bohol, this time with arms full of potential sites the town is putting up for public and private partnerships. The dropdown menu comes with banner raw attractions that range from upland natural beauty, lowland cultural and heritage activities, coastal environment immersions and unique underwater experiences that would definitely beckon the local as well as foreign tourist, thus boasted Pedrito Tupas, the town planning officer. Located in the northwest of Bohol, Clarin is 61 kilometers from Tagbilaran City or an hour and 15 minutes away from the nearest airport in Bohol, 10 minutes away from the commercial port in Tubigon and less than an hour from Cebu by fastcraft. According to the planning coordinator, Clarin has seven coastal and 17 upland and lowland barangays and is been blessed with a bounty of natural attractions ranging from soaring heights, pristine waterfalls, clear springs, unmolested caves open for controlled spelunking activities, three uninhabited islets perfect for theme parks and island resort development, fish holes attractive to scuba diving enthusiasts, a highly rated marine protected area listed in the global network of marine parks and a wide ground of aquarium fish industry. Already identified potential sites fro tourism enterprise development are Clarin Heights, Binaliw Falls, Tangub Spring, Bogtongbod Cave, Majigpit islet and marine sanctuary, Mangrove Boardwalks, coastal community life tours and village immersions, island hopping and water sports activities.

CLARIN HEIGHTS and ALIMONO HEIGHTS

Ideal for sightseeing and sunset viewing, Clarin Heights rise at some 300 meters above the town lowlands and should provide the weary and the meditative tourist the perfect and breathtaking viewpoint to shift into the mood for slowing down and relaxing while nourishing himself with the splendid view of the vast lowlands specked with ricefields, the blue expanse of Bohol Strait and the distant Cebu. Potential developments include a view-deck which also offers light to specialty Bohol themed food and sweets, souvenir shops, health and wellness centers including massage clinics, acoustic folk music sessions, theatrical performances, lodging accommodations and homestays.

BINALIW FALLS

Splurge into an entirely different environment that transports one from a briskly bustling city life to a cool and relaxing experience of thick, lush forests, gorgeous limestone gorges, interesting rock formations, age-old trees with hanging roots while one treks and gets into a stress melting walks to the walls while being serenaded by innocent and curious birds. Binaliw falls is a cataract of 10 meters located in Barangay Cantoyoc. Accessible by basic transportation after a brief trekking, the vicinity of the falls will definitely excite the adventure seeker, while experiencing the beauty of nature is a premium. The hypnotic roar for the falls is enough to lull one into a resting mode, one that would be enhanced with the entry of community based activities like the traditional hilot using herbal and folk medicines, dipping pools development, nature park conversion including offering group tours facilitated by community guides and souvenir shops specializing in fashion accessories and home accents. Located just a little more than a kilometer away from the barangay proper, 5 kms away from Clarin Wharf, and 14 kms from Tubigon Wharf, Binaliw Falls is the place to go for people who want a dash of adventure while experiencing the beauty of nature.

TANGUB SPRING

Tangub Spring is located at the foot of Clarin Heights. It has sustained the local agriculture industry since time immemorial as it waters wide areas of the surrounding ricefields. There, one could marvel at the strong current of water at the spring’s source inside Tangub Cave. It is also known to be home to a tribe of macaque monkeys. Tangub Spring is the right place to relax and unwind while bathing in the cool, fresh waters of the natural pool near the Cave opening. Tangub Spring is accessible to all means of land transportation, however, it would take a few meters stroll before reaching the spring proper. Possible development would include picnic grounds development, pools and rest rooms, native themed hut developments for overnight or longer stays.

BOGTONGBOD CAVE

Peek into the twilight t pitch-black world of caves at a fairly moderate cave experience at the Bogtongbod Cave. Pregnant with folk tales and lores of the mystical world of the other kind, the cave here is the perfect portals for folk and cultural interactions with the community leading storytelling sessions, poetry and artistic renditions of folk songs, verses, literary arts, folk medicine, folk rituals, and scientific educational tours guided by locals. Bogtongbod still offers an array of marvelous beauty of the subterranean world with its stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, flowstones, candle formations, eerie and grotesque formations as well as the mystical 6 natural pools.

MAJIGPIT ISLET AND FISH SANCTUARY

Located within the outer ends of the Danajon Double Barrier Reef, Majigpit is better known as the “Islet of Gentle Touch,” for its abundance of sea urchins. This uninhabited islet is one of the three isles drifting sand bars and shallow reefs as seen from the Clarin wharf. The islet offers a wide variety of soft and hard corals, sea grasses, tide flats and a huge variety of tropical fish population. Already listed in the international global network of marine protected areas, Majigpit Islet is accessible by boat, 10 minutes from the town wharf and is best visited in the early morning when schools of fish are just as visible from an above the surface observer. The islet also has a wonder hole, a deep fish hole that is inhabited by a variety of tropical reef dwellers, fishes and other marine creatures that choose to stay in the hole which becomes a an aquamarine lake separated by the sea during low tides. Tourism development potential includes anchor stations for island hopping, boat rentals fro group educational tours, snorkel, skin dive, scuba dives

CLARIN MANGROVE BOARDWALK

The Boardwalk is just a few meters from the Clarin Town Hall. The boardwalk allows easy tourist access to the mangrove environment, of which the town has a considerable cover. Said to be the biggest sea creature banks offering the perfect environment for spawning, juvenile fish sanctuary and the haven for the famed seashells, this mangrove environment still carries a wide variety of 26 species of true mangroves common in the island. Learning venue for marine environment students, the boardwalk allows one to get as close to bakauans, bantiguis, tangals, malatangals, pototans, culasis, piapi, api-api, pagatpat, tabigi and still an interesting three dimensional experience of walking amidst a chest of herbal solutions for body ailments from the mangroves. The core of the forest where the boardwalk goes showcases century-old mangrove species in the inner portion of the mangrove forest. Clarin Mangrove Boardwalk is managed by the Bohol Island State University, Clarin. Future development plans include a Recreational Fishing Area, Restaurant, Function Rooms, kayaking, snorkeling and diving tours to Majigpit Islet and Fish Sanctuary.

TANGARAN SHELL GARDEN

Following a shell seeding by a government agency assistance to the Tangaran community in the late 90’s, the shell garden is a good venue for snorkel, scuba and skin divers to get as close to a shell garden that nurtures a wide variety of local and endemic shell fish including bug-atan, wasawasay, punaw, litub, saang, bongkaliw, talipsay, punaw, tagnipis and still several home cooking soup favorites. Tours from Tangaran landing using community guides, group and individual tours, home stays, overnight lodging accommodations, community immersions, sin, scuba, snorkel equipment rentals and cuisine immersions are probable ventures. (30)