Panglao, officially the Municipality of Panglao ( ceb, Munisipalidad sa Panglao; tgl, Bayan ng Panglao), is a 4th class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. ...

, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,839 people. It is one of two municipalities that make up Panglao Island (the other being Dauis). Panglao is known for its diving locations and tourist resorts. The name Panglao may have come from its former name ''Panglawod'', meaning "to the open sea", or derived from the word ''panggaw'', referring to a fishing implement used by locals. Panglao has educational institutions, including the

San Agustin Academy (Panglao) San Agustin Academy (SAGA) is a Catholic private institution located near the Panglao Shore, beside St. Augustine Church of Panglao, in Poblacion. It is run by the Diocese of Tagbilaran The Diocese of Tagbilaran is one of the 72 ecclesiastica ...

, Lourdes National High School, the Cristal and elementary schools located in every barangay (including the Panglao Central Elementary School). It is also home to

Panglao Island International Airport Panglao may refer to either: *Panglao, Bohol *Panglao Island Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group, in the south-central Philippines. Geography The island has an area o ...

that serves as Bohol's primary airport replacing

Tagbilaran Airport Tagbilaran Airport ( Cebuano: ''Tugpahanan sa Tagbilaran'', Filipino: ''Paliparan ng Tagbilaran'') was an airport serving the general area of Tagbilaran, the capital city of the province of Bohol in the Philippines. The airport was built and o ...

. It opened in November 2018. The town of Panglao, Bohol celebrates its fiesta on August 27–28, to honor the town patron San Agustin.

History

Well before the Spanish colonization, the area was already long visited by Chinese and other Asian traders, as evinced by archaeological finds of

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

, and

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han pe ...

dynasty porcelain and trade wares. Panglao flourished during the rule of the Dapitan kingdom, but raids by

Moluccans Moluccans are the Austronesian-speaking and Papuan-speaking ethnic groups indigenous to the Maluku Islands (also called the Moluccas), Indonesia. The region was historically known as the Spice Islands, and today consists of two Indonesian provi ...

and conquest by

Ternate Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the ...

resulted in periods of depopulation when its population fled mostly to

Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...

and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

, including Dapitan. During the Spanish rule, a Jesuit mission post was established, that in 1782 was formed into a parish, known as La Iglesia de San Agustin de Panglawod. In 1803, the town was officially made into a municipality. The Panglao watchtower was built in 1851. The 5-storey octagonal tower is the tallest of its kind in the Philippines but suffers from neglect.

Geography

The municipality occupies the southwestern part of the eponymous Panglao Island, and its territory also includes the three smaller islands of Balicasag, Gakang, and Pontod (or Pungtud, also known as Virgin Island). There are no fresh water streams or lakes on the island, so for its drinking water, the municipality is dependent on wells and the Canhilbas Underground Spring.

Climate

Barangays

Panglao comprises 10 barangays:

Demographics

Economy

Tourism

The primary tourist attraction of Panglao are its white sandy beaches, of which Alona Beach is the most famous and most developed. Alona Beach is about long, lined with palm trees. resorts, and shops. However it has drawn criticism for its unrestrained development that ignored municipal development policies, warning against overcrowding and Alona to lose its paradise-like image. Therefore, the municipal, provincial and national governments are ploughing ahead with a plan to build a new international airport on Panglao island, with the final approach path directly over Alona beach. Bohol–Panglao International Airport, also known as New Bohol International Airport, is an international airport on Panglao Island in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It replaced Tagbilaran Airport which was small. Bohol–Panglao International Airport, has been operational since 28-Nov-2018. Other beaches include Bagobo, Bolod, Danao, Doljo, and Momo Beaches there are many more hidden beaches. Some are controlled by various resorts also. Panglao is renowned for snorkeling and dive sites such as Doljo Beach, Garden Eels, Arco Point, Kalipayan, Napaling, and Puntod. The island's southern portion is ringed with reefs that are relatively narrow and shallow () with submarine cliffs plunging to depths of . Tours can readily be arranged to further dive sites, including Balicasag and Pamilacan, Bohol islands.

Gallery

Panglao watchtower, Bohol.png, Panglao watchtower Panglaoisland (2004).jpg, Panglao Island Nature Resort Alona Beach Palmtree.jpg, Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol Panglao Rizal Monument.jpg, Rizal Monument at Panglao plaza

Notable personalities

* Rebecca Lusterio – Actress, born in Balicasag island

References

External links

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

br>Municipality of PanglaoAlona Beach Guide
{{Authority control Municipalities of Bohol Underwater diving sites in the Philippines