Panglao, officially the Municipality of Panglao (; ), is a

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

in the

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

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol (; ), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It is home to Bohola ...

, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,839 people. Panglao has educational institutions, including the San Agustin Academy (Panglao), Lourdes National High School, the Cristal and elementary schools located in every barangay (including the Panglao Central Elementary School). It is also home to

Bohol–Panglao International Airport Bohol–Panglao International Airport , also known as New Bohol International Airport or Panglao Island Airport, is an international airport on Panglao Island in the province of Bohol, Philippines. The airport opened on November 28, 2018 after ...

that serves as Bohol's primary airport, replacing Tagbilaran Airport in November 2018. The town of Panglao, Bohol celebrates its fiesta on August 27–28, to honor the town patron San Agustin.

Etymology

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.

History

Precolonial era

Panglao flourished during the rule of the polity of

Bo-ol Dapitan Kingdom (also called Bool Kingdom) is the term used by local historians of Bohol, Philippines, to refer to the Dauis– Mansasa polity in the modern city of Tagbilaran and the adjacent island of Panglao. The volume of artifacts unearthe ...

, but raids by

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

and conquest by

Ternate Ternate (), also known as the City of Ternate (; ), is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It was the ''de facto'' provi ...

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 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 of Il ...

and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

, including

Dapitan Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (; Subanon: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan''; ), is a component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ...

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

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

, and

Ming The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, t ...

dynasty porcelain and trade wares.

Spanish colonial era

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 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 of . It is within Bohol Province, and comprises two municipalit ...

, and its territory also includes the three smaller islands of Balicasag, Gakang, and Pontod (or Pungtud, also known as Virgin Island). It is from

Tagbilaran Tagbilaran, officially the City of Tagbilaran (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...

. 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. It is one of two municipalities that make up

(the other being Dauis). Panglao is known for its diving locations and tourist resorts.

Climate

Barangays

Panglao is politically subdivided into 10 barangays. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

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

File:Panglaoisland (2004).jpg, Panglao Island Nature Resort File:Alona Beach Palmtree.jpg, Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol File:Panglao Rizal Monument.jpg, Rizal Monument at Panglao plaza File:Watchtower in the Municipality of Panglao, Bohol.jpg, Panglao Watchtower File:Boats docked on Balicasag Island.jpg, Boats docked on Balicasag Island File:Panglao Island Beach Sunset.jpg, Sunset on a Panglao beach

Notable personalities

* Rebecca Lusterio – Actress, born in Balicasag island

References

External links

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...

br>Municipality of PanglaoAlona Beach Guide

Balicasag marine sanctuary map (page 92)
{{Authority control Municipalities of Bohol Underwater diving sites in the Philippines