Excursion Local craft & culinary traditions tour at Tagbilaran

Alburquerque Traditional Craft & Santa Monica Church

Start the tour in Alburquerque town, visit the beautifully restored Sta. Monica church. It is one of the seventh century old churches in Bohol, at least six of which were heavily damaged during the 2013 earthquake (7.2) including two which were totally flattened to the ground. It now showcases intricately carved wooden altars made of local wood intricately carved by local artisans and retablos hand-carved by local artisans. Also visit the carpentry shop at the church. The Santa Monica Carvers of Alburquerque Bohol are a group of local carpenters trained to preserve the wood carving tradition of Bohol. One of their special products is called urna, a delicately carved wooden housing for Santos, or religious icons, found in most houses in Bohol. The construction of the convent was begun under Fr. Tom Fernandez (1869-1875). The present church structure was bult in 1885, utilizing the same three-aisled plan. Construction was commended in 1896. The upper portions of the walls and the tower over the façade were completed in the 1920s-1930s. Pillars made of large tree trunks masked by metal sheets march down the aisle of the church. It is said that these pillars date back to the original 1880 structure. It was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historic Institute in 2014. The revival of this age-old tradition along with other creative industries was conceptualized after the 2013 earthquake, which destroyed and damaged churches and church properties in the province.

"Asin Tibuok" (Traditional Salt Making)

Proceed to Sta. Fe, and learn the multi -step processing of a dying yet unique salt making tradition which involves gathering of fibrous coconut husks which is the first step in the production of this peculiar salt. These known brown coconut husks are harvested by farmers mainly for its meat or kernel (which turns into copra when dried). An open pit just a few metres away from the sea takes in water at high tide. The coconut husks are taken out of the pit, they are cut off into smaller pieces. They are then ready to rest in the huts for about three days. Burning the husks requires considerable skill and a lot of patience. The piled husks are burned from the bottom making sure that the fire does not die down. It takes about sic days for all of the husks to turn into ash. When the burning phase is complete, a pile of ashes remains. The third step is the filtering of salt from the ashes. The making of Asin Tibuok is a drying craft.

Julio's Place and Late Lunch

Your last stop, visit this seaside 'hole in the wall' with open space to enjoy the sea view. Your gracious host will personally show you how to catch some 'land crabs' locally called 'kagang' from his seaside yard & demonstrate how it's traditionally cooked. His staff will teach you how to weave from coconut leaves the heart shaped cone to contain the rice while steamed, locally called 'puso', which in English means heart. The 'puso' rice goes well with the 'kagang'. Other cooking demonstrations include 'siakoy' and local snacks paired with 'sikwate' a native chocolate drink made from cacao seeds. The "sikwate" is the closest you will get to drinking pure, raw chocolate. It starts with tablets of cacao made from cacao beans that are dried, roasted, milled, and then hand formed into tablets. The tablets are then boiled with water in a special jug, and then "frothed" using a wooden instrument that's rolled between the hands to release the cocoa butter (and produce froth). Finally sugar and milk are added resulting in a very sweet smooth hot chocolate drink.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion may include: Salt Making, Local Food Demonstration, Santa Monica Church, Lunch

Note

Please note: This tour involves a minimal to moderate amount of walking for approximately 300-500 meters or 0.2-0.3 miles with a few steps to negotiate to get on/off the coach and the river cruise boat. This tour is suitable for guests with limited mobility but not for those who utilise a wheelchair. Lightweight comfortable clothing, and flat, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended. Modest attire recommended for the church visit. Shorts and sleeveless shirts restricted. This tour includes a late lunch. Tour sequency may vary.