Awit sa Bohol
Encyclopedia
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The lyrics and music were written by Justino Romea
Justino Romea
Justino ‘Tining’ R. Romea was a Filipino composer, writer, director, musical arranger, poet and journalist. He composed the Awit sa Bohol or Bohol hymn and many school anthems.-Biography:...
and arrangement was made by Ms. Maxelende Ganade
Maxelende Ganade
Maxelende Ganade is a Filipino musician, lyricist and composer. She composed the Awit sa Bohol or Bohol Hymn which is the official provincial hymn of the province of Bohol, Philippines.- Biography :...
. The original lyrics are in Boholano
Boholano language
Boholano is a variant of Cebuano spoken in the province of Bohol in the Philippines and eastern parts of Southern Leyte...
with an available English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version. The Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
translation is credited to Ms. Maxelende Ganade.During every program or gatherings, the Boholanos
Boholano people
The Boholano people, also called Bol-anon, refers to the people who live in the island province of Bohol. They are part of the wider Visayans ethnolinguistic group, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group.-Language:...
sing the Bohol Hymn after the Philippine National Anthem.
According to Bohol.ph: "The Boholanos are a freedom loving and independent people, who take pride in their Island, wherever they are. No wonder, the province even has its own provincial anthem".
History
It was during the administration of then Gov. Lino Chatto that the provincial government of Bohol undertook the initiative to formally identify the provincial symbols and seals, including the Bohol flag and hymn.Justino 'Ning" Romea, a writer of the Bohol Chronicle and composer of the RPC Song (now the UB Hymn) and the Bohol Provincial School of Nursing Hymn, was commissioned to pen the Bohol Provincial Hymn.
It was first sung publicly by a female choir of the College of Holy Spirit of Tagbilaran on March 1, 1970 in time for the unfurling of the Bohol Flag during the opening ceremonies of the 1970 East Visayan Athletic Association held in Tagbilaran City.
On September 24, 1970, the Provincial Board passed Resolution No. 215 adopting it as the official song of the province of Bohol.
As the hymn's original version was in English, the Provincial Board, a few years after, endeavored to have it translated into the vernacular. A competition was launched and the entry of Maxelende Ganade emerged as the best and was adjudged the winner. With some modifications by the Board of Judges in consultation with the authorities in music authorities Mrs. Enriquita Borja-Butalid and Mrs. Maria Fe Rocha-Lumayag, then Division Supervisor and music consultant, the Boholano version was adopted by the Provincial Board in Resolution No. 151 dated September 13, 1974.
While the lyrics and music of the Bohol Hymn (English version) is credited to Romea, the Awit sa Bohol (Boholano version) is largely attributed to Ganade.
Awit sa Bohol
(Lyrics in BoholanoBoholano language
Boholano is a variant of Cebuano spoken in the province of Bohol in the Philippines and eastern parts of Southern Leyte...
)
Yuta kong minahal
Hatag ni Bathala
Sa adlaw'g gabii
Taknang tanan
Dinasig sa
kinaiyahan
Sa mga bayani yutawhan
Imong kalinaw giampingan
Lungsod sa bungtod nga matunhaw
Ug matam-is nga kinampay
Puti ang kabaybayonan
Walog sa suba binisbisan
Bahandi ang dagat ug kapatagan
Gugma ang tuburan
Sa kagawasan sa tanan
Panalanginan ka
Ihalad ko lawas ug kalag
Sa mutya ko'ng Bohol
Bohol Hymn
(EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version)
This is our land I love,
The land God gave to me,
Caressed by the sun,
Bathed by the sea,
And kissed by the cool breeze
Night and day.
Here’s where the early heroes lived,
Here’s where they wrought peace
and here they bled,
Here rise the marvelous cone-shaped hills,
Here’s sweet kinampay
Kinampay
The Kinampay or Ubi-kinampay is a specific variety of ube which is found mostly in Bohol, Philippines. It is the a symbol of the Province of Bohol as the provincial plant. In Bohol province, the ubi-kinampay is considered sacred and is venerated. A unique tradition is that people kiss the "ubi"...
grows.
Blessed with white sandy beaches,
Rivers that water valleys,
Seas teem with fishes and cows graze
on the plains,
In ev’ry home love reigns,
God keep my homeland always free,
Let her forever be,
I pledge my strength, my heart and soul,
To my dear home, Bohol
Composer
Justino "Ning" Romea is a native of Barangay Napo, LoonLoon, Bohol
Loon is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 42,441 people. The town has an old church dating from the 1850s.-Socioeconomic profile:* Class of municipality: Second...
, Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
. He is the composer of the Bohol Hymn "Awit sa Bohol". He is also the composer of the Rafael Palma College or RPC Song (now UB Hymn) and many other school anthems. He is best remembered for the love song "Ako Kang Paabuton", the folk song "Sa Daplin sa Baybayon" as well as most of the songs featured in the annual 'drama' presentations in his native Napo for which he served as writer, director and musical arranger.
Translator
Ganade started playing the piano while in Grade 3, encouraged by her parents who are both musicians. She graduated Bachelor of Music from the College of Holy Spririt in Manila and she had rendered performances, helped in musical shows and had written compositions.Trivia
- There are contentions that the vernacular version is short of the poetry and rhyme of the English lyrics, such that the lines "Caressed by the sun, bathe by the sea and kissed by the cool breeze night and day" simply turned out "Sa adlao'g gabii taknang tanan, dinasig sa kinaiyahan." However, it must be the touching simplicity of the Boholano lyrics that stirs up the emotions in every Boholano's soul with the words suggesting images that tell about the basic character of a native Boholano son or daughter
- While the Boholano lyrics Ganade wrote are being sung in every program, and daily in schools, Ganade walks unnoticed as she reports to Holy Spririt School to teach piano lessons to the students a job she has been doing for many years now.
- Eddie Florano wrote an alternative song called Bohol Islands from the "Looking Back" album (2007).
- Another song "Balik sa Bohol" composed by Filipino blind composer and hymnist One OclaritOne OclaritOne Oclarit , usually known as One, is a blind Filipino lyricist, pianist, composer and hymnist best known for his Visayan Christian hymns.To this day, the vast majority of Visayan hymnals contain his work...
was created as another patriotic song for Bohol.
Other Bohol provincial symbols
While the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
has its national bird (the Agila or the Philippine Eagle
Philippine Eagle
The Philippine Eagle , also known as the Monkey-eating Eagle, is an eagle of the family Accipitridae that is endemic to forests in the Philippines. It has brown and white-coloured plumage, and a shaggy crest, and generally measures in length and weighs...
), flower (Sampaguita, Jasminium sambac), dance (Cariñosa), leaves (anahaw), and tree (narra), Bohol has also declared its own provincial symbols.
Provincial Seal
The provincial seal features the Chocolate HillsChocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol province, Philippines. According to the latest accurate survey done, there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than . They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.The Chocolate Hills...
which are Bohol's famous tourist attraction symbolizing the abundance of natural beauty in Bohol. The green color symbolizes that Bohol is an agricultural province with most of its people depending on farming for livelihood. The Blood Compact
Blood compact
Blood compact was a ritual in the Philippines where tribes would cut their wrist and pour their blood into a cup filled with liquid and drink each other's blood as part of the tribal tradition to seal a friendship, a pact or treaty, or to validate an agreement...
between Sikatuna and Legaspi symbolizes the Boholano's love for peace.
Bohol flag
Tamblot Uprising
The Tamblot Uprising of 1621, also known as the Tamblot Revolution or Tamblot Revolt, was led by Tamblot, a babaylan or native priest from the island of Bohol in the Philippines. It was basically a religious conflict...
and Dagohoy
Dagohoy Rebellion
The famous Dagohoy Rebellion, also known as Dagohoy Revolution or Dagohoy Revolt, is considered as the longest rebellion in Philippine history...
rebellions. The two arms in the middle depict the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna
Datu Sikatuna
Datu Sikatuna was the Datu in the island of Bohol in the Philippines. His real name was "Katuna" but "Si" was added to his name as this is a nominative marker for a Filipino...
and Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
, and behind that are shown the world famous Chocolate Hills
Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol province, Philippines. According to the latest accurate survey done, there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than . They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.The Chocolate Hills...
. The lone star in the top left is to honour Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polistico García was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist and guerrilla leader...
, the Boholano
Boholano people
The Boholano people, also called Bol-anon, refers to the people who live in the island province of Bohol. They are part of the wider Visayans ethnolinguistic group, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group.-Language:...
president of the Philippines.
The independent trait of the Boholanos is well known, through its history of resistance against the Spanish, American and Japanese invaders, and is expressed by the prominent placement of two large bolos (local swords) on the official provincial flag.
The independence of the Boholano also reflects itself in the relative absence of large landownership on the island: most farmers still own their own often small, patch of land, a big contrast to some other islands, such as Negros, where large areas of land are held by a few families.
Provincial bird
The provincial bird is the antolihaw or dimodlaw (Oriolus chinensis), a bright yellow bird which can be found all over the province especially during the summer when it will make a loud noise: 'waw-waw-waw'.Provincial tree
The molave (Vitex parviflora) is declared the provincial tree. A small tree, it is richly branched with trifoliate leaves. The flowers are violet-colored and the fruits pea-sized and dark purple to black. It is a native to Bohol, and grows well on its limestone soils.Provincial Fruit
The provincial fruit is the Bohol mangga, or mangoMango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, (Mangifera
Mangifera
Mangifera is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. It contains approximately 69 species, with the most well-known being the Common Mango . The center of diversity is in subtropical and tropical southeast Asia, while the highest number of species occur in the Malay...
indica Linnaeus), which does very well in Bohol. The limestone soil is responsible for the sweet and tender fruit, which is said to be the sweetest in the Philippines. About half a million mango trees grow in Bohol.
Provincial Plant
The ubi kinampayUbe
Dioscorea alata, known as purple yam and many other names, is a species of yam, a tuberous root vegetable, that is bright lavender in color. It is sometimes confused with taro and the Okinawa sweet potato . With its origins in the Asian tropics, D...
(The purple Boholano yam; Dioscorea alata Linnaeus) is a rootcrop chosen as the provincial plant. This plant's meat ranges from white to light to dark purple color with an excellent aromatic taste. It is eaten cooked, alone or mixed with other vegetables. It is also dried and then used to flavor ice cream, candies and cakes. Even before declaring the ubi as the provincial plant, the annual Ubi Festival has been celebrated every January.
Provincial flower
The white gumamela (HibiscusHibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
rosa-sinensis Linnaeus) is the provincial flower. This white flower symbolizes the characteristic innocence and naturalness of the Boholano. Its long bowing styles bring about a language of welcome, its tender structure with pollens characterize the people's simple tastes and modest needs. The greenish, close-knit petals represent the loyalty and constancy of the Boholano family towards each of its members, conscious of the bond that joins them together in the good and bad times.
Provincial Hero
The provincial hero Francisco Sendrijas, most popularly known as Francisco DagohoyFrancisco Dagohoy
Francisco Dagohoy, was a Boholano who holds the distinction of having led the longest revolt in Philippine history, the Dagohoy Rebellion. This rebellion against the Spanish colonial government took place in the island of Bohol from 1744 to 1829, roughly 85 years.-About Dagohoy:Little is known of...
or Dagohoy. He led the Dagohoy Rebellion
Dagohoy Rebellion
The famous Dagohoy Rebellion, also known as Dagohoy Revolution or Dagohoy Revolt, is considered as the longest rebellion in Philippine history...
which is considered as the longest revolt in the Philippine history.