Bohol’s Art Scene: From Traditional Crafts to Modern Expressions

Bohol is known for the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers, but there’s another side of the island that’s just as worth your time. Its art scene. Think centuries-old weaving traditions sitting right next to modern paintings in a museum. A recent exhibition at the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Bohol showed 30 paintings by five Boholano artists — all from a private collection. That’s a real number that tells you something: the island has been making art for a long time, and it’s still making it today.

When you plan a trip to Bohol, you probably think about beaches and nature spots. But the art scene here gives you a different kind of experience. You get to see how locals have expressed themselves for generations — from the weavers in northwest Bohol to the painters showing at the national museum. If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to understand a place beyond the postcard views, this is where you want to spend some time.

Let’s start with the traditional side. Saguran weaving is one of the oldest crafts on the island. The material comes from the leaf shoots of the buri palm (Corypha elata, called buli in Cebuano). Weavers wash, soak, and dry the leaves. Then they knot the strips into longer strands and weave them on a hagbanan — a wooden upright foot loom. The finished products used to be mats, blankets, and even uniforms for soldiers during World War II. Later, saguran clothing got seen as something only poor people wore. But that’s changing now.

In June 2024, the NMP Bohol held an event called “Weaving with Pride” that brought together six LGBTQ+ fashion designers to create modern clothing from saguran. The designers — EJ Relampagos, Christian Relator, Noel Bompat Estopito & Christian Kent Paglinawan, Christian Bustrillos, and Shanon Pamaong — showed that this old material could work in contemporary fashion. Five transgender women modeled the pieces. The message was clear: saguran weaving is for everyone. As researcher Christian N. Bacolod put it, saguran weaving is inclusive, not exclusive. The event was part of Bohol’s first Pride Month celebration called “Pabuhagay,” which featured 18 LGBTQ+ Boholano artists.

On the modern art side, the “Bohol Ways of Life and Landscapes” exhibition that opened in July 2024 at NMP Bohol gave a snapshot of what Boholano painters are doing. The 30 paintings came from the private collection of Janssen Bantugan, who chairs the Sigala Arts and Cultural Heritage Research and Development Foundation. The artists captured everyday Bohol life — Florante “Ranths” Anunciado painted artisanal sea salt making in Alburquerque and the traditional chocolate drink sikwate prepared with tableya de cacao and a batirol. Czar Cempron painted the purple yam kinampay, calling it a sacred crop. Sherwin Tutor painted the blood compact between Datu Sigala and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565. Elvin Vitor painted Tagbilaran City’s Saulog festival. And Glenn Melendrez Lumantao, considered a pioneer of Boholano modern art, has been showing his work for decades both locally and abroad.

When to Plan Your Trip Around Art

If you want to catch art events, the timing matters. The “Weaving with Pride” event happened in June during Pride Month. The “Bohol Ways of Life and Landscapes” exhibition opened in July to coincide with the Sandugo Festival. These are the months when the art scene is most active. The Sandugo Festival in July is the big one — it celebrates the blood compact between Datu Sigala and Legazpi, and the museum often schedules art events around it. June is when you’ll see more LGBTQ+ focused art and cultural programs. Outside these months, the NMP Bohol still has exhibits, but the special events and collaborations are fewer. If you’re making a trip specifically for the art, aim for June or July.

Another thing to keep in mind: the weather. Bohol’s dry season runs from November to May. The wet season, from June to October, brings rain that can make travel to the weaving towns of Inabanga and Tubigon trickier. The roads are passable, but expect slower travel. If you’re planning to visit the weavers in their workshops, the drier months are more comfortable. That said, the art events at the museum are indoors, so rain won’t affect those.

Getting to the Art

You’ll fly into Tagbilaran City, the capital of Bohol. The city has a small airport with flights from Manila, Cebu, and other major hubs. From the airport, the NMP Bohol is just a short ride away — it’s located at the old provincial capitol building in the city center. You can take a tricycle or a taxi from the airport. The museum is walkable if you’re staying in the city center.

The weaving communities are a different story. They’re in the northwest part of the island, in the towns of Inabanga and Tubigon. From Tagbilaran, you can take a bus or a van heading north. The trip to Tubigon takes about an hour and a half. To Inabanga, it’s about two hours. If you’re on a tight schedule, Tubigon is the more practical choice because it has a larger concentration of weavers and the Tubigon Raffia Gallery, which produces and sells saguran products. The gallery is run by the Abarquez family and markets its products both locally and internationally.

If you want to see the weavers at work, the Tubigon Loomweavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative is your best bet. It was formed in 1989 with help from the Department of Trade and Industry. About 60 weavers work in the barangays of Pinayagan Sur, Ilijan Norte, and Ilijan Sur. Most of them are women, usually wives of fishermen, farmers, or vendors. You can visit the cooperative and watch the weaving process. The weavers are happy to show you how they prepare the buri leaves and work the hagbanan loom. Just be respectful of their workspace — this is their livelihood, not a tourist show.

What to Actually Do There

Visit the NMP Bohol

This is the easiest place to start. The museum has rotating exhibits that cover both traditional crafts and contemporary art. The “Bohol Ways of Life and Landscapes” exhibition from July 2024 showed what the museum can do when it partners with a local foundation. Even when there isn’t a special exhibition, the museum’s permanent displays — like the “Paglawig” exhibit that shows a stone beater used for tree bark, the earliest clothing material — give you context for the island’s craft history. The museum is also where events like “Weaving with Pride” happen, so it’s worth checking their schedule before you go.

Watch Saguran Weaving in Tubigon

Head to the Tubigon Loomweavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative. You can see the full process: washing the buri leaves, soaking them, drying them, knotting the strips into longer strands, and finally weaving them on the hagbanan. The weavers are skilled and fast — it’s impressive to watch. If you’re interested in the details, ask about the different products they make. The cooperative produces placemats, table runners, leis, and home decor items. You can buy directly from them, which supports the weavers directly.

Visit the Tubigon Raffia Gallery

This is a separate operation from the cooperative, run by the Abarquez family. They design and produce saguran products for a wider market, including national and international buyers. The gallery shows what saguran can look like when it’s treated as a design material rather than just a craft. It’s a good place to see the range of what’s possible — from traditional mats to modern fashion pieces. The gallery also offers workshops on leaf preparation and weaving, led by people like Maria Trina Sumayang who know the craft inside out.

Explore the Weaving Towns

Inabanga and Tubigon are both in northwest Bohol. Inabanga had a concentration of weavers in the early 1980s, and the tradition continues there. Tubigon is the source of the buri palm materials. If you have time, visit both towns. They’re close enough to each other that you can do both in a day. The landscape in this part of the island is different from the tourist-heavy south — it’s quieter, more rural, and gives you a feel for everyday Bohol life. Just remember that the weavers are working, not performing. Ask before you take photos, and buy something if you can — it’s a direct way to support the craft.

Look for Modern Boholano Art

Beyond the museum, keep an eye out for work by Boholano artists. The five artists in the “Bohol Ways of Life and Landscapes” exhibition — Florante Anunciado, Czar Cempron, Sherwin Tutor, Elvin Vitor, and Glenn Melendrez Lumantao — are good names to know. Their paintings are held in private collections, but you might find their work in galleries or at events. Lumantao, in particular, has been showing for decades and is considered a pioneer of Boholano modern art. If you’re serious about collecting or just want to see more, ask at the museum about local galleries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bohol’s art scene isn’t something you’ll find in a typical tour package. But if you take the time to visit the museum, meet the weavers, and look at the paintings, you’ll see a side of the island that most travelers miss. The saguran weaving tradition is centuries old, and it’s still alive because people are finding new ways to use it. The modern painters are capturing Bohol life as it happens right now. Both traditions are worth your attention. Plan your trip around the festivals in June or July, set aside a day for Tubigon and Inabanga, and don’t rush through the museum. The art here has a story to tell, and it’s a good one.

If this was useful, you might also want to read Luxury Bohol: Indulge in the Philippines’ Most Scenic Getaways.

Sources

The Art and Craft of Bohol Local Products and Souvenirs — A guide to the handmade goods you can buy in Bohol, including weaving and other crafts.

Diving Bohol: Why It’s a World-Class Destination for Underwater Explorers — If you’re pairing art with adventure, this covers Bohol’s dive sites.

Old Saguran in New Styles. Tribune.net.ph, 2024.

Boholano Culture and Landscapes in Paintings. Tribune.net.ph, 2024.