"Awit sa Bohol" ( Boholano for 'Song of Bohol'), also known as the "Bohol Hymn", is the official anthem of the province of

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 ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

History

The song was composed by

Justino Romea Justino 'Tining' R. Romea (Napo, Loon Loons (North American English) or divers (British English, British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are mem ...

Loon Loons (North American English) or divers (British English, British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family (biolog ...

, a columnist for the '' Bohol Chronicle'' and a teacher at the Bohol School of Arts and Trades (now the Bohol Island State University), with Romea also writing the hymn's original English lyrics. Commissioned by Governor Lino Chatto, it was first played on March 1, 1970 by an all-female choir of the College of the Holy Spirit (now the Holy Spirit School of Tagbilaran) as the provincial flag was being raised during the opening ceremony for the East Visayan Athletic Association Games in

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 ...

, the provincial capital. Later that year on September 24, 1970, the Bohol Provincial Board passed Resolution No. 215, making the song the official hymn of Bohol. A few years later, the provincial government launched a competition to translate the song's lyrics into Boholano, with the winning entry being written by lyricist and composer Maxelende Ganade. Ganade's lyrics were subsequently adopted by the Provincial Board with the passage of Resolution No. 151 on September 13, 1974.

Lyrics

While "Awit sa Bohol" has official English and Boholano lyrics, and the song is normally performed in Boholano, the Eskaya cultural minority also have a version of the provincial anthem in their language, Eskayan. However, unlike the English and Boholano versions, the Eskayan version is unofficial. The lyrics of the song have been interpreted as being a strong statement of Boholanos' commitment to their culture, history and environment.

Performance

Singing "''Awit sa Bohol''" is mandatory whenever there is an official event being held in the province of Bohol. In 2017, after noticing that the

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

began implementing it in schools, Governor Edgar Chatto mandated the performance of "

The ASEAN Way "The ASEAN Way" is the official anthem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The lyrics were written by Payom Valaiphatchra and the music composed by Kittikhun Sodprasert and Sampow Tri-udom. The anthem was the winning entry ou ...

", the anthem of the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 Sovereign state, states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its ...

, in government offices throughout the province, which is to be performed after "''

Lupang Hinirang "" ('Chosen Land'), originally titled in Spanish as "" ('Philippine National March'), and also commonly and informally known by its incipit "" ('Beloved Country'), is the national anthem of the Philippines. Its music was composed in 1898 by Jul ...

''" (the National Anthem), "''Awit sa Bohol''" and, if so required, the municipal hymn.

References

Bibliography

External links

*, produced by Department of Trade and Industry {{National anthems of Asia Regional songs Culture of Bohol English-language Filipino songs Asian anthems Philippine anthems