TRAVEL TRIVIA: CHEAP TRANSPORTATION IN BOHOL
Habal is a Cebuano word that graphically describes the position taken by the back rider/passenger of a motorbike when he rides in tandem with the driver. It is derived from the word habal which is the act of copulation mostly by animals like pigs and dogs etc. Yes this is a very popular mode of transportation by rural folks specially in the Bohol and Cebu and in Mindanao not only because it is cheap but it also takes you faster and you can be delivered right at the doorstep of your residence as in the passenger is delivered door to door. Free from the hassles of traffic. It can speed through the middle of a sugar cane plantation or wind its way under coconut trees on footpaths that are impossible for tricycles or cars to traverse, it can climb up hills and can zigzag through winding walkways with ease.
The same Filipino ingenuity that designed the first moon rover converted the the habal-habal into a land skylab( as in that space station orbiting the earth) by outfitting the motorbike with a wooden plank that increased its capacity from 3 to 7 passengers at a time. Three on the main mount and two each on the sides on the overhang, with the driver pressing on his balls sitting on top of the gasoline tank. It never ceases to amuse visitors locals and foreigners alike seeing this contraption whiz by them with the passengers seemingly enjoying the ride oblivious of the dangers that lurks.
Right after the earthquake, the Habal habal became the most reliable source of rapid transportation among Boholanos, whether rich or poor. Rivers with fallen bridges use rafts to carry the motorbike and the passengers across connecting them to their destinations which would have been impossible riding on a car. Concrete roads that have cracked and pushed upward was not so much a problem with the habal habal because it was much easier to find a means to let the habal habal get through.
Habal habal has found its usefulness in the tour industry, as it is the only motor vehicle that can be used to access tourist spots that otherwise can be visited only by foot. Like for example, after a Butanding Interaction in Oslob you wish to visit the famous Tumalog Falls. The car can only go as far. At a certain point you have to transfer to a habal habal to take you the rest of the way to the falls.
Surely, the Habal habal has become a feature in the Cheap Bohol Tour package and Cebu for that matter, because more exciting spots are developed in Bohol and Cebu that only a habal habal can reach. Cheap Bohol Tour Package that includes destination in the hinterlands can be possible only if part of the way is taken by riding a habal-habal. Of course this habal-habal inclusion in the 3D2N Cheao Bohol Tour plackage is optional as there are guests who are afraid to ride a motorbike. In such cases the guests just have to take the walk for the distance that is involved.
The 3D2N Cheap Bohol Tour Package continuous to be the most popular package among guests to Bohol, The standard package includes a round trip air conditioned transfers from airport to hotel; two night stay in a resort of choice, and the Bohol Country Side Tour with Buffet Lunch. Those who arrive early in Bohol on their first Day can take immediately the Country Side Tour upon arrival to free up their second day for Dolphin Watching and Balicasag Island Fun.
Habal-habal indeed has come a long way. Crafted and Invented out of necessity for rural dwelling folks wanting a faster but cheap mode of transportation , it has unwittingly embedded itself into an enterprise that is now famously known as the Cheap Bohol Tour Package. However, it’s not for everyone. If you need to get good rates for van rentals, talk to us. Green Earth Tours and Travel also arranges for complete and hassle free tour packages in and around Bohol and Cebu.