This tourism web app lets you book tours in Bohol, learn more about top destinations in province
There's a lot to explore in Bohol besides the famous Chocolate Hills and the tarsier. The "Jewel of the Philippines" is home to gorgeous beaches, awe-inspiring caves, and historic sites worth a visit.
If you're landing on the island for the first time, deciding where to go may be daunting, as Bohol spans 4,821 square kilometers. One web-based app aims to make planning your trip a breeze.
Enter LAAG Bohol, a new tourism web app developed by researchers at Bohol Island State University (BISU), born out of Ivy Jane Asilo's thesis on studying tour guides' social linguistics.
On the platform, you can browse through a list of must-see destinations such as Baclayon, Balicasag Island, the Blood Compact Commemorative Shrine, and more.
Apart from showing you places to go, you can also plan an itinerary through a registered account. Under the Plan a LAAG section, you'll be able to search for tour packages.
Simply enter your travel dates and number of guests to look for accredited tours you can book. You'll be shown an initial cost estimate for the package.
Do note that there's no online payment happening in the app, and instead, you'll be connected to your tour operator for financial transactions.
Apart from tour operators, the app also connects tourists to transport services to make traveling in Bohol more convenient.
After your trip is done, you can leave a rating and review for the tour operator and transport service.
A simulation of the app attended by PhilSTAR L!fe took guests on a quick run to some of Bohol's landmarks near Tagbilaran City. This entailed a jaunt to the Sanduguan Shrine and Baclayon Church.
Developing LAAG
LAAG started as Asilo's thesis on communication in tourism. After interviewing several tourism officers and tour guides, she realized that she wanted to expand her research and turn it into a solution that people could actually use.
"Kasi sa school, thesis is for publication lang, for grades purposes," she told L!fe. "But at BISU, I learned na you can go beyond that. You give it to the community. Dapat ganun 'yung dating ng research mo."
The educator then formed a team to create the web app and got funding from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development.
"Getting funded wasn't easy," Asilo said, adding that their proposal underwent multiple revisions and reviews, but this only "strengthened" her and the team.
DOST-PCCIERD Deputy Executive Director Engr. Niñaliza H. Escorial told L!fe that to get funding, researchers must first establish the needs of the community.
"Although nag-propose [ang team ni Asilo], binalikan nila 'yung stakeholders. They established the needs. Then from that, you could design kung anong app, anong system 'yung pwede mong gawin," she said, adding that it's also important to get support from the benefactor—in Asilo's case, it's the Department of Tourism.
After coordination with the provincial tourism offices and local government, the web app, which also includes learning modules for tour guides, was created. As of writing, the web app is still unavailable.
Meanwhile, Asilo said that there are plans to turn LAAG into a full-fledged app.
LAAG Bohol will be accessible via desktop and mobile at www.laagbohol.ph. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for updates.