Ching's Calamay

Overview

Ching’s Calamay is a traditional calamay producer in Barangay Can-upao, Jagna, Bohol. The source describes it as a popular traditional calamay maker in town.

Calamay is a sticky, sweet confection made from glutinous rice (malagkit), coconut milk, and brown sugar, cooked down to a thick paste. Jagna is one of the municipalities in Bohol most closely associated with calamay production — the product is sold along the Jagna port road and at the municipal market, and it is a standard pasalubong (travel gift) for visitors passing through the town.

Calamay from Jagna is traditionally stored in coconut shells (lubi), which serve as both the cooking vessel and the container for sale. The combination of sticky texture, slow cooking process, and the distinct coconut-shell presentation makes it a recognizable regional product.

[TO ENRICH: production scale (home-based vs. small factory), whether visitors can observe the production process, product variants, retail pricing.]

Location

Barangay Can-upao, Jagna, Bohol. Jagna is a first-class municipality on the southeastern coast of Bohol, approximately 76 km from Tagbilaran City. The Jagna port serves as a ferry terminal for routes to Mindanao.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, take a bus or van bound for Jagna along the southern coastal road — travel time approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Barangay Can-upao is within or adjacent to the Jagna town center area; tricycles serve the route from the Jagna port or bus stop.

[TO ENRICH: street address or landmark nearest to Ching’s Calamay production site.]

Practical Info

• Gateway: Jagna
• Municipality: Jagna
• Barangay: Can-upao
• Tourism type: Nature — Industrial Facilities
• Product: Calamay (traditional glutinous rice confection)
• Packaging: Traditionally in coconut shells

[TO ENRICH: opening hours, whether walk-in visits or prior coordination is required, retail price range per unit.]

What to Expect

Calamay is made by the slow-cook method — constant stirring over low heat as the rice, coconut milk, and sugar reduce into a paste — and visitors may be able to watch the process and buy directly from the source. The result is a thick, dark, sweet confection with the chew of glutinous rice running through it.

Notes

• Listed in the BPTO Table 11 Inventory of Tourist Attractions (2025).
• Jagna calamay in coconut shells is a standard Bohol pasalubong item.
• Note: the BPTO source classification lists this under “Nature — Industrial Facilities,” which appears to be a category mismatch; the correct category is likely Food Production or Industrial Tourism.
• Jagna municipality also contains the Lonoy Martyr Site and Mayana Organic Strawberry Farm.