Balilihan: Farmland at the Edge of Rajah Sikatuna

Balilihan is a fourth-class municipality in the hilly interior of western Bohol, about 20 kilometres north of Tagbilaran by road, covering roughly 76 square kilometres that rise gradually from the western coastal plain toward the province’s higher interior. Coconut, banana, and root-crop farming across its 21 barangays are the economic base; the municipality has no developed visitor facilities and appears on no tourist map, though travellers occasionally pass through heading north to Antequera and Corella.

The municipality’s eastern boundary meets the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, a forested area holding remnant dipterocarp forest and one of Bohol’s key watershed zones, with small streams feeding westward through Balilihan toward the coast. Balilihan itself was constituted during the Spanish colonial period, taking a local Visayan name rather than an Iberian toponym; the Augustinian Recollect-era parish church, dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, anchors the 8 December fiesta of novena masses, a poblacion procession, and community meals. During the Philippine-American War, interior Bohol municipalities including Balilihan served as the operational area for the province’s resistance forces, using the forested terrain north of Tagbilaran for movement and resupply; the town saw comparatively little damage in the 2013 earthquake, which hit the coastal municipalities and Carmen harder — though one exception stands on the hill above the poblacion.

That exception is the Balilihan Belfry, a freestanding bell tower on Mt. Carmel Hill built in 1844 under Recollect friar Fr. Antonio Cortes, using materials sourced near Baclayon and inaugurated in 1846. Freestanding belfries were a deliberate design choice across Bohol’s Spanish-era parishes, built apart from the church itself so bells could double as an alarm system — for pirate raids and fires as much as canonical hours — without a falling tower taking the church down with it. Balilihan’s version withstood a major storm in 1863 that destroyed the adjoining church entirely, and across successive occupations it served as a guard post for Spanish, Filipino, American, and Japanese forces in turn — a structure that has spent more of its history as a lookout than as a place of worship. It was declared a Level II historical marker by the Philippine Historical Committee, the National Historical Commission’s predecessor, in 1953. The 2013 earthquake that spared most of the rest of Balilihan did not spare the belfry: it toppled the tower, which has since been reconstructed with National Museum of the Philippines assistance, its original bells relocated to a smaller tower at the foot of the hill. The rebuilt three-storey square tower, with a hip roof on carved corbels and scrollwork-decorated arched window openings, is reached by a stairway of 104 concrete steps — a climb that was defensive first and scenic only as an afterthought, though the view over Balilihan’s countryside from the top serves that purpose well today.

Balilihan’s waterfalls are a quieter, less publicised draw than its heritage hill. Camugao Falls, in Barangay San Isidro, drops about 30 metres off a vertical cliff face into a turquoise-green plunge pool reached by a short trail from a barangay-managed parking area; entrance and parking fees are collected informally on-site by local guides rather than through any official rate card, and reported prices have risen over recent years as informal management has adjusted them. Kawasan Falls — a distinct, much smaller waterfall from its more famous Cebu namesake in Badian — sits at the Candasig-Cabad-Dorol barangay boundary, a modest 20-metre cascade into a clear pool, with a paved stairway of roughly 50 steps down from the parking area and a small trailside stand selling drinks and fried bananas on a donation basis. Niluksoan Falls, in Barangay Sal-ing, sits in a visibly different setting from the other two — cultivated fields rather than closed forest canopy ring its base — and Barangay Cogon’s “Nature’s Gems” designation covers a loosely defined stretch of countryside along a since-concreted rural road rather than one fixed site, best treated as an invitation to explore Cogon generally rather than a landmark with a set trailhead.

A notable local product is tuba — fresh coconut wine tapped daily and sold at the public market — with the aged version, bahalina, developing a vinegar character used in cooking.

What’s here, briefly

• Balilihan Belfry (Mt. Carmel Hill) — an 1844 freestanding bell tower reached by 104 steps, toppled by the 2013 earthquake and since reconstructed with National Museum assistance.
• Camugao Falls — a roughly 30-metre waterfall in Barangay San Isidro with a turquoise plunge pool.
• Kawasan Falls (Balilihan) — a smaller, 20-metre falls at the Candasig-Cabad-Dorol boundary, distinct from the Cebu site of the same name.
• Niluksoan Falls — a farmland-set waterfall in Barangay Sal-ing.
• Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape border — trailheads on Balilihan’s eastern edge, though formal access and guides run through the Bilar side.
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church — the poblacion church on the town plaza, Spanish-era foundation with later reconstruction.
• Tuba production households — several outlying-barangay households sell coconut wine directly to visitors with a local contact; no formal tour exists.

Getting there

Jeepneys on the Tagbilaran–Antequera or Tagbilaran–Corella routes pass through or near Balilihan from the Integrated Bus Terminal on CPG Avenue North, a 35–45 minute ride for PHP 20–30.

Travel tips

Balilihan requires no overnight stay for any practical purpose — it’s a pass-through town on the road north from Tagbilaran. For the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape specifically, Bilar to the northeast is the better entry point, with the main access road and visitor registration. Tagbilaran remains the logical base for exploring the area. A half-day loop combining the belfry with one or two of the waterfalls is realistic with private transport, though none of the falls run on a fixed visitor schedule, so confirm current access and fees with a barangay contact or the municipal tourism office before setting out.

Other places to consider

• Bilar — the main gateway to the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape.
• Antequera — the neighbouring handicraft-market town to the north.
• Corella — another interior town on the same road corridor.

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Location and travel detail reflect publicly available information as of 2026-07-16. Confirm trail access through Bilar’s PAMB office before hiking. bohol-philippines.com earns a commission on bookings made through partner links at no cost to you.