Blessed with a mystic touch visible through the various spots where a glance is spelled by a feeling of comfort and refuge, every place in Anda attunes you to the sight and sound of nature, its historical past and spiritual passion of the community.
The town’s earlier name was Quinale, referring to the layers of sand and corals carved by the sea. It was changed according to the fad introduced in the 19th century which baptized places after historical figures, Simeon de Anda y Salazar who became governor general of the Philippines in 1769. Anda was established as a town in 1876 and it parish was separated from Guindulman in 1885. The Augustinian Recollects were the pastors until 1898. In September 1900, American troops burned the town; fortunately the heeded the parish priest’s plea to spare the church, convent and municipal hall. The Recollects, upon special request from the people of Anda through the Bishop of Cebu, returned on 1902 and stayed in Anda until 1937.
And now, being hailed as one of the best beaches in the Province of Bohol, Anda continues to lure beach loving tourists to its sunbleached shores of sugar-fine white sands year after year. This secluded cove of Bohol, found off 100 kms. From Tagbilaran City or the southeastern tip of the province, is blessed with rich marine and tropical attractions that slowly spurned the growth of commercialized tourism in the area. It has a total land area of 62.8615 sq.kms. Which is made of 16 barangays. It is bounded on the north by the Municipality of Candijay, on the East and South by the Mindanao Sea and on the West the Municipality of Guindulman. The people, composed of more than 18,000 population are mostly Visayans and speak Cebuano. The people’s lifestyle are mainly simple and rural that mostly engaged in fishing and farming.
At present, there are still few beach resorts and lodges but continue to grow to accommodate tourists. Apart from having the longest stretch of white sands in Bohol, Anda is about hidden wonders, from the chilly and crystal clear underground pools to the fascinating traces of prehistory and contemporary mysticism.
Anda’s uniqueness has a rich heritage to offer not only to the Filipinos but to the entire world, a town that is worth your interest and discovery. Truly, an eco-cultural destination in the region.
source: andabohol.gov.ph
