Proem

The Province of Bohol speaks the Sugboanon Bisaya language. Even though the people speak the same language, there are different areas with distinctive intonations or accents in their speech.

However, the most peculiar is the speech pattern in the town of Dauis, Bohol, aside from a peculiar intonation in speech, they also have a different grammatical construction. This is the situation that this writer (Jes B. Tirol) wants to explain.

Areas With Similar Intonations

So far as this writer can determine, the following areas have similar intonations. The towns of Baclayon, Corella, and Tagbilaran have similar intonations. It tends to be soft and dragging (Bis: yâ yâ).

The towns of Alburquerque, Sikatuna, Loay, and Loboc have similar intonation. They are fond of the word "as." The towns of Lila, Dimiao, Valencia, and Bilar have similar intonation. The towns of Garcia-Hernandez, Jagna, and Duero have similar intonation. It tends to drop and drag at the last word of the sentence.

The towns of Sevilla and Batuan seems to be similar but it is a mixture of the towns surrounding them.

The towns of Guindulman, Anda, Candijay, and Mabini have similar intonation. They articulate the words in a hard or tough manner (Bis: pinagáhì). They are also fond of using the word "colera (It is a Spanish word that means makapungót in Bisaya)."

The towns of Alicia, Ubay, and President Garcia are similar in intonation but very difficult to pinpoint because they were mixed people when made into a town.

The towns of Trinidad, Bien Unido, Talibon, San Miguel, Carmen, Pilar, and lower Sierra-Bullones have similar intonation. The upper part of Sierra-Bullones is similar to Guindulman and some similar to Jagna. The town of Dagohoy seems to be of the same style but already altered because most of the inhabitants came from other places.

The towns of Jetafe, Danao, Buenavista, and Inabanga have similar intonation. They tend to pronounce the words quickly, which give the impression that they seem to be angry. Inabanga and Buenavista is fond of repeating the first word. "Asa ba ka paingón ité, asa? = Where are you going boy, where?"

The towns of Clarin, Sagbayan, and Tubigon have similar intonation that seems to be similar to Cebu. Most of the inhabitants, especially Clarin, came from Cebu.

The towns of Calape, Loon, Antequera, San Isidro, Maribojoc, and Cortes have similar intonation. They seem to speak in a guttural manner.

The towns of Balilihan and Catigbian have similar intonation. It is a cross between that of the Loon-style and Baclayon-style.

The towns of Panglao and Dauis have general similarities but vary in some peculiar manner. Panglao seems to use words common in southern Cebu.

If you will look at a map of Bohol, you will find that these places are confined in natural barriers such as mountain ranges.

The Peculiar Speech of Dauis

The grammatical structure in Dauis-speech seems to omit the articles and most of the affixes in Sugboanon Bisaya. They speak as if reading a telegram message.

This grammatical structure is similar to the Chinese. During pre-Spanish and even up to the 19th century, many Chinese lived in Dauis. That is the reason why the grammatical structure of Dauis-speech is similar to the Chinese that do not include the articles and the affixes of Bisaya.

The question is, why do the barrios of Catarman and Biking in Dauis speaks like southern Cebu?

Cuartel de Catarman

The Spanish-Cebuano troops that defeated the Dagohoy Revolution came from Bolhoon, Cebu and Santa Rosa, Cebu.

In 1828, when the Dagohoy Revolution was about to be defeated, the Spanish-Cebuano troops from Bolhoon, Cebu made an encampment at Dauis, Bohol.

For a long time, I have been searching where in Dauis did the Bolhoon troops made their encampment. Thanks to my good friend Prof. Emmanuel Luis Romanillos, he furnished me a copy that the cuartel or encampment was made at the Punta de Catarman (Cape of Catarman). It was built at the cliff or precipice of the cliff.

It must have been a large encampment because the Bolhoon troops were in the thousands. It must have lasted for a long time because in 1832, Major Manuel Sanz, the commander, was the arbitrator of the boundary dispute between Baclayon and Tagbilaran that established the present boundary.

Many of the Bolhoon troops stayed behind and married into the locality. Until the present, the people of lower Catarman and that of Biking, Dauis still speaks the Bolhoon style of speaking common in southern Cebu.

The next question is, can somebody still locate that particular encampment in Catarman Point? Knowing the place is historically valuable.