When in Bohol, don't forget to head out to this floating seafood market

Bohol is famous for a lot of things — Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, its virginal white sand beaches, its lively underwater life, and of course its delicious food.

But there's one particular place you simply must go to when visiting the Visayan province: The floating seafood market on the sandbar of Virgin Island in Panglao.

Simple tents are set up for tourists to enjoy the most luxurious of seafood. Abalone, oysters, scallops, and octopus, plus all kinds of fish, clams, crabs, and sea urchins — all with an island view.

According to the Panglao Tourism Office, the seafood market has welcomed 2,000 tourists in the first half of this year alone.

Leonida Seneca, a Municipal Tourism Officer said Virgin Island's floating seafood market isn't a formal initiative by the LGU. Instead, it "was started by some people of Dolho. Nakita nila na parang may prospect na market doon,” Seneca said.

Among the market's pioneers is Lorna Biosano, who started the small business with her husband to earn extra income. 

Originally, they would go fishing for and sell sea urchins, but they were not earning enough. Seeing that tourists head out to Virgin Island, the married couple tried their luck.

At Aling Lorna’s tent, she can cook the seafood any way the customer wants.

“Halimbawa, gusto nilang magpasigang ng isda, magpasabaw, magpa-steam—yun po ang susundin namin.” All the guest needs to pay for is the seafood.

But here's the catch: Tourists are advise to go to the sandbar before noon because, the changing tides mean the Virgin Island will go below water. 

Given that the sea is the source of their produce, the sellers — as well as the LGU, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Panglao Island Protected Seascapes team — make sure to take extra care of it.

“Hindi pwede kami magkalat sa dagat kasi yun po ang ikinabubuhay namin. Kailangang pag-ingatan po namin yun,” Lorna said. — LA, GMA News