Dauin

There are three versions, the first two being interrelated; first, there was a majestic tree that towered over all trees that the Spaniards asked for its name, which was Calawin. Second, the natives believed that the Calawin was the home of the supernatural beings, called “Dawinde”, who gave help to those in need but could be seen only in such situations. The third, natives used to cultivate the lands into banana plantations. The bananas were sold not by bunch or by fingers but by hands, which were locally called “Lawing”.

It is bordered on the north by Bacong and Valencia, on the south by Zamboanguita, and on the west a mountain range separates it from Santa Catalina. The municipality is a coastal town, the Bohol Sea forming its eastern border.

Dauin beach

Scuba diving is a principle industry in Dauin. Several marine reserves and dive sites are situated along the coast. Apo Island, which is included in the territory of Dauin, is a 72-hectare volcanic outcrop several kilometers off the coast that attracts large numbers of scuba and snorkel enthusiasts.

Some of the province's most popular resorts are situated along Dauin's beaches. Most are focused on diving with regular excursions to Dauin’s marine reserves and Apo Island.

Mt Talinis Geothermal Reserve is also included within the territory of Dauin. This reserve includes Mag-Aso and the Malungcay Hot Springs.

Dauin's San Nicolas church is the oldest in the province. In front of the church and along the beach are the ruins of two dome-shaped watchtowers said to have been used to warn against pirates.[9]

Apo Island

Dauin hosts several popular beach resorts with both local and foreign tourists. The coast of Dauin offers scuba dive sites with both coral reef and muck dive opportunities. The municipality has established several sanctuaries, within which fishing and boating is absolutely prohibited. This includes sites such as Mainit sanctuary, Luca sanctuary, Dauin sanctuary and Masaplod sanctuary. These sites are well preserved and offer a huge variety and quantity of life forms.

Dauin also offers Muck diving, which on a point of view of biodiversity can be compared to the dives in Lembeh Strait in Indonesia. Greater blueringed octopus, Wonderpus, Mimic octopus, Poison ocellate octopus, Ambon scorpionfishes, Flamboyant cuttlefishes, bluespotted stingrays, nudibranchs, and many species of frogfish (most amazing critters in the world) are frequent sights on the sandy shores of the municipality.[10][11]

Apo Island is part of the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin. The island is also a popular site for scuba diving. As it is completely surrounded by coral reefs, the whole island is a dive site. Popular dive sites include Coconut Point, Mamsa, Cogon, Rockpoint and Chapel. Bigeyed Jacks, turtles, bumphead parrotfish and sea snakes are inhabiting the reefs of the island. It is accessible by boat, 30 minutes from the mainland.[12][13]

Another tourist attraction of Dauin is the Baslay Hot Spring. The hot spring is located in Barangay Baslay. The water from the hot spring contains natural sulphur which is known to have health benefits.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dauin.

• Dauin Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System