LAAG Bohol web app connects tourists 

with accredited guides, operators

By Elvira C. Bongosia

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — Tourists can now find accredited tour guides, operators and transport providers in Bohol through a web application launched here on July 23.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) launched the “LAAG Bohol web app” with the Bohol Island State University (BISU)-Balilihan Campus and the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office at the National Museum of the Philippines-Bohol.

LAAG stands for Lifework Andragogy for Advanced Guides.

The platform also carries learning resources for tourism workers.

DOST-PCIEERD funded the project with P1 million through its Regional Research Institution Program. BISU contributed P150,000.

Niñaliza H. Escorial, DOST-PCIEERD deputy executive director and officer in charge, said science and technology have a role in building a more sustainable tourism industry in the province.

“The LAAG Bohol Web App is not simply a website, nor is it merely another digital platform. It is a bridge — between tourists and tour guides, service providers and visitors, local governments and actionable data, academic research and public service, and between Bohol’s rich heritage and its future,” Escorial said.

Metodio ‘John’ Maraguinot Jr., supervising administrative officer of the Office of the Governor, delivered the provincial government’s message on behalf of Gov. Erico Aristotle ‘Aris’ Aumentado.

In his remarks, he referred to “laag”, the Cebuano word for wandering or going out.

“Today, we stand at the intersection of tradition and technology. The LAAG Bohol Web App transforms the simple idea of ‘laag’ into a powerful digital platform that connects our rich cultural heritage with the limitless possibilities of the future,” Maraguinot said.

Maraguinot said the platform supports the provincial government’s Strategic Governance Roadmap by advancing digital transformation, expanding economic opportunities for local communities, and strengthening data-driven tourism governance.

He said the web app also promotes responsible tourism in Bohol, the country’s first UNESCO Global Geopark.

BISU Vice President for Research, Innovation and Extension Ivy Corazon A. Mangaya-ay said the project aims to change how visitors discover the province.

“Today, we do not simply launch an application — we launch a smarter and more meaningful way of discovering Bohol, where technology guides the journey, heritage gives it depth, and communities remain at its center. Welcome to LAAG. Discover more, return for more, because every journey to Bohol should end not with a goodbye, but with ‘Balik sa Bohol,’” Mangaya-ay said.

BISU conducted beta testing with the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office and the Bohol Island Tour Guides Association of the Philippines.

It also consulted the Panglao Tourism Office, tour guides, operators, and transport providers during development. (ECB/PIA-7 Bohol)

Officials of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, Bohol Island State University-Balilihan Campus and the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office launch the LAAG Bohol web app, a platform connecting tourists with accredited tour guides, operators and transport providers, at the National Museum of the Philippines-Bohol in Tagbilaran City on July 23. (ECB/PIA-7 Bohol)