A visit to Bohol is deemed incomplete without dropping by the famous Caingget Beach.
The annual Koja Festival highlights a local clam that has made coastal barangay Booy in Tagbilaran City a destination.
Every year, it is done together with the barangay’s founding anniversary. This year, Booy celebrated its 86th year since its creation, Wednesday, July 24.
Barangay Captain Yoly Ayeng said that Koja Festival is held to honor the koja divers and vendors at the Caingget Beach.
Booy is known for koja, a sea clam abundantly found in the seas of Caingget, that it has become a popular delicacy in the province both for locals and tourists.
Some 10 fishermen dove at least three to six feet deep to harvest the clams that look like ordinary stones. Locals break the seashell using an improvised hammer.
They use a small knife to extract the meat from the shell and sell it for Php50 per serve.
Koja, like most seafoods, is perfect when eaten fresh with chili and camote (sweet potato) and banana, along with tuba (coconut wine).
Residents claim koja is an aphrodisiac. But so far, no scientific study has been conducted to support the belief that koja increases libido and fertility.
Other activities done to entertain festival goers included koja cooking, tuba (coconut wine) drinking and swimming contests.