Negros Oriental: Strolling down Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete

I finally stepped foot in the City of Gentle People. It was said that Dr. Jose P. Rizal himself created this nickname for Dumaguete City during his brief stopover in the town on August 1, 1896 en route to Dapitan. I arrived in Dumaguete at 4 p.m. after a quick trip via fast craft from Siquijor. Right by the port were the famous buildings of Silliman University. After taking a few photos, my SSEAYP batchmate Tere Sicat arrived at the port and took me around town. We first went to the neighbring town of Bacong where another national cultural treasure could be found, the San Agustin Church.

It was about thirty minutes south of Dumaguete. On the way to Bacong, we passed by the Dumaguete belltower and several Gabldon schoolbuildings to take photos. When we got there, the first thing I noticed was the charming presidencia in front of a wide lawn, typical of many Negros towns and cities.

It was quite a while before we got in the church since we had to look for the key. But when we entered, I thought it was not that much impressive for a national cultural treasure. It had an old pipe organ and well-preserved retablos but that was it. I wonder how this church got chosen for the list of 26 but nevertheless, that was fine with me. But just to clarify, there are more than 26 national cultural treasures. Others got declared during the time of Marcos.

After Bacong, we went back to Dumaguete to stroll down the "boulevard" along the sea. You've never been to Dumaguete if you haven't strolled down the promenade beside Rizal Boulevard. It was a great view since to your left, you could see the island of Cebu, while Siquijor was to your right. It just shows how close the islands of the Visayas are to each other. It's funny though how sand along the Negros coastline was mostly gray when it's neighbors had a lot of white sand.

I really liked the lamp posts. It was good that they were able to preserve them. Along the road, you could see nice pre-war homes and even a hotel that was restored to its original grandeur.

Another must do in Dumagute is a visit to the tempurahan at the end of the boulevard. Again, it's another you-haven't-been-to- Dumaguete kind of thing which one should include in a trip.

It may be called tempura because it is shaped like the Japanese fried shrimp dish. But it tasted more like kikiam to me. You had neatly arranged carts, seats and tables lined up in clean rows and columns. Each was sold for PHP3 a piece. They also had squidballs as well as balut and penoy for sale. I really look for these places everytime I travel thanks to my friends in Singapore and Malaysia who went out of their way to let me have a taste of the best hawker food when I was there.

They told me that when they came to the Philippines, they also wanted to eat hawker food which didn't get a good response from me obviously since I didn't want to bring any of my guests to the hospital. Haha! At the moment, the only safe place for hawker food I know in Manila is UP Diliman. For some reason, I feel it's safer eating hawker food in the provinces. After that tasty snack, it was off to Teresa's house for dinner.

They prepared a lot of food. Really great! We didn't have much time to chat since I was after the last bus to Bacolod which left at 7:30 p.m. It was midnight again when I arrived in my dad's hometown.

Siquijor: Siquijor, the mystic island

I took the M.V. Don Martin from Tagbilaran to Larena in Siquijor. People told me that the ship left the port at 10 p.m. But by 8:30 p.m, my traveller's instincts were telling me to go. And I got there in the nick of time since the ship was scheduled to leave at 8:45 p.m.! Everything has been so photo finish for me when it came to ship departures. Hehe! Lesson number one, always ask schedules from people at the pier. They know best! Hehe!

The trip took a little over three hours and costed PHP246.40. On the way, friends were warning me about the island and teaching me ways to counteract the spells of the magbabarang or mangkukulam (black witches), that I should find the nearest lodge available and close all the windows, etc. Thanks! That wasn't any help since I was arriving at 12 midnight! Hehe!

Mysticism in Siquijor becomes most active on Black Saturday. In the belief that with the death of Jesus Christ, creatures not of this realm roam the earth and share their healing powers, albularyos or mananambal (witch doctors) converge in the barangay of San Antonio in Siquijor to prepare healing potions. Using ancient incantations, they throw into a big cauldron a mixture of coconut oil, herbs, tree bark, roots, insects, dirt and other secret ingredients to create a potent brew that is said to cure various ailments.

Anyway, I arrived in Larena in one piece. Hehe! At the port, I immediately asked for the schedules to Dumaguete and the nearest lodge. It turns out, the nearest lodge was a few meters from the port. Thank God! The trips to Dumagute left from the neighboring town of Siquijor which is the provincial capital. I had wanted to leave by lunch but they had a 10 a.m. and a 3 p.m. departure closest to lunch so I didn't have any choice.

The lodge was very basic. A room, bed and electric fan all for the price of PHP150. Good enough for a few hours of sleep. I woke up at 6 a.m. and got ready for the trip around the island. But first, I stopped by the bell tower of Larena in the town proper which was a short walk up. The lodge owner told me that they used to have an old church just like the rest of the towns, but it was demolished by some priest and replaced with a new one. Just great! At least the bell tower was still there.

From Larena, I took a jeep to Lazi. The Church of San Isidro Labrador is a national cultural treasure. Anyway, what I expected to be an hour took close to three hours! Jeeps in Siquijor drive extremely slow and I mean an average of 20 to 30 kph! And we stopped here and there to pick up passengers and load stuff on board. So instead of catching the 10 a.m., I had no choice but to take the 3 p.m.

On the way to Lazi was Maria where another bell tower and church stood. While the jeep was waiting for passengers at the market, I took some photos of the bell tower. The Church of the Nuestra Senora de Providencia was still intact. Good! After a few minutes, we were off to Lazi. Finally, after a long and slow trip, I was in front of the church.

The convent in front of the church is said to be the biggest in Asia. Sigh! I wished that we had this grand architecture in the Philippines today. The last great builder was none other than former First Lady Imelda Marcos whose edifice complex envisioned the Cultural Center of the Philippines and its adjacent buildings done ny national artist Leandro Locsin. But everything today is stunted by our tingi culture. Many, if not most Filipinos have small dreams. It is time to make this country great again by encouraging young people to think big!

I had wanted to go to nearby Cambugahay Falls. I tried looking for a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi) to take me there but then given the time it may take to get to Siquijor, I decided to forego the trip and go straight to Siquijor. It was another slow trip to Siquijor. It was so slow, I thought I might even miss the 3 p.m.!

When I got to Siquijor, I went straight to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. In front of the church was another fortress convent. Impressive! Like most convents, it was being used as the parish school of Siquijor.

While waiting for the ship to arrive, I trekked to the nearby beach to check it out. Photos are at the top. Although the better beaches are a few minutes away.

Then I had lunch at this lodge beside the port. At least it was a real meal. Hehe! I had survived on crackers and other snacks the whole day. The Delta fast ferry for Dumaguete left at 3 p.m.

Bohol: More churches and nature in Bohol

For some reason, I wake up earlier when I'm traveling. I guess the excitement pushes you to get out of bed. Hehe! I was up by 6:30 a.m., took a quick shower, then went to the place called the Garden Cafe right by the cathedral which Lonely Planet had suggested. A themed restaurant, I didn't have the chance to explore their food that much. But what surprised me was their staff. When I got in, I was given a menu, a piece of paper and a ballpen. Hmmmm, so they don't take the orders. It turns out, most of the staff are deaf and mute! At least we have establishments like these in the country. Good job!

I then rushed to start my itinerary for the day. Took a minicab to the Integrated Central Terminal where jeeps and buses out of Tagbilaran are stationed. That was just PHP6. From the ICT, I took a jeep to the next town which was Baclayon. The Church of the Immaculate Concepcion there is a national historical landmark. That was PHP7.

Wow! Baclayon Church is reputedly the best-preserved Jesuit church in the country and has the most intricately-carved retablos I've seen. When the Jesuits were expelled from the country, management was given to the Augustinian Recollects. One thing I like about Bohol's churches is they stand out like manificent fortresses facing the sea. And the space around it was preserved. No commercial establishments crowding out the churches themselves.

Outside the church was a nice tarpaulin billboard from Holy Name University reminding people to preserve Bohol's natural and cultural heritage. I'll suggest to the Center for Kapampangan Studies to do the same in Pampanga to increase awareness in the heritage sites themselves.

Next town was Alburquerque which also had a heritage church. Waiting for a jeep took like forever. And the morning sun didn't make it any easier for me. But finally, one passed by and I was on my way.

Boholanos call the town Albur for short. The Church of Sta. Monica was another well-preserved church. I had to enter through the convent via a bridgeway that led to the choirloft. With all these antique thefts no thanks to unscrupulous dealers, churches have to keep close watch over their contents.

Again, a long wait for the next jeep to the next town, Loay. The Church of Santissima Trinidad of Loay is also a national historical landmark. I almost missed it since the church was up a hill, hidden from the national highway, had I not recognized the Clarin Ancestral Home which is a national heritage house. The church and its plaza were a stunning reminder of the grand architecture during the Spanish colonial period. The coral and limestone buildings around the church were still standing. Really nice!

After that, it was off to Loboc. Again another wait. After a few or so minutes, a bus for Carmen passed by, and knowing how difficult it was to get a bus, I decided to go straight to Carmen and the Chocolate Hills and stop by Loboc on the way back. It was an hour away passing through the heart of Bohol island, a refreshing man-made Mahogany forest and stunning rural scenes.

Before reaching the town of Carmen is the stop for the Chocolate Hills viewdeck. To get up there, you took a motorbike for PHP20. Wow! The view from the top was stunning. But the trek up so many steps was tiring. Pant! Pant!

At the top, I got a pleasant surprise since I saw Mica Pineda, a friend from UP, who was touring with her family. She invited me to tag along since they were going to tour Loboc and go to Panglao Island after. Just great, that was my exact itinerary! So I joined them in the van. At least I was able to relax on the way down and the good thing was, I didn't have to wait for public transport!

When we arrived in Loboc, we went straight to the Loboc River Cruise. This is something you have to try out. The river is clear and pristine. The views are stunning while you have lunch on a house boat and are being serenaded as you cruise along the river. The food is buffet! Hehe!

At the end are small waterfalls where we were able to take some photos. Smaller boats could go further upstream to Busay Falls where one could take a dip. On both sides of the river, everything is green with flora. Really cool experience. It was a welcome respite to see things like these in the Philippines when media projects almost everything as dire.

After the cruise, we visited the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Loboc which is a national cultural treasure. It is really great that they've preserved this much in Bohol. And I hope it stays that way. We have to safeguard what makes the Philippines unique.

But talking about preservation, right beside the church is the biggest example of government stupidity! Notice the unfinished bridge on the left of the photo. Guess where it was headed? Yup, you guessed it, right smack into the church! Idiots! What was the DPWH thinking?! For them to even consider demolishing the church, that was the height of stupidity!

After the church, we went to visit some tarsiers. Finally, I get to see the small primates which inspired Steven Spielberg's E.T. Hehe! The is a new DENR directive that you could no longer handle the tarsiers, meaning no touch or putting them on you for pictures. Good thing! There was a group from the Philippine Christian University who were also on tour. By God! They started shaking the trees and scaring the tarsiers. Mica's mom got so mad that she scolded them reminding them that they are the future of the country and what eill the Philippines expect if they do not know how to care for nature.

And to think the tour guide from the Heaven Tour Company was just standing there! Shame! As a tour guide, it is your responsibility to properly educate your group about this endangered species, the fact that it is very difficult for them to reproduce since they only mate once a year and that is not sure to produce an offspring. Which is why they must be handled with care!

Anyway, after Loboc, it was off to Panglao for the beach. Woohoo! On the way, we passed by the Sandugo Monument in Bool, Tagbilaran City which memorialized the blood compact between Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Although controversy hounds the site since research points that the actual site may have been in Loay at the mouth of the Loboc River.

We passed by the town of Dauis which is also on Panglao Island. It has a heritage church as well but it was nearing sunset so we went straight for the beach.

Panglao is indeed a great beach, white sand, blue water, fascinating view! Watching the sunset from Pangalao was a perfect way to cap another day around the Philippines!

Have to rush now. On my way to Siquijor. And everyone's telling me stuff about the island. Just great since I'm arriving midnight. Hehe!

Bohol: Visita iglesia to Bohol churches

I had inquired with Fr. Ted Torralba the day before how to go about my trip to Bohol and its churches, particularly how to maximize my time. So he suggested that instead of going straight to Tagbilaran, I could take a ferry to Tubigon instead and with the half day I had left, pass by the towns of Calape, Loon and Maribojoc on the way to Tagbilaran City. For day 2, it was a trip to the chocolate hills passing by Loboc, Loay, Alburquerque and Baclayon. Hopefully I have enough time for Panglao and Dauis, and maybe the tarsier conservation project in Corella. The churches of Bohol are featured in the book of Regalado Trota Jose entitled Visita Iglesia Bohol.

When we arrived at the terminal, I only had two minutes left to board the 12:45! It was a photo finish! I did not know what time exactly the ferries left since the guard a Pier 1 told me they left frequently. Good thing I asked around Pier 1 so we went straight to Pier 3. Had we been late for just a minute, the next ferry was at 3 p.m. and goodbye itinerary! Good thing I also had a UP ID so I was charged the student rate of PHP143.36 for the trip. Really cheap!

I arrived in Tubigon at about 2 p.m. if I remember it correctly. You could see the church from the pier but it was a short walk. And to exercise myself, I decided to walk instead of take a tricycle. The church exterior was not that striking but it had nice ceiling murals inside.

After Tubigon, it was a ride to the next town, Calape. I was pointed to a jeepney terminal for Calape but passengers weren't riding and I didn't have the luxury of time to wait. So I asked what time it was leaving. Then one of the drivers offered PHP150 for a special trip. Was he out of his mind? I countered that I was on a tight budget. Then he offered PHP100. Grrrr! Do they really think tourists always have money. Not all! Hehe! I noticed buses passing by and knowing how it went in Cebu, boarded the bus to Tagbilaran. I ended up paying only PHP14 for the Calape trip!

Calape is supposedly a copy of the San Sebastian Church. It is actually. Hehe! Construction on the church started in 1933 and ended in 1948! The town also had a nice presidencia (town hall). The next stop was Loon. This I had high expectations for since I've seen it in books. So I waited for the next bus. But a van-for-hire passed by instead. Great! Aircon I said to myself. Hehe! But the fare pissed me off! When I gave a 50 peso bill to the conductor, nothing came back. Maybe he would give the change when I debarked I said to myself. So when I got down at Loon, I asked how much, and he replied PHP50, smiled and closed the door giving me only enough time to say it was expensive. Damn!

But the Loon Church met my expectations. Marvelous coral and limestone church! And great murals inside! After Loon, it was off to Maribojoc. I got on a jeep and paid PHP20. Along the way was the Punta Cruz Watchtower in the same town but I didn't have enough time so I skipped it and went straight to the church.

The jeep ride reminded me of Upsilon's Car Stuffing! How many people can you accomodate on a passenger jeepney? If I remember right, there were over 40 of us in the jeep. That was nine on either side so 18, plus three in front so that made 21. That did not include the six who were hanging on at the back making it 27.

When I though we weren't going to get any more passengers, they brought out this contraption for the aisle that they called "extension" which was a small wooden bench that could seat two people one facing the front and the other facing the back. Hmmm, clever I said! But we still took in more and another extension was brought down from the roof. So we now had 31! And then we stopped to allow a group of teenagers to board. The two ladies sat on yet another extension so we were now 33. And the ten or so males went up the roof! God, that was 43 passengers! If they went out of their way to do this, transportation might be scarce so that is when I decided not to pass by the watchtower.

I was greeted in Maribojoc by the tolling of its bells. The exterior was not impressive but the inside was a pleasant surprise. The ceiling was all carved wood painted in gold and other colors! It was just like in the old San Ignacio Church which the Americans bombed. Then I remembered, many of the churches in Bohol were Jesuit.

Then I waited for the next ride. But the roads were close to empty! Unlike Cebu, transport in Bohol seemed to be scarcer and it took close to 30 minutes before a bus arrived. I paid PHP15 for Tagbilaran thinking that this was going straight to the poblacion. Well, we were dropped off right after the border of Cortes and we had to take a jeep to the town proper.

In the town proper, I walked to my last stop for the day, the Cathedral of Tagbilaran. Facing it was an impressive Spanish colonial structure, the Provincial Capitol of Bohol! One attraction at the plaza was the arrival of swarms of black birds which filled up all the trees. And when I said swarms, I really meant swarms since thousands were coming out to greet the night! The photo of one of the trees is below. Those aren't leaves but birds.

Just like in Maribojoc, I was greeted by the tolling of the church bells. I really like the sound of these big bells tolling. After taking photos, I looked for a place to stay. Got a room for PHP250 a night at the Nisa Travellers Lodge but no aircon and common bathroom. Nisa is said to be Tagbilaran's backpacker haven. Well, we're on a tight budget. Hehe!

After freshening up, it was off to this place called MR Restaurant near the pier which Fr. Ted had suggested. The tricycle ride was PHP10. I wasn't into seafoods that much so I had inihaw na baboy but for my vegetables, had two types of seaweed salad. The first one was called guso, and the other locot which looked like green angel hair pasta. I was not that competely satisfied with the food I picked since it was quite sour and I think a little bitter. Maybe it has something to do with the Boholano taste. Anyway, at least I was full.

So I'm now in an internet shop blogging. I will go around Bohol tomorrow and leave for Siquijor tomorrow night. About last night after I left the internet shop which charged me an exhorbitantly high price of PHP40 an hour when here in Bohol, it's PHP10 per hour only; on the way back to the hotel, I was lured by this streamer adverstising Swedish-Shiatsu for PHP170! The Devanara Spa was a few meters away from the Capitol Inn where I was staying. Great ambiance! I suggest you get a massage there if you're in town. The foot massage is only PHP100 an hour for the duration of their summer promo! Hehe!

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Cebu: Around Cebu City

I woke up early this morning to walk around Cebu City. And I was greeted by a power outage. Just great! Good thing my room was still cold up to when I left. Quite close to where I was staying was the Cebu Provincial Capitol which made history by being the first Visayan site to host a presidential inauguration. So I went for a short walk to the place. From there, I took a jeep to the historic core of Cebu City.

My first stop was City Hall. In front of it was Magellan's Cross. A short walk away was the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino which I last visited in 1997. I was able to catch a part of the last English Mass for the morning. The place was packed with people. And lines to the image of the Sto. Nino de Cebu were quite long so I just went around to take photos.

Just a few meters away was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu, seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu. By this time, I was hungry but I decided to finish up my itinerary for the day which was Fort San Pedro, again just a few meters away from the Cebu Cathedral. While waiting for Ryan to pass by for me at Plaza Independencia, I had some taho for breakfast.

Since it was close to lunch, Ryan and I went to this place called Casa Verde (69 V. Ranudo Ext.) in Ramos known for its baby-back ribs. Ramos is actually filled with impressive pre-war mansions. Casa Verde itself is an old house which was converted into a restaurant and ladies dormitory. There are more abandoned mansions in the area. Maybe some investors could do the same adaptive reuse.

After lunch, we went back to my hotel to get my stuff and go straight to the pier for my trip to Bohol.