Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

The Quiet Charm of Dumaguete City (Negros Oriental)

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Dumaguete City

After 2 nights in Bacolod City, it was now time to move on to our next destination (with a change in dialect) – the Cebuano-speaking Dumaguete City, the capital of neighboring Negros Oriental.  Like Bacolod City, this visit was a first for me.  We departed Bacolod City by 1 PM.  To get to Dumaguete, we had the choice of two routes.  Both entailed making an 86.9-km. drive to Kabankalan City.  From here, the first route entails making a further 140.2 km. drive, along the southern underbelly of the island, to the border plus and an additional 140.8 km. drive to Dumaguete (total of 367.9 kms.).  The second and shorter route entails a 25-km. drive from Kabankalan City, cutting through the mountainous spine, to the border and an additional 101.3-km. drive to Dumaguete (total of 213.2 kms.).  As time was the essence, we took the second route.  What a spectacular route it was!  Traveling through Kennon Road-like zigzag roads, we passed lush and spectacular mountain scenery all the way to the coast.   After a 4.5-hour drive, we arrived at Dumaguete by 5:30 PM and checked in our tired, travel-weary bodies into airconditioned rooms with bath and cable TV at Harold’s Mansion.

Rizal Blvd.

Negros Oriental has, in the past, been mistaken (by the national media as well as Pres. Gloria Arroyo) for its better known, and more prosperous, neighbor Negros Occidental, so much so that it is seriously considering a name change (i.e. Oriental Negros).  Even Dumaguete, its capital, is a relative unknown compared to its counterpart, Bacolod City.  However, both city and province are slow waking up to economic potentials domestic tourism brings.  More so with Dumaguete City, a city which, in my opinion, exudes a quaint and quiet charm plus a campus life quite similar to my alma mater, the University of the Philippines.

Bell Tower

Dumaguete, like Bacolod City, is a showcase of Spanish and American-era architecture.  The City Hall, along Sta. Catalina St., was built in 1907.  In front of it is Quezon Park, a flower market and a children’s playground.   The Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, located across Perdices St. (formerly Alfonso XII St.), from Quezon Park, has a coral and brick Spanish bell tower built in 1811 to warn townsfolk against piratical raids.  The tower was restored in 1985. The Provincial Capitol, along North Road, was built in 1924 in the same Roman Neo-Classical style used by Daniel Burnham, the American city planner of Manila and Baguio City.  It has a park (Ninoy Aquino Freedom Park), 3 tennis courts and 2 schools nearby.

Provincial Capitol

The distinguishing landmark of Dumaguete, however, is the beachfront area along Rizal Blvd., much like Manila’s Roxas Blvd. (before reclamation).  Our National Hero, Jose Rizal, was said to have once strolled here during a stopover on his way to his 4-year (1892 to 1896) exile in Dapitan (Zamboanga del Norte).  Today, Rizal Blvd., a favorite area for picnics, play or retrospection, is also the favored address of a number of cozy places to eat, drink and be merry.  Our favorite watering hole here is Loco-Loco.

Negros Museum (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental)

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Negros Museum

Upon completion of our GPS mapping and prior to leaving Bacolod City, I made a short visit to the nearby Negros Museum and interviewed Ms. Chinette A. Gaston, the museum administrator, about the museum’s history and exhibits as well as reminisce about my grandfather Jose C. Locsin.  This former Agricultural Building, similar in style with the Capitol, was built from 1938 to 1941 (the advent of World War II) on the former site of the 1930s Negros Occidental Carnival and Exposition.  During the war, it was used as an office of the Japanese.  In 1986, it was renovated with a grant from the Canadian Government and, on May 2003, became the new Negros Museum (it was formerly housed in the Capitol).    

Negros Museum lobby

After my interview with Ms. Gaston, she gave me free rein to view the museum’s exhibits.  This museum, run by the Negros Cultural Foundation, a non-profit, non-stock and non-government organization, is committed to preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the province. It is unique in that, aside from collecting antiquities, it also collects stories about the people of Negros.  On display, all with interesting stories to tell, are a 40-ft. long batil (long boat), a life-size replica of an Iron Dinosaur (steam locomotive) donated by the Victorias Milling Co., a real sugar laboratory using traditional equipment (donated by the La Carlota Sugar Central), a gallery of portraits of past provincial governors (including my grandfather who was governor from October 16, 1925 to October 15, 1928), 9 huge paintings by Bacolod artists, depicting life in the pre-Hispanic period, and those by Charlie Co, which explores the economic and social ascent of Chinese in Negros (from hotelier Antonio Chan to National Artist and Arch. Leandro V. Locsin).  Of particular interest for toy lovers is the JGM Gallery of International Folk Art and Toys, opened in 1998.   On display here toys and folk arts collected, over a period of 30 years, by Mara Montelibano (daughter of Jose Garcia Montelibano after whom the gallery was named) from the Philippines and 65 other countries around the world.

Negros Museum: Gatuslao cor. Lacson St., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.  Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 AM to 6 PM.  Guided tours at 10 to 11 AM and 3:30 to 5:30 PM.  Tel: (034) 434-5552.  Fax: (034) 433-4764.

Seduced by Bacolod City (Negros Occidental)

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Provincial Capitol

Our early morning tour of the city was an eye opener for both Charlie and me.  The major roads here were very wide, even by Manila standards (and cleaner), some even able to accommodate 10 cars side by side.   In spite of the light traffic (even during rush hours), many of these roads are designated as one way.  And wonder of wonders: no tricycles allowed!  I really liked this city with its unhurried pace, a truly refreshing and relaxing departure from the demands and pressures of a big metropolis like Manila.   The cities of Iloilo and Bacolod are similar in that they both have an Ilonggo-speaking populace.  Not quite similar though.  The city’s 429,076 (2000 figure) Bacoleños, both men and women, seem to speak Ilonggo with a more languorous and seductive (malambing) lilting accent, truly endearing and pleasant to hear.  Now I know why my Kapampangan father fell in love with my mother.  Also, the Bacoleños’ also have an easy-going, old world charm, gracious hospitality and natural knack for entertaining.

Downtown Bacolod

Bacolod is also a showcase for the old and new, of harmony and contrast.  Aside from its well-planned road system, the city is also experiencing an unprecedented construction boom of sorts, with new shopping malls (Robinsons, Gaisano, etc.), office buildings, specialty restaurants, hotels and other mega structures being built, all reflecting the life of gentility and taste, for the finest, Bacoleños are noted for.  Of particular interest for me, however, are the city’s old structures, reflecting its glorious Spanish and American-era past. 

Robinson’s Bacolod

A relic of the city’s Spanish past is the San Sebastian Cathedral,  along Rizal St., flanking the plaza.   The present structure, using Guimaras Island coral, was built upon the initiative of Recollect Fr. Mauricio Ferrero and completed, on January 20, 1882, by Fr. Fernando Cuenca. It became a cathedral on 23 June 1933.  In 1936, the cathedral was repaired and improved by Bishop Casimiro M. Lladoc.  In 1976, the 100th year anniversary of the cathedral, its bells were brought down from the belfry and mounted on the right side of the churchyard.  Beside the cathedral is the Palacio Episcopal (bishop’s palace), the seat of the diocese of the province. Started in 1830 by Fr. Julian Gonzaga, it was completed only in the 1890s and was, during the revolution, a refuge of Spanish military and civil officials.

San Sebastian Cathedral

Our visit to the Provincial Planning Office allowed us a peek of the American-era Provincial Capitol along Gatuslao St..  This Roman Neo-Classical-style building, built from 1927 to 1933 and based on Daniel Burnham’s (the planner of Baguio City) design, is located in front of the park and lagoon (a popular spot for joggers and strollers).  Because of its fine symmetry and proportion, it is considered as the most beautiful capitol building in the country.

City Tourism Office: cor. San Juan and Gonzaga Sts. (in front of Public Plaza), Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Tel: (034) 434-6751, 708-3066 & 433-6847.  E-mail: ikanaan@bacolodcity.gov.ph.  
City Mayor’s Office: City Hall, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Tel: (034)  435-1111. Fax: (034) 435-3333.  E-mail: cmo@bacolod.net.

Molo District: The "Athens of the Philippines" (Iloilo City)

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Molo District, located 4 kms. from the city proper, was the former Chinese quarter of Arevalo called the Parian. Formerly a town before it was absorbed by Ilolilo City, it is also called the “Athens of the Philippines” because it produced some of the best political leaders and thinkers of the land such as Gregorio S. Araneta (secretary of the Malolos Congress), Gen. Aniceto L. Lacson and Chief Justice Ramon Avancena.  Here, you can try the popular pancit molo, spiced pork-chicken meatballs daintily wrapped in thin dough and boiled in peppery chicken-pork broth.  It was introduced here by the Chinese during the 18th century.

Church of St. Anne

The district’s twin-towered, Gothic–Renaissance Church of St. Anne, one of a few churches in Iloilo not built by the Augustinians, was built with coral rock and a tile roof, in 1831, under the supervision of Don Jose Manuel Locsin. In 1863, it was replaced by a temporary church by Fr. Jose Ma. Sichon until it was renovated in 1869 by Bishop Mariano Cuartero.  On August 4, 1886, our National Hero Jose P. Rizal visited this church to pray on his way to Manila from exile in Dapitan, referring to it as “la iglesia bonita.”  During the liberation of Iloilo in 1945, the church withstood artillery barrages but its two bell towers were totally destroyed and the church partially damaged.  It was rebuilt after the war.  The church, declared as a National Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1992, has stained-glass windows and 5 wooden Gothic-style retablos. It is also called the Women’s Lib church because of the 16 life-size female saints’ statues lining the nave.  The district’s patron saint, St. Anne is in a prominent corner of its massive, antique wooden altar.

A nearby bandstand

In front of the church is a plaza filled with old trees, with gnarled trunks and branches, and an interesting domed gazebo which is actually a bandstand, a typical feature in Western Visayas plazas.

Church of St. Anne: cor. Jocson and San Marcos Sts., Molo District, Iloilo City, Iloilo.

La Paz District (Iloilo City)

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La Paz District, located 2 kms. from the city proper, was formerly called Lobo, Llaunon, Ilawod and Iznart (after Iloilo alcalde mayor Manuel Iznart), was established as a parish in 1868. It is noted for its La Pazbatchoy, a delicacy made of flat, scissored noodles and pork innards simmered in broth and topped with crushed pork crackers and spicy herbs.  It is served in restaurants around the market. 

Church of Our Lady of Peace
Its brick and stone, Neo-Classic style Church of Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), at the plaza, was started in 1847 by Fr. Candido Gonzalez, continued by Fr. Leandro Jambrina (in 1879) and Fr. Manuel Camara (in 1880) and enlarged and finished, in 1895, by Fr. Mariano Isart.  In 1909, it was restored by Fr. Anselmo Corcuera.  The stone convent was started by Fr. Mariano Isart based on plans by Don Julio Hernandez and Don Lorenzo Romero.  It was damaged during World War II and the 1948 earthquake.  

The church interior

Two engaged columns, supporting a triangular pediment, are recent additions (1970).  The 2-level church facade is flanked by twin octagonal, domed bell towers. 

Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage: Jereos St., La Paz District, Iloilo City, Iloilo.

 

Jaro District (Iloilo City)

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After breakfast at the hotel, Charlie and I started our GPS mapping of 3 of Iloilo’s 5 nearby districts – Jaro, La Paz and Molo (the others are Arevalo and Mandurriao, the site of the airport).  All 5 were incorporated to the city in 1936 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 158 and each has its own plaza and church.

Jaro Cathedral

We first proceeded to Jaro District, an elite residential center located just 4 kms. from the city proper, and drop by its Gothic-style Jaro Cathedral (officially the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candles).  Located just across the street from the plaza, it is the seat of the Jaro Archbishopric. Mass has just been finished when we arrived.

The cathedral’s separate bell tower

The cathedral was first built before 1726 by Fr. Bernardino Alisen.    The present structure was built in 1874, upon the orders of Most Reverend F. Mariano Cuartero, O.P., first bishop of Jaro.  It was damaged during the January 5, 1948 earthquake and reconstructed, in 1956, under Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco.  Its separate 3-storey, 25-m. high, red brick belfry was built by Fr. Juan Aguado, restored, from 1833 to 1835, by Fr. Jose Alvarez and was ruined during the 1948 earthquake.  St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, located near the cathedral, was where famous propagandist, orator, journalist and local son Graciano Lopez-Jaena went to school. 

Iloilo City’s Stately Ancestral Houses

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The stately Lizares Mansion

Iloilo City is one of the best places to observe American-era architecture, notably its ancestral houses. The stately Lizares Mansion, in Brgy. Tabuc Suba, is probably the most elegant and most opulent of the old houses and the most accessible.  Built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares, it was converted into the headquarters of the Japanese Army during World War II and, in 1962, became the school chapel of the Dominican-run Angelicum School.  This building, fusing American and Spanish architecture, has a spacious lawn.  

Nelly’s Garden

The imposing, Beaux Arts style Nelly Gardens Mansion, along E. Lopez St., was built in 1928 by Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and his wife Dona Elena Hofilena y Javelona.  Standing on a 4-hectare property with a beautifully manicured lawn, it was was named after their eldest daughter Nelly, who liked gardens.    

Iloilo City Tour: By Car

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After our museum visit, we tried, for lunch, one of Iloilo’s famous cuisine, La Paz batchoy at Ted’s at the Provincial Capitol. After lunch, we began the GPS mapping of the rest of the city proper in earnest, making short stopovers at a number of the city’s notable landmarks.

Church of St. Joseph

Fronting the City Hall is Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII), at the intersection of De la Rama, Gen. Hughes and Zamora Sts. It was the site where the first Philippine flag was raised, on  December 25, 1898, after Spain’s surrender to Gen. Martin Delgado.  Across the plaza is San Jose Parish Church, started in 1873 by Augustinian Fr. Mauricio Blanco, who also built the convent.  It was spared during World War II.  The main altar was gilded with 17,000 gold panels by Fr. Jesus Fernandez.  Renovated, from 1980 to 1982, by Fr. Gilbert Centina III, O.S.A.., Romblon marble was used to decorate the transept walls, presbytery, the main and side altar walls and the floors.  This 1-storey Byzantine church has 3 naves, a transept and 2 flanking, 3-storey, rectangular bell towers (one of which has a barometer and a clock).

Forts San Pedro

Fort San Pedro, near the mouth of the Iloilo River.  Built in 1616 as a defense against enemy raids, it was almost totally destroyed, by naval and air bombardment, during World War II.  The Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (INAEC, founded by Don Eugenio Lopez, Sr. on 3 February 1933), pioneered the first commercial aircraft flight in the country, which took off from a grassy airfield near the fort.   Also nearby, at the river’s mouth, is a lighthouse and Rotary Park.   

Iloilo Port Terminal building

The city’s port, one of the country’s finest, is protected by Guimaras Island.  It handles a considerable volume of rice and sugar shipments. Muelle Loney, the riverfront, with its wharves and warehouses, is a popular promenade named after Nicholas Loney (1826 to 22 April 1859), British vice-consul in Iloilo in 1855 and Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry.  Loney established the first trading company in Iloilo and transformed and galvanized the local sugar industry in Negros and Panay by importing British machinery.  

Museo Iloilo (Iloilo City)

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After my walking tour of the city, I was picked up by Charlie and we proceeded to the Provincial Capitol where we visited the Provincial Tourism Office.  Prior to lunch, we dropped by Museo Iloilo, behind the capitol.  Referred to as the city’s “Window to the East,” the museum showcases Iloilo’s rich cultural heritage.  The first government-sponsored museum outside Metro Manila, this museum was designed by Ilonggo architect Sergio Penasales and is now managed by the Iloilo Cultural Research Foundation, Inc..

Museo Iloilo

Its well-displayed collection includes Stone Age tools, gold-leaf burial masks, ornamented teeth, seashell jewelry and coffins from pre-Hispanic graves; photos; pottery from China, Annam and Siam; relics from the revolution and World War II; ethnic swords, knives and spears of the Mondo tribe (descendants of Pre-Malay Indonesian) of Panay; Carbon 14-dated fossils; and modern art by Ilonggo artists and craftsmen.  A permanent exhibit features an Ati family.

Museo Iloilo interior

Its Spanish ecclesiastical art collection includes religious statuary (including a statue of a female saint holding her lopped off breast); church vestments; a tableau of the Last Supper; and a Santo Entierro (bier of a dead Christ).

China, Siam and Annam Pottery
Santo Entierro
Photos of old Iloilo churches
Ethnic weapons
Ancient coffins and pottery
Weaving loom

A section is devoted to articles recovered by divers from the wreck of a nineteenth century British steamer lying in 7 m. of water on the Oton Shoals, off Guimaras Island.  Exhibited as the “Bottle Wreck,” its glass hoard includes bottles of port wine and Glasgow beer, as well as Victorian china.

Museo Iloilo: Bonifacio Drive, Iloilo City, Iloilo. Open Mondays to Saturdays (except holidays), 8-11 AM and 2-5 PM.  Admission: PhP20/pax (PhP15 for students).

Iloilo City Tour: On Foot

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After breakfast at the hotel, I made a walking tour of the city’s downtown area, with a dependable EZ map on hand.  From Delgado St., I walked along J.M. Basa St., the city’s busiest main thoroughfare which is lined with shops, handicraft stores, moviehouses and restaurants. 

Ker & Co. Building
Nineteenth century structures are located along this street and along Iznart St. (formerly Calle Real).  They include the Commission on Audit (COA) Bldg. and the Ker & Co. (K & C) Bldg..  The latter, with its West Indies ambiance, has a marvelous iron staircase cast in Scotland.