Negros Oriental: Food & cultural heritage in Dumaguete

Dumaguete, Negros Oriental is such a charming city! Its tree-lined seaside boulevard is the centerpiece of its historic core. The locals fought hard to preserve the character of Rizal Boulevard, vigorously opposing a reclamation by the Philippine Ports Authority that would have forever damaged its charm.

On one end of Rizal Boulevard is historic Silliman University, established by Presbyterian missionaries in 1901, the first American private university in the Philippines. Silliman Hall is the iconic structure of this heritage campus, built using materials taken from and old theater in New York. One of the oldest American colonial buildings in the country, it now houses an anthropology museum.

Along the boulevard are centuries-old trees, old lampposts and heritage houses brilliantly reused as restaurants and hotels. It was a beautiful example of how adaptive reuse can breathe life into heritage structures and that one need not demolish old buildings to make them economically-viable today.

Around town are reminders of the city's colonial past. The Dumaguete Bell Tower and Cathedral, in front of Quezon Park, the city's main plaza, are major landmarks found in downtown Dumaguete. A house where Jose Rizal stayed en route to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte still stands. We also visited Sidlakang Negros Village, an expo park that features the different municipalities and cities of Negros Oriental, their arts and crafts, delicacies and souvenir items, a one-stop shop for everything Negros Oriental.

Where to eat in Dumaguete
Food options are also interesting. From the traditional delicacies to new restaurants, there's always something different to try.

We trooped to the Dumaguete City Public Market to try out the famous Budbud Kabog, a suman made of millet instead of the regular glutinous rice, which is actually from the town of Tanjay. Make sure to have it with a hot cup of tsokolate! We also had the Chocolate Budbud which is the regular glutinous rice suman with chocolate.

Another pride of Dumaguete are the Silvanas of Sans Rival, which come in the regular butter and chocolate flavors. We actually had dinner at Sans Rival Bistro, their branch along Rizal Boulevard, one of the beautiful old mansions by the sea, adaptively-reused as dining space. Of course, we had to try their cakes for dessert. We ordered Date and Walnut Dacquoise and Salted Caramel Cheesecake.

Speaking of dessert, Fried Ice Cream of Panda is also a popular snack. We also dropped by to enjoy this popular Dumaguete treat.

One of our dinners was at Hayahay Treehouse. We got to try out Dumaguete Express, Hayahay's version of the famous Bicol Express topped with Lechon Kawali. Baked Talaba was also on the menu.

Where to stay in Dumaguete
We were hosted by GoHotels.ph Dumaguete during our stay in Dumaguete, Negros Occidental. You could actually get a decent room for Php388++ a night if on sale. Airport transfers are also available for Php98 per person. You can book your stay via the GoHotels.ph website.

Negros Oriental: Lake Balanan, Dauin Church & Bacong Church, road trip south of Dumaguete

Late last year, I got to fly twice to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. The first trip was a familiarization tour with GoHotels.ph Dumaguete and Cebu Pacific. The group got to experience Dumaguete and areas nearby. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it was raining every now and then. So our trip to Apo Island did not push through due to rough seas. We instead drove south all the way to Lake Balanan in Siaton, the southernmost municipality of Negros Island, and passed by heritage churches on the way back to Dumaguete.

As we neared the lake, we were met by a road blocked by a river that overflowed. Some of the locals were saying that there was no other way to the lake. And it was a bummer if we didn't get to see it. But just as we were about to leave, someone pointed to us a trail to the lake. So we walked for a few minutes and finally made it to Lake Balanan.

Lake Balanan is actually a success story. It used to be full of informal settlers. And like in most informal communities, it was riddled with garbage. The local government organized the informal settlers, gave them a community away from the lake, and set-up a cooperative for them to manage the tourism facilities around the lake. It was a win-win-win solution since Lake Balanan looks very clean now, you don't see any informal settlers by the lake, the former informal settlers now have a place to stay plus they have livelihood from tourism.

We had lunch at one of the function halls built by the lake. Among the dishes we had was the Negros Oriental version of halang-halang which to me tasted like chicken tinola with pepper and gata (coconut milk).

From Sioton, we motored back to Dumaguete. We stopped along the National Highway at Barangay Maluay, Zamboanguita to try out the town's famous torta. Note that torta has striking differences depending on where you are. In the Visayas, it's usually bread. And various places have different recipes. In Zamboanguita, torta looks like dinner rolls, but sweeter, denser and more filling.

In Dauin, we stopped by the centuries-old Dauin Church. The exterior is well-preserved and has character but the inside seemed to be renovated. We also stopped by the Bacong Church which is a National Cultural Treasure.

GoHotels.ph Dumaguete
We were hosted by GoHotels.ph Dumaguete during our stay in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. You could actually get a decent room for Php388++ a night if on sale. Airport transfers are also available for Php98 per person. You can book your stay via the GoHotels.ph website.

Bohol: Rare Pride Campaign launched for Inabanga's Hambongan Island Marine Sanctuary

Lasting change must be community led. That is the rationale behind the environmental conservation programs of Rare, a US-based conservation organization that works globally to equip people in the world's most threatened areas with the tools and motivation they need to care for their natural resources.

Last week, we were invited to join the team from Rare on Hambongan Island as they launched the Inabanga Rare Pride Campaign together with the people of Inabanga, Bohol.


What is a Pride Campaign?
At the cornerstone of Rare's work is a unique tool called the Pride Campaign. Its mix of capacity building and social marketing equips Conservation Fellows in their development of a community led conservation plan.

The goal is to create long-term change in local behavior by inspiring pride in the threatened species and habitats that make their community unique. This begins the transformative process that has led to the growth of marine protected areas and the effective protection of threatened species all over the Philippines.

Rare currently has twelve campaign sites in the Philippines where they have launched programs for sustainable fishing.


Inabanga Rare Pride Campaign
From Tagbilaran City, we motored to Inabanga which was about an hour and 45 minutes away. The first order of business was a parade around town with Meloy, the campaign mascot. He represents a Panther Grouper, a vulnerable species that is sold for food or in the aquarium trade. All Pride Campaigns have their own mascots.



After unveiling the campaign billboard, a program was held to launch the Inabanga Rare Pride Campaign led by Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy and Rare President and CEO Brett Jenks. Do watch the video about the Inabanga Rare Pride Campaign and the issues they are trying to resolve.



Before noon, participants took two large boats to Hambongan Island for the second part of the launch, this time with the target community of the Rare Pride Campaign. Hambongan Island was really pretty. After a sumptuous lunch, we went around the island to explore.




We were taken to one side of the island where the Hambongan Elementary School is located. The buildings of the school have large cracks due to the strong explosions from dynamite fishing that was rampant before.




To address this, the local government created the Hambongan Island Fish Sanctuary in 2000 out of 14.1 hectares of waters between Hambongan and Bugatusan Islands. A community education campaign was initiated while locals were introduced to other sources of livelihood such as seaweed harvesting and processing, and the sustainable collection of marine wildlife for the aquarium trade. We actually got to tour their small processing facility for aquarium fish.



While dynamite fishing is now less of a threat, the campaign also created a hotline for people to report illegal activities direct to the local government so violators are immediately apprehended.


What makes Rare different from many other international conservation organizations is that their approach is to work directly with the community, preparing them to care for their natural resources on their own. Once the program is completed, locals will be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skill and drive to protect the resources of their community.

If conservation does not happen now, there will be nothing left to be proud of.

Cebu: Edge Coaster at the Sky Adventure Experience

Despite visiting Cebu quite often, it was only last month that I got to try the Edge Coaster at the Sky Adventure Experience of Crown Regency Hotel Cebu. We paid Php750 for the buffet dinner and one ride at the Sky Adventure Experience. The buffet had a lot of dishes to choose from which was quite good. For the rest of the rates, visit the Sky Adventure Experience website.


The Edge Coaster goes around the edge of the 38th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel, 130.84 meters above street level. What makes the ride thrilling is that you can let your seat tilt at an angle of up to 55 degrees. A few meters from the start of the ride, it automatically tilts 50 degrees. If that's too much for you, you can choose to lower the angle a bit.

Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed. So I couldn't take photos of the view. But they have photographers who will take your photo and you can have copies printed.

Sky Adventure Experience
(032) 4188888

Cebu: Kawasan Falls in Badian

I've heard about the beauty of Kawasan Falls in Badian. On a recent trip to Cebu with my fraternity batchmates, we visited the waterfall. It's about 3 hours from Cebu City. And if you plan to rent a van, it's not cheap. On the way there, you get to pass by the picturesque coastline of the western side of Cebu.

The falls is several kilometers past the town proper of Badian. From the jump-off point along the National Highway, there's an easy 15 minute walk to Kawasan Falls. Along the way, you have to pay Php10 per head as entrance fee.


Kawasan Falls has aquamarine blue water making it look like it was a swimming pool. You can rent tables for Php300, or ride a raft that will bring you under the falls, also at Php300 per group.

It's quite refreshing but not as high as other popular waterfalls around the country. But in my opinion, you'd have to spend the whole day there, or explore nearby attractions for the trip or cost of transportation to be worth it.

Bohol: Tsokolate Eh Souffle Cake at Cafe Lawis in Dauis Church

If you happen to pass by the Dauis Church in Bohol, make sure to walk all the way to the convento. Inside and behind it is the charming Cafe Lawis, nestled by the beach under large acacia trees. You'd be surprised that a cafe like that exists in an old church. But being a component of the Dauis Renaissance Program of the Ayala Foundation, standards have definitely been raised.


They actually have a nice selection of meals and snacks. But the pièce de résistance here is the Tsokolate Eh Souffle Cake (Php95) which is served with a rich tsokolate eh syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It takes quite a while to prepare though. So make sure you order it first before exploring the church so that it's ready when you get back.

Bohol: Visita iglesia to Bohol's heritage churches

Bohol is probably the province with the most intact heritage churches. And it's perfect for a visita iglesia. Here are some of the Bohol churches I got to visit during my recent trip to the province.


Baclayon Church is both a National Cultural Treasure and a National Historical Landmark. It was in Baclayon that the Jesuits established the first Catholic mission in Bohol in 1596. It became a parish in 1717. The current coral stone church was constructed in 1727.


Alburquerque Church has interesting altar murals. Unfortunately, I was not able to enter the church during this trip. We also missed visiting the Loay Church, a National Historical Landmark, due to the rains.



Loboc Church is a National Cultural Treasure. The mission of Loboc was established in 1597 and became a parish, dedicated to San Pedro Apostol, in 1602. The present church, built on the foundations of an earlier church, was built from 1670 to 1734.


Loon Church was recently declared a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark. The parish was established in 1753 under the patronage of the Nuestra Senora de la Luz. The current church was built from 1855 to 1864 after the previous church was damaged by a fire. The ceiling murals were done by Ray Francia in 1938.


Maribojoc Church is a National Cultural Treasure. It was established as a parish in 1767 and was placed under the patronage of the Santa Cruz. The current coral stone church dates back to 1852. Construction was completed in 1872. The ceiling murals were painted by Ray Francia in 1930.



Cortes Church is quite close to Tagbilaran but is often missed since it's not along the National Highway. But it's worth the visit if you have the time.



Tagbilaran Cathedral has a renovated facade, but the interior, particularly the retablos, are very much intact. It was one of the six parishes founded by the Jesuits in Bohol in 1595. The original church built by the Jesuits was burned in 1798. The current church was built by the Recollects from 1839 to 1855.



Dauis Church is another church close to Tagbilaran worth visiting. The Dauis Church Complex, which inludes the church, convent, watchtower and belfry, is a National Historical Landmark. It was separated from Baclayon and became an independent parish dedicated to the Nuestra Senora de Asuncion in 1697. The impressive murals inside the church are said to be works of both Ray Francia and Canuto Avila created from 1919 to 1923.


Off the beaten track are churches beyond the town of Loay. Lila Church has an interesting interior.



Dimiao Church is another intact church complex which I hope is declared soon. Beside it are the Ermita Ruins, a former church cemetery and chapel which was closed in 1844. The layout of the church is quite unique with the convento 'docked' behind it.


Valencia Church has an intact interior and a very interesting wooden floor.


The neighboring Garcia Hernandez Church has an intact retablo.


Jagna Church, although its facade is renovated, has an interesting interior with impressive ceiling murals and intact retablos.



Duero Church was a surprise. I didn't realize until I knocked on the walls that, except for the base and belfry, it was made almost entirely of wood. It also has an interesting interior and I hope this church also gets declared soon.

Too bad I was not able to make it to Anda or Talibon since I was told the churches there are interesting too. I'll reserve that for another trip. Here are more photos from the trip. For more visita iglesia itineraries, check out Visita iglesia to our heritage churches.