Things to do and see in my Hometown

Things to do and see in my Hometown

Watch the sunrise / sunset at the Rizal Boulevard.

Sunrise in Dumaguete City

A visually charming sunrise of The Rizal Boulevard Dumaguete City, Philippines. This was my favorite place to hang out, simply because the perfect place to distress. Around five in the morning, the place boasts of a relaxing aura – one that makes you feel like time is purposely going slow so you can enjoy the beauty of the sun arising.

Eat Balut and other street foods

Street Food in Dumaguete

If you come from an Asian descent, eating balut (fertilized eggs that contain partially developed duck embryos) may not be new to you. But if you’re not from Asia, this is definitely something out of your food comfort zone. Pick the duck embryo age and start slurping!

Not up for it? That’s fine… There are plenty of other choices – Squid Ball, Tempura, Fish Ball. The plan is to enjoy the cold breeze of the wind while you listen to an live acoustic Band.

Visit Silliman University

If you’d like to see the first and oldest American university operating in the Philippines today, add Silliman University to your itinerary. Established in 1901, the university (that is only 3 minutes away from Rizal Boulevard) has kept some of its original structures intact for tourists to see.

Silliman University

Silliman Hall is the oldest standing American structure in the Philippines. Its architecture is reminiscent of the Stick style type of architecture that characterize American buildings in the late 19th century. Some of the materials used to build it were salvaged from an old theater in New York. The present structure was built in 1909 as an addition to the original structure built in 1902, now demolished. The building now serves as the University's Anthropology Museum.

 Attend a mass at the Cathedral

 
Dumaguete Cathedral by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) – Work by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral is the oldest stone church in Negros. Although constructed around 1754 – 1776, the facade shown today is that of the 1930s. The cathedral holds a mass every Sunday.

Offer a prayer at the Belfry Tower

Dubbed as the most popular tourist attraction in Dumaguete, the Belfry Tower lies beside the Dumaguete Cathedral. A lot of devotees spend their afternoon here, lighting up some candles and praying for their loved ones. You can take a photo and perhaps perform an act of devotion at the small shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help if you are of that religious persuasion. There is a small stall adjacent selling candles and devotional items. There is no entrance into the tower, although the views from the top must be pleasant. 

Get your family some pasalubong from Sans Rival

Sans Rival in Dumaguete

Dessert time! Let’s visit the most famous restaurant in Dumaguete since 1977, Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries. Don’t be confused though… yes, the name of the restaurant is Sans Rival, and their best delicacy has the same name. Recently, they’ve started offering full meals by opening Sans Rival Bistro.

 Here are some of the must-trys from their menu:

·         Sans Rival Cake

·         Silvanas

·         Black Sambo

·         Lengua & Rice

·         Pesto Lasagna

Relax and have a good time at Hayahay

On the mood to party, drink, and make more “unforgettable” memories? Let me take you to Hayahay. The place is always full-packed with people who’d like to have a good time. On special occasions, they hold fancy foam parties, so call ahead and check when the next one is.

Bring your friends and grab a bottle or two, and enjoy the night away with good friends. Don’t forget to meet new ones. Dumagueteños aren’t called gentle for nothing!  

A walk in the park

      

When Dumaguetans (is that the right word?) are not promenading on the Boulevard they are likely to be found in Rizal Park. Actually, Google maps refers to it as Quezon Park but I always hear it referred to as Rizal, named for the national hero Jose Rizal.

           In the evenings you will see men playing draughts (checkers) on the permanent stone tables, young lovers sitting talking and women walking with children. It is a very relaxed atmosphere and a nice place to sit and people watch.

          There are a few interesting things to see, apart from the obligatory Rizal statue, including the old three-wheeled fire engine. It appear just about everything on Negros is a tricycle! How that would have handled at speed I have no idea.

         There are a couple of old cannon flanking a much more modern piece, presumably from the Second World War.

Take photo statues of Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres

About halfway along Rizal Boulevard came upon this odd little statue. It is of concrete construction, as are many statues in the Philippines and depicts the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in 1904. These sisters had been i8nvited to the island of Negros by the Bishop of Iloilo to assist in educating local children. As well as the obvious French sisters, there was one American, one Portuguese and one Chinese. The first Pilipino sister in the order, Sr. Ambroisine, joined shortly thereafter. By 1905, the good sisters had established St. Paul's Academy opened less than three months after they arrived. It continues to this day as St. Paul's University still very much focusing on the Christian beliefs of the sisters who started it.

Souvenirs for your love one’s??? You may go Sidlakang Negros Village

The Sidlakang Negros Village is among the top tourist  destination in Dumaguete city. It is popularly known for its fine arts, crafts and delicacies. Most tourists visiting Negros Oriental receives a warm welcome with its finest souvenir objects from different parts of the Island. The village was established to encourage cultural heritage preservation and success within all the 25 local government units of Negros Oriental. The Sidlakang Negros Village offers a stable platform for trade and tourisms. It houses an open-air theatrical auditorium used for different cultural performances. Eye catching cogon and bamboo decorated concrete stalls lies at the front view providing a traditional appearance. Within the village, each of the 19 municipalities and 6 cities of Negros oriental have a space to display their selected tourism asset, investment prospective , agricultural goods, fine arts and services. Additionally, top manufactures  and capitalists within the province gladly air out their goods and services in this village while offering  a variety of tokens and useful information to tourists. Souvenir items are also availed at affordable prices.

Rent a motorcycle

Finally, rent a motorcycle to see the rest of the city and it’s nearby tourist spots. Since Dumaguete is a small-sized city, most of the residents own a motorcycle… which is why it is unofficially called the motorcycle capital of the Philippines.

You can tour the whole city in a few hours, and you’d have enough time to see the even more amazing places in the neighboring towns.