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(31 March – 2 April 2011)Going to Negros made me realize once more how blessed I am to have the kind of job that I have. My work in DSWD provides me the privilege and opportunity to take active part in social change, be involved in community activities, interact with locals, learn about diverse cultures, set foot in different places, commune with nature and take a break from the chaos of the metropolis. Before I ramble about how I truly appreciate my job, allow me the privilege of describing the key features of Negros.
Dumaguete City – a city with bakeries in every corner. The cakes and pastries are incredibly cheap. During my solitary walk, I had Iced Café Latte and Mocha Crunch at Sans Rival Cakes & Pastries (yes, that is the name of the café) and my bill was only P71.00. Awesome! Silliman University, a protestant school, occupies a large expanse of the town proper. It was founded in 1901. Two years later, St. Paul University, a catholic university, was established. According to my colleague, Sir Adidas, the Catholic Church fear that the Protestants would dominate the city so they built St. Paul University.
Suman – this kakanin is made unique by chocolate that is either swirled around it or filling its center. It’s sweet and indulgent but the chocolate swirl/filling means that it has twice the calorie content of ordinary suman. A dozen bundle (1 bundle = 4pieces) costs P140.00 at the Tayasan public square.
La Limar Resort (La Libertad, Negros Or.) – the resort boasts of an infinity pool that seemingly extends to the beach. It has several huts and cottages that are widely separated to allow for greater solace. La Limar was the venue of our campaign for 100% compliance wherein LGU officials and parent leaders from Tayasan actively participated. While everyone was busy taking a bath in their respective bathrooms, I dipped in the pool. It was around seven in the morning and the water was icy cold. Thanks to ate Ai who willingly photographed my frolic moments.
Brgy. Fatima, Sta. Catalina –we dropped by this quiet town to visit Sir Adidas’ 87 year-old mother. We were welcomed with lechon, dinuguan, adobong manok, pansit, biko, star apple and saba. Alluding from a biblical parable, I teased Sir Adidas that he’s being welcomed like the prodigal son. He said his mother never fails to welcome him with fiesta-worthy dishes whenever he comes home. Thank you mother, ate Ludy, and the rest of the interesting characters of the Canete household for the warm welcome and the totally-Filipino gastronomic experience.
Orient Gifts and Handumanan – the shops where you could buy the region’s products for pasalubong to love ones and friends. Orient Gifts is more artsy since the shop includes an art gallery. Their products are made by local artists and they come in limited designs which mean they are more expensive. I purchased a dainty hat made from abaca which costs P250.00. Handumanan sells a wider variety of products at a more affordable price. The price range of earrings made from seashells and wood are P15.00-P20.00 only. I hoarded earrings in preparation for the numerous summer vacations I am planning.
Bisoy – n. bisayang tisoy. I was thinking of Gerald Anderson when I first heard this term but the bisoys I saw were mostly middle age to retirees. The mestizos own most of the bakeshops, restos and bars in Dumaguete City. And I supposed they also own many of the resorts outside Dumaguete. It’s not an unusual scenario. As we all know, many foreigners who flock in the Philippines are the ones who are able to put up thriving businesses and become the employers/bosses because they have capital. Ms. Pam said that Dumaguete is one of the cities with high number of victims of pedophiles. It cannot be denied that the ubiquitous presence of foreigners is a major contributor/factor to this problem.
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