Tabo sa Malatapay in Zamboanguita

If it's Wednesday and you're in Dumaguete, don't forget to drop by Malatapay Tabo Market! Do this if you don't want to miss out the fun. 30 Kilometers South of Dumaguete on good road will bring you to a feast for all the senses

Budbud sa Tanjay

Whenever we go to Negros Oriental particularly at Tanjay City, this is one delicacy that we will never miss. It is Budbud. This is similar to the sumang malagkit in Tagalog region but the difference is the taste. This one is sweet and has a twist of chocolate.

Casaroro Falls in Valencia

Valencia’s elevation at 715 feet above sea level endows it with a cool climate. Trekkers access Casaroro Falls via three hundred concrete steps which descend into a scenic site surrounded by steep rock walls where a single column of sparkling water plunges almost a hundred feet into a chilly swimming caldera

Mt. Kanlaon of Canlaon City

Mt. Kanlaon remains to be the highest peak in Central Philippines. Rising up to a summit elevation of a staggering 8,088 feet or about 2,465 meters, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the country and is part of the Negros Volcanic Belt

The Old Bacong Convent

The Old Convent of the Parish of Bacong is one of the old convent in Negros Oriental preserved and now named as the Holy Family Formation Center

The native Bingka of Bacong

We turned our route as we wanted to pass the Combado road going to Valencia. As we turned our way, we saw a man and woman baking the Native "Bibingka" beside their house. They were busy and in a hurry packing up the bingka to a box. We stopped at their house and wanted to buy Bingkas. Before we knew it, the bingkas were already sold to a certain customer. But we tried our best to buy at least three pieces just to satisfy our craving mouth and stomach for such native delicacy.

Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage (NOAH)

So, we were there at NOAH. We looked at their showroom and asked for a cabinet but we're not able to find a simple cabinet instead.

Bambulo

The place is called "BAMBULO". They have place to dine in, lodges/cottages to stay, kiddie pool and mini golf

The Bamboo Pipe Organ of Bacong

The pipe organ of Bacong is already functioning. This is already used during mass.

Part of the Bamboo Pipe Organ of Bacong

The pipe organ of Bacong is already functioning. This is already used during mass.

Dolphin Watching in Bais City

Described as one of the most successful dolphin-and-whale watching operations in the country, the cruise takes off from Port Capiñahan every 8:00 AM and traverses the Bay towards Tañon Strait, the narrow channel between Negros and Cebu islands, acknowledged to have one of the biggest concentrations of cetaceans in the world.

Apo Island in Dauin

Apo Island is a 72-hectare, 200-meter high volcanic island about 5 kilometers off the municipality of Dauin. Five pocket beaches of white pebbles, two mangrove lagoons, and a lighthouse. The Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape comprises 691.45 hectares (72 terrestrial, the remaining is the marine area surrounding the island)

Balanan Lake in Siaton

An expansive mountain resort developed around Balanan Lake, a humerus-shaped body of water, 25 hectares in surface area, 285 ms above sea level, oriented along a northwest-southeast direction (right). The lake encases a kilometer-long waterway ideal for water sports

White Sand Bar in Manjuyod

A 7-kilometer-long strip of white sand beach in the middle of North Bais Bay. Ideal for swimming and snorkeling. The area is submerged at high tide. Four cottages are available for guests. Manjuyod is 58.2 kilometers from Dumaguete City.

Mabinay Caves in Mabinay

The prevalence of limestone rock and extensive karst phenomena secures Mabinay’s claim to being the Cave Town of Negros Oriental. According to the locals, there are over 400 caves honeycombing Mabinay’s lower regions

Niludhan Falls in Bayawan City

Negros Oriental’s tourism assets are refreshing for the waters that cascade down rugged mountainsides into popular swimming calderas. Among these are Casaroro and Pulangbato in Valencia; the towering Niludhan Falls in Bayawan City, Pagsalsalan in Ayungon; Guihulngan City’s Kinayan; Balangawan in Siaton

Twin Lakes in Sibulan

Sibulan’s Twin Lakes Balinsasayao and Danao are the centerpieces of Negros Oriental’s biggest and most important ecotourism sites

Mar 13, 2011

Fight Against Self-Interest

I was shocked when I heard the news that Japan was hit by 8.9 magnitude earthquake causing tsunamis that sent a wave filled with boats and houses toward land last Friday (March 11, 2011). When I was able to look at the news, it reminds me with the movie “2012.” Tsunami swiped out the north east of Japan. I asked myself “Is it already the end of the world?” I don’t know where we are heading right now. Killings are everywhere. Typhoon and other forms of calamities are already at hand even to places where it couldn't possibly occur. Unbelievable but true. What happen to the world? Are we still safe? What do we expect? These are questions popping my mind and maybe yours too. Sometimes we cannot understand why these things take place so as why people keep on destroying our mother Earth (as if I’m not guilty). Are we building a better world for the future generations or are we preparing them for future hazards?

The common reason why people suffer is that people wanted it to come about. There are so many things that we may forget while satisfying our personal interests. I’ve learned that normally individual is bound with personal interest. What we are doing is for self-satisfaction. This interest may not be morally right but this is what people feel satisfaction. Satisfaction is not objective instead very subjective and so we cannot say that there is an exact end result or cause why people act this way or why he/she have done that way. Sometimes even we knew from the very start that what we act is actually bad we are forced to do it because this is where our satisfaction will be met. It’s very hard to fight against ourselves. And worse, we couldn’t help to control ourselves.  Then, we become self-centered. And because we are self-centered we don’t care about others. We don’t care the environment as long as we are satisfied.


I don’t know if it’s too late to do something about our mother nature. But as long as we are alive there is still hope as the song “Habang May Buhay’ would tell. We can at least minimize the effects of climate change. It’s only a matter of choosing what, when, where and how you can do it in simple ways which may not require a lot of political will. I admit we cannot avoid nature’s commotion but we can minimize the effect of it. At least we have done our part. The key is “START NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.” Do not wait anybody would do it for us. Do not wait if the government would ask your help. I expect your cooperation as early as NOW. Let’s build our WORLD for the better and brighter future. We only have one EARTH to live with and it is very empirical to preserve it.

Mar 6, 2011

Glance to my Hometown


I will start my blog with my experienced as I traveled to my home town - Bacong, Negros Oriental, Philippines. It's been a long time already that I was not able to visit Bacong and even to return home in Brgry. Calangag. I was not able to see the changes that the town has. I felt like a stranger to my own town. What a bad realization? But anyway, I was able to glance my home town as I was invited to accompany my neighbor together with my Auntie heading to Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage (NOAH) yesterday. My neighbor, Herminia Larong (commonly called "Ate Hermz"), was asking the whereabouts of NOAH because she will buy a cabinet made of wood. She wanted a cabinet for her artist friend to design it as she started also to collect things and decorative made of wood.

Ate Hermz posed in the showroom


Ate Hermz and I
So, we were there at NOAH. We looked at their showroom and asked for a cabinet but we're not able to find a simple cabinet instead. As I've seen their (NOAH) products displayed, I was really amazed with the Baconganons' creativity. Their main products, which are stone-made and marble-made, are really nice. Stone-made products are ranging from souvenir items to furnitures with varying sizes. Me and Ate Hermz are very excited until we could not stop to give a pose and take pictures with the place.  Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos of the stone process at their factory because it was Saturday which is only open form Mondays to Fridays. Although, we did not get what we want their but we make ourselves satisfied with things they have at the showroom. In fact, Ate Hermz bought a frog made of wood as an addition to her frog collections. She bought two and gave one to my Auntie. She also bought other products for her personal use. 

Pugon
Native Bingka
About 1:00pm, we left NOAH to go home supposedly but Ate Hermz wanted to take advantage with the opportunity to look around the town. He asked me if we could take some place to see more at Bacong but I couldn't think of any place aside from Bacong Church and Old Convent which is now known as Holy Family Formation Center until we finally decided to go to Valencia instead and we were already at the North Poblacion that time. We turned our route as we wanted to pass the Combado road going to Valencia. As we turned our way, we saw a man and woman baking the Native "Bibingka" beside their house. They were busy and in a hurry packing up the bingka to a box. We stopped at their house and wanted to buy Bingkas. Before we knew it, the bingkas were already sold to a certain customer. But we tried our best to buy at least three pieces just to satisfy our craving mouth and stomach for such native delicacy. After a long negotiation and plead,  indeed the woman granted our request. Before we left from that house, we take some photos while the man taking the bingkas to the "pugon". I even tried to do the same and pose for a picture. We give thanks to them and left heading to Valencia. We ate the bingkas inside the car and guess what? It really tastes good as it was baked from pugon using firewood and still hot.

On our way to Valencia, I saw a place where we could take some snacks to relax also. So, I said to Ate Hermz if we could stop for a while. In my mind, this place is really new because I've never seen this before. The place is called "BAMBULO". They have place to dine in, lodges/cottages to stay, kiddie pool and mini golf. I asked the receptionist/cashier as to when they were started operating. She replied that they started just recently last January 2011. Then I said that this is really new. She added that it is owned by a Filipina married to a Swiss National.

The place was really nice. The structure was made of bamboo and nipa or sinibit with bamboos and river crossing under the bridge connecting to their cottages area. Their concept centered with bamboos. It's a restaurant, place for hangouts and vacations within so many bamboos around  that you could spend for your loved ones and barkadas. They offer varying menus from food and beverages including recreation. It was a perfect place for relaxation. 

The Menu
With its aesthetic design with a touch of the our native house, we couldn't resist to take some photos and pose to different areas within. I even go down to the river side to see the flowing water from the spillway up. We ordered buko-halo and spent our time chatting until 4:00pm. We never go to Valencia anymore.
We left the place to return home at 4:00pm. It was a good adventure although I am tired. I really spent the day with fun and excitement. Until next adventure and next gateway to stop.












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