NEGROS ORIENTAL: Walking Tour at Dumaguete City

 

It was a fine Sunday morning when I arrived at the port from Siquijor. I walked by the bay passing the good old Silliman University, city’s largest university that occupies the northern part.

Silliman University seen from Dumaguete Bay

Silliman Gate Markers at Hibbard Avenue

Silliman Chapel

You can see the oldest building within it near the port: Silliman Hall or officially known as Silliman Anthropology Museum. It has an exhibit of artifacts and archaeological findings, some dating 2,000 years and an ethnographic collection from minority tribes in the Philippines. Silliman Hall is in itself a cultural relic of old America.

Next stop is the Rizal Boulevard named after our national hero, who came from exile in Dapitan, had a stopover here to operate the eye of former head of Negros Occidental.

A landmark at one part of the boulevard is the marker where Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres landed at the bay to establish the first educational and medical institutions in the city.

Walking towards the cathedral is the Quezon Park celebrating its centennial, graced by Rizal monument.

Nearby is the city hall flanked by central schools, which has a colonial stone house motif.


Across the Quezon Park are the two famous landmarks of the city:

The Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish known as Dumaguete Cathedral is the flagship Catholic church within the city. Regarded as the oldest stone church in Negros, it was originally built in 1754 with coral stones like in Siquijor churches. The reconstruction started in 1585 up to 1936. Nowadays, many modern renovations have been incorporated in the interior and exterior of the church.

The most famous landmark is the Campanario de Dumaguete or simply the bell tower located a few meters away from the cathedral. It was initially built in 1811 as a lookout to forewarn locals of any incoming danger brought about by Muslim pirates. This is the oldest bell tower in the Visayas. Hence, its name was derived from Cebuano word dumagit meaning "to snatch".

Famished after the day’s walk, I took at hot cup of milk at a painitan (breakfast stall) within the public market and bought some budbod kabog (rolled millet rice cakes), a famous delicacy from Tanjay City.

Before leaving Dumaguete, my trip won’t be complete without tasting their famous desserts: sans rival and silvana served at Sans Rival Bistro. The café is already packed with patrons lining up to take home these sweet treats.

I took a quick lunch from the main branch of Jo’s Chicken Inato, a famous chicken barbecue chain that originated here in Dumaguete.

'Til next time Dumaguete! (n_n)

NEXT: NEGROS ORIENTAL: Foodtrip and Pasalubong

Jaro District's Old Neighbourhood

The largest among the seven districts of Iloilo City, Jaro is tucked between two rivers, Dungon Creek and Jaro River. During the colonial period, affluent Spanish-Filipino families built residences here out of their fortune from foreign trade and sugar plantations. Hence, it was dubbed as "The Mestizo District of Iloilo”. 

It is a common Spanish town layout that a church, town hall, government buildings and rich family mansions live in poblacion or town center. Ledesma, Lopez, Montinola, Javellana, Hofileña and Jalandoni are some household names within the area, so as the mansions they used to own.

Old photo of the Jaro Cathedral. (Photo credits to John Tewell)

Jaro has a concentration of elite families and thus became the ecclesiastical capital of Western Visayas with establishment of Archdiocese of Jaro. The European-inspired Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Parish or Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles is located across the main plaza. The miraculous image of Our Lady of Candles was said to be growing so its shrine was placed at the upper part of cathedral’s main façade.

The lofty Jaro Belfry’s location was unusual as the setup is usually seen Ilocandia, standing few meters away from the church. Main reason was probably the tower served as a sentinel to guard the town from marauding pirates.

The Lopez Mansion, also known as Nelly’s Garden is considered as the Queen of all mansions in Iloilo. Built in 1928 by Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and Elena Hofileña y Javellana. The mansion was named after the couple's eldest daughter, Nelly Lopez y Hofileña

 

Sanson-Montinola Antillan House is reminiscent of the Gaston house in Silay City, Negros Occidental. Owned by Don Gregorio Montinola y Lozada and Doña Matilde Jalandoni y Habana, It was built at around the turn of the 20th century.

Montinola-Jalandoni Mansion was built in 1928 by Rodrigo Araneta Montinola and Feliza Jalandoni. It is neary Wawa Heritage Restaurant.

Ledesma Mansion was first owned by Rosario Lopez Javelona and her husband Don Luis Ledesma.

 

Lopez-Vito Mansion has the ground floor now a bank (Isla Bank) while the upper quarters are closed throughout the year. The windows however are flung open every February 2, when Jaro celebrates the feast of our Lady of Candles.

Arguelles-Jalandoni Mansion located near Jaro plaza used to be a private residence building of the late Doña Agatona Arguelles Jalandoni and presently owned by Mr. Carlos Jalandoni. The first floor was turned to commercial spaces.

Tienda Antigua on the corner of Benedicto Street, used to be an antique shop offering interesting finds like, furnitures, lamps, religious art sculptures and more. Now, it is for sale.

Lizares Mansion, it was once the mansion of the Lizares family, built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife Conchita Gamboa, but was now turned into a school, Angelicum School Iloilo.

 

The flagship pasalubong store of Iloilo, Biscocho Haus, has its main branch here. I had my Pancit Efuven fix here, and bought some delicacies such as butterscotch and biscocho before going back to the airport.

Good thing they preserved some of the grandiose mansions turned to museums, such as Nelly's Garden and Casa Mariquit. Someday, I'll pay visit to them and have foodtrip on its old bakeries and heritage restaurants.