Taking a break

DUMAGUETE, Negros Oriental — I’ve always wanted to visit the place in search of old cars, but discovered a quaint little city at the bottom part of Negros Oriental that is probably one of those little known secret places that international tourists are only now beginning to discover. Prior to our visit, all I ever heard about Dumaguete is that it is a “University Town”, home to Siliman University and a jump off point for people who love to go dolphin and whale shark watching. During our brief stay it was quite common to see divers lugging their bags full of gear from the airport or see a bunch of them wearing diving shirts with the same “team” or brand logo coming out of mini buses. One large group had apparently come from Oslob, Cebu where they went diving with the Whale Sharks and then returned to sleep in Dumaguete.

 Within half an hour upon arriving we were already out on Rizal Avenue, which is the local equivalent of Manila’s Roxas Boulevard. Although shorter it is definitely cleaner, well maintained and tourists don’t get accosted here by beggars or con artists. People tend to just smile, check out how you dress and move on. Even at 5 in the morning while it was quite dark, the sea wall area was already hosting lots of joggers, strollers or folks waiting to watch the sun come up. The only time anyone approached us was when a mix race couple, an elderly Filipina and westerner asked us for recommendations for a place to stay. There are so many places to stay in Dumaguete and judging from the available choices and prices, things are still very affordable and generally well maintained.

What initially caught our eye was the noticeable number of foreign “white” tourists and retirees who have apparently adjusted to the local ways such as moving around in their own “service” such as motorcycles or “multicabs.” When Sunday morning came around the strip had rows of Harley Davidson riders mostly foreigners who were obviously taking a road trip or returning from one.  Most of the men generally sat in front of bars or restaurants taking in the harbor view and swaying palm trees. Later in the evening we would find more couples both foreign and local coming in for dinner at the many restaurants featuring different cultures and themes. From German, Italian, American, Chinese or Visayan “seafood cookout,” selection was clearly never an issue as well as prices. Whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner Dumaguete’s many dining outlets were up to par with the best in Metro Manila, thanks to the foreign influence as well as actual presence of chefs and foreign foodies. I’m certain I gained a few pounds from the short stay.

Judging from the airport traffic, the distances of destinations and the size of Silliman University, it would be safe to assume that Dumaguete is a “small town” compared to others, but that is what makes it an interesting place to roam. After a short stroll along the seawall in front of Rizal Avenue we turned to Silliman University where we found ourselves walking under giant acacia trees, taking photos of old wooden homes, admiring students catching a Frisbee on a grass covered amphitheater, and at the very end the Silliman University Church which reminded me of American style protestant churches.

Through the years I always had the impression that “Silliman” was a Visayas-Mindanao, perhaps Islamic influenced name. How wrong I was! The name Silliman comes from a New York gentleman named Horace Brinsmade Siliman. He was a philanthropist and active member of the Presbyterian Church in the United States who donated the seed money of $10,000 in 1901 to build Silliman Institute. Starting with an all boys elementary school and by the 10th year became a college and later qualified as a University in 1938. I learned via Wikipedia that Silliman University was the first American University in Asia, as well being a consistent top ranked University in the country and globally.

It is Silliman’s investment in Dumaguete that can be credited for producing many professionals who migrated to the United States and elsewhere, who’ve also supported families in the Philippines and are now finding their way back to retire or rebuild their ties here in Dumaguete or somewhere in the region. Over dinner, our “Tita” Ligaya Cunanan, who spent most of her life in the US as a nurse, told us that people who want to join Dumaguete’s Foundation Day have to make an advanced booking of one year for hotel rooms and service vehicles because so many people want to come home from the US, Canada and Middle East.

While our trip here is of a “touristy” nature, we witnessed something about the young people here that we found refreshing and endearing. While lulling about at coffee shop we noticed high school students entering a hotel all dressed up for what was clearly their High school prom night. The ladies came in shimmering and colorful gowns while the boys wore different styles of suits and jackets for the formal event. What struck us as unique was the fact that they all arrived at the hotel in tricycles, while one or two of the ladies came on board scooters driven by their Moms or elder sister. Only one girl arrived in a van.

It is nice to know that somehow they have remained practical and true to themselves as we all should be. This is why I love to travel, so people can teach me, remind me, and restore the real me. So if you haven’t yet made any vacation plans, you might want to consider a trip to Dumaguete for food and history, then take the short ferry to Liloan, Cebu and then a tricycle ride to the town of Oslob where there’s a wide selection of resorts and the now famous whale shark watching activity.

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