dumaguete city

rizal boulevard in dumaguete city is a 780-meter strip of wide beachfront promenade. this was one of the first places i've visited while i was in dumaguete. my friend, dave, used to live here and now he is currently working in cebu island.

october 22. we arrived in dumaguete city at 3:30am. we were so tired that day. good thing that the dumaguete lodging house is only a 5 minute walk from the ceres bus terminal. we were so not in the mood to be nice to the attendants, all of them were males. i’m not sure if we came in such a bad time or if it was just our fate because the building was currently under renovation. our room had no window, it smells like tarnish, it was so hot, and it only has a common bathroom. we had no time to argue so we took the room and slept right away. i woke up at 7am and i was sweating like a pig. i got up right away and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

we went to the dumaguete public market building 3 and looked for a barbershop to get my head shaved. there i met a very nice and friendly barber. let’s call him john for that’s the name i saw on his seat. too bad i forgot to ask to have our pictures together as a souvenir. afterwhich, we took pictures of the silliman university, founded 1901, is a vast 60 hectare land, which also happens to be the largest university in the entire visayas region. also within its grounds, it has the ethno-anthropology museum which contains a wide array of ancient artifacts, archaelogical findings and ethnographical collections. we also took pictures of other landmarks like saint catherine of alexandria church, quezon park, rizal boulevard, and the city’s only belfry.

st. catherine of alexandria cathedral, 1811

dumaguete belfry

bell tower of st. catherine of alexandria cathedral was constructed in 1811. other than informing townsfolk of daily mass schedules, it also served as a watchtower for forthcoming attacks by aggressors. dumaguete belfry was restored in 1985 and since then has become a very popular landmark. a garden now surrounds the tower and a grotto of the virgin mary stands erect near the base.

tricycle is the cheapest and most accesible way of transportation in dumaguete. one can also rent a motorcycle for only php20 an hour within the city only.

the seven sisters of saint paul of charters landed on the philippine island on october 29, 1904 and were joyously welcomed by the people of dumaguete. they came at the invitation of bishop frederick z. rooker of the diocese of jaro, to which the island of negros belonged. saint paul academy of dumaguete was then established.

rizal boulevard is like dumaguete's version of baywalk, only it is cleaner and the sea breeze is fresher. this is also the best place both for fancy and cheap food. it is a popular spot for family picnics and other outdoor activities. on sundays, you can usually find revelers seated cross legged on the grass around their spread of food. children have their time of day running around or clam digging on the seashore during low tides.

if you feel a little seasick from hanging out to much in rizal boulevard, one can also hang out in quezon park, where you can see locals, especially students resting during late afternoons. it is located right across the saint catherine cathedral.

we got so hungry right after the photo shoot so we stopped by foodnet, a famous food place located along santa catalina street. their food is satisfactory and they also affordable. they have a wide array of food selection, and they even have desserts. foodnet is right infront of the boston market. at 11am, we went back to the lodging house, got our things, and went to the pier and rode a boat to the beautiful and enchanted island of siquijor, our next and also our final destination.