Siquijor - The Island of Fire

One of the smallest provinces in the Philippines, Siquijor has a total area of 343.5 square kilometers, and a population of 81,598 (as of 2007). Much like the rest of the country, Siquijor has the same tropical climate, with dry months from January to May. The island lies southeast of Cebu and the Negros Island, and southwest from Bohol.

One of its main tourism features is the newly launched “Island Butterfly Sanctuary” at Cabilao, Larena, Siquijor. It is a 200 square meter enclosure that houses around 20-25 species of butterflies. The sanctuary exhibits pupae, larvae, and live butterflies that have been produced by a Butterfly Garden in Cang-agong, which is owned by Dante Jumapit. The province island is popularly called or referred oftenly as the “Island of Fire,” or Isla del Fuego, as it was referred to by the Spaniards. This is due to the eerie glow that the island seemed to give off. Actually, the glow was a result of the swarms of fireflies that had populated the Molave trees on the island. Among the provinces of the Philippines, Siquijor has the reputation of being magical and mystical. It is said to be home to shamans, witches, sorcerers, and a place where magic potions and curses are concocted. Some Filipinos dare not stay overnight, but many of those who do, actually swear to have found great relaxation and most of them have loads of fun and an authentic vacation time on the island.

Siquijor has a number of gorgeous beaches that are mostly owned by locals. Due to its small size and location, the white sand beaches that surround Siquijor allow tourists to enjoy the vast coral reefs that are simply ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. One perfect getaway of note in the island is the Salagdoong Beach Resort with a few more grandiose resorts present and are very affordable to have a perfect stay.

The island is generally made up of hilly terrains, but it has awesome white rock formations which have been shaped by winds that course through the island. It also has six caves – most notable of these caves is Cantabon Cave – which has stalactites and stalagmites inside, as well as pools and tiny waterfalls. Island tours in the island often include spelunking and trekking. The lush greenery and undisturbed tropical forest boasts of springs and rivers as well as dense mangroves.

Much is to be discovered in the Province of Siquijor, and if you need more information on the province, Philippine tourism projects such as Walang Iwanan sa Bahay ni Juan and Paraiso Philippines (motto: Tourism Pinas 2009) will be a good place to start exploring. When you do, you are on your way to Experience Philippines.

Also, visit their official government website for more information about the Province of Siquijor.

A highly urbanized community in the province of Lanao del Norte in the Southern part of the Philippines. It is about 795 kilometers southeast of Manila and has a population count of 308,046 according to the National Statistics count of 2007.

This city got its nickname as The City of Waterfalls because of the presence of more or less 20 waterfalls that includes the majestic Maria Chritina Falls (Life of the City). Visitors can also enjoy the elegant beauty of Tinago Falls (translated as Hidden Falls ) because it is literally hidden in a deep ravine.The way that leads in going to and coming from the falls adds up to the thrill of being there as mountain trekking could be added as an additional destination experience . Some other accessible falls to visit are Mimbalut Falls, Limunsudan Falls and Hindang Falls.

Currently, Iligan City is composed of 44 Barangays with people from diverse cultures. Iliganons are mixture of Maranao and Cebuano with a minority number of cultural minorities which includes the Higaunons. Historically, Iligan City already existed during the 1500’s but only got noticed when it became one of the first Christianized community in the country especially in the south. The name Iligan is from the Higa-unon word “iligan” or “ilijan” which means “Fortress of Defense.” It became a fortress against the attacks of some hostile Mindanao tribes and pirates during those times.

Locals citizens and tourists alike will enjoy the beauty of nature in this place. Sightseeing is not the only activity anyone could enjoy while visiting, hiking, trekking the river beds, swimming, mountain climbing, and shopping as well. The weather is very mostly nice the whole year round so one can also enjoy the cold waters of Timoga Spring Pools which is very well known to have strings of pools along the highway that on peak season, all these places are packed with visitors. Adding more recreational destinations for residents and visitors, the Maze Park and Resort and also the Taytay Swimming Pool was opened to the public just recently.

Not just a fabulous place to spend a vacation but Iligan City houses several big industrial plants as well thus it is being tagged as the Industrial City of the South. These companies contributed a lot to the economy of this city with big sectarian and non-sectarian colleges and universities that caters to the educational needs of the city residents as well as many youths all over Mindanao and beyond its borders.

One of the places that visitors does not fail to visit while in Iligan City is the Chedings Peanuts store in Sabayle Street. They sell the famous Cheding Peanuts that every Iliganon or Filipino loves. A local store that gained its popularity that all local residents and visitors alike buys their local made peanuts or other Filipino sweet delicacies for personal consumption or be sent abroad.Also a popular take home item is the Sukang Pinakurat (local vinegar) that is relative to the name Iligan City in terms of popularity.

This article is an entry for a contest by Arlene Collado at the Paraiso Philippines Forum and was modified by one of our editors for publication.

Picture this: Crystal blue waters, cloudless skies, sugary pristine white sand beaches, cool breeze, and friendly people. Isn’t it enough to make you feel like lounging around and just get some good R&R ? I thought so.

The perfect place for lovers of sea, sky, and white sands is definitely Bais City and one of the component cities located in Negros Oriental at Central Visayas or Region VII, and it lies approximately 44.7 kilometers from Dumaguete City, the province’s capital. It spans a land area of 316.90 square kilometers, and is one of the places that have a series of haciendas.

One of the things that lures tourists to Bais City, aside from its Filipino old world charm is close proximity to the Tañon Strait, which is one of the Philippines’ protected marine sanctuary. It is because of this that Bais City offers dolphin and whale watching activities for both foreign and local tourists alike. Who would want to pass up a chance to get as close to nature’s wonderful creatures, and at the same time enjoy the blue waters and pristine sugary white sand ?

If in Bais City, it is always best to go on the dolphin and whale watching adventure, which starts with an exciting cruise out to Tañon Strait. The trip then enters the natural habitat of dolphin and whale species such as, bottle nose dolphins, long snouted spinner dolphins, melon headed whales, pygmy killer whales, dwarf sperm whales, and pan tropical spotted dolphins.

After the wonderful display of nature’s amazing gifts, the group moves on to the Manjuyod White Sand Bar where the boat stops for a couple of hours and the guests can eat and enjoy the water, sky, breeze, and the whole glorious environment. Should guests be so inclined, they can enjoy snorkeling, sunbathing, swimming, as well as scuba diving in the reefs close by. The usual escapade takes a whole day, starting from seven o’clock in the morning up to four o’clock in the afternoon. While the white sand beaches can be enjoyed all year round, the dolphin and whale watching seasons span from March to October. The rest of the year, the dolphins and whales are sparsely seen.

Not only does Bais City offer tourists and locals with the dolphin and whale watching adventure, but it also provides guests with a authentic delicious cuisine to taste, the pride of Negros. But come December, Bais City also showcases the province’s best display of Christmas Lights and Shows. In fact, it has become a ritual of locals all over the province to visit Bais City during Christmas time to see the glowing neon flashing lights with nice sights they have in store for everyone.

Article is an entry to a contest at Paraiso Philippines Forum contributed by Lorselle Ann Tecson aka Neverdainty  a native of Negros Oriental and a graduate of Silliman University.

Dumaguete City, The City of Gentle People, is the capital city of Oriental Negros (as it is now currently called) is part of Central Visayas (Region VII). Unfortunately, this little “University Town” is sometimes being overlooked and has gone unnoticed to others who don’t know about Silliman University, the first American school in Asia, established in 1901 by Dr. David S. Hibbard and Mrs. Laura Hibbard by way of the Philanthropist Horace B. Silliman, which the school is named after.

Dumaguete was coined from the local term “daguit” which means “to steal” or “to snatch” because it was said that Moro pirates came to the shores of Dumaguit and snatched away young ladies. As a testament to this story, the Bell Tower (Kampanaryo or Belfry) is still standing today. It is said that the Kampanaryo’s bells would chime an alarm to alert the locals that the pirates where approaching.

Many claimed that Dumaguete City was named the “City of Gentle People” by none other than Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine National Hero when he stayed for one night on his way to Dapitan City where he would spend his years of exile. Dumaguete has lived up to its reputation and is still known to be a hospitable city. The charming city boasts about its Boulevard which is quite picturesque especially at nighttime with various restaurants and sidewalk vendors dotting the place. Naturally, Dr. Jose Rizal himself fell in love with the Boulevard which was later named Rizal Boulevard in his honor. Despite its being a city and the capital of Oriental Negros, Dumaguete is relatively peaceful and it is quite safe to walk the whole Boulevard at night and enjoy the scenery.

Because of its reputation as a “University Town,” quite a number of restaurants dot the place. Despite a steady influx of restaurant chains, the local restaurants are still the best places to see and be seen. Dumaguete has a little bit of everything for anyone. If you fancy reggae music, Reggae Wednesday at Hayahay is the place to be, featuring a popular local band Enchi. If sports are your thing, Barefoot and Gimmik are popular hang-out spots. If you want to grab authentic Mexican food, Coco Amigos offers a wide range of Mexican dishes that are delicious. If disco is your thing, El Camino Blanco and The Music Box are the top picks. If you’re a pizza and beer person, Nevas serves authentic stone-fireplace-baked pizzas that are affordable and melt-in-your-mouth tasty. For beers, college students and other locals flock to El Amigo and some stop by Café Memento which serves the best Barako coffee and Chimichanggas ever. There is also Habhaban, an out-of-the-way restaurant that serves the best “silog” dishes at affordable prices. Manang Siony’s Tocino is also a local favorite and serves affordable barbecued tocino that is unique to the city. If that isn’t your thing, you can simply enjoy tempura, fish balls, kikiam, and balut (duck’s egg) by the Boulevard while being serenaded by Manong who brings his guitar and sheet music and plays for only a few pesos.

During November, the Sandurot Festival is celebrated in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria and Dumaguete’s charter day. With a month-long of activities that celebrate Dumaguete’s unique heritage and culture, the city is then alive with tourists and a few notable Filipino celebrities. Getting around Dumaguete is easy. Simply rent a motorcycle for the day and off you go exploring the little known streets and corners and experiencing Dumaguete on your own. There is much to discover in Dumaguete starting from the Anthropology Museum in the newly restored Silliman Hall to the crocodiles at the Silliman University Marine Lab, a renowned research facility in Asia. I have lived in Dumaguete City for 23 years and although it lacks the modern malls and the various restaurant chains, Dumaguete City has a unique charm all on its own and despite its laid back atmosphere; it is the only place I call home.

Article contributed by Ezrah Lasola-Tuble of Better Than Ezrah and a member of our Forum.

Considered one of the highly urbanized regions of the Republic of the Philippines, Central Visayas or Region 7 is composed of 4 provinces namely Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. The regional territory occupies a total geographic land area of approximately 14,850 square kilometers, with the province of Negros Oriental having the biggest at 5,500 then Cebu at 4,900 with Bohol at 4,800 and the smallest goes to Siquijor at 350 square kilometers respectively. According to the recent count of population statistics by the Bureau of Census there are 9.72 million inhabitants of the said combined provinces with bulk concentrated on the province of Cebu due to its highly urbanized city of Cebu City secondary to the capital of the Philippines in terms of economy.

A variety of language are spoken in the said provinces with Cebuano leading the pack for native speakers with Ilonggo or Hilagynon, Tagalog, English as secondary languages. In the Province of Bohol the term Cebuano is sometimes referred to as Boholano while Porohanon is spoken mainly in the town of Poro.

Transportation to these 4 provinces from Manila can only be accessed by sea and air transport. Cebu airport which has the most modern facility has the Mactan - Cebu International Airport with Negros Oriental’s Dumaguete City Airport in the town of Sibulan, which also has a popular view for eco tourism, Bohol Province has Tagbiliran City Airport while Siquijor have a small airstrip reachable from Dumaguete City at a 10 minute flight from smaller aircraft good for 4-6 passengers prized at 3000 Pesos per passenger. Inter island ferry is the most common and affordable form of transport throughout the region and the whole archipelago available 7 days a week with different hour schedules and prices vary from and to every destination per person.

The 4 islands that comprises Region 7 or Central Visayas has many wonderful travel destinations abundant in natural resources, eco tourism, white sandy beaches, fabulous resorts. Cebu City which is the capital of Cebu serves as the main business center of the whole Visayas Region. Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental still boast of being the right place to get higher degrees with its reference as the University Town of the Central Visayas with the attraction of dolphin and whale watching in its glittery bay. Tagbilaran City of Bohol remains place to stay when visiting the province due to its proximity to all the tourism spots that it offers especially the world renowned Chocolate Hills. Siquijor on the other hand boasts of its wildlife adventures, eco tourism, crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Annual colrful festival celebrations are the most visited on these part of the region with the Sinulog Festival (Cebu), the Buglasan Festival (Negros Oriental), Sandugo Festival (Bohol) and the Dilaab Festival (Siquijor) but there are more festivals or town fiestas celebrated and the mentioned are only the popular ones in these 4 provinces.