It was a satisfying Independence Day celebration for me this year. It seemed that it was a day that granted me freedom from hunger, to be specific. I might not be in nearby Iloilo City, a sea away from my hometown Bacolod, where the President of the Republic commemorated the event; nor was I in Kawit, …
There’s a new gourmet experience in town. Bacolod, known for its good food, has a new dining adventure to offer to both locals and visitors alike. It’s an open-air-dining-beneath-the-stars kind of night that makes eating more fun and alive. Metro Manila has many Mercato-type dining places. Even when I stayed overnight at MNL Hostel, there …
Sipping a hot soup of beef with rice noodles, cilantro and mint, I can’t help but allow a bowl of pho to transport me to the time when I was exploring the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, trying their local cuisine, and getting to familiarize the city that we have come to know as Saigon. …
I’m entering my 12th month as a returning resident of my hometown, Bacolod City, in Negros Occidental, Philippines. I’m beginning to feel as if it’s a long-term travel. There are still more roads to take, more food to try (yup, yup!), and more leaves to turn as I continue to explore my own backyard. I …
Read more “Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation: Nature in the City”
The Panaad Festival is the much-awaited event in the province of Negros Occidental. The Panaad Park and Stadium come alive whenever this festival is celebrated every April. The pavilions of the 13 cities and 19 towns of the province display the best of their respective places, from food to crops to handicrafts to tourist attractions. …
The last time I feasted on a paella, it was the Festival De La Paella Gigante held last August 2013 at the Casino Español de Manila where I had fun with friends watching how rice and other flavorful and colorful ingredients were cooked in a giant paellera by some of the best chefs in the land. I envied my friends …
It has been years, maybe a decade or more, since I last visited Sta. Fe resort. As I entered the now more modern look of the resort’s gate, my thoughts were flooded with childhood memories when we would head to their pools to cool off the summer heat. It is also where we bring family …
Read more “A Nostalgic Visit to Sta. Fe, Bacolod’s Iconic Resort”
When you’re in Negros Occidental, the “sugar bowl” of the Philippines, where vast sugarcane plantations meet your eyes as you hit the road, you’ll consistently encounter the word “uma” (with stress on the second syllable), which translates to “farm” or those areas that are often called “haciendas” by the locals. For me, “uma” is a …
It was the right call at the right time. A former colleague from the development industry gave me a ring one morning. “Claire, I’m in Bacolod!” she exclaimed. She was to attend the 8th International Conference and Scientific Meeting (ICSM) that was being held in Talisay City, the city north of Bacolod. A few hours before …
Old buildings and heritage houses, the sweet delicacies, the sweet-natured people, the sing-song language — there are so many things that Bacolod City shares with its neighbor across the seas, Iloilo City. And rightfully so. Many prominent families in Negros Occidental trace their roots in Iloilo. Through the years, residents of both cities frequent the other …
The first month of the year 2015 is a great kick-off for the Visit the Philippines Year. January is full of festivities, and religious celebrations, at that. Throngs of people were expected to gather in Manila for the Black Nazarene, in Cebu and Kabankalan for the Sinulog, in Iloilo for the Dinagyang, and in Aklan …
This is the Department of Tourism video of the Visit the Philippines Year 2015. Although the campaign was in 2015, every year is a reason to have more fun in my wonderful country, the Philippines. As a student of life where the world is my classroom, I always thirst for new things to unravel. That …
SMX Convention Center finally had its formal opening to set the stage for a more vibrant MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibition) sector in the province of Negros Occidental, particularly in the city of Bacolod. It was a launch like no other as locals and visitors from other cities and abroad had an experience showcasing the …
In some malls in Bacolod City you will find this store or area with neatly packed greens bearing the name Fresh Start filling a portion of the shelves. They even have organic soaps and personal care products, too! So, who would have thought that I’d be stepping on the very land where their fresh produce and raw …
It was a bright sunny morning when we drove from Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, the Philippines to nearby Victorias City. There were six of us online media partners of the 9th Negros Organic Farmers Festival that were given this exciting farm tour sponsored by Peñalosa Farms, Fresh Start Organic Farm, Negros Occidental Tourism Center, …