Category: Visayas
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Rau-Ram Cafe is a Piece of Saigon in Bacolod City
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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…
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Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation: Nature in the City
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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…
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Things To Catch at the Panaad sa Negros Festival at Night
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The Panaad sa Negros 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…
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Flavorful Paella Match
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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…
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A Nostalgic Visit to Sta. Fe, Bacolod’s Iconic Resort
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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…
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Cafe Uma and Trattoria Uma: Serving Good Food in Bacolod
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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.…
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Eco-journeys and Environmental Education for Sustainability
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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…
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Iloilo City: A Neighbor Across the Seas Beckons
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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…
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15 Reasons to Have More Fun in the Philippines
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Although the campaign, Visit the Philippines, 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 is why I pore myself reading…
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The best of Negros at the SMX launch
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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…
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First-time in Fresh Start Organic Farm in Talisay City
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In some grocery stores in Bacolod City, you will find some 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…
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Peñalosa Farms: Discovering the Heart of Farm Tourism
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There are places that simply let you admire the scenery. Then there are places that quietly change the way you look at life. Peñalosa Farms in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, belongs to the latter. What began as an ordinary morning drive from Bacolod City soon turned into one of the…
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Organic produce at the Negros First-Army Wellness Farm
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What began as a simple trip to Camp Nelson Gerona in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, unexpectedly turned into a memorable encounter with organic farming in Negros Occidental. Our group had traveled there to help organize a medical mission, and naturally, we expected to spend the day serving the community before heading…
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Have you been to an Organic Farmers Festival?
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I must admit, having been away from my hometown for two decades made me miss on so many events and happenings. I was curious about a post I read in one of my Facebook groups. It was about the Organic Farmers Festival that will be taking place on November 19…
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The colors of Masskara Festival 2014
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“I’ll take you back to the old days and I’ll sing the songs once you’ll all remember so come and sing along (come on everybody)” This was the Latin beat of medley songs of Trini Lopez that has always embedded in my memory of the Masskara Festival I knew. I…