First-time in Panaad sa Negros Festival Part II

Going around the Panaad Park, visiting the booths of all 32 local government units can be a bit taxing, though entertaining. But I decided to write a separate blog for the towns and cities south of Bacolod, which I frequented when I was still a kid.

Bago City

Bago City is the home of Gen. Juan Araneta, one of Negros’ heroes who freed the island from Spanish rule. It was a monumental victory for the Negrenses because they attacked their conqueror using wood and native materials shaped like cannons and rifles. Which is why this said pseudo-cannon is one of the exhibit pieces at the Bago City booth.

Aside from Bago’s contribution to the province’s history as can be seen in its various museums, the city also boasts of beach and mountain resorts, the most popular being is the Buenos Aires Mountain Resort.

Murcia

I recently visited this town when I visited Mambukal. Murcia is home to many mountain resorts with Mambukal as one of the oldest and the most popular. This was reflected in their booth, featuring a 7- or 8-feet waterfalls and greenery. Since the factory of Tanduay distillery is located in this municipality, there were kegs of alcohol drinks exhibited in their booth.

Murcia also fires up the province with the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation facility.

Pulupandan

When I passed by the Pulupandan booth, I was invited by its tourism officers to join the dolphin watching activity with the media the day after. Too bad I was bound for Manila the day I visited the Panaad Park.

But I was really surprised to learn that Pulupandan has bird watching and dolphin watching activities. Yes, the municipality is a bustling seaport and I thought it is just a fishing hub of the province. Pulupandan is also the nearest point of Negros to the Guimaras Strait. It is good to hear that they have attractions like these and I hope to experience these in Pulupandan on my next return.

Valladolid

Valladolid is one of my favourite part of my journey toward Southern Negros. This is the point when I get to see Guimaras Island and Guimaras Strait. This is one of the earliest municipalities of Negros since the Spanish time.

Having so much arable land, Valladolid is also rich in agriculture and fishing. Its booth displayed fruits and vegetables as well as some yummy oysters! Its booth featured the Lady of Guadalupe to symbolize the Valladolid Church, which is said to be the biggest in the province.

San Enrique

Little did I know that San Enrique has so many beach resorts. It is also where the Barangay Tibsoc Wetland is found. So when I entered the San Enrique booth, which shaped like a modern nipa hut, I was greeted by two mannequins with bird costumes. They also displayed local products, particularly some mushrooms which can be cultivated.

Pontevedra

Pontevedra’s booth is a modern two-storey structure with a rooftop terrace. The booth showcased native household items and food products. No wonder it has been unofficially dubbed as “The Food Growth Center of Negros Occidental”.

Pontevedra also has many beach resorts, like its neighbouring municipalities. It also hosts the Gallera de Pontevedra, one of the biggest cockfighting arenas in the country. Whenever I pass by Pontevedra, the Sugbahan sa Punong (Fish Pond Grill) always catch my eye, which is also a great stopover for many travellers.

La Carlota City

I’ve stayed in La Carlota City for a few days in high school when we had an inter-school with other La Consolacion colleges and schools in the Visayas. The city is known for producing one of the sweetest sugar canes in the province. Its steam locomotives called “Iron Dinosaurs” and the Muscovado Sugar Mill Brick Chimneys are icons of the city.

The Guintubdan Visitor’s Pavilion and Garden is one of the favourite nature park destinations in the city because of its waterfalls. The booth mirrors this attraction with a man-made waterfall and several plants placed around the open-air and glass booth.

La Castellana

I have always wondered why I pass by La Castellana going to my mother’s hometown, Moises Padilla, and then I’ll pass by it again on the way to Negros Oriental. It’s because the town’s boundaries are Moises Padilla and Kanlaon City. We go to La Castellana to swim at the Caduhada Spring Resort. Apparently, this is not just the only spring resort in the municipality.

There are also waterfalls and caves found in La Castellana. The Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park Administration Center, one of the surviving man-made forests in the province, is located in this town. The booth featured many plants but their structure was still being designed at that time.

Moises Padilla

This is my mother’s hometown. The gigantic structure of the carabao marked the booth of Moises Padilla. To our surprise, my uncle’s life-size figure, as the town’s present Vice Mayor (Cipriano Remo, Jr.) during that time, and that of the Mayor stood at the mouth of the carabao-shaped booth.

It is dubbed as the “Livestock Capital” of the province, thus, the water buffalo as its symbol. Behind my uncle’s residence is a few-minute walk to Kaitulari Mountain Resort, one of the attractions of the town. Moises Padilla, which was earlier called Magallon and the old name is still being used by residents, was named after a mayoral candidate who was brutally killed and generated so much media mileage.

Isabela

Isabela is where one of my aunties is living. Their business, a funeral home, prospered in this town. During the Panaad Festival, the town borrowed one of their coffins to be placed in the booth. Sounds creepy? It is because Isabela’s main festival is the Tigkalalag, which is also the Negrense’s term for All Soul’s Day, celebrated every November 2.

The booth also has a cross right at its front lawn to symbolize Glory Hill where a huge white cross was built. Every time we pass by Isabela, we would always look for the cross on the hill, which is visible along the highway.

Hinigaran

We sometimes make a stopover at Hinigaran on the way to the southern part of Negros because of the beaches. But more so, we stop by Hinigaran because of its oysters. Surprisingly, there was no oyster in sight at their booth. Other attractions of this town are its old churches, of Romanesque architecture, and the long bridge, called Senator Esperidion Guanco Bridge.

Binalbagan

For a few years, Binalbagan was home to my family when my father worked at the sugar factory called BISCOM (Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company). It is considered as one of the biggest and the oldest sugar mill in the province. It is indeed a landmark for travellers on the road towards the south of the province. When my father worked here as a consultant to the company, which was already managed by singer-songwriter-businessman Jose Mari Chan, we were allotted one of the housing units in the compound, which was huge.

The booth featured the local products such as vegetables and sugar. The booth was even undergoing expansion when we visited it, a sign that the town is also progressing.

Himamaylan City

For some time, Himamaylan City was the capital of the province during the Spanish rule. This is evidenced by the Spanish fortress built in this southern city. It was also a stronghold during World War II with the Japanese occupation. Its booth is a bungalow type structure with an open space eatery.

Kabankalan City

My parents met and became a couple when they were working in Kabankalan City. I grew up in the mountainous region of this city, which was then only a municipality. My aunt, who lives in Cauayan, also brought me to this city to shop around its market.

Because the city celebrates Sinulog Festival, similar to Cebu, it has placed mannequins with Sinulog costumes right at its entrance steps. It also has a giant structure of three persons holding a large stone. The Mag-aso Falls and Cave and the Udlom Cave are among the many places of interest in this southern city.

Ilog

Ilog got its name because it is surrounded by the longest river in the island. Ilog means “river” in Tagalog. It is a bit redundant to call it Ilog River. But did you know that Ilog was the first capital of the island and Siquijor? It used to be the biggest settlement, probably because of its proximity to the river, but progress seemed to have taken a bit faster at the north that the present capital is Bacolod City.

The town should have capitalized on its glory. The same could be said of its booth. There was little to see in its booth except for the eatery. It should have designed its booth based on its Dancalan Cave System which has three caves.

Cauayan

When we passed by Cauayan’s booth, which is shaped like a curved bamboo horizontally, we felt at home seeing a familiar face, a neighbour of my aunt. When I was a kid, I used to spend my summer vacation in Cauayan, at one of my mother’s sister, with her house built near the sea. We would always swim by the beach when we were there. I felt I almost grew up in this town because I’ve known a lot of people there when I was a kid, and I even participated in one of the children’s beauty pageants there. This is probably the southernmost town that I have reached, so far.

Cauayan, which came from the word “kawayan” or bamboo, has capitalized on the beauty of its beaches. Among its resorts is Punta Bulata, which, according to a British friend, is really beautiful. The amenities (and the price) match the standards of foreign guests. Another attraction is the Danjugan Island, which is managed by the Philippine Reefs and Rainforests Conservation Foundation, Inc. A former colleague is a trustee of this foundation and I have been bugging her to send me to Danjugan Island so I can write about it. I hope to do it the next time I go home.

Candoni

I’ve heard of Candoni but knew little about it. I was even a bit confused to find “Tablas” on its booth, which was shaped like the root of a tree that was cut off. After further research, I learned that Candoni was the center of the Tabla Valley settlement. They cleared the valley and worked in the forest.

The Sit-an Cave is the main attraction in this southern municipality of Negros Occidental.

Sipalay City

I haven’t been to this city but I had some relatives who used to live here. Also, I’ve heard of the mines in this southernmost city in the Province. Philex Gold Mines and Maricalum Mines are among those found in Sipalay. But the booth exhibited shell and handicraft materials. Their exhibit featured the diving and beach resorts found in this city.

Hinoba-an

This is the last town in the south of the province. It is the gateway to Negros Oriental. Caves and beaches are also aplenty in this town. Their booth featured these beach resorts.

After I visited all the booths, I figured that there are so many places I can still explore in my own province. What excitement it would be to stay and swim in those beach resorts, trek and have an adventure at the mountain resorts and eco-parks, and visit the ancestral houses and old churches. Next time my friends egg me on to bring them to Negros Occidental, I have plenty of attractions to show them.