As I round the
bend on my last lap of jogging, I stopped momentarily to savor the
early morning scene around me. Magnificent. Through the mist over
the Mindanao Sea, I could see the southern tip of Cebu island and
much nearer, the island of Siquijor. The sun has just started to break
and it wasn't hot on the skin yet. Down below, clear and salty- smelling
waters splashed noisily against the cement breakwater, sometimes with
a school of fish swimming nearby. It was a scene to which regular
joggers and walkers seem unmindful of, but which I found refreshing.
One or two Western tourists take advantage of the morning sun to bask
on the bench facing the waters and read the papers. Further on, several
ships load on the pier while a little later, one can see the early
morning flights to the city appearing briefly from the clouds only
to disappear into the trees as it circles down to land in the airport
just outside the city.
I am in Dumaguete
City, my mother's acknowledged hometown, jogging or rather brisk walking
on its famous boulevard. While I came here primarily to attend an
aunt's wake and funeral, I was also taking advantage to know the place
- a place I have only visited three times in my life (including this
last one), and yet already feels close to my heart - like as if I
have always belonged to it, like I was coming home.
Dumaguete City
is the capital of Negros Oriental and sits on the southeastern coast
of the province. The people speaks Cebuano as opposed to the Ilonggo
speakers of the opposite side of the island, Negros Occidental. To
outsiders, it is known as a university town, the site of Silliman
University, a charming tree-lined campus founded by American protestant
missionaries in 1901. Initially, it was only open to boys but as the
institute grew larger, girls were admitted. Students come from all
over the country. It hosts a number of established programs and one
of the notable is the Marine Conservation and Development Program,
which maintains the famous ecological marine park, Apo Reef. The university
is also the home of the well-renowned annual Silliman national writers
workshop. An anthropology museum houses extensive collection of artifacts
dating back to the 18th century.
The city is referred to as the city of gentle people. Whatever the
basis for this, the reputation must have extended to foreigners as
well as one always notices a sprinkling of tourists around the city.
The economy of
Dumaguete is basically agricultural and fishery-based. Its major products
are sugar, corn coconut, abaca, rice, root crops, fruits, vegetables
and tobacco. Marine products include fish, squid, oysters, shrimps,
prawns and mussels. Meanwhile, with its fine beaches and generally
good destination image, tourism is regarded as a potential industry.
One striking characteristic
of the city is the unusual number of motorcycles as a popular means
of private transport. Riders are not just males but an equal number
are females -- young and old, including grandmothers. A cousin claims
Dumaguete is the motorcycle capital of the Philippines and it could
very well be true.
Dumaguete is not a big city, measuring only 3,551 hectares, of which
945 hectares remain agricultural. But it has a clean and green ambience.
The sea is generally clean, not foul-smelling, even at the well-visited
promenade: the boulevard. Life is simple. Majority of the people are
employed in farming, fishing, pottery making, cottage industries,
footwear manufacture, weaving, RTW, and food processing. The city
center features major facilities like banks, travel offices, a well-stocked
public market, restaurants, inns and hotels, boutiques, malls, etc.
Lately, Manila-based fast foods have also invaded the city.
There are so many places I haven't been able to visit. But I did enjoy
my short stay in the city, despite the purpose why we went in the
first place. I know I need to visit not just one more time, but many
more times. I need to catch up on lost time getting acquainted with
relatives, brushing up on my Cebuano, and getting on with my romance
with the city.
