Buklod sa Dapitan

I was blog hopping when I saw Flisha's post about the new site for Dapitan City. Buklod sa Dapitan is a website of a travel agency for tourist who would like to visit my hometown Dapitan. The website is pretty simple but it is very informative as it shows the prime toursit spots of the city as well as a guide to get to Dapitan.

Christmas time and the Handuraw Festival is coming soon and most hotels and pension houses will be fully book. I suggest you book your visit early to avoid the hassle and enjoy the beautiful and historic Dapitan.
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Kinabayo Festival 2008

I just came from a 3-day vacation from Dapitan City, which is also known as the Shrine City of the South. Last July 25, 2008, Dapitan celebrated its annual Kinabayo Festival as part of the Feast of Señor Santiago or St. James.

Kinabayo Festival is a colorful celebration re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish wars, mainly the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their last stand against Saracan. They were able to overturn the tide through the miraculous spirit of St. James. The addition of local color and modernism has made this annual celebration a popular attraction which brings thousands of tourists to the Dapitan City.

The Festival was highlighted by a street dance and showdown which were participated by 3 teams. Barangay Bagting of Dapitan City bagged the grand prize.

Enjoy my pictures of the Festival Dance showdown held in Jose Rizal Memorial State College last July 25.

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December 2007 Dapitan Tour Guiding

Last Christmas, two (2) of my students from Zamboanga City visited Dapitan City. Since I was at home during the holidays, I volunteered to tour them around the city. Jet is from Dipolog City so she has been to some of the places. On the other hand, Franz who is originally from Manila had a great time since it was her first time in Dapitan.

Our first stop was the Rizal Park. During the 4-year exile of Jose Rizal in Dapitan City, he was able to buy this property when he won in a lottery. In this area, he was able to built a clinic, a school and a home.

Our next stop was the St. James Parish Church which was built by the Jesuits in 1883 during the Spanish period in the Philippines by the Jesuits. The church symbolizes the early Christianization of Dapitan. It still looks the same as the building where Rizal heard mass. Jet and Franz had the opportunity of climbing the "veranda" to be able to see the top view of the church interior.

Right across the church is the relief map of Mindanao which is another landmark in the city. The visitors were able to trace the path they took from Zamboanga City to Dapitan City. The map is part of the City Plaza which Rizal helped designed. In fact, some of the trees that Rizal planted are still standing in the plaza. I also showed them the Dapitan City Cultural and Multi-Purpose Center. During our visit, carpenters were preparing the stage for the Mutya ng Handuraw search.

A few meters from the city plaza are the Spanish style houses. I took them at the ancestral home of the Adaza's which serves as a satellite office of the Department of Tourism for Region IX.

Our next stop was the Gloria de Dapitan which a commercial and recreational complex. We rode on a tricycle going to Gloria. Franz was amazed with how much the tricycle ride costs. In Dapitan, the tricy fare is only PhP6 within the city proper. It is very cheap compared with the tricy ride in Zamboanga.

It was unfortunate that we went to Gloria de Dapitan during day time when many of the shops and establishments were closed. Therefore, I just toured them around the complex and took souvenir pictures.

Our last destination before heading back to our house is the Rotonda in Lawaan wherein a big galleon was constructed. In my last post, I mentioned that the galleon was constructed for the Christmas. I made an erratum because it was actually built for the Handuraw Festival celebration.

After the tour, we went back to our house to rest for a while. Jet and Franz headed to Dipolog for another adventure during the holidays. :) Read more...

The Relief Map of Mindanao

When going to Dapitan City, one should not miss to visit the relief map of Mindanao which is just across the St. James Church. The map has a total land area of roughly 900 square meters done by Dr. Jose Rizal with the assistance of Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez, S.J. It was intended as a motivating device for teaching history and geography to townsfolk.


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2nd Handuraw Festival

Dapitan City is again celebrating its Handuraw Festival. Handuraw Festival aims to remember the life of Dr. Jose Rizal's life while being exiled in Dapitan from 1892-1896. Unfortunately, I have scheduled commitments during the said celebration so I cannot get some photos and footage of the events. However, if your near Dapitan, try to join the events. Below is the schedule of events:

Day 1 (Thursday, December 27) - Registration of participants of the seminar/workshop Reaffirming the Teachings of Rizal's Virtues and Idealism;
Opening Parade - Parade of Floats on the Legacies of Dr. Rizal in Dapitan;
Opening Programs of Handuraw 2007; Opening Program of Seminar Workshop; Launching of the Book "The Dapitan Correspondence of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt" Compiler: Former Congressman Romeo G. Jalosjos; Opening of the Booths of 'The 10 Anchor Destinations' ( One Barangay, One Product);
Opening of the Visual Arts Exhibit;
Start of the On the Spot Painting Lecture on "Rizal as an Artist" Lecturer: Mr. Christopher A. Rollo of the National Commission of Culture and Arts;
Mutya sa Handuraw 2007;

Day 2 (Friday, December 28) - Continuation of the Seminar/ Workshop; Dr. Jose Rizal In Dapitan;
Fluvial Parade;
Chorale & Rondalla Contest;

Day 3 (Saturday December 29) - Closing Program Seminar/Workshop;
Display of Paintings;
Street Dancing;
Showdown; Balak;
Initiation of New Members of the Knights of Rizal;
Fireworks. Read more...

Dapitan's Preparation for Christmas

This picture was taken during my recent trip to Dapitan City. The City Goverment of Dapitan started decorating the place in preparation for the Christmas season. A lot of local and foreign tourists are expected to visit the city in December. In a rotonda in Lawaan, they constructed a huge replica of a galleon. When this picture was taken, the carpenters were still finishing the construction. I assume that this galleon is already finished and lighted. In my next trip back to Dapitan, I will post a picture of the finished galleon.

PS: The galleon is only several meters away from our house. :) Read more...

Almost 15-Hour Ride: Dapitan City to Zamboanga City via Ozamis and Zamboanga del Sur

I agreed to serve as an examiner for the entrance examination for Ateneo de Zamboanga University. For this trip, I had to travel from Zamboanga to Dapitan (my hometown) and conduct an exam in Dipolog last November 19, 2007. After a day, I had to go to Molave, Zamboanga del Sur for another set of exam.

Since it was my first time to go to Molave. Let me take you to my trip to the friendly municipality in Zamboanga del Sur.

5:00 AM- The Sergio Osmeña route was nearer to Molave, yet it is dangerous as it is prone to landslides. Due to the continuous pouring of rain in the region for days now, I was forced to take the Ozamis route to go to the Municipality of Molave. Since the bus for Ozamis passes by Dapitan, I just waited along the road near our house.

8:00 AM- I arrived in Ozamis City. My impression about the place is good. I liked the wide streets and big bus terminal.

I was anxious since I was already late for the Entrance Exam in Molave and I was informed that the examinees were already waiting.

9:45AM- I arrived in Molave and rushed to Molave Vocational Technical School. Tricycles are not popular in the place. Therefore, I was forced to ride a "sikad-sikad" which is a cart attached on a bicycle. I was very apologetic when I arrived at the testing site. Fortunately, the test coordinators and examinees understood the situation.

12:45 PM- The Entrance Test was finished and I rushed to a nearby restaurant to take my "brunch". After taking a meal, I immediately went to the bus station. I wished I could have more time to spend in Molave. My first impression about the place is good. There are a lot of business establishments in the place and it looks progressive and it maintains to protect its environment. I was already heading back to Zamboanga City. This time, I decided to take the Pagadian route as advised by the staff of the transit. During my ride to Pagadian City, I observed that a lot of schools in the Zamboanga del Sur embrace the concept of a "Child-Friendly Environment" (CFE). I was reminded of a video documentary I edited for DSWD. I haven't seen any other province in the region who takes the CFE program seriously.

3:00 PM- I arrived in Pagadian City. I was amazed with their tricycles. It was my first time to see a tricycle cart that is so inclined as if it faces the sky. :) I was informed that their tricycles are designed in that way because Pagadian is a plateau.

4:00 PM - I boarded in a bus going to the Municipality of Ipil. Most of the time, I was asleep. The bus stopped over a certain place for dinner. I didn't have the appetite to take a meal but went down the bus to pee. Unfortunately, I stepped on a mud pile which I thought was a wet rock. I had to clean my mud-soaked shoe.

8:00 PM- I arrived in Ipil and transfered to a bus going to Zamboanga. I ate 2 boiled eggs. Again, I was asleep most of the time.

11:30 PM- I finally arrived in Zamboanga City.

One thing I didn't like about the travel is the quality of restrooms that are provided by the bus terminals. The PhP2 to PhP3 fee that they ask is not worthy. All of the restrooms that I was able to used are very dirty and stinky. Another thing is the implementation of the No Smoking policy of the bus company. The staff of the transit allows passengers to smoke on board their bus. Hopefully, these problems can be solved to provided customers a better experience. :) However, in general, I enjoyed the ride as it gave me a lot of firsts. Read more...

I'm going HOME

In less than 5 hours from now, I will be going home to my hometown, Dapitan City. I'll be casting my vote for the Barangay Election on October 29. Aside from that, it is time to relax and be with my family. Hope you will also have an enjoyable and fruitful holidays. :) Read more...

Dapitan City's Old and New Architecture

If you are looking for a place to reminisce the past but at the same time enjoy modern amenities, I recommend you to visit my hometown, Dapitan City.

Around the City Plaza are structures that were preserved to give tourists a feel of the Spanish era. St. James Parish church which was built in the 18th century still bears the original architectural design. Several ancestral houses are also commissioned by the City Tourism to be preserved.

At the City's boulevard, which is around 10 minutes away from the City plaza (and around 2 minutes away from our house) is an entertainment complex that has a modern cockpit arena, restaurants, video arcade, bowling alley, carnival and clubs. Local and foreign tourists can enjoy their night by hanging out in this area.

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