Di-ma-get-eh migration story

Filipinos migrating always astounds me. A Chavacano girl falls in love with a Tagalog and settles down, go fight win! The mom is transferred to Davao for a higher position, and the kids move with her after a few weeks of moping. A family traipses around the country, find a good spot, and move in, maleta and pet dog in tow.

Manileños become Boholnons at heart after vacationing for a week, Dabawenyos end up as Pampanggeñsos, Ilonggos and their charming accents charm Ilocanos. Much like Thomas Friedman’s signature “The world is flat” line, the Philippines is, apparently, becoming a flat country too, physically and emotionally.

I found myself in this particular situation when I ended up in the Visayas to study college. A Bicolana, born and bred with the sound of sizzling chili peppers in the background, I ventured to Dumaguete to study Mass Communication at Silliman University.

My first conversations started out like this: “O, bakit ang layo naman ng napadpad mo?” asked freshmen roommates who forced me to learn the local language because they didn’t want to speak Tagalog all the time. “My dad was a Sillimanian too,” I replied, with a little bow of apology for not understanding their sighs of unsa kuno or shrieks of laughter followed by something then akin to Chinese.

Over the course of my four years in college though, I not only managed to (ahem) perfect and/or fake my Bisaya skills, but I also fell in love with the place the university became synonymous with. Dumaguete, the city, merged with Silliman, the campus, and formed into a home I grew to love.

My intense love for Dumaguete is not isolated. If one Googles “I love Dumaguete”, there are more than a hundred hits of that phrase in weblogs, photo sharing sites, and websites. The cyber-fawning of a city that has a 400,000 daytime population (and a nighttime population half that number) does not even count the thousands of visitors that go there and end up going back.

In the August 2007 issue of Islands Magazine, which is circulated in the US, Dumaguete (Negros Oriental) was named one of the best islands to live in. Note the word “live” and not visit. I have personally toured a lot of visitors around the Silliman campus, the city and neighboring areas, and they all just gush over the city, regardless of the heat, regardless of the bus breaking down. I end up beaming with pride—me, the Dumaguete implant.

For those who haven’t been there, let me tell you why.

Monte and mar

Meaning mountain and sea, Montemar (also the residence of National Artist for Literature Edith Tiempo in the town of Sibulan) is one of the appealing features of Dumaguete.

The best place to sea-gaze is on the ledge of the Rizal Boulevard on a Sunday morning in the midst of 6am joggers. The gentle, rising sun shines on people picking up shellfish and playing at the beach during low tide. For the mountain—the magnificent Cuernos de Negros Mountains—that sight is best beheld at sunset, right in the middle of Freedom Park fronting the Provincial Capitol. The Grecian architecture with Ionic columns of the Capitol looks magnificent with the two “horns” of the Cuernos de Negros behind it.

Someone from the Cultural Center of the Philippines once said to me at the Luce Auditorium, “I’ve been hearing a lot about Dumaguete from my friends. But it’s only now that I visited that I understand. Kaya pala.”

Sandwiched in between this mountain and sea is the city, a seemingly small town that draws people in, hence the name daguit, ergo, Dumaguete. Every November 24-25 marks the city’s Charter Day and Fiesta celebrations.

Youthful joie de vivre in the city

With four universities, three colleges, and elementary and secondary schools, this average-sized city is brimming with young people. Their laughter and enthusiasm add to the overall city atmosphere, and help the local businesses.

After classes end at five, a friend’s typical student day starts at any of the Steds outlets in town, or coffee at Mamia’s or Noriter. He catches a P40 movie at Ever Theater, and eats Tuscan pork chop at Boston’s Café. Afterwards, he checks email at Kokonet, skateboards a bit on the deserted road near Amigo, then hitches a ride on another friend’s motorcycle to Escaño (a popular hang-out place with a sea wall). Here, he meets some friends for pizza and beer at Hayahay Treehouse and listens to special reggae or jazz performances.

If an all-nighter is pulled, which some happy-go-lucky youth are prone to do, he and a whole gaggle of revelers end up at the tiangge, with steaming cups of tsokolate and spoonfuls of puto in their hands, just as the flower vendors and fruit sellers bring out their wares. I myself have grown to love that early morning smell.

Nature’s home-base

Another thing I love about Dumaguete is its proximity to quality nature spots. It’s natural for Dumagueteños to see foreigners with bulky hiking backpacks, all set to head off to heart-pounding Casaroro Falls in Valencia, or the serene Twin Lakes of Balinsasayao in Sibulan, both approximately an hour away.

Water lovers flock to Apo Island in Dauin for that famed decades-old marine sanctuary or to Tañon Strait in Bais to watch dolphins swim right by the motorized banca. The mystical forests of Siquijor, as well the beautiful sunsets on its equally beautiful beaches, can also be reached with just one boat ride.

From the caves in Manjuyod, numerous beaches along Sibulan and the marine sanctuaries of Dauin, to the sand bars in Bais, all are within reach, within the budget. How utterly perfect is that?

The Charm and Culture

And to top it all off, there’s that small town charm. I remember that first plane ride to Dumaguete back in 2002 when I initially thought I was descending into the middle of nowhere. Shops close on Sundays and sometimes for noon too. But the huge tricycles, empty roads, whizzing Frisbees, and sprawling acacia trees grew on me. And I’m sure it will grow on anyone too.

Besides, with world-class performers like the UP Madrigal Singers, Lisa Macuja and Ballet Manila, Repertory Philippines and the “Tuesdays with Morrie” cast, the Bayanihan Dance Company, among many others, in Dumaguete’s auditoriums; and home-grown musicians, writers, and artists, the city is definitely rich in culture, in art, in life.

According to a friend now teaching in Iligan, “home” is anywhere one wants it to be. Despite the early language barrier, and costly trips to and from my birthplace, that place can only be Dumaguete for me. Visit for yourself, and you’ll get the reason why.

To go there:

If from Cebu, take a Ceres Bus to Santander, then a ferry to Sibulan which is ten minutes from Dumaguete. Ocean Fast Ferries also travels daily to Dumaguete from the pier. If from Manila, Cebu Pacific flies twice daily to Dumaguete.

Published in The Freeman November 30, 2008 issue