With the prolonged quarantine status across the country, frequent travelers have been itching for the so-called revenge travel, where they can indulge in their pre-pandemic lifestyle, and perhaps splurge to make up for lost time. And despite going through the gauntlet just to fly, travel-starved wanderers would go to great lengths to make the proverbial Great Escape.
One domestic destination where you can go with relative ease is Dumaguete, the provincial capital of Negros Oriental, which also goes by the moniker “City of Gentle People”.
From a negative RT-PCR test result and an online S-Pass from the city government, you make a gentle escape into one of the lowest-risk areas in the archipelago.
Known for its blend of Old World charm and tempered modern lifestyle, it is a sought-after getaway for locals and foreigners alike who have been smitten by its allure and warm people.
With a number of prominent schools, tree-lined roads, and laid-back ambiance, it is an education hub conducive for learning. The sprawling American-era Silliman University, recognized as among the best institutions in the central archipelago, is also an iconic attraction with its period structures, vast greeneries, museum, galleries, and a host of interesting stuff inside this educational enclave.
The postcard-pretty Rizal Boulevard is the city’s show window where recreational and sports activities, and ordinary daily activities unfold. The 780-meter road is dotted with ancestral homes which have found a new lease on life as boutique hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and commercial establishments.
This historic strip is where Dr. Jose Rizal in 1896 temporarily docked after his exile in Dapitan, and where missionary nuns of St. Paul of Chartres landed in 1904 to establish the St. Paul schools.
Not to be missed at the bayside boulevard is the Panilongon commemorative monument which was unveiled last May to mark the 500th anniversary of the Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation, which passed by Dumaguete’s waters in 1521 after their debacle in Mactan. Standing prominently at a reclaimed 2-hectare park, it is punctuated by a galleon-themed design and is perhaps the prettiest among the quincentennial markers of the epic expedition.
True to its gentle character, the city was named by the Philippine Retirement Authority as a retiree-friendly area having met United Nations and the World Health Organization standards.
In preserving its eclectic allure, the local government is advocating the preservation and adaptive reuse of old houses and edifices, and has formed a heritage council to oversee this program. As an example, it recently restored its circa-1930s Juan Arellano-designed city hall, into a branch of the National Museum.
Given its small land area, it is ideal to explore the city on two wheels so you can appreciate it at a gentle pace. Beyond the city limits, it is an equally gentle and pleasurable drive in exploring Negros Oriental’s natural wonders—lush forests, mountain resorts, majestic waterfalls, powdery beaches and islands, placid lakes, and biodiversity-rich dive sites.
Golfers can play an exciting game at the scenic 18-hole Youichi Nagato-designed golf course situated in the uplands of Sibulan town. You can also hit the sack at the star-rated Bravo Hotel which has artsy rooms with abstract paintings, 3 swimming pools, a firing range, and an intimate restaurant and bar.
As a foodie destination, you can feast on Dumaguete’s wide array of dishes from the budbud, the local edition version of the suman, “tusok-tusok” street food, traditional Visayan delicacies, home-grown delights, fusion cuisine, and international fare cooked by foreign nationals themselves.
But what makes the city more exciting is its planned 174-hectare global township project which will house a mixed-use business park with a bevy of lifestyle and recreational centers, public buildings, medical and wellness tourism facilities, shops, and landscaped greeneries.
To be built under a public-private partnership scheme, it is envisioned to be a smart city showcasing earth-friendly building systems and technologies suited for world-class communities. Once completed in the next few years, Dumaguete will emerge as a new economic zone in the country’s southern regions.
With all these exciting features and more, your gentle escape to the City of Gentle People may yet be your greatest revenge travel and most perfect drive in these extraordinary times.
