DUMAGUETE: STROLLING IN THE CITY OF GENTLE PEOPLE
Dumaguete, nicknamed "City of Gentle People", is the capital of Negros Oriental Province. The word Dumaguete was derived from the word "daggit" meaning to take away instantly according to some documentations. My wife asked me, why did you tagged Dumguete as city of gentle people?. Was it the only place you don't find any trouble with anybody?..Hehe! of course not! I am a very friendly person so there's no way I can get into trouble with anybody anywhere. She insisted why. I was cornered for I also, do not know why the city was nicknamed like that. Maybe because people here were friendly or hospitable which is a trait common to the most Filipinos. Maybe other people find the people of Dumaguete gentle because of the way they talk. Some say, dialect here are spoken gently that even if you are mad, the way you express your anger seems so gentle. And some other reason I dont know.
What is important is that people here seemed to embraced that nickname and uphold the word "gentle" on the way they treat others. It was also my impression when I first landed in this city. From the seaport I observed that people there, especially porters, never rush to to climb to newly dock seacraft. They wait until all passengers disembarked the vessel unlike what I observed on some other port on other cities. In some ports, It is like there's a trouble or an emergency because porters are climbing the vessel counter-flowing the disembarking passengers. They are like contestants in an amazing race, first to get on the boat wins, without considering the convenience and safety of the passengers.
As I am strolling along the boulevard, I also observed their "gentleness".
Dumaguete is a city that also has a lot to offer, from beaches, hangouts, diving place, discos, historical sites and restaurants with live band playing. Night life here is so active. Maybe because lot of foreigners, mostly from US of A, were studying and staying here in the city. This is the place of the famous Silliman University, the first protestant private university in the Philippines. Establish on year 1901, Silliman University was also the first American University in the country.
My favorite hangout here is "Atong Kamalig". A native restaurant with live band performance that offers delicious food on reasonable prices. My friend Riel Marcelino together with his staff always bring me in this restaurant every time I am here in Dumaguete. Sadly, my friend was transferred to Tarlac.
How to get here:
There are so many ways on how to get here. First, there is daily flight from Manila directly to Dumaguete. From the airport, the city proper is just a couple kilometer away.
If you're from Cebu City, there are two ways to get here. One is to ride a fast craft (Supercat) from Cebu pier to Dumaguete directly for about 2 hours. And the other is to go by land. From Cebu south bus terminal, you can ride a bus (Ceres Bus) bound fro Liloan Port. It takes about 3 hours land tavelfrom Cebu city to Liloan pot in Santander. Then, from Liloan port you willride a fast craft for20 minutes going to the port of Sibulan. From the port of Sibulan, rent a tricycle to Dumaguete for 100 Php or ride a PUMulticab for 15 Php.
If you are from Bacolod, it will take about 5-6 hours travel in a bus going to Dumaguete.
