February 15, 2011 Palawan to Bacolod
I just had my cross country travel the previous month and I think my trip to places never stops. I could not contain my excitement when I learned that I was one of the delegates selected by the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers-Palawan (PICHE-Palawan) Chapter to the 72nd PICHE National Convention in Bacolod City. That would mean business trip (OB) for me. There were four of us on OB while there were others who filed for leave to join us in the convention, most of them are from Bacolod and nearby cities. Adding to the excitement was my first flight on a lear jet. The said lear jet travels from Manila to Rio Tuba, Palawan three times a week for business affairs of the Makati head office and Palawan plant office. Since there were not much passengers back to Manila, lucky we were that the Admin booked us to the return flight. We left Rio Tuba around 945AM. The flight took around 1hr and 30 minutes from Rio Tuba and landed on the runway of NAIA. We disembarked on a hangar near NAIA 3. Well the flight felt nothing like flying on a commercial plane except that there were just 8 of us in that flight and there was no flight steward to orient you on safety. As frequent flyers, we knew what to do.
Here are photos of us on the flight and at the hangar.
From the private jet hangar in Pasay, we took a cab going NAIA 2 terminal of which we checked in at a PAL flight bound to Bacolod. The rest of my colleagues took a connecting flight from Palawan to Bacolod via Cebu. We will just meet at the hotel where we were booked for the convention. Our flight ETD was 2PM. Soon we found the plane to be above the skies with the Visayan islands below us.The flight to Bacolod took an hour and around 15 minutes and later we landed on the Bacolod-Silay International Airport. This was another first for me, to be on Visayan soil.
Welcome to the City of Smiles and the Sugar Capital of the Philippines
Negros is the sugar capital of the Philippines given the vast plantations of sugarcane. Even during plane descent I noticed the plantations near the airport. From the airport, we took a cab going to L'Fisher Hotel in Bacolod. Along the way we noticed trucks of sugarcane. They may had come from the plantation and now enroute to the processing plant. Those trucks reminded me of the one I usually saw in Tarlac whenever I go home in La Union. Tarlac has sugarcane plantations also and I had visited the Central Azucarera de Tarlac during my college days as part of fieldtrips. Moving on, I also noticed colonial houses on some area along the way to the city. I guessed they may have been the houses of the rich owners of the sugarcane plantations. Talk about the rich hacienderos of Negros. It was nice seeing this things on other parts of the country.
We had checked in at our rooms at the hotel and were still waiting for the arrival of our colleagues. They were scheduled to arrive in less than an hour. One of our ex-colleagues was from Bacolod so we met him at the hotel reception area. While waiting for the others, we were already hungry that we decided to scan the area for nearby snack houses. We did not have lunch at the airport since we were still full that time from the Palawan flight. We settled on fishballs and went back to our rooms to rest a bit while we wait for our colleagues. As for me I took photos of my hotel room and then went to check the roof top of the hotel. I found a floating bar by the pool. There was this spa and restaurant too. The view was nice seeing the sun set of the sea horizon.
Finally our friends arrived, we had them fixed their things at the hotel room. We adopted some so as to save their expenses. Anyway the room was good for two. It was already past 7PM and we were ready to check out Bacolod's famous chicken inasal. Jake and Bai Sen who happened to hail from the area showed us the place.
Bacolod's Manokan Country and more...
From the hotel we took the taxi for us to arrive faster. We soon found our way at the Manokan Country where different restaurants line up the whole street. It is just a few steps from a nearby big mall of a famous name. I was clueless at first why it's called Manokan Country but there I got the answer just seeing the restaurants serving chicken inasal. Jake suggested Lion's Park for us to eat although there are more most frequented eateries there. Another colleague, Ever, who was on her last day of vacation managed to join us for dinner too. We had chicken inasal, grilled chicken gizzard, liver and heart, and oysters for dinner. I was told that for you to enjoy chicken inasal better is eat by your hands and so I did. Bacolod's chicken inasal is really delicious. It must be the flavor or seasoning in the dish. It is a must try when you are in the city.
After dinner we walked to the mall for others to buy their toiletries. We decided to take the multicab back to the hotel so we walked the lengths of the street, a couple of blocks away, where we took our ride. We even passed by the San Sebastian Church. It is an old cathedral that looked like its embellished with gold during the night. It was really a beautiful church. Near the church was the Provincial park and lagoon which I only had a glimpse of the buffalo sculpture by the lagoon. We no longer went to walk around since we wanted to head back to the hotel to shower and rest. During the ride back to the hotel, I learned some Bisaya terms like "lugar lang 'nong" when you want to tell the driver to stop the vehicle.
Back to the hotel
We were supposed to check the pool by the hotel roof top but we were told that the pool is only available till 10PM. We ended up partying till dawn at the other room.
February 16, 2011 Convention Day 1
The next day, Jake, Lester and I went to the city center to rent a barong to be used later in the evening for the opening ceremonies. Before we left the hotel, we helped put first the booth decorations for the exhibits. By 430PM, the booth exhibits were formally opened. I looked like a Negrense haciendero in my outfit. It was an event where old colleagues and friends meet and catch up together. I met some of my college instructors too. The program ended by 9PM. We then decided to check out the local night scene somewhere else.
February 17, 2011 Convention Day 2
The second day of the convention was the start of the plenary sessions. We were attentive to the discussions. The lead speaker of the convention was an Environmental Engineer from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Ms. Divina de Jesus Le Clair, who happen to be a Negrense. Later in the evening was the fellowship night held at the grounds of the newly built Bacolod Government Center. Infront of the government center was a big fountain. I even had the chance to go up the balcony to see the view of the event outside. The program continued with a presentation of Masskara dancers. At least I now have an idea of the said festival. I might travel back there during the Masskara festival in October to witness the colorful and jolly festival of the city of smiles.
Meeting the mayor
Later inside the building, I met city mayor Evelio Leonardia. I had no formal introduction from someone but I greeted him a good evening and introduced myself and the group. I managed to approached him without the body guards that night. He is so down too earth and friendly. I later learned from Jake that he is the flag bearer too during Pacman's fight. Prior to that brief encounter with the mayor, we had been taking photos from the stairs and the podium inside the building. The hall at the stairs was really spacious.
Street Party
The fellowship night went on to continue till midnight. People were dancing to the band on stage. We were dancing with people of total strangers to us. Well that is what you call a fellowship night: socializing with people of same profession. One of our friends won too on the games organized by the committee. We went home by 11PM so as to rest and have more energy for the last day of the convention the following day.
February 18, 2011 Last Day of Convention
The last day of the convention was only half day since the rest of the afternoon was short meetings for the newly elected national officers and bidding of the next convention city host. During break time I was able to have a short talk to a college classmate who happened to be one of the outgoing national officers.
Visit of the Ruins in Talisay City
Since the convention was over, we hurriedly fixed our things and left all the convention materials in our rooms. Right after lunch, we took a cab going to the famous landmark in Talisay City which is a few kilometers from Bacolod. Destination: the Ruins.
A four-tiered fountain was a sight to behold at the garden of the ancestral structure. The Ruins is a mansion that was burned down in World War II to prevent the Japanese from using it. It used to be house that was built in the 1900's by a sugar landlord, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, for his wife Maria Braga, a portuguese from Macau. It is a tourist attraction amidst the vast sugarcane plantation in Talisay City.
A four-tiered fountain was a sight to behold at the garden of the ancestral structure. The Ruins is a mansion that was burned down in World War II to prevent the Japanese from using it. It used to be house that was built in the 1900's by a sugar landlord, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, for his wife Maria Braga, a portuguese from Macau. It is a tourist attraction amidst the vast sugarcane plantation in Talisay City.
There was an occasion of sort inside the ruins when we got there. There was this art cafe located on one corner. Then it started to drizzle for a while. I guessed it was a blessing for us. My Ilonggo friends told me that it is best to visit the Ruins during sunrise or sunset for the structure turns into golden beauty. We were not able to witness that due to limited time. We left the area before 3PM.
More of Bacolod
Coming from the Ruins, we rode back the cab which we took earlier who waited for us. We dropped by Robinson's mall to buy pasalubong at a BongBong's outlet. BongBong's is a household name when it comes to pasalubong like the piaya, tarts, butterscotch and the barquillos. There were lots to choose from from there shop. We ended up bringing home boxes of pasalubong. I even bought some to be sent home in La Union.
I had a food trip later in the evening. I joined my superior Sir Larry in Manokan Country again, his treat anyway. We returned to the hotel after to packed our things. I received a SMS from one of my colleagues asking where was my whereabouts. It turned out that they were already hungry. I met Alvin and Bai-Sen at the hotel lobby since the rest went to shop and some went to visit their homes. So the three of us went to dinner at Palapala just a few blocks north of the hotel.
Bacolod Palapala is not the usual restaurant. They have a fresh section of seafoods and meat. You pick your choice, have it weighed then have it cooked to whatever dish you like. It's like a mini market in a restaurant. We settled for grilled pork and fish sinigang. Food was superb. I also like the ambience because it gives an island like feeling. Open air dining and nice place. I really had a food tour that night.
Bacolod Palapala is not the usual restaurant. They have a fresh section of seafoods and meat. You pick your choice, have it weighed then have it cooked to whatever dish you like. It's like a mini market in a restaurant. We settled for grilled pork and fish sinigang. Food was superb. I also like the ambience because it gives an island like feeling. Open air dining and nice place. I really had a food tour that night.
February 19, 2011 Bacolod - Palawan
The following day we woke up early to catch the early flight from Bacolod to Manila. It was a connecting flight to Puerto Princesa. At the airport I met again familiar faces. We had the same flight bound to Manila except that they took another plane bound to Palawan. At Puerto Princesa, there was a service vehicle waiting to pick us. It was a long trip but the week was full of new experiences and learnings.
Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.
- Eudora Welty
- Eudora Welty