Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental Province [Archive]

Coffee

January 16th, 2006, 05:05 AM

Here's a thread to branch off from the one currently called "Bacolod City and Negros Island"... because looking at the posts in that thread, it's really just all about Bacolod. :) Dumaguete is a humble little city, but it deserves some attention. :)

What gives Dumaguete its alluring charm is that it's a respectable-sized city, but it has not yet swelled into a congested sprawling urban mess. It's a university town where the campus of Silliman University is adjacent to and almost intertwined with the downtown area. There are still open areas and clean public parks, and huge acacia trees providing greenery and shade, even in the more urban areas. The city may yet be mismanaged in the future and fall to the same fate of many other congested Philippine cities-- but for now, Dumaguete City is a great place to call home.

I've got a bunch of pictures to share, I'll post them soon. And I'll also post pictures from the previous thread, if I can find them

EDIT (May 2, 2006) -- Here are links to all of the pictures posted in the first 15 pages of this thread.

DUMAGUETE

Boulevard:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p0a526bc0ca9c869db457b22100202ca6/f410282f.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pac7bfb368ea6012a4efef7811a502315/f40a30d6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb4fa6d46c415ee8fb50c164ee3911ee0/f403ca2d.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p049391580adc723c50958480eddbebf5/f40319dd.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p09a55534c8abbbb334e477fd08a7ed88/f403ca32.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pac7bfb368ea6012a4efef7811a502315/f40a30d6.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g29/alteclint/boulv.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g29/alteclint/boulevard.jpg
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/7837/dgteoldsilliman7aq.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3455/boulevard2dy.jpg
http://www.mydumaguete.com/gallery/images//Dumaguete/PICT2236.JPG

Cathedral:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p5652a8cdee02bc614d0a69b1a7717a85/f40a48d4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p83eb81da566dde77089a36595bb2f746/f40a48d7.jpg

Belltower:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p345f7f447152d2566d0471a0666d83a2/f40a48d9.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/40baa3fc.jpg

Quezon Park:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p1d9cd39eda2a39d884f0f863efd6bd50/f40a48d2.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p3c0e5045e21d281801c3bd9af2176a26/f40a30c9.jpg

Spanish Heritage:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p70396d842915a535f41a1da701180630/f40a30d2.jpg

The Mariyah Gallery:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p0d55e5fb716b6da0afe0aff1e0571ed9/f409bebb.jpg

Honeycomb Inn:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pbc255e319fd9a56781fb67a3b87c40ea/f40a30cf.jpg
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/3186/honeycombinn6oe.jpg

Silliman:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p5b4896f24c5c68577f7a0f32dc8c5eb3/f4080ad1.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb60652ef7f6f782091e3725dee3ba7ca/f403ca2c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p1405f4de69598f0debcca2700e5cfb80/f4080ac9.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p517b955778fd8d55b2b871257429b891/f4080ace.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pe9b6c650fe2ade576d15355310d5477f/f4080acb.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb0c94cff9a7449a8de2f71429bb5cb73/f403ca2e.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pe8e2804135e2f0644b13e05f59c2d7db/f403ca30.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b198/kyle_Lark/250px-Silliman_hall.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/381/silliman5hw.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a89/overtureph/SillimanInstitute.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/pe39e49f927b25b48b94eb2769f5de03a/f02c5522.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p2bbfe0ad494c695fb76e8e9cda513549/f02c5524.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p7dbaf415caf0cf9ea0fac6d1f01390c9/f02c552c.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/suhall.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/sumainlibrary.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/luce.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/cba.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/as.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/newmens.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/suchurch.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/hsnew.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/multimedia.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/scheide.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/succ.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/newsuesbldg.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/amphi.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/thewall.jpg
http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/bell.jpg
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/816/grad2sx.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/1396fb09.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/34/131247730_f428fceab3.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/53/131247729_810aa24e70.jpg?v=0
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7564/dgtenowsilliman3yg.jpg

Park Theater:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p4914696d387e165c91f674b0fa0940f2/f40319d4.jpg
http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/5900/dscn53463hf.jpg
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/583/dgteoldpark6ir.jpg
http://img290.imageshack.us/img290/8148/dgteoldpark024uf.jpg
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/1088/dgtenowpark0uv.jpg

Pier:
http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/3869/pier9jt.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g138/jafhoy3/Dumaguete.jpg
http://www.mydumaguete.com/gallery/images//Dumaguete/PICT2250.JPG

Sol Y Mar:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/466/solymar11cz.jpg
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/9366/solymar22yl.jpg

Bethel:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7567/bethel7ra.jpg

Shakey's:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/1363/s2zc.jpg

Jollibee North Road:
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6433/jollibee3oh.jpg
http://www.negroschronicle.com/final/march_12/jollibee.jpg

Overpass:
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8910/overpassconstruction18eb.jpg
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3397/overpassconstruction25in.jpg
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6885/overpassconstruction33yb.jpg
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1760/overpass8sd.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/43/122337506_8e123e1f0e.jpg?v=0

St. Paul College:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p18b5755383b18d0b84fbef2ed49e625e/f02b9693.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p41f9115f35b5db2c242ba8a6be029382/f02c550e.jpg

Foundation University:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pf6ae9c612dd14d604bb776aef527b410/f4e6085e.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p28a4c24ac97dcfe799399be3353b1187/f4e605dc.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pe7d10c39582d140997f22eba2d8a6a8e/f4e6043b.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pc1cc8a6b786179551dca3d9bdd70701d/f4e60390.jpg

NORSU:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p9b4a8e0e1c21e5b58d0c8f2b43053c7b/f4e601cc.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p227bba57405199077fd1a7c5e8b5d34f/f00c8548.jpg

Uymatiao Building:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3672/uymatiao7zy.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6226/uymatiao3zs.jpg

Mart One:
http://static.flickr.com/47/131268153_7f0e0ac24c.jpg?v=0

Real Street:
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6485/realstn6vw.jpg
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/8509/realsts4nf.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/53/131249109_4fc7e86bf5.jpg?v=0
http://www.mydumaguete.com/gallery/images//Dumaguete/PICT2423.JPG

Skyline:
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6166/skyline3cm.jpg

Bandera Building:
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6329/banderabuilding5aw.jpg

Don Atilano:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1619/donatilanodumaguete2cq.jpg

Po's Marketing:
http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/204/smarketing3ub.jpg

New commercial area in Calindagan:
http://www.negroschronicle.com/final/april_09/mall_area.jpg
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/5543/calindagan0zd.jpg

Misc:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/cb78c9cf.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/9e304ef5.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/3f06b76b.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/53cb43b4.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/af0f4545.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d26.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d25.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d24.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d23.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d22.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d21.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/0f249e3a.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/b5fd1f73.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/ff7e2237.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/c8dc51fd.jpg

Buglasan:
http://static.flickr.com/45/131249108_22aef01bb1.jpg?v=0

Provincial capitol:
http://static.flickr.com/47/131249110_2cb0adb613.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/56/131249355_bc75f5943c.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/48/131247459_15e31c77fd.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/44/131247238_4b048f3633.jpg?v=0
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3899/dgteoldcapitol2zb.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7597/provcapitol8uh.jpg

Perdices Street:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g29/alteclint/perdices-st-cabs.jpg

Scooby's:
http://www.mydumaguete.com/gallery/images//Dumaguete/PICT2134.JPG

ACSAT:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g29/alteclint/acsat.jpg

Santa Monica:
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/6985/dgtesntamonica6dv.gif

Citi Hardware:
http://www.mydumaguete.com/gallery/images//Dumaguete/PICT2426.JPG

DAUIN

Pura Vida:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/3410/384qx.jpg
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3428/040fw.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5001/puravidadgte4np.jpg
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9687/puravidadgtejacuzzi7wq.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8026/puravidadgterum1yr.jpg

Atlantis:
http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/9413/atlantisdgte6kp.jpg
http://img283.imageshack.us/img283/3043/atlantisdgtecabin6wv.jpg
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2939/atlantisdgterum9oq.jpg

SIBULAN

Airport:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pbb6ba546af10913bfb9247d7613117c0/f40a48d0.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/dgte-airport.jpg

Lake Balinsasayaw:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid181/pc1a0ce109d2e51607cde397cfdffabf1/f2d8d637.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00205.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00210.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00221.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/OntheBancaLakeBalinsasayao.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00201.jpg

VALENCIA

Casaroro Falls:
http://www.geocities.com/sualumnicebu/casaroro1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/sualumnicebu/casaroro3.jpg

SIATON

Antulang:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p819d911a851c923d5284c9825b770e98/f0405192.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pab4e6c1c138b7686e9df907a542b28e8/f04051b0.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pb7d78bf4e82bdf309007939b73d85909/f0405185.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p7c29bc538caa55b66ef9cbe61fc3b468/f0405187.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p94c1c0a5e9356e1bed59dfa1eff33a73/f040518e.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p2e8840d97b4f167b362aa62d7b21784d/f0405193.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p51ab05f7bb368c87a244c11e2f813300/f0405195.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pa03095fcb338a2b74fc225f0ffc35e2c/f0405199.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/ped01da91d03341c05e9f992ad93fcdf3/f040519c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p303d53ed857eb8e5c195f9e88ab6057f/f040519d.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p745ca5e54dd7eae0052811784cb5fd3c/f040519f.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pcdfb54e311ecb60a962416d825585708/f04051a1.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pd9f02cb3090cabc7a44875b17f63bb55/f04051a4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p9d69e1ed8455874deec9fb40202a58f5/f04051a6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pc11c3cf68dad446342a84172da19d184/f04051ab.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p6af94aa1a97b48d8093ca2b313b048f7/f04051b6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p6606af648097b2a170f21c5e54a8f45f/f04051c1.jpg

National highway:
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6175/siaton13ng.jpg
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/6510/siaton26ig.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4035/siaton31we.jpg
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6493/siaton49gh.jpg

ZAMBOANGUITA

Apo Island:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pdd40a738c81aeffe8531f81bdaa0ff83/efd02b03.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p9ec90ee72800c69830eab47e8e0eeb0d/efd02aed.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pd841ef782c7464a7f4b4ff2ff9a5edaa/efd02afb.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pf625b4553c4584081469039c506ba6de/efd02af4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/paf3536a5721101fbf9f5e71f2ba45dc2/efd02ae6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pabe86705fac3d39751f36c83f688b66c/efd02ad8.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p02f6c48a7ef20d7a5399b99869dbcdb9/efd02ace.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pfba6c85a9045d31e95c6f15dc94ab52e/efd02ac3.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p0fbf2e84c5fb2ba70381abe5f117abf0/efd02ac1.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid182/p08f8a7efc02d6bb5131ee06f2c5b12cd/f2c49c3a.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid182/p5cb71e95a677f9c0569b1cfe6e82b2ce/f2c498ca.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid182/p59628655d3c8b619825ab544be0aa4f3/f2c4963c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p82fa33bf8ed6ba4dc68cf6fb48b13439/efd016bc.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p8cb933d0cdc3cee8fc0c718cc407dfc0/efd016b7.jpg

BAIS

Whale watching:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/dolphin.jpg

MANJUYOD

Sand bar:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/1974885-ever_wanted_to_walk_on_wate.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/DumagueteNov2005143.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29223598_f651e74b4f.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29224105_c2ff170023.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29221085_8ce5900827.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds05_thmb.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds04_thmb.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds03_thmb.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/1974876-lunch_in_the_sea-Manjuyod.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29220871_d141250ee5.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/18473263.jpg

BASAY

National highway:
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6010/basay10yb.jpg
http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/4272/basay23vo.jpg

BAYAWAN

Boulevard:
http://www.bayawancity.gov.ph/images/tourism/banner.jpg
http://www.bayawancity.gov.ph/images/tourism/blvd_5.jpg
http://www.bayawancity.gov.ph/images/tourism/blvd_6.jpg

Naludhan Falls:
http://www.bayawancity.gov.ph/images/tourism/img_2.jpg

National highway:
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/83/bayawan4dj.jpg

SANTA CATALINA

National highway:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/982/stacatalina13yi.jpg
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5872/stacatalina23xx.jpg

TANJAY

Scooby's:
http://static.flickr.com/45/134578422_4c992f6144.jpg?v=0

Sinjin P.

January 16th, 2006, 05:08 AM

:applause: Nice Idea!

Coffee

January 16th, 2006, 05:13 AM

These pictures were posted by JudeD in the first "Negros Island" thread.

Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p0a526bc0ca9c869db457b22100202ca6/f410282f.jpg

Monument to the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres along Rizal Boulevard
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pac7bfb368ea6012a4efef7811a502315/f40a30d6.jpg

Dumaguete Airport
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pbb6ba546af10913bfb9247d7613117c0/f40a48d0.jpg

Dumaguete Cathedral:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p5652a8cdee02bc614d0a69b1a7717a85/f40a48d4.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p83eb81da566dde77089a36595bb2f746/f40a48d7.jpg

Belfry beside the Cathedral:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p345f7f447152d2566d0471a0666d83a2/f40a48d9.jpg

Quezon Park, Dumaguete's plaza:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p1d9cd39eda2a39d884f0f863efd6bd50/f40a48d2.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p3c0e5045e21d281801c3bd9af2176a26/f40a30c9.jpg

La Residencia hotel, Don Atilano restaurant, and The Spanish Heritage Center:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p70396d842915a535f41a1da701180630/f40a30d2.jpg

The Mariyah Gallery:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p0d55e5fb716b6da0afe0aff1e0571ed9/f409bebb.jpg

Coffee

January 16th, 2006, 05:19 AM

More pictures from JudeD...

Honeycomb Inn:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pbc255e319fd9a56781fb67a3b87c40ea/f40a30cf.jpg

Silliman University. I think these are just some classroom buildings:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p5b4896f24c5c68577f7a0f32dc8c5eb3/f4080ad1.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb60652ef7f6f782091e3725dee3ba7ca/f403ca2c.jpg

Luce Auditorium in Silliman University. And some cool statue thingys beside it:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p1405f4de69598f0debcca2700e5cfb80/f4080ac9.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p517b955778fd8d55b2b871257429b891/f4080ace.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pe9b6c650fe2ade576d15355310d5477f/f4080acb.jpg

Silliman Hall in Silliman University:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb0c94cff9a7449a8de2f71429bb5cb73/f403ca2e.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pe8e2804135e2f0644b13e05f59c2d7db/f403ca30.jpg

A cluster of art deco in downtown. That's a movie theater at the right:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p4914696d387e165c91f674b0fa0940f2/f40319d4.jpg

Rizal Boulevard at night:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pb4fa6d46c415ee8fb50c164ee3911ee0/f403ca2d.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p049391580adc723c50958480eddbebf5/f40319dd.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p09a55534c8abbbb334e477fd08a7ed88/f403ca32.jpg

tigidig14

January 16th, 2006, 07:24 AM

si RMB ang kapatid mo dito kape
ganda pa rin ng siliman uni

Askal82

January 16th, 2006, 07:33 AM

:cheers1: :cheers1: Cheers for the Negros Oriental section!! :cheers1: :cheers1:

MarkiiBoi

January 16th, 2006, 10:35 AM

I visited La Liberted when I was 7 years old so memories are vague except that it was raining heavilly that time and the boat/motorized banca that we were riding almost capsized.

About Dumaguete city, my friends told me that there are no traffic lights in the area. is it true?

rmb

January 16th, 2006, 10:47 AM

Oh... at last there's a thread of my home town. thanx a lot cofee... :okay:

@MarkiiBoi... yes no traffic lights.. but sometimes traffic can be quite messy..

Taga-asa ka coffee?

Coffee

January 16th, 2006, 12:13 PM

Yup, a city of 100,000 people... a province of 1,100,000 people... not a single traffic light. Then again, most of the streets in the downtown area are too narrow to really make good use of a traffic light. I remember there used to be a traffic light in Tanjay City (a city ~30km north of Dumaguete), but I guess they removed it because it just wasn't necessary.

rmb: I'm from Valencia. :)

Weina

January 16th, 2006, 12:25 PM

nice thread, Dumaguete looks neat and clean too! :wave: :cheers1: to all our bro & sis in Dumaguete City & Negros Oriental!

Animo

January 17th, 2006, 12:34 AM

rmb: I'm from Valencia. :)

Spain?! :jk:

http://www.spanishintheworld.com/img/pictures/map-spain-valencia.gif

Question: Why is it in the official website of Valencia, Negros Oriental articles are written in Latin (I think)?.

Check here: http://elgu.ncc.gov.ph/ecommunity/valencia-negor/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=33

Welcome to Skyscrapercity forum too! :)

Coffee

January 17th, 2006, 09:43 AM

Oh, apparently that site isn't finished yet. That text isn't really Latin. It's just placeholder text that's often used as a mock-up to demonstrate the layout of the website without drawing attention to the actual text.

See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum

kyle@1008

January 17th, 2006, 11:08 PM

^^ finally a dumaguete thread.. ,... !!!!

Edmundtanso

January 18th, 2006, 12:07 AM

anyone have pictures of apo reef?

a00556425

January 19th, 2006, 12:38 AM

Dauin
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/3410/384qx.jpg
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3428/040fw.jpg
May bahay ako malapit dito sa resort sa Taft Street

aUen

January 19th, 2006, 12:43 AM

parang baywalk yung rizal boulevard. would like to see more pictures :okay:

rmb

January 20th, 2006, 11:27 AM

parang baywalk yung rizal boulevard. would like to see more pictures :okay:

Actually, I've heard 2 years ago, that the baywalk was patterned after the rizal blvd. :)

Kaiser

January 20th, 2006, 01:01 PM

nice pix:colgate:

surfsam

January 20th, 2006, 02:24 PM

there is a previous dumaguete thread.sana the moderators can merge both threads. thanks

Sinjin P.

January 20th, 2006, 02:28 PM

^Nice photos

Coffee

January 20th, 2006, 05:03 PM

sugarboy

January 21st, 2006, 12:03 AM

Dumagute is cool! For our honeymoon, my wife and I drove down to Dumaguete from Bacolod, left our car at Bethel Hotel and took a Supercat to Dapitan (near Dipolog) for a week in Dakak. For those wanting to go to Dakak, this is a great route. Fly from Manila to Dumaguete then take the fast craft from Dumaguete port (seen above) to Dapitan. Dakak Resort's buses can pick you up from the port of Dapitan. :)

Edmundtanso

January 21st, 2006, 12:23 AM

how far is dakak from dumaguete?

rmb

January 21st, 2006, 01:05 PM

@coffee ---- great pic :okay:, kaw na yung coordinator ng Dumaguete thread, ok?
Btw, tapos na yung Mart One basement? How bout the call center bldg(i forgot the name), has the construction started? and the Po's Marketing, which got burned.. any plans of a new building? and lastly, nagbukas na yung new uymatiao building? Sana masagutan mo lahat. Thanx alot. :D

@Edmundtanso - dumaguete to dipolog is around 3-5 hours by boat, but im not so sure, coffee pls confirm. thanx :)

Coffee

January 21st, 2006, 05:12 PM

Btw, tapos na yung Mart One basement? How bout the call center bldg(i forgot the name), has the construction started? and the Po's Marketing, which got burned.. any plans of a new building? and lastly, nagbukas na yung new uymatiao building? Sana masagutan mo lahat. Thanx alot. :D

@Edmundtanso - dumaguete to dipolog is around 3-5 hours by boat, but im not so sure, coffee pls confirm. thanx :)

The last time I went to the Mart One basement was at least more than a month ago... they had a few stores open, but further into the basement it was still unfinished.

I really have no idea where the call center building is going to be or when construction will start. Teletech is the name of the company. I heard that they'll temporarily be renting the 2nd floor (or was it 2 floors...) of a 3 storey building when they start operations sometime this year.

As for Po's Marketing... I walked by that area a few days ago. I don't know what they're planning to do with the building, or even when they're going to tear down the ruins of the old one. I hope they at least clean up the area sometime.. there's still broken glass and debris all over the sidewalk. :( There's a brand new pawnshop that opened in a little space beside Po's Marketing. A bunch of fruit vendors set up shop along the sidewalk, hopefully that isn't permanent. ;)

The Uymatiao building is still there, looking new and pretty, and collecting dust. Not sure when they plan to open it, but I hope it's soon. Personally I'm just looking forward to having a few extra parking spaces in front of that building. :cool:

And I've never been to Mindanao, so I can't say how long it takes to get to Dipolog.

Edmundtanso

January 21st, 2006, 09:15 PM

thanks guys for the info

Dinho

January 22nd, 2006, 12:12 PM

Could anyone please post pictures of hotels along the boulevard? Please? What else is new in Dumaguete? Would sure love to visit Dumaguete when I get home.

Coffee

January 22nd, 2006, 01:23 PM

Could anyone please post pictures of hotels along the boulevard? Please? What else is new in Dumaguete? Would sure love to visit Dumaguete when I get home.

Sure, I've got a bunch of pictures...

Here's the Sol y Mar hotel. I think it's one of the tallest buildings in the city, and quite good-looking too. There's the "Bandera Building", which is 7 floors high, but honestly that one isn't very pretty.
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/466/solymar11cz.jpg
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/9366/solymar22yl.jpg

Bethel Guest House:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7567/bethel7ra.jpg

Honeycomb Inn:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/3186/honeycombinn6oe.jpg

Not a hotel, but it is along the boulevard... Shakey's:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/1363/s2zc.jpg

Dinho

January 22nd, 2006, 02:15 PM

Thanks for the pictures! Could you give me a list of hotels in Dumaguete and their respective number of guest rooms. My favorite hotel is Sta. Monica and South Seas. Bethel should improve its services as it seems more like a youth hostel/guest house.

manileño

January 22nd, 2006, 11:40 PM

Quezon Park, Dumaguete's plaza:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p1d9cd39eda2a39d884f0f863efd6bd50/f40a48d2.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/p3c0e5045e21d281801c3bd9af2176a26/f40a30c9.jpg

Beautiful plaza! looks a bit like this town in Honduras.

The Cebuano Exultor

January 23rd, 2006, 02:32 AM

@Coffee
Dude, I was sure I saw you here in Dumaguete. I swore you were an Atenean. Nahagbong mangud ko 'Teneo mao nga naa ko Silliman.

The Cebuano Exultor

January 23rd, 2006, 02:35 AM

How about posting pics of the newly opened Silliman Hall-styled outlet. That outlet is very much under-used though. :(

flashlight

January 23rd, 2006, 11:16 AM

need some suggestions where to go.
a nice beach resort to spend the days/nights and interesting places to check-out around the city :)
a friend is planning to visit Dumaguete on Wednesday.
thanks guys ;)

kyle@1008

January 24th, 2006, 10:11 AM

Silliman University

Silliman University is a Christian institution of higher education located in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines. It is the first Philippine university established outside Manila, and also the first protestant school founded in the Philippines. The university holds the distinction of being one of the 30 private higher education institutions in the Philippines that have been granted autonomy by the Commission on Higher Education.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b198/kyle_Lark/250px-Silliman_hall.jpg

History
Silliman University was founded on August 28, 1901, making it the oldest American university in Asia. Originally named Silliman Institute, an elementary school, it was established by Protestant missionaries of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and started through a gift from Dr. Horace Silliman, a retired businessman and philanthropist from New York. The school was thus named after him. The school began with 15 male students, four long desks, two tables, and two chairs.

The school was granted university status in 1938, making it the first Philippine university established outside Manila.

Campus

Silliman Hall is a landmark of Dumaguete City, and an example of American architecture found in many of the college's buildings.Silliman has a main campus near the center of Dumaguete City, dotted by large acacia trees. The campus has a land area of 610,000 square meters. It originally faces the sea to the east and its gates are flanked by the portals which are now symbols of the university.

Miscellaneous facts
*The school is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education as being a "Center of Excellence" in nursing, teachers' education, and Coastal Resources Management.
*Silliman University is CHED Center of Development in Physics, Biology, Marine Sciences Mechanical Engineering, and Business and Management Education.
*The school is host to the annual Church Workers Convocation, a gathering of hundreds of members of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines from around the country.
*It is among the top 3 schools in physical therapy with outstanding board exam performance. The PT Department has produced graduates who made it to the Top 10.
*Silliman also consistently leads in accountancy as to the percentage of successful board examinees, and it is among the country’s top 3 centers for development in Business Education.
*The College of Agriculture ranked among the Top 3 schools in the country with highest passing averages at the recent First Professional Agriculture Board Examinations. One of its graduates made it to the Top 10. While the national passing average was 22%, Silliman Class of 2003 had a passing rate of 100%.
*The College of Performing Arts (formerly School of Music and Fine Arts) has produced great names in Philippine Music Education history. Among them are ethnomusicologist Priscilla Magdamo, violinist Gilopez Kabayao and baritone Elmo Makil. Silliman is also a pioneer in Choral Music Education in the country.
The Silliman Information Technology program received 100% rating from CHED.
*Silliman is also recognized as one of the leading schools in marine biology in Asia with the Marine Laboratory as its home.
*Silliman is among the country’s Top 10 schools, and only one of two in southern phillipines included in the annual BPI Science Awards for student achievers.
*Silliman has a continuing exchange student program with three Japanese Universities (International Christian University, Shikoku Gakuin University and Ferris University).
*Silliman Library is Asia's largest

Noted alumni and professors
President Carlos P. Garcia
Angel C. Alcala
Juanita D. Amatong
Priscilla M. Abraham
Junix Inocian
Edilberto K. Tiempo
Edith L. Tiempo
Eddie S. Romero

Silliman University together with the University of San Carlos,.. are the only universities in southern phillipines to have ever produced a phillipine president

kyle@1008

January 24th, 2006, 11:56 AM

IN 2005
Dauin tourism big earner
Tourism is fast becoming a booming industry in the coastal town of Dauin as its government reported a big jump to more than P2 million in earning from tourist ticket sales last year.

The fee ticketing system installed within the nine marine protected areas in Dauin generated a total of more than P2.3 million on the third quarter of 2005. The system generates its sales from diving and ecotourism activities within the eight barangays of Dauin, including the renowned Apo Island, the major tourist attraction of the province and a premier diving spot in the country.

The other barangays are Bulak, Lipayo, District 1, District II, Masaplod Norte, Masaplod Sur, and Maayongtubig.

Part of last year's initial income also partially resulted from fines collected from erring local and foreign tourists who violated the Coastal Resource Management Plan and Ordinance, which bans, among others, spear fishing and scuba diving inside the marine sanctuary, Marife Tenido, public information officer of Dauin said.

The CRMP is a five-year ordinance that is now implemented and enforced in Dauin's marine protected areas. Recently, the coastal resource management program won last year's Galing Pook Award received by Mayor Rodrigo Alanano from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Malacañang.

Dauin is reported to be the only town in the country that has effectively established 10 marine sanctuaries, which, aside from protecting coastal resources, also turned into certified tourist attractions.

Dauin had also been awarded as best implementer of the Coastal Resource Management in both the province and Region 7 in 2003.*

Coffee

January 24th, 2006, 10:03 PM

^^ Hey, that Silliman info is taken from Wikipedia... I edited that article, and I took and uploaded that picture of Silliman Hall! :) Bwehehe...

Here's a picture of the new Jollibee North Road, with architecture patterned after Silliman Hall:
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6433/jollibee3oh.jpg

And, for comparison, here's Silliman Hall:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/381/silliman5hw.jpg

kyle@1008

January 26th, 2006, 06:43 AM

^^ nice one.... is it new... didn't notice it last time.. or was it just renovated..?

OtAkAw

January 26th, 2006, 07:02 AM

Silliman is Protestant? cant believe that as Visayas is devoutly Catholic...

kyle@1008

January 26th, 2006, 07:06 AM

^^ ditto.... it's the first protestant university here... it's patterned after the typical american university

laffer_077

January 26th, 2006, 07:53 AM

Here's a picture I took this morning of the Dumaguete port. It's actually three pictures stitched together with Photoshop. If only I got there a few minutes earlier, I could have taken a picture of the port with a nice big SuperFerry boat docked in it. :)

Oy coffee, how are ya? You with Paolo in Cebu? I was surprised to see you in this forum :D hehe. and i recognize that "I can sexy!" signature. Same as lue..:p

Nice pictures of Dumaguete btw... What's the specs of your digi cam? :)

Dinho

January 26th, 2006, 02:01 PM

Silliman is Protestant? cant believe that as Visayas is devoutly Catholic...

Yup, Iloilo's CPU is also a Protestant Christian university though 90% plus of the population is still catholic. Bacolod might have one soon, though they are running the place more like a "commercial" college. Bacolod has a fast growing Protestant Christian population. Would anybody know the percentage of Dumaguete's Protestant Christian population?

Coffee

January 27th, 2006, 07:28 AM

Oy coffee, how are ya? You with Paolo in Cebu? I was surprised to see you in this forum :D hehe. and i recognize that "I can sexy!" signature. Same as lue..:p

Nice pictures of Dumaguete btw... What's the specs of your digi cam? :)

Raf! :D Wow, small internet. I'm just at home... I decided not to take that job with Paolo in Cebu (and I think Paolo's back in Manila now). My digital camera is a Nikon Coolpix 3500. It's 4 years old, and not very good anymore. :/

Yup, Iloilo's CPU is also a Protestant Christian university though 90% plus of the population is still catholic. Bacolod might have one soon, though they are running the place more like a "commercial" college. Bacolod has a fast growing Protestant Christian population. Would anybody know the percentage of Dumaguete's Protestant Christian population?

Silliman was founded by Americans, so it's a protestant university. But I'm guessing it's just like Iloilo's CPU. The students are still overwhelmingly Catholic.

Matteo

January 27th, 2006, 08:15 AM

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6433/jollibee3oh.jpg

aha this is so cool

slerz

January 30th, 2006, 08:07 AM

Valencia now 1st class town

Valencia town has become the third municipality in Oriental Negros to be reclassified into a first class municipality.

The two other first class municipalities in the province are Guihulngan and Sta. Catalina.

Maria Presentacion Montessa, Executive Director of the Bureau of Local Government Finance, who announced the municipality's new status, said that from a third class municipality, Valencia has been reclassified to first class because of its P81 million annual income.

The income is the highest among other municipalities in the province, made possible because of the operation of the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation that is tapping Valencia's rich geothermal sources for energy. A municipality below the first class status must have a minimum income of not less than P50 million to qualify for reclassification.

Valencia has also been declared the leading financial performer among the 122 municipalities in Region 7 by the Commission on Audit, beating Naga of Cebu and Talibon, Bohol.

This is aside from the municipality's high financial performance rating for proper use of its money.

Reacting to the latest development in his town's status, Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr. said the re-classification reflects its development.

Gonzales said the COA findings also showed that his administration has been putting its financial resources into proper use.*

Coffee

January 31st, 2006, 04:55 AM

I'm not sure if anyone cares about this, but anyway...

They're building a pedestrian overpass over Hibbard Ave., the main road going through Silliman University. It's the first pedestrian overpass in the province. Everyone's pissed off at the project (and the congressman responsible for it) because it's an ugly waste of money, and also because they had to cut down a rather large acacia tree.

Although I'm usually supportive of government projects, I have to agree that this is a huge waste. The road is only 2 lanes wide, with hardly any shoulder space for parking on either side. The reason for traffic along this road is because the road is too small, not because of pedestrians. Nobody is going to bother climbing these stairs just to cross the road. The project costs P5 million... it boggles the mind to think of how it could have gotten approval.

January 12, 2006. Vandalized with spray paint: "Madamba, u will pay 4 d killing of the tree... This is war!! overpass ur ass. - mountain militants". (Madamba is the name of the congressman)
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8910/overpassconstruction18eb.jpg

January 19, 2006.
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3397/overpassconstruction25in.jpg

January 25, 2006.
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6885/overpassconstruction33yb.jpg

tigidig14

January 31st, 2006, 05:05 AM

January 12, 2006. Vandalized with spray paint: "Madamba, u will pay 4 d killing of the tree... This is war!! overpass ur ass. - mountain militants". (Madamba is the name of the congressman)

:lol:

slerz

January 31st, 2006, 05:08 AM

It's really a waste, and the overpasses (skywalk) here in Cebu only costs about a million... That 5 million is too big for that not that long skywalk...

slerz

January 31st, 2006, 05:09 AM

January 12, 2006. Vandalized with spray paint: "Madamba, u will pay 4 d killing of the tree... This is war!! overpass ur ass. - mountain militants". (Madamba is the name of the congressman)

:lol:

:lol::lol:

cyrusal

January 31st, 2006, 05:37 AM

surfsam

January 31st, 2006, 07:02 AM

you dont need an overpass in Dumaguete!

sana the money had been used to send poor kids to school or university.

walang utak talaga ang nakararaming nakaupo sa puwesto.

i dread returning to dumaguete seeing the overpass no one will ever use.

rmb

February 1st, 2006, 11:49 AM

Miguel

February 1st, 2006, 11:54 AM

TWIN LAKES (Lake Danao and Lake Balinsasayao)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid181/pc1a0ce109d2e51607cde397cfdffabf1/f2d8d637.jpg

Twin Lakes

Balinsasayao and Danao Twin Lakes, which are in barangay Villanueva, Sibulan, Negros Oriental, are a haven of pristine flora and fauna. There are two routes to the Twin Lakes that are accessible only with 4WD vehicles and dirt bikes. On the way, you’ll be greeted by the sincere and warm smiles of the accommodating natives who are active and instrumental in protecting the lake against exploitation. Once here, you will not only behold the beauty of the lakes, but will also enjoy its cool and clear waters.

While here, you can: go kayaking on the clear waters. As you paddle quietly around the sparkling lake, you’ll see and hear many wild birds sing their beautiful songs; go fishing with lines and hooks for tilapia and carp in the lake – a true joy especially when you’re with our native friends; mountain climbing to get an aerial view of the Twin Lakes, which is only separated by a narrow ridge. In these surrounding forests you’ll see rare flowers, orchids, and birds; stay overnight – either in the cottage (for 10 to 15 people) or in tents. Either way, you’ll have a rustic and native experience you’re sure to want to experience again. And when it’s time for you to leave this wondrous and magnificent place to head back to the city, the beauty and serenity of Twin Lake’s will be forever etched into your hearts.

other photos c/o sassy40s of dgte.org

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00205.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00210.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00221.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/OntheBancaLakeBalinsasayao.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b172/sassy40s/DSC00201.jpg

I already went to this place twice already. The first time we had to climb to the mountain for 4 hours as these lakes were situated on top a mountain. Notice how near the peaks and the clouds in the picture. And mind you, the lakes are so huge. These are just some of the hidden treasures of Negros Oriental that even some Negrenses weren't able to visit or even heard about the place.

Miguel

February 1st, 2006, 11:57 AM

Madamba? who macias?

Madamba is a party list representative. The Silliman University Alumni were all against the construction of these overpass as this might become a white elephant. Only time will tell if it can really serve its purpose.

chymera00

February 1st, 2006, 02:22 PM

Askal82

February 1st, 2006, 02:33 PM

^^ Wow the lake is so scenic!!!

Coffee

February 1st, 2006, 06:45 PM

BEAUTIFUL!!!

How far is this from Dumaguete?

I've been there last year in June. To get there you go north on the national highway for about 5-10 minutes from Dumaguete, then you have to go up into the mountains for about 30 minutes or so (if I remember correctly). The road going there is newly cemented, but it's still quite a scary trip-- you need a good 4x4 vehicle, because the road is steeply inclined at certain parts. It's a beautiful lake though, and the air is nice and cold up there. :)

I have great picture of that place, I'll post it tomorrow.

MarkiiBoi

February 3rd, 2006, 07:04 PM

http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/7483/newsbanner5qr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Business sprout in Dumaguete

New businesses have started to sprout in this city, the recent of which was the opening of the RM Building located at the junction of Rovira Road and the North National Highway.

City Mayor Agustin Perdices, who graced the inauguration and blessing of the new RM building on Tuesday afternoon, said the investment makes the local economy more vibrant.

He said the opening of new businesses at the RM building will give employment opportunities aside from revenues for the city coffers.

The RM building houses the Mercado and partners law firm, Grand Royal Spa, RM guest house, STEDS, Galaxy Club, Hair Evolution Beauty Saloon, Enjoy Enterprises, Jo-im, Cell Station, DSS fireworks and surf station, Babsy's Chicken Pinerito, Carmelitanum Bookshop, Couples for Christ extensdion office and varius food carts.

Establishment of another chain of businesses like the Robinson's Department Store is also expected within this year.

Robinson's is hoping to start construction early this year to be able to meet its timetable for opening in December this year.

It has acquired a 6-hectare lot at the property of businessman Julio Sy in Barangay Calindagan.

Mayor Perdices wanted to correct the impression that the arrival of big shopping malls will eventually kill the smaller shops, saying that competition is always to the benefit of the consumer.

Askal82

February 3rd, 2006, 11:58 PM

I've been there last year in June. To get there you go north on the national highway for about 5-10 minutes from Dumaguete, then you have to go up into the mountains for about 30 minutes or so (if I remember correctly). The road going there is newly cemented, but it's still quite a scary trip-- you need a good 4x4 vehicle, because the road is steeply inclined at certain parts. It's a beautiful lake though, and the air is nice and cold up there. :)

I have great picture of that place, I'll post it tomorrow.

Are these lakes considered 'National Parks'? I wish they put them into that status. Pwedeng gawing tourist site yan.

kyle@1008

February 6th, 2006, 07:19 AM

^^ somebody posts pics of the whales and dolphins in dauin!!!!

dominique

February 6th, 2006, 09:35 AM

i think dumaguete rightfully deserves a mall now. as of now no decent mall has opened yet. Lee plaza is not a mall for me. Im glad robinsons will groundbreak anytime

kyle@1008

February 6th, 2006, 09:37 AM

^^ I've heard so amny jokes bout lee plaza...

dominique

February 6th, 2006, 09:44 AM

really? can you give some?

kyle@1008

February 6th, 2006, 09:52 AM

Like,...what's the purpose of the baggage counter anyway,.. when everyone can see every body should they attemp to steal,... that sort of thing...

dominique

February 6th, 2006, 09:59 AM

slerz

February 6th, 2006, 11:03 AM

Like,...what's the purpose of the baggage counter anyway,.. when everyone can see every body should they attemp to steal,... that sort of thing...

:lol::lol: I didn't understand :lol:

Miguel

February 7th, 2006, 01:52 AM

Casaroro Falls
Valencia, Negros Oriental

http://www.geocities.com/sualumnicebu/casaroro1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/sualumnicebu/casaroro3.jpg

A 100 meter tall single column of water dropping into a swimming basin of very cold water that is surrounded by steep rock walls.The site is a very popular excursion site. Access to the falls is currently being improved to accommodate the young and old alike.

Coffee is from Valencia, Negros Oriental. Perhaps you could provide additional details and pictures to this beautiful place. A favourite destination for hikers and mountain climbers.

kyle@1008

February 7th, 2006, 10:40 AM

lolz..thats what i mean. Lee plaza is too small. well maybe since dumaguete is a university town, mall operators wouldnt dare to risk their business with students as consumers with no purchasing power...unless call centers will thrive

Oh yeah,... but dumaguete for me has the best nightlife.... think about it...a young crowd... with lots of foreigners.... and the best bars too.... facing the sea and a clean sea at that,... that kids tend to go looking for seafood at night....looking for pulutan,... you don't get to see that in other major night out spots...!!!! :colgate: :cheers:

rmb

February 7th, 2006, 12:08 PM

Oh yeah,... but dumaguete for me has the best nightlife.... think about it...a young crowd... with lots of foreigners.... and the best bars too.... facing the sea and a clean sea at that,... that kids tend to go looking for seafood at night....looking for pulutan,... you don't get to see that in other major night out spots...!!!! :colgate: :cheers:

well i agree.... and talking about lee plaza.. its just a big department store and not considered a mall, but there are incidents of shoplifting that is why they have courtesy booths.

kyle@1008

February 7th, 2006, 12:16 PM

oh and Btw.... did you know that there's a Lee Plaza in Bacolod....most of us often ignore it lang.... I just realize that it was there...

Miguel

February 7th, 2006, 06:35 PM

Antulang Beach Resort
Siaton, Negros Oriental

Paradise lost...... now found.

Nestled 40 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, Philippines, ANTULANG BEACH RESORT is proud to be the only resort in Negros island with private pool villas as well as suites and cottages equipped with heated outdoor jacuzzis, satellite TV, DVD/audio players and mini-bars. Suspended on seven sprawling hectares of sheer cliffs peppered with bright-colored bougainvilleas, swimming pools and premium rooms are positioned right at the cliffs’ edge, ensuring guests a commanding view of an endless sea, while winding staircases lead directly to the half a kilometer stretch of isolated white sand beach. Activities such as diving, kayaking, horseback riding and rappelling are offered along with scheduled cruises to famed Apo Island and nearby Tambobo Bay. An added highlight for our guests: Although sunrise and sunset are both visible from the resort, at certain times of the year one can marvel at Antulang’s sunset and the simultaneous rising of a full moon.

If there's one thing we take pride in, it's the beaches of Antulang. White and pristine against the beckoning turquoise-blue seas, few guests have resisted its allure. Take a walk down a winding staircase from your cottage on the cliff and stroll along the shell-cluttered, secluded beach as you welcome the sunrise. And keep an eye on the water, you just might see a jumping sailfish or a glimpse of a resident spinner dolphin!

Manta rays, hawksbill turtles, groupers and a multitude of marine life await the most discriminating diver. Our night dives come highly recommended--guests swear it's like diving in your very own private aquarium! And if snorkeling is more up your alley, Antulang's shallow corals are home to colorful clownfish, butterfly fish, eels and the occasional octopus.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p819d911a851c923d5284c9825b770e98/f0405192.jpg
Yachts and sailboats from around the world dock at nearby Tambobo Bay

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pab4e6c1c138b7686e9df907a542b28e8/f04051b0.jpg
The Borna Quatro, a visiting sailboat from Coruña, Galicia (Spain) anchors at the resort

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pb7d78bf4e82bdf309007939b73d85909/f0405185.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p7c29bc538caa55b66ef9cbe61fc3b468/f0405187.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p94c1c0a5e9356e1bed59dfa1eff33a73/f040518e.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p2e8840d97b4f167b362aa62d7b21784d/f0405193.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p51ab05f7bb368c87a244c11e2f813300/f0405195.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pa03095fcb338a2b74fc225f0ffc35e2c/f0405199.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/ped01da91d03341c05e9f992ad93fcdf3/f040519c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p303d53ed857eb8e5c195f9e88ab6057f/f040519d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p745ca5e54dd7eae0052811784cb5fd3c/f040519f.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pcdfb54e311ecb60a962416d825585708/f04051a1.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pd9f02cb3090cabc7a44875b17f63bb55/f04051a4.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p9d69e1ed8455874deec9fb40202a58f5/f04051a6.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pc11c3cf68dad446342a84172da19d184/f04051ab.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p6af94aa1a97b48d8093ca2b313b048f7/f04051b6.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p6606af648097b2a170f21c5e54a8f45f/f04051c1.jpg

for more pictures and information, log-on to www.antulang.com

Dinho

February 8th, 2006, 08:10 AM

oh and Btw.... did you know that there's a Lee Plaza in Bacolod....most of us often ignore it lang.... I just realize that it was there...

Where is it Kyle? The pictures of Antulang Resort are excellent. At first I thought it was just lifted from some Australian or New Zealand brochures. It is cool. Wouldn't it be great if we could come up with something to promote NEgros ISland as a whole?

kyle@1008

February 8th, 2006, 09:40 AM

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/pc11c3cf68dad446342a84172da19d184/f04051ab.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p6606af648097b2a170f21c5e54a8f45f/f04051c1.jpg

I just love this eternity pool..... just gorgeous....

Dinho

February 8th, 2006, 11:37 AM

Negros Oriental sure is very beautiful... If only they get rid of the three wheeled vehicles I am sure a lot of people would move there. How many universities does Dumaguete now have. According to one website, Dumaguete has four, I think the right number would be five with CVPC having been upgraded into a university. I hoep they work harder though because their architecture school did not have a single board passer this January.

surfsam

February 8th, 2006, 12:03 PM

jayzee25

February 10th, 2006, 10:09 AM

dumaguete deserves to have just 1 supermall di ba just like any other city? di ba?

Dinho

February 11th, 2006, 11:08 AM

which explains nga what i was fighting for in another thread. how dare our politicians allow the proliferation of too many SUBSTANDARD state colleges and university to the detriment of quality state universities like UP, PUP, PNU, CLSU.

we should not be funding substandard state colleges and unis. especially without outstanding record. the money usually goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and their cohorts.

YOU SHOULD BE PATIENT. CVSU IS QUITE A NEW UNIVERSITY. GIVE IT SOME TIME. I AM SURE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE BETTER GRADUATES IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION OF THE UNIVERSITIES IN METRO DUMAGUETE. SOME CITIES DO DESERVE TO HAVE A UNIVERSITY LIKE THOSE OF ROXAS AND AKLAN. ALL UNIVERSITIES WHERE LOCATED IN ILOILO CITY BEFORE BUT NOW IT CHANGES THE PICTURE.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS TO UPGRADE THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND TO ELIMINATE NONSENSE SUBJECTS LIKE FILIPINO WHICH WON'T HELP THE STUDENT AT ALL. COULD YOU THINK OF ANYTHING JOB THAT REQUIRES A PERSON TO BE FLUENT IN FILIPINO (WHICH IS REALLY TAGALOG IN DISGUISE ANYWAY). BETTER HAVE THE STUDENTS CONCENTRATE ON MATHS, SCIENCES, ENGLISH, LITERATURE, HISTORY (PHILIPPINE AND WORLD HISTORY RIZALIS BEING TAUGHT AS A SUBJECT IN ITSELF WHEN IT SHOULD ONLY BE PART OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY), AND OTHER MORE BENEFICIAL SUBJECTS. THE POLITICIANS ARE ONLY STARTING TO REALIZE THE FOLLY OF IMPOSING TAGALOG/FILIPINO AS A NATIONAL LANGUAGE BECAUSE CALL CENTERS ARE STARTING TO COME IN CITIES LIKE BACOLOD, ILOILO, CDO, CEBU, DAVAO, AND DUMAGUETE. ENGLISH SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUR NATIONAL LANGUAGE. IF IT WAS, I AM SURE WE WOULDN'T BE SENDING OUT MAIDS AND DRIVERS TO OTHER COUNTRIES. IT WOULDN'T DIMINISH OUR BEING A SOVEREIGN STATE IF WE HAD ENGLISH AS OUR NATIONAL LANGUAGE. A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES RETAINED ENGLISH EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD A NEW LANGUAGE CREATED IN THAT COUNTRY LIKE AFIRKAANS FOR INSTANCE. SOUTH AFRICA HAS RETAINED ENGLISH AS A MAIN PART OF ITS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE WHICH BENEFITTED IT SIGNIFICANTLY BY UNIFYING THE PEOPLE WITH ONE NEUTRAL LANGUAGE AND BECAUSE ENGLISH IS TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS AS THE MAIN LANGUAGEM THEIR SCHOOLS ARE ACCREDITED AND RESPECTED EVEN HERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. AS A RESULT, YOU DON'T SEE ANY S. AFRIKAN WORKING AS A MAID OR A DRIVER THOUGH THE SITUATION OF S. AFRICA IS A LOT WORSE THAN OUR COUNTRY.

I AGREE WITH CEBUANO'S WHEN THEY INSIST ON NOT HAVING TAGALOG TAUGHT IN THEIR SCHOOLS. I WISH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WOULD DO THE SAME SO THAT THE IMPERIALISTIC TAGALOGS WOULD REALIZE THAT WHAT IS NEEDED IN OUR COUNTRY IS A NEUTRAL LANGUAGE TO UNIFY THE PEOPLE AND TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF OUR COUNTRY. FILIPINOS CLAIM TO HAVE A HIGH LITERACY RATE AND THAT A MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE ARE CONVERSANT WITH ENGLISH AND YET WHEN YOU GO HERE TO THE MIDDLE EAST, A LOT OF FILIPINOS CANNOT EVEN SPEAK DECENT ENGLISH.

Dinho

February 11th, 2006, 11:25 AM

dumaguete deserves to have just 1 supermall di ba just like any other city? di ba?

I think Dumaguete will be able to support at least two big malls in the city and some smaller malls because it is about the same size as Roxas City after all and Roxas has two Gaisano malls. San Carlos City which is smaller and doesn't have a single university to speak of has a bigger mall as of the moment. Metro Dumaguete ahould be able to support two more medium sized malls. Its about time that Dumaguete should have enough facilities for its people and for the convenience of tourists as well. I just hope the mall planners and developers would be able to retain the small university town atmosphere of Dumaguete. Big malls and buildings need not be hulking and imposing boxes.

kiretoce

February 13th, 2006, 06:26 PM

Oriental Negros hosts International Rondalla Festival
By Jennifer Catan-Tilos

Dumaguete City (13 February) -- Provincial government of Oriental Negros has accepted the offer to host the 2nd International Rondalla Festival by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) which will be held during the National Arts Month in February next year.

Dubbed as, "Cuerdas sa Panaghisua," is a celebration of the great plucked string tradition that the Philippines shares with other nations all over the world.

Dr. Ramon Santos of NCCA explained that the festival is also a call for unity not only among the participating artists but for all the people who will directly and indirectly involve in this festival.

In a press conference with the provincial officials, Dr. Santos said, that rondalla festival spawned interests from its first participants and other artists from different parts of the world as experienced in Naga City where the first international rondalla festival held.

NCCA official said, that expected to participate in the rondalla competitions outside the Philippines are delegates from USA, Singapore, India, Israel, Mexico, Cambodia, Indonesia, Russia, China, Europe, among others. Some 12 local groups from all over the Philippines will also join the festival. This is to show and appreciate the old artist in the localities.

With that, Provincial Governor George Arnaiz also said, "this is one way of advertising our province as a tourist destination with this offer." Governor Arnaiz disclosed, rondalla music lovers in the province will be given free musical string instruments to develop their talents for potential tourism performances.

The week-long celebration of Cuerdas sa Panaghiusa will feature concerts, exhibition, outreach performances, interactive rondalla music cliniquing, instrument making workshop and other special related activities.

Cuerdas sa Panaghiusa is designed not only for entertainment but for education and cultural aesthetic, Dr. Santos opined. This is also to pursue the unending quest for global peace, understanding and unity through the medium of musical communication.

dominique

February 14th, 2006, 08:19 AM

that's why my friends in dumaguete who wish to shop have to cross the strait via supercat to do shopping in cebu and get back home in the afternoon. sana matuloy na talaga ang robinsons

rmb

February 14th, 2006, 02:33 PM

Dinho

February 14th, 2006, 03:12 PM

@DINHO, and others...

NORSU or Negros Oriental State University formerly CVPC (Central Visayas Polytechnic College) have been improving much of its education thru the years, as a matter of fact it is emerging as one of the best besides being the most affordable university in town besides the famous Silliman University, the catholic and my alma mater St. Paul University Dumaguete, and Foundation University.

Teachers of SU are shifting to NORSU bcoz of higher salaries and there are many new courses that are offered. NORSU is good at engineering, while those mentioned na "kolelat" are relatively new courses.

What NORSU really needs ryt now is more classrooms and bigger space to occupy the increasing number of students. I bet NORSU will be a great university in the years to come if it continues its improvement and obviously a bigger budget from the government.

I find it very surprising to know that there are now four universities in Dumaguete. I hope that the four universities will become the best schools in the Visayas along with USLS and CPU. I think Dumaguete is starting to upstage Iloilo the city with many good universities. This is great.

I hope that San Carlos too will have a university soon. Mr. Ledesma, this is something you should act on to make San CArlos a significant city in the region. Sorry If I'm a bit off here... San Carlos seems more like an Oriental city than an Occidental one with Cebuano as its main dialect.

Miguel

February 17th, 2006, 12:49 AM

Where is it Kyle? The pictures of Antulang Resort are excellent. At first I thought it was just lifted from some Australian or New Zealand brochures. It is cool. Wouldn't it be great if we could come up with something to promote NEgros ISland as a whole?

Friday, February 17, 2006
'Friendship ties' bridge
By Edmund Sestoso

AYUNGON, Negros Oriental -- Officials from the two provinces of Negros Island target to build a "friendly ties" bridge on a still unscheduled date to link Ayungon in Negros Oriental to Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental.

The building of the P4.5-million bridge would start after the signing of an agreement between governors George Arnaiz and Joseph Marañon along with their officials and the mayors of Ayungon and Kabankalan City.

The composite bridge would be constructed to connect lower Barangay Carol-an in Kabankalan City and Upper Barangay Carol-an in Ayungon.

Negros Oriental has committed a counterpart fund of P2 million.

The project is in line with the "One Island Development Program" to further hasten the socio economic and tourism development of the entire Negros Island.

The leaders of both provinces pledged to link arms and to cooperate to improve the road network in the area.

jayzee25

February 18th, 2006, 06:55 AM

I think Dumaguete will be able to support at least two big malls in the city and some smaller malls because it is about the same size as Roxas City after all and Roxas has two Gaisano malls. San Carlos City which is smaller and doesn't have a single university to speak of has a bigger mall as of the moment. Metro Dumaguete ahould be able to support two more medium sized malls. Its about time that Dumaguete should have enough facilities for its people and for the convenience of tourists as well. I just hope the mall planners and developers would be able to retain the small university town atmosphere of Dumaguete. Big malls and buildings need not be hulking and imposing boxes.

is tehere any news of an upcoming sm dumaguete?

February 18th, 2006, 01:09 PM

Dumaguete is a small city but is very pristine unspoiled ... even the city coastline near the port and boulevard area has clear waters with corals harboring exotic reef fishes at pwedeng pwede kang maligo dun. But i don't know if dumaguete can maintain this if it becomes more ubranized,industrialized and commercialized with a bigger population in the next decade.

overtureph

February 23rd, 2006, 09:35 PM

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a89/overtureph/SillimanInstitute.jpg

kyle@1008

February 24th, 2006, 07:55 AM

^^ but silliman is considered to be the top school in southern phils....,.. no other school in western visayas and only one among other in the south phils has ever produced a Phil President.... that's makes dumaguete a better educational center than other more urbanized cities....

Miguel

February 25th, 2006, 08:19 AM

UNIVERSITY TOWN

Dumaguete City is known as a University Town with the presence of old quality universities (with two schools having already celebrated its 100 years of existence) despite of just being a small city. More aptly called a town rather than a city when some years back industrialization hadn't hit the place. A better testament of this will be during vacation time as the place metamorphosed from a city filled with students to a ghost town (i might be exaggerating but the place really suddenly becomes quiet). Students from all over the country and different parts of the world have come to study in this city. A clean and environment friendly place, very low crime rate, has rustic and layback lifestyle (where it has a life on its own and deprived from the chaos that are besetting this country), and most importantly the quality education it offers makes Dumaguete City an ideal and conducive place for learning.

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY
founded 1901
- oldest American founded university in Asia and the first school outside Manila to be given a university status.
- 66-hectare campus (excluding other assets) and has a community on its own. It has a church, hospital, zoo, farm, powerhouse, beach, water pumping station, fire truck, auditorium, village, and used to own a radio station (first campus radio in the country).
- declared as a national historical landmark by the National Historical Institute by being the oldest American founded school in the country and with the presence old American architecture that has withstood the test of time.

Silliman Hall
built in 1903
(oldest building in the campus)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/ped39d169391ec5c5b4d57088a9dc0da2/f00c9fb1.jpg

Oriental Hall
built in 1920
(oldest dormitory now functioned as a classroom)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/pe39e49f927b25b48b94eb2769f5de03a/f02c5522.jpg

Katipunan Hall
built in 1915
(used to be a hospital now houses the Languages Department)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p2bbfe0ad494c695fb76e8e9cda513549/f02c5524.jpg

Guy Hall
built in 1918
(used to serve as a Japanese garrison, there said to be torture chamber somewhere in the underground although they close it from the public)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p7dbaf415caf0cf9ea0fac6d1f01390c9/f02c552c.jpg

There is also a chapel that is said to be designed by I. M. Pei but I still have to confirm it.

ST. PAUL UNIVERSITY OF DUMAGUETE
founded 1904
- the mother school of all St. Paul schools in the country
- founded by 7 French nuns (there also 2 americans and 1 chinese) from the congregation Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres which are originally from France on board on a small boat
- granted Full Autonomy by CHED
- component of the first university system recognized by CHED (this includes SPU- Manila, Tuguegarao, Quezon City, Iloilo, and Surigao City)
- one of the best nursing schools in country as recognized by PRC
- first ISO 9000 certified school in the country (as part of the St. Paul University system)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p18b5755383b18d0b84fbef2ed49e625e/f02b9693.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p41f9115f35b5db2c242ba8a6be029382/f02c550e.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid169/pac7bfb368ea6012a4efef7811a502315/f40a30d6.jpg
(courtesy of JudeD)
The marker depicting the arrival of the French nuns. Declared as a national historical landmark by the National Historical Institute during its Centennial Celebration in recognition to the congregation's contribution to education, medicine (they also run several hospitals), and other humanitarian services in the country.

FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY
founded 1949
- founded by former University of the Philippines president Vicente Cinco
- the region's first non sectarian, non stock and non profit educational institution
- excell in sports, IT, education, and agriculture courses
- within the school is an outsourcing industry for medical transcription, animation, and architecture design

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pf6ae9c612dd14d604bb776aef527b410/f4e6085e.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p28a4c24ac97dcfe799399be3353b1187/f4e605dc.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pe7d10c39582d140997f22eba2d8a6a8e/f4e6043b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pc1cc8a6b786179551dca3d9bdd70701d/f4e60390.jpg

NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY
founded in 1927 as a trade school but its history started in 1907
- the state university of Negros Oriental
- excell in engineering courses and consistent producer of topnotchers in engineering board exams
- largest population of students and having the largest area with 9 satellite campuses all over the province
- first internet service provider of Negros Oriental

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p9b4a8e0e1c21e5b58d0c8f2b43053c7b/f4e601cc.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid201/p227bba57405199077fd1a7c5e8b5d34f/f00c8548.jpg

There are also colleges in Dumaguete that's why it is appropriately called as University Town.

Dinho

February 26th, 2006, 11:49 AM

Coffee

February 28th, 2006, 02:24 PM

The new Uymatiao building along Perdices Street finally opened for business yesterday.

Here's a picture I took today. It's a funky looking building with those green bars. Sadly, the view is pretty much ruined by those ubiquitous power lines we have come to know and despise in Philippine cities.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3672/uymatiao7zy.jpg

(there's a gap in the bars at one point there... ignore that, it's just some poor stitching together of pictures on my part)

M.Lee

February 28th, 2006, 02:28 PM

Coffee

February 28th, 2006, 03:00 PM

I read an article in the local newspaper about it today and the architect is someone named, well, Uymatiao.

Here's another picture. Goddamn those power cables.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6226/uymatiao3zs.jpg

Dinho

February 28th, 2006, 03:32 PM

Coffee

March 1st, 2006, 07:24 AM

Another pic from yesterday.. here's Park Theater showing "Underworld", on it's last day of business. It closed as of today, March 1.

http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/5900/dscn53463hf.jpg

Dinho

March 1st, 2006, 07:45 AM

Another pic from yesterday.. here's Park Theater showing "Underworld", on it's last day of business. It closed as of today, March 1.

http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/5900/dscn53463hf.jpg

Are there any Cinema/Theaters left in Dumaguete? Seems like Dumaguete is such a fun place that Cinemas keep going bust.

M.Lee

March 1st, 2006, 07:55 AM

Another pic from yesterday.. here's Park Theater showing "Underworld", on it's last day of business. It closed as of today, March 1.

http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/5900/dscn53463hf.jpg

Mindot na Art Deco Building. Unsa plano nila sa building sad?

Kaiser

March 1st, 2006, 10:59 AM

woah! beautiful pix I'm gonna ask granpa if he has more pix of dumaguete because he is from dumaguete......well I'm quit proud to have dumaguete origins.....lol:colgate:

Coffee

March 1st, 2006, 01:21 PM

Are there any Cinema/Theaters left in Dumaguete? Seems like Dumaguete is such a fun place that Cinemas keep going bust.

There's still Ever Theater, but they're thinking of closing that one too. That would leave Ultra Vision Cinema (which has 2 screens) as the last remaining movie place in the city.

I'm not sure what they plan to do with the Park Theater building... it will probably just be left there to decay for a while.

M.Lee

March 1st, 2006, 01:41 PM

There's still Ever Theater, but they're thinking of closing that one too. That would leave Ultra Vision Cinema (which has 2 screens) as the last remaining movie place in the city.

I'm not sure what they plan to do with the Park Theater building... it will probably just be left there to decay for a while.

Pwede gyud him-on restauarant, Ballroom, or conference hall. d lang pag demolish.

M.Lee

March 1st, 2006, 01:47 PM

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 01:46 AM

Hey dudes, more about Dumaguete in the following links:dumaguete (http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=5062691&page=8&pp=20), dumaguete blogspot (http://dumaguete.blogspot.com), and my own blog (http://techhallucinations.blogspot.com). The good news: Dumaguete will finally have a robinsons, if not this year, early next year. It will anchor the new business district near St Louis Don Bosco...Dumaguete is going along greatly. But let us preserve its pristine environment by opposing indiscriminate cutting of trees and throwing of garbage anywhere....

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 02:06 AM

Is Dumaguete on A Roll?

First, there was the SPI Technologies. Then, there was the Entheos IT. And Teletech. That these IT companies located in Dumaguete are testaments of the vibrancy of the local economy. And these companies are not your run-of the-mill companies. They are among the best in their fields. SPI Technologies is among the largest business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the world, while Teletech is the second largest callcenter firm in the whole world.

These are not all there is in Dumaguete’s IT industry. If you look closer, there are smaller IT companies out there within the territories of Dumaguete and its environs. Still, there are other individuals or groups, with big or small capitals, waiting to put their money in our locality to take advantage of our excellent human capital and IT infrastructure. SPI Technologies has announced recently that it will move some of its publisher services operations in Manila here.

That Robinsons is building a 6-hectare mall in Calindagan is an added feather to our cap.

Now, can we say that Dumaguete and Oriental Negros is on a roll, economically at least?

Though there is some sort of vibrancy in the local economy, there are still a lot of questions regarding the sustainability of our development. In the latest competitiveness survey done by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Dumaguete was not even in the top ten among the country’s top small cities (those with less than 200,000 population). Tagbilaran was at number 9.

Or should we blame the local respondents to the survey for not rating their city high enough to be competitive in the survey?

Anyway, let’s not get downhearted on the survey. It is just a survey anyway, and according to a friend, “Damn the surveys!” They could be downright shallow, and those who closely watch the developments in our beloved city can really tell the real score.

It was announced that the planned cable car system to be set up in Valencia is very feasible, which means there is now a greater likelihood that the system will be in place soon. And then there is the plan to host a great number of Chinese students in our city. All these spell good things to our tourism industry.

There is a plan to put up three ethanol plants in southern part of our province, in Tamlang Valley and in Bayawan. All these would cost up to Php 2 billion. That’s a huge sum of money. And just think of its multiplier effects to our economy. Of course, there are already plants for virgin coconut oil in our locality.

Although we could be positive about these developments, we should not let them get into our heads. There are still plenty of things that we have to deal with. Too much economic activities bring with them negative things such as more criminality, noise, traffic, pollution, etc. I hope local authorities will be able to deal with these things squarely, and not be caught off-guard when these side effects heighten.

Anyway, positive developments are positive developments no matter what. Finally Dumaguete is shedding off some negative aspects of its laid-back atmosphere such as lack of economic activities and work opportunities.

All these things were not here in our midst ten or five years ago. It is only now that the world order has been transformed that we could witness these things happening, right in our very own doorstep. Now we can look forward to shopping those great brands of apparels, tools, books, etc., or eat those great-tasting foods just minutes away from our homes. Or go relax and see movies in a world-class mall. Or enjoy high technology without going all the way to Cebu or Manila because all these things will be brought to our very own hometown soon.

And rejoice that these has the potential to be kept clean, and in turn, preserve the serenity and cleanliness of our environment – the positive aspects of Dumaguete’s laid-back atmosphere.

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 02:12 AM

more about dumaguete here (http://skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-245297.html), at the dumaguete blog site (http://dumaguete.blogspot.com), or at my own blog (http://techhallucinations.blogspot.com) :cheers: ...

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 02:14 AM

More ICT Jobs To Open In Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

Local and Multinational Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based companies in Negros Oriental could be hiring over 1000 Negrenses this year in their bid to expand operations to meet the growing demand.

Representatives of ICT companies have announced in a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum that more employees will be needed in the following months to meet the rapid increase in the global demand for ICT services.

IT companies that have already set up businesses here span the varied stretch of technology services, from business process outsourcing, medical transcription, and – just recently – call center, web development, software services and broadband services.

Suzanne Lu Bascara, general manager of SPI Publishing Services located at Brgy. Sacsac, Bacong town, said SPI plans to increase its current 339 employees to 600 by the end of this year.

Often mistaken for a call center, SPI is a leading global provider of business outsourcing services and solutions that help advance science and technology, explains Bascara. “SPI in Bacong supports content production of scientific, technical and medical journals. We help create academic journals,” she said.

Another IT company, Entheos IT located at Foundation University, is eyeing to double its current number of workers as it expands its services from medical transcription to include animation and architecture and later n. legal, finance and accounting transcription. “We will hire more employees for IT CAD, more animators and medical transcriptionists not later than middle of this year,” says Rolo Ceno, Entheos General Manager.

Efforts from the local government along with DTI have been wielded to prime Negros Oriental, particularly Dumaguete City with its reputation as a University Town, to become an IT capital in the country in response to the growing need in the IT industry.

The call center industry alone has started the year with a need fro 7,500 agents, and this demand can be expected to pick up as the year progresses, a statement from Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, said.

Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Director Javier Fortunato Jr., said Dumaguete continues to attract more IT investors despite being what he calls a second tier city. “Most companies, when they open up new business, often set up in Manila or Cebu. But because of our promotion, we have been able to convince them to give a second look at Dumaguete, at the talented human resources here,” he stressed

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 03:11 AM

Robinsons is building a 6-hectare mall which will anchor a new 30-hectare IT Park much like the Eastwood City in Libis. SM City in Dumaguete may just be looming in the horizon, hopefully before 2010...if you want to know more, go to these links: dumaguete blog site (http://dumaguete.blogspot.com), techhallucinations (http://techhallucinations.blogspot.com).

But then again, Mart One, a chain of national commercial establishments is here...
http://static.flickr.com/47/131268153_7f0e0ac24c.jpg?v=0

Coffee

March 8th, 2006, 05:38 AM

Is the new Robinsons really going to be a mall (like the one in Bacolod)? In the local newspapers I saw it referred to as "Robinsons Department Store", and I got disappointed thinking it would just another Lee Plaza/Mart One-like place. I hope it's a real mall... with a nice movie theater, to replace the others that are either closing or falling apart. :p

ritche

March 8th, 2006, 06:01 AM

Dinho

March 8th, 2006, 07:17 AM

I'd kill them if it's not going to be a mall...what are they gonna do with 6 hectares if its only a department store? And by the way, the space there in Calindagan is very big, the owner is julio sy, and the owner of sm is henry sy...having an sm in dumaguete is not that far ahead...it could become a reality soon...

Hope you are right about that. It's good that you guys are posting messages in other threads. Raising people's awareness about your hometown is so important... Question, which towns and cities could you guys say is part of Dumaguete's metropolitan area?

ritche

March 9th, 2006, 05:04 AM

:runaway:

ritche

March 9th, 2006, 05:26 AM

According to this statement from Robinsons Land Corp. (http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:I-zJOSzV-OgJ:www.pse.com.ph/html/ListedCompanies/pdf/RLC_SECForm_17A_Sep2005.pdf+robinsons+dumaguete&hl=tl&gl=ph&ct=clnk&cd=52) , they will be acquiring parcels of land in Dumaguete and Pangasinan within the fiscal year 2006. Reliable sources from Dumaguete indicate that this has already been done. I haven't seen the present developments in the area as the last time I was in Dumaguete was in December. Beside the lot they acquired is the lot acquired by Teletech, which is scheduled to open before June this year. Observers might have confused the ongoing construction going on there in Calindagan for Robinsons. That lot is obviously smaller than 6 hectares, and that's why they have referred to the area as 'Robinsons Department Store', when in reality that is probably the callcenter building being built by Teletech. Robinsons mall in Dumaguete will probably open by the end of this year or early next year.

That Robinsons has acquired a big parcel of land is because they are probably following a trend they have started here in Manila: to locate IT companies inside their mall. And the IT workers as well as their family members will form a considerable part of their customers.

Robinsons mall in Dumaguete will probably have cinemas, according to this story. (http://beta.inq7.net/entertainment/index.php?index=1&story_id=65852).

Dumaguete metropolitan area consists of Dumaguete, and the towns of Bacong, Sibulan, and Valencia. But the towns of San Jose and Dauin are being considered for inclusion.
:cheers:

Miguel

March 10th, 2006, 04:37 AM

And rejoice that these has the potential to be kept clean, and in turn, preserve the serenity and cleanliness of our environment – the positive aspects of Dumaguete’s laid-back atmosphere.

Dumaguete is known to be a retiree's haven simply because of its easy, simple, and stress free lifestyle. I know lots of people are getting excited with the boom that Dumaguete is experiencing but I also knew that many share same sentiments in opting for Dumaguete to retain and preserve its natural beauty, that is not being a progressive city. Many have gone and work in big cities like in Manila and Cebu and in foreign countries but still many would return and would like to settle down in Dumaguete because of the charm it possess. The people love just the way it is, a small city. I too would not want Dumaguete to become like Cebu or Manila. If progress is inevitable I hope it would spread in the outskirts and not be concentrated in Dumaguete City alone. I still would love to just walk leisurely in the Boulevard and not getting worried of pollution, congestion, and crime.

Miguel

March 10th, 2006, 05:01 AM

NEGRENSE

This will be my series of people who at one time or another had come and experience the life in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. They are not necessarily a native of Dumaguete or Negros Oriental, they might be from other places, but at least a part of their life was in this place.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p115f535fd98952d81902cf1923f8d66f/efe401c8.jpg
CARLOS P. GARCIA

Fourth President
Third Philippine Republic
March 17, 1957 - December 30, 1961

"Only those can remain free who are worthy of it. Freedom must be constantly deserved."

A native of Bohol, Carlos P. Garcia was born on November 4, 1896. He grew up with politics in his blood. His father served as a municipal mayor for four terms. He studied in Cebu Provincial High School, Silliman University and Philippine Law School. He earned his degree in 1923.

He was famous for his poetry in Bohol where he earned the nickname "Prince of Visayan Poets."

It was in 1925 that he started his political career. He was elected provincial governor for two terms, 1931 and 1940 respectively; became a member of the congress in 1946; elected three times into the senate for three consecutive terms from 1941 to 1953, and was appointed as a cabinet member by President Ramon Magsaysay for four years concurrently serving as vice-president. He assumed the presidency after Magsaysay's death.

During his administration, he acted on the Bohlen Serrano Agreement which states the shortening of the US Bases lease of 99 years into 25 years and renewable after every five years. He also exercised the Filipino First Policy of which he was known for. This policy heavily favored the Filipino businessmen in contrast to foreign investors. He was also responsible for the retail trade which greatly affected the Chinese businessmen in the country.

Miguel

March 10th, 2006, 05:21 AM

NEGRENSE

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p32441791e9a99d86f2b9ad0ff66dfca1/efe3fbc8.jpg

BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS

Economist
Chairman
Board of Trustee
University of Asia and Pacific

"Prophet of Boom"

Co-founder of the Center for Research and Communication, is currently Dean of the School of Economics of the University of Asia and the Pacific. He received his Ph.D. from the Harvard University. For almost four decades, he has been a renowned figure in the academe, business, consultancy, and social enterprise. He sits in the Southeast Asia Advisory Board of Rolls Royce, as well as the boards of leading domestic and multinational companies including Victoria's Milling Corporation, McGeorge Food Industries, Inc., (McDonald's) and Bank of the Philippine Islands. He has been called to advise numerous top government officials (including President Fidel V. Ramos). His widely discussed opinions regarding economic and social issues can be found in his column in the Manila Bulletin. He has authored several textbooks in economics such as Guide to Economics for Filipinos, Economics for the Consumer; Managerial Economics; Economics: An Introduction; Dictionary of Business and Economic Terms; Economics and Society: Policy Perspectives for the 1990s and Economics for Philippine High Schools.

He is originally from Negros Oriental and spent his elementary days at St. Paul University of Dumaguete.

Here was his speech at the commencement exercises of St. Paul University of Dumaguete last 2004. http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2004/05/07/OPED200405078927.html

High quality of Paulinian education

Bernardo M Villegas

IT is heartening to see that improving the quality of basic education is in the platform of every presidentiable. The Philippines will lag increasingly behind its Asian neighbors if we allow the quality of education ? on all levels ? to continue its long-term decline.

I had an opportunity to observe the administration, faculty, and graduates of some institutions of higher learning in regions outside of Manila during the recent season of commencement exercises in late March and early April of the current year. One of them is St. Paul University Dumaguete where I was commencement speaker last March 20, 2004. It was a homecoming for me, since I finished my grade school studies in this university (then St. Paul?s College) way back in 1950 when my late father was the provincial health director of Negros Oriental. I have always treasured memories of the years we spent in Dumaguete, today one of the most attractive tourist destinations and retirement havens for both Filipinos and foreigners.

Dumaguete has at least four high-quality universities ? Silliman University, Foundation University, Central Visayas State University, and St. Paul?s University. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was Central Visayas State University?s graduation speaker; Secretary of Finance Juanita Amatong of Silliman University, and Vice President Teofisto Guingona of Foundation University. Dumaguete?s role as an educational center in Central Visayas was quite prominent during that one weekend in March when three top officials visited the city one day after another.

Thanks to the relatively high standards of education in these universities. Dumaguete is getting to be known among the operators of customer interaction services or call centers as a major supplier of university graduates who speak excellent English. Whereas in Manila, 4 out of 100 make the grade in the recruitment process of these centers, in Dumaguete, the equivalent ratio is 25 out of 100. As I listened to the graduates of St. Paul?s University declaim in impeccable English, I confirmed that, despite their well-known handicap as Cebuanos trying to speak English, the youth in Dumaguete speak better English than those in Manila. The same can be said of the youth in Baguio and other areas of the mountain provinces.

St. Paul?s Dumaguete is celebrating its centennial on October 22-29, 2004. It is the oldest of the six universities in the St. Paul University System all over the Philippines. St. Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao City is the first Philippine university to be ISO certified, a testimony to the outstanding educational management that the St. Paul?s sisters are famous for. The other universities are in Iloilo, Manila, Quezon City, and Surigao. Wherever they are, the St. Paul sisters serve the cause of quality education by being true to their VisionMission statement: "The St. Paul University System is a network of Paulinian educational institutions bound by its commitment to form Christ-centered, integrated, and competent persons in the service of the Church and society. Through collaboration, complementation, and resource-sharing, the system ensures the delivery of quality programs and services by its members, thus affirming its leadership role in education for social transformation."

I salute the sisters of St. Paul of Chartres for their unfaltering dedication to the quality education of the Filipino youth. As their provincial superior, Sr. Mary Magdalen Torres, SPC, said in a message on the occasion of the accreditation of the St. Paul University System by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) last March 10, 2004, "It is true that integrative and collaborative effort and attitude bring about holistic information and formation, and this is what education is for. But let our Paulinian education make a marked difference to build more people by going beyond the frontiers and frontline, not in the spirit of competition but how we regard and value those inside of us and among us, how we care, connect, and respect all people, knowing fully well that they are our best assets and they reflect who we are."

I owe part of what I am to the early child education I received at St. Paul?s Dumaguete. The 4Rs (Religion, Riting, Reading, and Rithmetic) were complemented with music (I learned to play the piano from the late Sister Rose) and drama (a favorite co-curricular activity in the St. Paul system).

A word of advice to those marketing the Philippines as a health center and provider of caregivers for the world. Some of the St. Paul?s Universities all over the Philippines have excellent nursing schools that can supply high-quality nurses and caregivers. The spirit of service and concern for the suffering and the sick is second nature to the Paulinian culture. For comments, my email is bvillegas@uap.edu.ph.

Dinho

March 11th, 2006, 06:57 AM

Dumaguete is known to be a retiree's haven simply because of its easy, simple, and stress free lifestyle. I know lots of people are getting excited with the boom that Dumaguete is experiencing but I also knew that many share same sentiments in opting for Dumaguete to retain and preserve its natural beauty, that is not being a progressive city. Many have gone and work in big cities like in Manila and Cebu and in foreign countries but still many would return and would like to settle down in Dumaguete because of the charm it possess. The people love just the way it is, a small city. I too would not want Dumaguete to become like Cebu or Manila. If progress is inevitable I hope it would spread in the outskirts and not be concentrated in Dumaguete City alone. I still would love to just walk leisurely in the Boulevard and not getting worried of pollution, congestion, and crime.

Yup... Would hate it if the city planners would just demolish the old town. But I would also hate to see Dumaguete remain a small town just so we Bacolenos could enjoy it. I am sure that with good city planning, Dumaguete could retain its old town charm and be progressive at the same time. But please take away those noisy trikes. I'd prefer San Carlos' pedal powered trikes anytime. By the way, try to look up Google Earth. They have spectacular shots satellite shots of Bacolod, Iloilo and San Carlos. You could actually see the pollution level of each of the 3 cities. San Carlos is totally green and pristine since pollution is so low. I could probably say that San Carlos is the cleanest city of its size (100,000 ++ population). I am not suggesting that Dumaguete turn to pedal powered trikes. Maybe using more of those micro jeepneys would help.

ritche

March 11th, 2006, 12:40 PM

Yes, you are right Miguel...Philippine cities are not well-planned and mismanaged. For example, Manila's original planners intended that city to have only a population of 100,000, but look at it now! If we are to develop Dumaguete, we should look beyond the filth and dust of Manila and Cebu and look up to cities which have successfully integrated development and environmental preservation seamlessly. I too would like to walk at the boulevard at the end of the day and breathe the fresh air and smell the clean breeze of the sea. But you cannot relax there if you have nothing in your pocket, and if you have nothing to purchase the things that make you happy. I am not saying that Dumaguete people should become materialistic, but I would like to see Dumaguetenos with high purchasing power, without leaving the city. Since we take pride in our being an educated breed, we should concentrate on clean industries such as IT, education and tourism which bring in the jobs and money without polluting the environment.

I would still like to see Dumaguete with those big malls and tall buildings, but beside these buildings are tall and sturdy trees, and they are not clustered in one area. I would like to see Dumaguete growing in the likes of Greenbelt and Alabang without the beggars and the poor people. In other words, I'd like to see a prosperous Dumaguete which has successfully preserved its heritage and environment.

Yes I agree with you that development should be spread out, that is why I support the Metro Dumaguete concept and the creation of urban areas nearby. And the preservation of the present Dumaguete poblacion.

I would like to see Dumaguete being like Vancouver in Canada, or Melbourne and Sydney in Australia.

ritche

March 13th, 2006, 01:56 AM

ritche

March 15th, 2006, 04:31 AM

Another picture of Jollibee North Road (Silliman), courtesy of Negros Chornicle:
http://www.negroschronicle.com/final/march_12/jollibee.jpg

Miguel

March 17th, 2006, 05:26 AM

APO ISLAND
Dauin, Negros Oriental

Philippine Pride, World Reknowned Diving Paradise

Apo Island is a tiny bit of paradise in the central Philippines. Its beautiful reef teems with colorful schooling fishes, sharks, sea turtles and, of course, hundreds of kinds of corals. Residents make a good living from fishing as well as from other trades and crafts.

But it was not always so. More than 20 years ago, the reef was nearly fished out. Desperate fishermen used cyanide, dynamite and weighted nets to force scarce fish out of the corals — while destroying the habitat the fish depended on. As their reef collapsed, fishermen had to travel greater distances in small boats to find enough fish for their families to survive.

Then biologists from nearby Silliman University proposed an unheard-of plan to the people of Apo: Stop fishing in one-quarter of the island's waters. Let the fish find sanctuary — and breed and mature — in this no-fishing zone, and they will replenish the surrounding waters where fishing with nondestructive methods is allowed. But the most daring proposition was that the people of Apo would create and manage the sanctuary themselves.

With little to lose, the islanders agreed to try the plan. Within a few years, they saw amazing results as their waters once again filled with fishes. At the same time, the people learned other livelihoods to take some burden off the reef as their main source of income. Today the entire Apo Island reef is a community-managed marine reserve that includes the fish sanctuary. It is a model for other Philippine fishing communities as well as a tourist destination.

Apo Island might not have the beaches of Boracay but it is what's beneath the surface that makes people from all over the world come and wanting to witness the beauty of this underwater paradise.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/pdd40a738c81aeffe8531f81bdaa0ff83/efd02b03.jpg

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http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid182/p08f8a7efc02d6bb5131ee06f2c5b12cd/f2c49c3a.jpg

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http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid182/p59628655d3c8b619825ab544be0aa4f3/f2c4963c.jpg

DID YOU KNOW?

-that Apo Island is the first successful community managed marine sanctuary which has serve as a model for other marine sanctuaries in this country and in other countries

-Philippines can take pride as a replica of Apo Island is permanently exhibited at the World's Largest Aquarium; Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p82fa33bf8ed6ba4dc68cf6fb48b13439/efd016bc.jpg

http://www.sheddaquarium.org/wildreef/tertiary_template.cfm?article=32

APO ISLAND ONLINE INTERACTIVE GAME
Did you know also that there's an online game about Apo Island? Just follow this link: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/SEA/interactive_module.cfm?id=9

MYSTERIES OF APO ISLAND

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p8cb933d0cdc3cee8fc0c718cc407dfc0/efd016b7.jpg

People from foreign places have travelled even from afar just to experience the enchantment of this place, it is now high time for Filipinos to discover also the other natural wonders in this country.

Jimbu

March 17th, 2006, 07:02 AM

wow another booming city in central visayas :runaway:

i hope to see Dumaguete next year !!!

ritche

March 18th, 2006, 02:02 PM

http://static.flickr.com/55/113645076_137beb9a4d.jpg?v=0
This is the question found at the mainpage of the Oriental Negros Investment and Promotions Center (OneIPC (http://www.investoriental.com)) Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC (http://www.vabc2006.buglas.com/)) 2006 page.

The next great business idea might be Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. Follow this thread and we will show you why. And feel free to add your comments and suggestions. They are most welcome! Have a good day! :)

ritche

March 18th, 2006, 02:12 PM

http://static.flickr.com/37/113644555_a35f6f3202.jpg?v=0

Oriental Negros, Pioneer in Quality Education (http://www.investoriental.com/ICT-pioneer.html)

"Dumaguete is the Only City of its size (100,000) with 4 Universities. There are around 2,000 faculty and staff, and one in every four people is a college student. College students number more than 25,000. The service and retail sectors get a third of their sales from education related spending. Education contributes P2B to the economy annually."

Silliman University (1901)
The first American investment when they arrived in Dumaguete City was a private school called Silliman Institute (now Silliman University).

Centers of Excellence/Development in Biodiversity Conservation, Nursing, Education, Coastal Resources Management, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Sciences, Business & Management Education and Biology.

National Artist for Literature Dr. Edith Tiempo - a graduate of Silliman, started the oldest Creative Writing Program in Asia, producing a majority of PEN and Palanca Awardees.

It is the only university that owns its fiber optic system; it is one of only two academic institutions in the Philippines that have extensive fiber optic backbones.Costing US $2.5 million in 1997, the fiber optic backbone connects all colleges and buildings in the University.

First school in the Philippines to deploy wireless Wi-Fi B2B LAN technology on its campus; WIFI and Fiber Optics are the main media used for data communication within the University

St. Paul University (1904)
First St. Paul school in the Philippines was established in Dumaguete City (At present, there are 42 schools and 23 hospitals managed by the St. Paul of Chartres sisters all over the country)

St. Paul University Dumaguete is the first ISO 9000 certified school in the Philippines.

Negros Oriental State University (1907)
The Beginnings of what is now the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) date back to 1907, from a single woodworking class at what was then the Negros Oriental Provincial School, the forerunner of the present Negros Oriental High School. As more industrial arts subjects were added, a separate arts and trade school on the secondary level called the Negros Oriental Trade School was established 1927.

This was the provincial trade school which became East Visayan School of Arts and Trade in 1956 and the Central Visayas Polytechnic College in 1983. In June 25, 2004, became Negros Oriental State University.

The newest State University in the country and a pioneer internet service provider in Oriental Negros. NORSU is the gateway for province-wide One Government Network and has the biggest student population in Oriental Negros

Foundation University (1947)
First non-profit, non-stock college in the Philippines was established in Dumaguete City named Foundation College (now Foundation University).

Operates a CISCO Networking Academy consistently having 100% certification rate.IT Center open 24/7 so students can work, do research, browse, chat, have lessons, or even play online games

Its Computer Science program focuses on working with open source programming.IT is applied to all disciplines. It also hosts several student-designed and built websites for local NGOs, including the website for the Oriental Negros Innovation Awards, a pioneering business plan competition aimed at generating more new businesses in the province.
_________________________________________________________________

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/suhall.jpg
The famous Silliman Hall.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/sumainlibrary.jpg
Silliman University Library, once tagged as Asia's largest, is probably among the best in Southeast Asia, according to some observers (http://su.edu.ph/nonacadunits/library/library.htm).

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/luce.jpg
Luce Auditorium, donated by Henry Luce of Time Warner, Inc., has a near perfect acoustics system. It is the best auditorium in the Philippines after the CCP.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/cba.jpg
The College of Business Administration Building.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/as.jpg
Arts and Sciences Building.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/newmens.jpg
New Men's Dorm.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/suchurch.jpg
SU Church

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/hsnew.jpg
New High School building.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/multimedia.jpg
Multimedia Center.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/scheide.jpg
Scheide Chapel.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/succ.jpg
Computer Center Building. Silliman is reputed to be among the very few universities in the world to own its fiber optic system.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/newsuesbldg.jpg
Elementary School building

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/amphi.jpg
The Silliman amphitheater.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/thewall.jpg
The Freedom Wall.

http://su.edu.ph/tour/bldgs/pics/bell.jpg
"The Bell."

According to PRC, Silliman University, #1 (or #2?, usually #1) in Nursing.
#1 in Accountancy.
Always in the top 3 in PT.
Center of Excellence in Coastal Resource Management.
Center of Excellence in Education, etc., etc.
The Tiempos organized Asia's first Writers' workshop hosted by Silliman University.
Dumaguete, the country's University Town, has the highest hiring rate among cities in the country for the callcenter industry.

ritche

March 18th, 2006, 02:20 PM

http://imageserver4.textamerica.com/user.images.x/40/IMG_519040/_0317/TZ200317000601142.jpg

Fiber-rich City
http://www.philippinebusiness.com.ph/images/pbmimgs6/CCtrain_NewClass.jpg
Dumaguete's telco infrastructure qualifies it to ride on the growth of global outsourcing industry

By Dominique Cimafranca

One secret that will serve Dumaguete well in its ambitions is the telecommunications infrastructure in the city. Unknown to many, Dumaguete actually has a robust high-capacity network already in place. This network consists of microwave links and a fiber-optic backbone which connect the city not only to Manila and Cebu City, but to Mindanao and other islands, as well.

The fiber optic links going into Dumaguete are among the best for a city outside of Metro Manila. The total capacity of these fiber links is a whopping 320 Gbps* which translates to 4.5 million high quality data and voice lines – a capacity which can accommodate five million call center agents. Bandwidth-hungry outsourcing businesses such as call centers, transcription services, and digital post-production will find ample room for growth for their telecommunication needs.

Redundancy is another key feature of Dumaguete’s telco infrastructure. Dumaguete is a landing site for the fiber optic backbone networks of Globe Telecommunications, as well as Telecphil – the national consortium of telco providers. In addition, microwave communications supplement the links, assuring that service businesses need not fear outages caused by a downed cable.

Investment promotion is going full-speed ahead for Dumaguete with the coordinated efforts of local government, national agencies, and non-government organizations. Already boasting of topnotch graduates, the city is well positioned for growth in the booming international services outsourcing industry.

*320 gbps and growing...
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IT/ITES Firms

"In the past few years, several software development companies have emerged in the Philippines, as well as many other IT-related enterprises, like Medical Transcription Services and Call Centres, most of them however clustered in big cities like Manila and Cebu. Little did the world know that Dumaguete City, apart from its human resources, has access to the country’s most advanced telecom infrastructure right outside its doorstep, comprising a high speed fibre optic backbone network with a 320Gbps capacity!

This rarely promoted advantage this little city has over the rest of the country, combined with four well reputed universities and several other learning institutions, and added to that a considerably lower cost of operating businesses compared to the metro cities, makes Dumaguete City probably the most attractive place in the Philippines for ICT growth today. " - Nestwood Software Development Corporation (http://www.nestwood.com/default.aspx?tabid=47)

An investment location is known by the corporation/companies it keeps. These are the current ITES firms in Dumaguete:

http://static.flickr.com/53/114105612_6d24543eed.jpg?v=0 Teletech Holdings Corp. (http://www.teletech.com/global.asia.count.phil.html)

http://static.flickr.com/50/131723394_e6f0553357.jpg?v=0 SPI Technologies (http://www.spitech.com)

http://static.flickr.com/39/114105609_f18e6534b2.jpg?v=0 Entheos IT Corp. (http://www.entheosit.com/)

http://static.flickr.com/56/114105610_7848021456.jpg?v=0 Nestwood Development Corporation (http://www.nestwood.com)

http://static.flickr.com/42/115574335_272b601583_m.jpg
IT Outlook (http://it-outlook.com)

Bayantel Communications (http://www.bayantel.com.ph/news/presscenter14.shtml)

Innove Communications (http://www.innove.com.ph/)

More vital facts about Dumaguete here (http://www.philippinebusiness.com.ph/archives/magazine/vol11-2004/11-6/geographics.htm).
_________________________________________________________________
Philippine fiber optics network - "The fiber optic telecommunications backbone of the Philippines is located in Oriental Negros. As a result, the province boasts of state of the art telecommunications facilities. Its geothermal powerplants ensure stable supply of electricity." - OneIPC website (http://www.investoriental.com/tourism.html)

http://static.flickr.com/39/113644001_d7180c36a2.jpg?v=0

Visayas fiber optics network
http://static.flickr.com/53/113644003_4953a5a7e7.jpg?v=0

Negros fiber optics network
http://static.flickr.com/45/113644002_8ce0bb86b6.jpg?v=0

ritche

March 18th, 2006, 02:20 PM

http://static.flickr.com/43/113645078_10efeccc04.jpg?v=0

Dumaguete and Oriental Negros is also emerging to be a major tourist destination in the Visayas Region.

Follow this link (http://www.investoriental.com/tourism.html) and you'll know why.

For Oriental Negros' official tourism site, follow this link (http://www.touroriental.com).

The following are some of the tourism attractions of Dumaguete/Oriental Negros:

Antulang Beach Resort (http://www.antulang.com), Tambobo, Siaton, Oriental Negros

Bahura Resort and Spa (http://www.bahura.com), Dauin, Oriental Negros

Pura Vida Beach and Dive Resort (http://www.pura-vida.ph/whatsnew.html), Dauin, Oriental Negros

El Dorado Beach Resort (http://www.eldoradobeachresort.com/)

Why Not Music Box (http://www.eldoradobeachresort.com/whynot.htm)

Atlantis Dive Resort, Dumaguete (http://www.atlantishotel.com/dumaguete/resort/index.htm)

Scuba World, Dumaguete (http://www.scubaworld.com.ph/index.php?pid=87)

Apo Island (http://www.apoisland.com/)

Forest Camp (http://www.dgte.net/forest_con.htm), Valencia, Oriental Negros

ritche

March 18th, 2006, 07:25 PM

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/179/2893/1024/article11.jpg

surfsam

March 19th, 2006, 06:18 AM

hi ritche. great posts. but there is an existing dumaguete/negros thread. ti would be nice to ask the moderator to transfer all your posts over there. thanks. :cheers:

ritche

March 20th, 2006, 04:44 AM

How can I do that?

c0kelitr0

March 20th, 2006, 05:38 AM

^^ ask any moderator...renell, thomasian or greyX...to merge the two threads...

ritche

March 20th, 2006, 06:35 AM

thanks

ritche

March 20th, 2006, 10:05 AM

Land of Bounty
By Christine S. Dayrit

The Philippine STAR 10/31/2004

There is a place where opportunities abound, where information and communications technology are the most advanced in the world, where call centers and cartoon animators are eyeing to transfer their operations, where education being a top priority is made affordable for everyone and where the English language is recognized as the "language of empowerment."

Here, eco-tourism is a way of life, where spinner dolphins and pilot whales incessantly perform stunts before tourists, knowing they are safe from harm. In this nirvana of white sandy beaches, glorious waterfalls and lush forests, fiestas don’t only occur every feast of a patron saint, but they exist in the heart and soul of its people.

All these and more await you in Oriental Negros.

It is recorded in the book Reminiscences and Travels of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal that on Aug. 1, 1896, he sailed from Dapitan to Dumaguete, capital of Oriental Negros, where he observed the penchant of the townsfolk to care for their environment by adorning their homes with plants and flowers. It is believed that Rizal coined the moniker "City of Gentle People" during his brief stay in Dumaguete.

Today, the Rizal Boulevard is an esplanade that stretches 800 meters along the seawall from the wharf to Colon St. It is home to cozy restaurants like Mamia’s owned by the family of Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices, Internet cafes and Sans Rival, the original bake-shop that makes that delightful buttery pastry.

The Protestant-run Silliman University, also known as The Campus by the Sea, sprawls over 56 hectares, its central quadrangle bordered by 307 centuries-old towering acacia trees planted by the American missionaries. The institution was a magnanimous gift of $10,000 from Dr. Horace Brinsmade Silliman, a philanthropist from Cohoes, New York, who founded Silliman barely five months after the end of the Fil-American War.

Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz was quick to share: "Education, which is our number one resource, brings about people empowerment." Today, an international community of foreign students from Korea, China, the Middle East, America, Europe, and the rest of the world learn in harmony and camaraderie.

According to Francel Martinez, head of the Oriental Negros Investment Promotion Center: "Since people in Dumaguete speak and write in English very proficiently, six out of 10 of their applicants to call centers and business process outsourcing jobs are actually hired. Only one out of 10 applicants to these ICT jobs from Manila and Luzon is hired."

Also at the College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences of Silliman University, the passing rate for the national licensure exams has been 100 percent since 1952. In fact, it has become a standing joke that if one were to fail the nursing board exam, a monument would be erected in his/her (dis)honor!

Engr. Alfredo Ang, dean of the College of Information Technology & Computer Science at Silliman University, showed us the impressive fiber optics technology that was a gift from Islacom through Deutsche Telecom. Here, blackboard and chalk are a thing of the past, and in their place are audio speakers and video monitors that flash the lessons on screen.

Among Dumaguete City’s 100,000 population – four out of 10 of whom are college graduates – three other universities offer high quality education at affordable rates: the country’s first St. Paul University which is celebrating its centennial this month, the new Negros Oriental State University, and Foundation University which is currently under the leadership of Dean Sinco, a University of Washington-trained architect, and Dr. Mira Dragon-Sinco who got her academic training in Michigan State University and at Harvard University.

Dean Sinco toured us around the 5.5-hectare property of Foundation University, planned by his grandfather Dr. Vicente G. Sinco, former UP president, to resemble the Greco-Roman styled UP Diliman. Dean noted: "In the past, there was no economic reason for college graduates to stay in Dumaguete. Our goal now is to produce graduates who can work here, allowing the city to be globally competitive."

Our media trip to Oriental Negros was brought about by a familiarization tour to the second annual Buglasan Festival of Festivals.

Gracious Governor Arnaiz who heads the Oriental Negros Investment Board explained: "The Buglasan is a one-stop shop for Oriental Negros’ tourism and recreational sites. Here, we highlight our investment potentials, our technical capability in information & telecommunications, agricultural products, our achievements in culture and the arts."

It was also the Yagyag Festival from the town of Sibulan last year that bested challengers from all over the country including winners in Bacolod’s Masskara, Iloilo’s Dinagyang, and Tacloban’s Pintados, judged the WOW Philippines street-dancing champion.

We were impressed by the 13 contingents from Oriental Negros and their spectacular showmanship during the street-dancing contest held at the jampacked 5,000-seat Cong. Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center.

Another major highlight was the dolphin- and whale-watching trip in Bais wherein we spotted about 30 spinner dolphins whose playful antics in the Tañon Strait were photographed by Michael Ocampo. Bais City Mayor Hector "Tata" Villanueva ensured we had a sumptuous lunch of kilawin, seashells, and grilled fish on board the huge bancas, while docked at the two-hectare sandbar (at least that day when the tide was so low). We learned that in August 1993, Silliman marine biologist Dr. Louela Dolar and Dr. William Perrin of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography of the University of California- San Diego led a group for a seven-day expedition of the Tañon Strait aboard the MV Aquastar. Their findings of over 20 species of dolphins and whales created an awareness of unprecedented value and gave birth to an organized eco-tourism industry in Bais.

A quick visit to the Oriental Negros Provincial Tourism Office made us all vow to explore all the natural scenic spots and glorious finds of the area. Consider these: Valencia town’s "Little Baguio" where sweet fruits and wild colorful flowers bloom in the cool mountain climate; the glorious Niludhan Falls of Bayawan City; the sea, sun and fun in Manjuyod; Amlan’s natural bounties; and Tayasan’s crispy lechon, freshest seafoods, and crunchy amargoso-pipino salad. We will not forget the export quality abaca-leather woven bags we brought home to Manila. Neither will we forget the budbod (suman) packed in native bags, from Tanjay City.

Most enlightening was the lecture of former Pepsi and Islacom president Fred Dael who said that our country should learn more about the rest of the country. He enthused "Dumaguete City in Oriental Negros has the most advanced telecommunications system in the world, comparable only to the ones in Germany."

From the time Deutsche Telecom infused $2.5 billion worth of fiber optics in the region five years ago, businessmen, investors and the rest of our countrymen have yet to maximize this wealth of technology for advancement and progress. Call centers, the "single largest social upheaval" in the Philippine economy, can set up anytime and anywhere in the province of Oriental Negros.

For job seekers in Oriental Negros, one can earn a higher take-home pay because of the lower cost of living. Or one can own a house by the mountain, or along the beachfront – which will probably be the amount of one’s rental in a cramped apartment in Manila, according to Engr. Greg Uymatiao Jr., president of the Negros Oriental Business Development Foundation.

Gone are the perceptions of the laid-back south. Their infectious passion for progress, for global competitiveness and their value of quality education is truly admirable. Experiencing the developments of Oriental Negros makes me very proud to be a Filipino. Imagine the great minds and leaders from Oriental Negros like Dr. Angel C. Alcala, the father of community-based coastal resources management or National Artist for Literature Dr. Edith Tiempo, National Artist for Film Eddie Romero and Architect Manny Almagro who was part of the team that did restoration work on the Statue of Liberty.

The ultimate goal of a traveler, who in many ways is like a wandering nomad, is to eventually find a place where he may reside, settle in, and grow old gracefully. Once he finds his place in the sun, having gone full circle, he is complete.

Let that place be Oriental Negros, on the right side of Negros Island, where the sun rises, blessing this favored land of progressive yet gentle and caring people with bountiful opportunities for a brighter future.
* * *
You can direct your inquiries about Oriental Negros to its Investment Promotion Center on www.investoriental.com or www.touroriental.com or tel. no. (35) 226-1036.

ritche

March 20th, 2006, 10:37 AM

RP is TeleTech’s fastest growing market globally

TeleTech, a global business services company which employs some 5,000 call center professionals in the country today, ranks its Philippine operations as its fastest growing market worldwide.

Operating in 17 countries in five continents, TeleTech now has four customer management centers (CMCs) or call centers in Metro Manila, the newest of which is in Cainta, Rizal (formally opening in the first quarter of 2006).

TeleTech also now owns the Makati offices of FinSource, a Philippine-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company which it acquired last month.

In addition, TeleTech is in the midst of building its first call center outside Metro Manila — in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental where it expects to hire at least 500 people in the next 18 to 24 months.

"The Philippines is by far the fastest growing market for TeleTech worldwide in terms of absolute headcount… This year, (we performed) beyond expectations. TeleTech is really very comfortable with the Philippines," says Craig Reines, vice president and general manager of TeleTech’s Philippine operations.

TeleTech estimates that with the completion of its Cainta and Dumaguete facilities, it will account for the biggest area occupied by any single customer management provider in the country. The Cainta facility alone will take up over 10,000 square meters of floor space inside the Big R mall, enough to house over 15,000 workstations, Reines says.

Off to greener pastures
Beginning with the Dumaguete CMC, TeleTech’s future investments in the country will take place outside Metro Manila. This new expansion thrust mirrors the company’s view that it has made the most of the resources available in Metro Manila. This also means that TeleTech’s call center in Cainta will be its final facility in the metropolis.

"It doesn’t make sense (for us) to continue in Metro Manila as it has been tapped out," explains Reines. "To sustain a strong labor pool, we believe that additional expansion in the Philippines will be best supported in the provinces."

Reines says Dumaguete is an ideal call center site because it has four major universities from where they can source manpower and it has at least six commercial flights daily to and from Manila.

"Dumaguete has a population of about 250,000 which is big enough to support a decent-sized operation. It generally enjoys good weather and is also geographically near other places with similar features where there are opportunities to pull in resources from," Reines adds.

But the biggest attraction TeleTech found in Dumaguete, which also came as a nice surprise, is the higher English proficiency of the applicants from the province. "Based on our pre-certification test, the English in the province is better than what we get in Manila," notes Reines.

So that its target regions in the country can deliver the right business environment it requires, TeleTech will work with provincial governments in developing growth plans. In Dumaguete, Reines says they are now working with an e-service council made up of local businesses, universities and local government units to develop manpower development programs. TeleTech also gave a P1-million performance bond to guarantee that it will provide employment to the province over the next three years.

"We asked the city to develop a growth plan that will create an environment that can support X number of jobs that we will guarantee to hire. We’re helping the city develop the environment logically by putting together resources like a teachers’ training lab for English or IT in the universities. The e-service council will meet once a year to look at the program’s sustainability… The renewal of the bond could be based on our performance versus our target or our success rate based on our hiring perspective," says Reines.

He adds that TeleTech has carried out similar programs in the US, Canada and other parts of the world to avoid having a place with too many players tapping the same resources, ultimately ruining the environment. He points out that foreign investors don’t come to the Philippines because it’s a low-cost job market, but because "most of us in these industries are performing well in the productivity arena."

Teleperks
Aside from being one of the country’s largest employers in this industry, TeleTech also wants to be known as an employer of choice.

TeleTech employees in the Philippines enjoy the same benefits as their counterparts in North America, Reines says.

"We have extended ‘Teleperks’ to our employees here. Leveraging on our big buying power, our employees enjoys discounts from Apple, HP and our other partners and suppliers. We are also increasing our community service programs and after-work programs and we’re doing major lifestyle enhancements for our employees." And to disprove that there’s only so much room for professional growth in a call center, Reines says they have promoted 600 Filipino employees last year.

TeleTech expects to employ more than 7,000 Filipino professionals in 2006.

The Philippine STAR 12/19/2005

rustyboi

March 20th, 2006, 11:05 AM

beautiful! :D

Dumaguete/Oriental Negros is IT! --> around 1997, then Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia actively promoted Cebu as an IT hub with the slogan: CEBU is IT! and look how far Cebu has gone. i read an article about Dumaguete officials making Cebu as their model for IT development. looks like this is going to be the next IT hub in the Visayas. being home to one of the country's best universities, nothing can stop Dumaguete. keep it up! :okay:

ritche

March 21st, 2006, 01:50 AM

Yes, we asked help from Cebu, and even now Cebu is helping Dumaguete. If Dumaguete is established, the Cebu-Dumaguete hub, and the whole Central visayas, including western visayas, will be one of the most vibrant economic corridors in the country, and Cebu-Dumaguete a great IT corridor in Asia!

ryanr

March 21st, 2006, 04:46 AM

Threads merged:) Nice pics, btw.

Miguel

March 21st, 2006, 07:20 AM

DOLPHIN AND WHALE WATCHING
Bais City, Negros Oriental

Sunday, February 02, 2003
Wind-blown in Bais
By Jeneen R. Garcia

It was an overcast day in December, and we should have stayed at Silliman University’s Alumni Hall where we were billeted, or at least somewhere equally stable. But our group of environmental journalists was determined to visit one of Negros Oriental’s more popular conservation sites, Tañon Strait, famous for dolphins and migratory whales.
Besides, the calm waters of Bais Bay, almost like a lake by the way a thick mangrove forest hid the sea from view, gave no clue to the ride ahead.

We took two boats, aptly named M/BCA Dolphin I and Dolphin II. The bigger boat, seating 20 people, cost P3,000 for a day’s use. Fishermen and floating fishing villages met us as we sailed out of the bay. The farther out to sea we went, the rougher the waters became. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep our balance onboard.

Still, it had been an hour’s drive north of Dumaguete city and people couldn’t help but be hopeful. Everyone stood on the deck, straining their eyes for those elusive dorsal fins, until the waves eventually drove us back to the middle of the boat where it was dry. Because of the wind, it was hard to distinguish the dolphins from the surf.

“It’s really difficult to sight dolphins during this season because of the amihan (northeast monsoon wind),” the boatmen said, “The sea is calmer from March to October, and that’s when the dolphins appear.” True enough, I had gone dolphin-watching in May the year before and there were dolphins literally at my feet, racing with the boat. It was spellbinding watching them dive deep into the clear waters and then leap gracefully out of the sea. There was no problem keeping the boat upright then, unlike now.

The boatmen assured us that since these were boats owned by the Bais City government, there were definitely enough life jackets for everyone. They themselves had also undergone training in sea rescue operations before being allowed to handle the boats.

We were nearing Cebu when we finally spotted about five fins side by side in the distance, riding a wave. By the time we got nearer, they had already sped away. We had no choice but to turn around and go back to Negros.

Another Bais attraction is a seven-kilometer long white sandbar in the middle of the sea. Overnight cottages have been built there for visitors, and it is an ideal place for lunch and snorkeling after dolphin-watching. But since the tide was already too high for a sandbar picnic, we chose to have lunch on the boat. We anchored at a floating fishpond near the mangroves.

It was a curious enterprise. There were several “ponds” made of nets and bamboo tied to a floating shed. The shed, just big enough to house one person, had solar panels on its roof. I learned that it was a project of the Central Visayas Polytechnic College. They bred bangus and tilapia, and sold the fingerlings to farmers who also wanted to breed them. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell fish for lunch. Fishermen in the place, though, sell straight from the sea.

After lunch, the boatmen gave a short talk. They shared that the most common dolphins sighted are the spinner dolphins. Four other dolphin species and five whale species, including the pygmy killer whale, also pass through these waters. Dolphin-watching tours, they said, were started in 1995.

Tourism has become an alternative livelihood in Bais since Tañon Strait became part of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas). This means that only activities specified by the Protected Area Management Board (Pamb) are allowed in the area.

One boatman noted, though, that despite the area’s protected status, marine life in this body of water between Negros Oriental and southwest Cebu continue to dwindle due to poor law enforcement.

It was mid-afternoon when the group headed back for dry land, just in time for an audience with the Bais City mayor. The hills of Bais, staunchly protecting the bay from strong westerly winds, were a welcoming sight. It turned out that the next stop was Bahia de Bais, a hotel sitting atop one of these hills. It was a quaint hotel with wooden floors and large capiz windows, but its greatest beauty lay in the vantage point it offered.

From the lobby, I could see the whole length of the Talabong mangrove forest. It was a bird sanctuary, Mayor Hector Villanueva explained. A bamboo walkway had been built through the forest so tourists could watch the wildlife, such as the endemic Philippine mallard (wild duck) and the migratory giant heron from Australia. Tours could be arranged with the Bais City Tourism Office.

The trip back was a relaxing one. The setting sun shone mutedly through the clouds on rows and rows of fields along the road from Bais to Dumaguete. The stalks, swaying to the dance of amihan, seemed to be saying, “Come back, come back when the wind blows west. When the sun is golden, the sea reveals its treasures.” I couldn’t have agreed more.

There are certain times in a year when the whales will appear as these species are migratory. Some came all the way from Japan and would stay in the Tanon Strait where the seas are warm. Unlike whales though, the dolphins could be seen whole year round.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/dolphin.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/MI-Tour-bais.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/Dolphin-Watching-Bais-Duma.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/activities_tours_dolphinwat.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/2284342.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/dol.jpg

Pictures from a Tourist

Look how close one can get with these mammals.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/55.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/51.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/39.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/37.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/33.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/23.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/21.jpg

These species are protected and it is the initiative by the locality itself to protect them. It's nice to know that these playful animals could be seen on their natural habitat and not on sea worlds performing some crazy tricks. free as a dophin.....

ritche

March 23rd, 2006, 02:41 AM

SPI to transfer some Manila operations to Dumaguete

Business process outsourcing firm SPI Technologies, Inc. is set to transfer some publishing operations from Metro Manila to its facility in Dumaguete City, in Central Visayas.

“Manila is getting extremely crowded with players, there are so many players right now. And this results in labor shortage and inflation,” Ernest L. Cu, SPI Technologies, Inc. president and chief executive, told BusinessWorld in an interview.

Mr. Cu said SPI is set to hire 1,200 to 2,000 more workers this year, to add to its present work force of 6,500 on continuing demand from existing and new clients. It has 600 workers in Dumaguete.

“The company is growing, depending on acquisition, between 20% and 30% a year. I would imagine it the same for this year,” Mr. Cu said.

For the past years, he said hiring is nearly proportionate to projected revenues. “But I hope it is not one-to-one, that is for every revenue growth, there is 1% headcount growth. People should be more productive and people growth should lag behind revenue growth,” he said.

In the Philippines, SPI has facilities in Parañaque City, Laguna, Dumaguete City and Cebu City. He added that there is continuing thrust to invest in the provinces, although it has no plan to invest on a new location this year.

Aside from Dumaguete City, SPI is keen on investing in Vietnam, where labor cost is lower than in Philippines, for low-end transcription jobs such as data analytics, data entry and simple data tagging.The 24-year old SPI Technologies was established in the Philippines in 1980 and has since expanded its operations to 18 offices across Asia, the US and Europe.

Businessworld, February 20, 2006, S1/9

Coffee

March 24th, 2006, 02:57 PM

Here are some pictures of Real Street. I took these pics from the roof of a 4-storey office building (in front of the new Du Ek Sam building) that I had no actual business being in... I just noticed that access to the roof was open :).

Real Street, facing north:
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6485/realstn6vw.jpg

Real Street, facing south:
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/8509/realsts4nf.jpg

ritche

March 25th, 2006, 10:59 AM

The new Du Ek Sam building is nice. Any shot? The buildings of St. Pauls are also picture-perfect, as well as ACSAT and the new DCDB Building.

Coffee

March 25th, 2006, 06:20 PM

The new Du Ek Sam building is nice. Any shot? The buildings of St. Pauls are also picture-perfect, as well as ACSAT and the new DCDB Building.

I'll try to get shots of them if I have the chance. :)

Here's a picture of the nearly completed white elephant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant) on Hibbard Avenue:
http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1760/overpass8sd.jpg

c0kelitr0

March 26th, 2006, 05:09 AM

^^ haha white elephant indeed!! people can actually cross the street in just a few steps! what an awful waste of money

overtureph

March 26th, 2006, 11:57 PM

Thursday, November 03, 2005

UNSOLVED CRIMES

Church robbers invade Visayas

By Jeannette I. Andrade, Reporter
The Manila Times

The church is probably the last place anyone expects a crime to be committed.

But between 2002 and 2004, a wave of thefts swept several churches in the Visayas.

Catholic churches in Bohol, Iloilo and Cebu were the scenes of decapitations, mutilations and disappearances of centuries-old religious icons and artifacts.

Although church thefts were recorded even before 2002, at least 30 robberies were committed in that year.

The Santa Filomena Church in Sibonga town, Cebu, was the first victim. On April 2 the heads and hands of the statues of Saint Peter and the “Birhen Maria Salome” were cut off by unidentified persons.

The vandalism shocked devotees of the patron saints.

Local police had no leads and the case lay forgotten.

On June 1 thieves struck at the San Guillermo de Aquitania Church in Dalaguete, Cebu, decapitating a five-foot Sacred Heart of Jesus icon. Another mutilation occurred in Santander town, and later, 160-year-old icons at Sogod and Catmon towns were taken.

In Sogod town the hands and head of Saint James as well as the ivory images of Saint Joseph, Sagrada Corazon and the Medalla Milagrosa were swiped, and in Catmon the century-old statue of San Guillermo de Aquitania disappeared. Similar thefts took place in Alcoy and San Remigio towns.

At this point the Cebu Provincial Police Office took notice and coordinated with churches around the province in securing the religious images.

Because security in Cebu churches tightened, the thieves shifted to churches in Bohol.

On November 16 the churches in Talibon and Garcia Hernandez towns lost the images of San Roque, Virgin Dolorosa, Virgin of Happy, the Holy Child Jesus, the hands and head of Saint Joseph and 10 antique priests’ robes.

No more thefts took place for four months after that. The break ended on March 5, 2003, when Barangay Cam*bitoon in Inabanga town lost its San Vicente Ferrer and San Roque icons.

The thieves then returned to Cebu, striking once every week for five months, resting for two months and then resuming their vandalism.

On November 26, 2003, a break-in was reported at the parish in Bacong, Negros Oriental, which lost the statues of San Jose, San Isidro Labrador, the Virgin of Korea and Santa Monica.

The statues of San Jose and San Isidro Labrador had been in the church since the 19th century and were considered priceless.

The resurgence meant that the group responsible for the thefts in Cebu and Bohol had transferred its operations anew. But Cebu remained its base of operations.

Iloilo was the next target. In Tigbauan and Santa Barbara towns on November 24 and 25, 2004, thieves made off with the feet of a 15th-century Santo Niño statue estimated at half a million pesos and the ivory head of San Agustin which has been with the Santa Barbara Parish since 1872.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Commission on the Cultural Heritage of the Church sought the help of the Philippine National Police to catch the thieves and recover the religious items.

The religious images are priceless, and their loss appeals for the preservation of centuries of faith and culture.

ritche

March 27th, 2006, 02:26 AM

Negros Oriental tops MDG program
Sunstar Dumaguete
March 26, 2006

NEGROS Oriental topped all provinces in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of the United Nations, said a screener of the Galing Pook Foundation who visited Dumaguete City recently.
Luz Lopez Rodriguez was in the province to monitor if the province sustained its program that adapted the MDG.

MDG is a global commitment to address the concerns of the world's poor.

The millennium goals include ensuring that every boy and girl gets a primary education, reducing child and maternal mortality, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

The Millennium Declaration adopted five years ago, committed world leaders to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty."

Rodriguez said Negros Oriental has successfully reduced its child and maternal mortality rate and empowered the women population.

Governor George Arnaiz said the gains were made through the inter-LGU-NGO partnership in health care delivery.

"If we make the women strong, the men become stronger," the governor told Rodriguez.

The Galing Pook evaluator also noted that the Provincial Board, through Board Member Mariant Escaño-Villegas passed an ordinance to support the programs strengthening women's right.

Moreover, she said, the Provincial Government had allotted millions of pesos for scholarship grants to the poor but deserving children to ensure that everybody gets primary education.

The United Nations International Children's Education Fund, through the sixth Country Program for Children, has helped the province continue its program to open day care centers in the hinterland areas to bring education closer to the children.

ritche

March 28th, 2006, 04:35 AM

The overpass in Silliman will be very useful during rainy days, more so if they add walkways towards the gates of CBA Building and High School. If they add escalators it will even be useful especially to the handicapped. I hope the Local Governments will also think of constructing an overpass at the NORSU area near Jollibee (traffic there is heavy during class hours), at the St. Paul's area (monstrous traffic during rush hours!), and at least two at the new Robinsons-anchored Business District near St. Louis. Just thinking ahead...

Miguel

March 28th, 2006, 06:10 AM

Negrense

Finance Secretary

Negros Oriental was/is able to produce 2 Secretaries of the Department of Finance in recent times. The main woman/man in-charge in the crucial role of looking for the country's funds hails from this province.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/amatong-dof.gif

Juanita Amatong
Secretary of the Department of Finance
December 18, 2003 - January 21, 2005

"First Woman Executive Director of the World Bank Group"

Here's her resume during her stint as Finance Secretary:

I. PERSONAL DATA HIGHLIGHTS

Date of Birth : March 23, 1935

Place of Birth : Bindoy, Negros Oriental

II. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS

Elementary : Bindoy Elementary School

1943-1948, Graduate

Secondary : Silliman University, Dumaguete City

1948-1954, Graduate

College : Silliman University

1951-1955

BSBA, Graduate, Cum Laude

Post Graduate : MA in Economics & Public Administration

Syracuse University, New York

United States of America (USA)

III. WORK EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Dec. 18, 2003 : Secretary of Finance to Present

Dec. 10, 2003 Acting Secretary to Dec.17, 2003 : Department of Finance

Dec. 1-9. 2003 : Officer-In-Charge

Department of Finance

March 2001 to Nov. 30, 2003 : Undersecretary

Department of Finance

1999-2000 : Managing Partner

Resource and Measures Associates Co.

1998-2000 : Consultant

Chemonics International

Washington, D.C. USA

1996-Oct. 1998 : Executive Director

The World Bank Group

Washington D.C. USA

1995-Oct. 1998 : Alternate Executive Director

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Washington, D.C. USA

1995-Oct 1998 ; Advisor to the Executive Director

The World Bank and IFC Washington, D.C. USA

1992- Oct.1995 : Undersecretary

Department of Finance Philippines

July - Nov. 1992 : Resident Consultant

Government of Myanmar Consultancy funded by UNDP and implemented by the IMF (on loan by Dept. of Finance)

1986-Jan. 1992 : Assistant Secretary

Department of Finance Philippines Government

1984 - 1986 : Special Assistant to the Prime Minister

Philippine Government and Concurrent Central Bank Executive Assistant, Central Bank of the Philippines

1971-1983 : Senior Financial Analyst

Department of Finance Philippine Government

1968-1971 : Lecturer Andres Bonifacio College Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines

1963- Feb. 1968 : Tax Economist International Monetary Fund Washington, D.C. USA

1959-1960 : Associate Professor Silliman University, Dumaguete City

III. Education and Training:

Certificate in Public Enterprise Management in Development Countries, Harvard Institute of International Development, 1987

Certificate in Financial and Fiscal Policies and Programming

International Monetary Fund, (IMF) 1977

Master of Arts (Economics and Public Administrations)

Maxwell School of Public Administration

Syracuse University, New York City, 1959

Bachelor in Business Administration, Cum Laude

Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines, 1955

IV. Awards and Honors Received:

Awarded as the First Woman Executive Director in the World Bank Group from the Philippines as one of the one hundred "woman first" in commemoration of the Philippine Centennial.

Philippine Legion of Honor, Degree of Officer

Given by the President of the Philippines on June 5, 1998 for "excellent and meritorious services" rendered as Chairperson of Philippine Panel of the Sub-Committee on Economics and Finance

during the peace negotiations with the moro national liberation front, culminating a treaty of peace signed between the Government of the Philippines and the MNLF on September 2, 1996.

Awarded Outstanding Silliman University Alumnus, given by the Silliman University as an outstanding alumnus for public service in 1977.

Awarded Fulbright Scholarship for travel and a fellowship from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, New York for a master's degree program.

V. Civic and Professional Affiliations:

Member, Board of Trustees, Bantay Katarungan

Member, Board of Trustees, Silliman University

Member, Philippine Economic Society

Member, Board of Directors, Philippine Society for Public Administration

Treasurer & Director of the Board of Directors, Zambo del Norte II Development Foundation

Executive Director, Operation Rainbow Philippines

Member, Fullbright Association of the Philippines

VI. Current Membership in Organization & Various Committees:

Chairperson : Board, Land Bank of the Philippines

Chairperson : Board, National Power Corporation

Chairperson : Board, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation

Chairperson : Board, Phil. Export-Import Credit Agency

Chairperson : Board, Home Guarantee Corporation

Chairperson : Investment Coordination Committee Cabinet Level (ICC-CC)

Chairperson : Board, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp.

Chairperson : Board, TRANSCO

Chairperson : Policy Governing Board Municipal Development Fund

Member : Monetary Board

Member : Board of Directors

Philippine Economic Zone Authority

Member : Development Budget Coordinating

Committee (DBCC)

Chief Negotiator : Foreign Loan Negotiations with Multilateral and Bilateral Donors

Miguel

March 28th, 2006, 06:13 AM

She was then followed by Cesar Purisima who resigned together with the so called Hyatt 11.

Miguel

March 28th, 2006, 06:21 AM

NEGRENSE

Purisima was then replaced by the Chief of LandBank and former congressman who was credited for the excellent financial performance of the state owned bank.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/00001801.jpg

MARGARITO "GARY" TEVES
Secretary of the Department of Finance
July 12, 2005 - present

"Mild Mannered and Multi Faceted"

Mr. Margarito B. Teves was appointed Finance Secretary on July 12, 2005. His professional life boasts of a long and multi-faceted career as a banker, an economist and a lawmaker. Before assuming the top post of the Department of Finance, Mr. Teves was President and CEO of the Land Bank of the Philippines since September 1, 2000. The good financial performance of the state-owned bank is credited to his leadership.

Mr. Teves’ affiliations include chairmanship of several LBP-affiliated corporations, People’s Credit and Finance Corporation and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation. He is a council member of the National Food Authority and Food Terminal, Inc. He is also a board member of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and PhilEquity Fund, Inc.

Before his stint as a banker, Mr. Teves was connected with the economic forecasting agency Think Tank, Inc. where he served as Chairman and CEO from July 1998 to August 2000.

His political career started on July 1987 when he was elected as Congressional representative of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental. Mr. Teves, the lawmaker, crafted several laws and bills, including Republic Act 7221 that liberalized the entry and scope of operations of foreign banks in the country, Republic Act 6911 or the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises and Republic Act 8293, an Act amending the Patents, Trademarks and Copyright Laws of the country. He also authored the law that amended parts of the National Internal Revenue Code, and the law that established the Overseas Investment Fund to provide incentives to overseas workers & reduce foreign debt.

Mr. Teves also took part in crafting the New Central Bank Act (RA 7653), in creating the Cooperative Development Authority (RA 6939) and the restructuring of the excise tax on petroleum products (RA 8184).

While in Congress, Mr. Teves became chairman of the Committee on Rural Development and the Committee on Economic Affairs. He also became a member of several Standing and Special committees. After serving three consecutive terms, his tenure in Congress ended on June 1998.

His service to civil society involved past presidency of the Philippine Economic Society and member of the Makati Business Club. He founded the Corporate Planning Society of the Philippines and was also a former trustee of the Philippine Futuristics Society.

Mr. Teves took up Bachelor of Arts at the Universidad Central de Madrid, Spain in 1961. He earned his diploma in Higher Education Diploma in Business Studies in 1965 at the City of London College in England. In 1968, he finished his master’s degree in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, USA.

Miguel

March 28th, 2006, 07:22 AM

Negrense

MISS SILLIMAN:country's oldest campus beauty pageant

Like part of the legacy from the Big Apple, the Miss Silliman Beauty Pageant was established in this first American school in the Philippines in 1946 by the American mentors, older than the two major international pageant, Miss World which was founded in 1951 in the United Kingdom and the Miss Universe founded by California clothing company Pacific Mills as an avenue to promote their Catalina swimwear in 1952.

It is possible that the Miss America, the world’s oldest still-running beauty pageant that started in 1921 as a beach affair, had actually inspired our very own campus-by-the-sea glory.

Here are the contestants from last year's Miss Silliman which was flavored with international beauties as there are lots of foreign students in Silliman.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183561_3c4d5f8164_m.jpg

Fatemeh Ahmadi Zeleti
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Fatemeh Ahmadi Zeleti, fondly called Sanaz, is enjoying the freedom with the Philippines’ love for beauty pageants, so0mething that is never allowed in her home country Iran. Her courage to join the pageant - even without much regard for the stereotypical model-figure - has actually drawn more attention. But mind you, many people are actually delighted at her willingness to participate in this Silliman tradition for the fun of it. Besides, Sanaz is like a classic revival of the Baroque period’s standard of beauty: a lovely voluptuous subject in a painting by Rubens. I salute the College of Information Technology and Computer Science for giving Sanaz all the support anyone would need in her quest to prove her belief to all and sundry that when it comes to beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. An that God in his infinite glory makes sure there is justice for all! And during the night of talents, Sanaz has proven that she will have her own share of glory for everyone loved her graceful movements in belly dancing.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183565_61ef161934_m.jpg

Sarah Aghabararian
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

The other Persian is Sarah Aghabararian who is like a sunshine with her generous smile. Not a few were surprised when the College of Engineering decided to be represented by this charming Barbie doll from Tehran, not the beauty queen from Tanjay who was many people’s bet. Two of the pre-pageant judges have expressed that it is possible that this very talented lady who was among the Top 3 Best Speakers would be the first Miss Engineering who will win the Miss Silliman crown. She won the hearts of the people when she serenaded them with a Tagalog love song and they applauded her for her honest and smart answers during the open forum.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183563_7775551ef1_m.jpg

Scarlett Hartman
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

College of Arts and Sciences made sure they would also have a strong presence in this pageant by sending this very talented beauty with German lineage, Scarlett Hartman. A composer of love songs and a visual artist who loves cartooning, Scarlett is actually majoring in Social Work. I know. Not your typical source of candidates for beauty candidates for beauty pageants. In fact, some professors in her College were taken by when they learned that Scarlett, like other students in her course who are expected to be advocates of women’s rights, was joining a beauty pageant. The professors have time and time again actually expressed their vehement opposition to the holding of beauty pageants, which they say is a form of exploitation. But Scarlett successfully defended her decision to join during the open forum and was even chosen as among the best speakers.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183564_da043078b4_m.jpg

Matilde Irene Hescock
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

The United States of America, the culprit behind the Filipinos’ penchant for beauty pageants, is represented with the presence of the California-born beauty Matilde Irene Hescock, this year’s best bet of the School of Communication. Matti is part of this lean group of Masscom students whom many consider as a powerhouse of beauty titlists. If you recall, the Ms. MassCom since 2001 have consistently been the 1st runner-up glory in the Miss Silliman pageant. You won’t miss Matti’s 5’8” figure. She’s the one with the fashion model beauty and figure who is expected to finally break Masscom’s “almost there” spot.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183562_18af840e65_m.jpg

Honey Grace Lllenos
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Honey Grace Lllenos of the High School Department, stands true to her Spanish-sounding family name; she projects the aura of a Latin American beauty contestant. Although, she is the youngest, Honey looks the most comfortable on stage. This teen, after all, must have developed stage presence and confidence as a member of the SUHS Debating Team.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36186262_f29c9c7e96_m.jpg

Wanda Omengan
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

International beauty pageants are never complete without the “ Miss Philippines.” In this year’s Miss Silliman, the Filipina beauty radiates in Wanda Omengan, representing the College of Business Administration. If you’re wondering why this candidate who is from Sagada in Mountain Province speaks with a nice American twang, know that Wanda grew up in a tight community with so much influence from American missionaries. But believe me, Wanda who is a pure Igorota is every inch a Filipina.

AND THE WINNER:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/36183560_39c4ebe680_m.jpg

Joyce Zerda
COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS

Chinky-eyed beauty Joyce Zerda of the College of Performing Arts, who has become a favorite host of campus events since that night of outstanding performance as emcee of the Valentine Song Writing Contest (and she did it again when she got the Best Speaker award and many want this cello player to win the crown), is always asked about her nationality. After all, when walking around campus, Joyce blends well with the Koreans and much more, with her Japanese friends. Indeed an oriental princess!

Last year's Miss Silliman do away with the swimsuit competition as many believe it would become a contest of the flesh, instead the pageant focused more on the interview as it represents a woman's intellect and an ala Extra Challenge competition to focus more on the woman's strength and stamina.

courtesy of Kuya Mo's blog "taken from the water" (http://takenfromdwater.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_takenfromdwater_archive.html)

ritche

March 28th, 2006, 07:31 AM

miguel, do you know kuya moe personally? maybe you should also post this last one at the other thread...

Miguel

March 28th, 2006, 07:33 AM

sorry ritch, he just happend to be a famous campus figure. when i was still a student, he always smile although we don't know each other personally. a friendly guy indeed.

caloy

March 28th, 2006, 09:01 AM

nice pics of dumaguete. how i wish i could visit your place.

surfsam

March 28th, 2006, 10:01 AM

ritche

March 28th, 2006, 10:08 AM

kuya moe is like a brother to me...when i was still a student he would ask me to eat his food at the cafeteria if he had already eaten, saving me precious money which i would use to watch movies downtown...he also used to sleep in my house and watch VCDs in my computer when am in dumaguete...

Coffee

March 28th, 2006, 03:27 PM

Here's a picture of the graduation ceremonies at Silliman last Sunday. It was held in front of the Luce Auditorium.

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/816/grad2sx.jpg

That's the Silliman University Library in the background. The sea of black hats is the graduates, and parents and guests are in the foreground.

Coffee

March 30th, 2006, 05:29 AM

Here's a panorama of downtown Dumaguete City, taken from the Bandera Building (which, I think, is the tallest building in Negros Oriental). This panorama was originally twice as wide and included Silliman University (which would be to the left of this image), but I cut it out since you couldn't see much more than acacia trees.

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6166/skyline3cm.jpg

Dinho

March 30th, 2006, 06:35 AM

[QUOTE=Coffee]Here's a panorama of downtown Dumaguete City, taken from the Bandera Building (which, I think, is the tallest building in Negros Oriental). This panorama was originally twice as wide and included Silliman University (which would be to the left of this image), but I cut it out since you couldn't see much more than acacia trees.[QUOTE]

Great picture. Wish somebody could do the same for Bacolod. How tall is the tallest building in Dumaguete nowadays? Last was 6 or 7 storeys which was the Sol Y Mar Hotel. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Miguel

March 31st, 2006, 05:55 AM

ritche and miguel: i miss kuya moe. send my greetings to him. when you whisper the words "your friend from australia" he will know exactly where the message came from. i miss dumaguete. sadly, i cannot visit this year because i'm too busy with studies here. kuya moe even got me to judge miss silliman 3 years ago (the only one who isnt a celebrity in the panel). i feel very negros oriental and dumaguete even though i wasnt born and raised in dumaguete. proof? i've been in and out of dumaguete more than 20 times. i will always pray for dumaguete's success.

Nice to hear that Sam. So you were a judge of Miss Silliman 3 years ago, hmmm.... that would be in 2003 right?

I have pasted here a portion of an article, which of these could you possibly be? Looks like big names here. m))

"Composing the board of judges were Silliman New York-New Jersey Alumni Association President Tony Remollo (chair), Outstanding Sillimanian for International Health Nursing Dr. Jean S. Yan, fashion designer Rene Salud, Insider Magazine editor Ces Evangelista, and film director Jeffrey Jeturian."

Coffee

March 31st, 2006, 06:45 AM

Great picture. Wish somebody could do the same for Bacolod. How tall is the tallest building in Dumaguete nowadays? Last was 6 or 7 storeys which was the Sol Y Mar Hotel. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

To my knowledge, the tallest building in Dumaguete is the Bandera Building. I'm not sure when it was constructed, someone just pointed it out to me one day and I was surprised that I never noticed it before. It's an office building, but the upper floors don't seem to be occupied yet.
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6329/banderabuilding5aw.jpg

surfsam

March 31st, 2006, 03:49 PM

Nice to hear that Sam. So you were a judge of Miss Silliman 3 years ago, hmmm.... that would be in 2003 right?

I have pasted here a portion of an article, which of these could you possibly be? Looks like big names here. m))

"Composing the board of judges were Silliman New York-New Jersey Alumni Association President Tony Remollo (chair), Outstanding Sillimanian for International Health Nursing Dr. Jean S. Yan, fashion designer Rene Salud, Insider Magazine editor Ces Evangelista, and film director Jeffrey Jeturian."

miguel..mali. i judged in 2002. when the high school girl (turned college debater later) won. the communication arts girl was a close second. it was a personality search. i like the concept of miss silliman because it's a personality competition. the winner ends up with a job--to promote silliman so she gets to travel, organize sensible activities, etc.

i was shocked because i didnt change shirts. i went to lab-as and people recognized me because miss silliman was shown live on tv.

the next year, they got ces and jeffrey, two friends from the film industry. and mama renee who had seen me in another lifetime as a tv and print ad model (yuck, my dark gloomy past).

ritche

March 31st, 2006, 03:57 PM

thanks surfsam...hope to see you in dumaguete soon. but if i'll be studying in australia, hope to see you there...

ritche

April 3rd, 2006, 05:27 AM

http://static.flickr.com/43/122337506_8e123e1f0e.jpg?v=0
Another view of the newly-completed overpass in Silliman, courtesy of Negros Chronicle...

ritche

April 4th, 2006, 03:43 AM

The Visayas Area Business Conference (http://www.vabc2006.buglas.com/) on May 26-28, 2006 in Dumaguete. Everybody is invited!!!

sugarboy

April 4th, 2006, 04:49 AM

ritche

April 5th, 2006, 09:40 AM

^^ nice one.... is it new... didn't notice it last time.. or was it just renovated..?

That's the second outlet of Jollibee which is bigger than the first one near Lee Plaza. I heard there's a new Jollibee outlet at Mart One, and a large McDonalds at the former Cang's under construction? Can anybody validate on these?

Dinho

April 5th, 2006, 10:13 AM

sugbuanon

April 6th, 2006, 06:15 AM

Private shipping company eyes RORO port in Siaton

DUMAGUETE CITY - A private shipping company intends to establish a roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) port in Siaton town in Oriental Negros, some 50 to 60 kilometers south of Dumaguete.

If realized, it will be the first of its kind in the southern part of the province.

Representatives of Super Shuttle Ferry came to the district PPA office and signified their intention to construct the RO-RO port in Tambubo, Siaton.

Dumaguete Port manager Noeme Calderon said PPA has no objection to the proposal and, in fact, it is encouraging private sector initiatives in support of the President’s Republic Nautical Highway Program.

Calderon has endorsed the proposal to the national office, even as it is hoping to operate next month.

Tambubo Bay in Siaton is where yachts of foreign tourists seek refuge in times of bad weather.

It is strategically the nearest point for the passenger traffic from Zamboanga to Dipolog then to Cebu via Dumaguete.

Meanwhile, more fast crafts are expected to ply the Dumaguete route.

Larena Shipping Company is reportedly planning to field a fast craft via the Dumaguete-Siquijor route and vice versa to complement the lone vessel of Delta shipping plying the same route.

The Cebu-based Wesome Shipping is also planning to field one fastcraft service direct from Cebu to Dumaguete and back to Cebu via Tagbilaran.

Another shipping company will also be fielding additional fast craft service in the Sibulan-Liloan route aside from Rovi navigation.

Coffee

April 6th, 2006, 07:33 AM

That's the second outlet of Jollibee which is bigger than the first one near Lee Plaza. I heard there's a new Jollibee outlet at Mart One, and a large McDonalds at the former Cang's under construction? Can anybody validate on these?

The Jollibee "outlet" in Mart One is just a small temporary booth. I'm not sure what they sell there. The will be a food court in the basement of Mart One, but it seems to be still under construction. I guess it's not a priority, because I don't see much work going on there and it's been around for months.

Cangs is still open is apparently doing fine, so I doubt it's closing anytime soon. McDonalds under construction? Heh, I've been hearing rumors about McDonalds coming to Dumaguete for years, but I haven't heard anything concrete recently.

Well, there are a bunch of construction projects in prominent areas downtown, but I'm not sure if any of them are going to become a McDonalds:

- Behind the new Uymatiao building (the side not facing Perdices Street) there's some construction going on in a large lot. There's a temporary wall surrounding it, so normally I can't see what's going on inside (and I'm too meek to ask anyone what's being constructed). From what I can see, they've built diagonal parking spaces (that line up with the Uymatiao parking spaces) along the road.

- There's finally some construction going on at the site of the Po's Marketing building that burned down. They've put up some scaffolding around what remains of the old building. I was hoping they would completely tear down what remained of the old building, but from what I can see it seems that they might not.

- The Park Theater building is going to be renovated. The outlets occupying the sides of the building (ITTI and some optical shop) have moved out to make way for the renovation. When I passed by yesterday, there was a sign posted in the front that said something about proposed demolishion. Maybe it'll be completely rebuilt.

Dinho

April 6th, 2006, 08:40 AM

The Jollibee "outlet" in Mart One is just a small temporary booth. I'm not sure what they sell there. The will be a food court in the basement of Mart One, but it seems to be still under construction. I guess it's not a priority, because I don't see much work going on there and it's been around for months.

Cangs is still open is apparently doing fine, so I doubt it's closing anytime soon. McDonalds under construction? Heh, I've been hearing rumors about McDonalds coming to Dumaguete for years, but I haven't heard anything concrete recently.

Well, there are a bunch of construction projects in prominent areas downtown, but I'm not sure if any of them are going to become a McDonalds:

- Behind the new Uymatiao building (the side not facing Perdices Street) there's some construction going on in a large lot. There's a temporary wall surrounding it, so normally I can't see what's going on inside (and I'm too meek to ask anyone what's being constructed). From what I can see, they've built diagonal parking spaces (that line up with the Uymatiao parking spaces) along the road.

- There's finally some construction going on at the site of the Po's Marketing building that burned down. They've put up some scaffolding around what remains of the old building. I was hoping they would completely tear down what remained of the old building, but from what I can see it seems that they might not.

- The Park Theater building is going to be renovated. The outlets occupying the sides of the building (ITTI and some optical shop) have moved out to make way for the renovation. When I passed by yesterday, there was a sign posted in the front that said something about proposed demolishion. Maybe it'll be completely rebuilt.

That is something I don't like about Po's marketing... They're just lucky that those fires were not seriously fatal. I don't like the idea of renovating a burned out building because I think that the structure has been seriously weakened by the fire.

nicko

April 7th, 2006, 06:48 PM

Dinho

April 8th, 2006, 08:17 AM

i hav been reading ur posts and it got me a bit excited to know such developments..

hi there.. im nicko.. im from dumaguete.. su college student... hope u guys wont mind if i join in for a while..

anyhoots, my dad just bought this cebuano local newspaper and its headline was about Robinson's being quite unsure on its mall expansion here in dgte.. julio sy said that there were no contracts signed between the company and him. he is still quite uncertain about this. rumors pa daw ni cya..

if u guys hav passed by calindagan and noticed construction going on, it is not Robinson's nor teletech.. it is julio sy's building pa daw..

so guys, uhhhh.. any ideas or sumthing about this?.. its quite frustrating.. heheh.. i was excited about Rob's expansion here and now, wala pa diay ni cguro??.. wew..

That would be sad if it doesn't happen... Although Dumaguete's actual population is still at around 100,000, I think it might be double or triple that during school days with all those students from all over the world. Robinson's would be missing out on a big and highly educated market base which I'm sure SM would be daring to go into for a while. I even heard of Robinson's planning to put up a mall at San CArlos... which has about the same population as Dumaguete but it doesn't have suburbs like Dumaguete's Amlan, Sibulan and so many other places. I hope they really would do it... Would be great to have Another Robinson's in Negros Island and I hope that Gaisano would also put up a branch there even though Lee Plaza is already there.

Coffee

April 8th, 2006, 11:03 AM

nicko

April 8th, 2006, 12:47 PM

Well. That's very disappointing news. I thought it was already a sure thing that Robinson's would build a mall in Dumaguete, I even heard that they had a timetable for construction. That construction in Calindagan isn't Teletech? What's Julio Sy's building going to be used for?

i think it was not mentioned what julio sy's building is for.. i lost the news copy but i can certainly recall that its headline was somthing like, "Robinsons dili pa siguro sa tukoron nga mall..." something like that..

mr. sy even said that robinsons land corp is still quite hesitant to expand their mall here considering the fact that business is quite slow in the province.. tourism infrastracture is not fully developed and so on.. i cant recall all of what he said but it was definitely somthing like that..

so.. having a huge mall here in our beloved city is still far from reality as of now.. i dont know..

hope u guys can have a clarification on this..

anyway, teletech's building is already for sure to be constructed early this year.. and its said that it will be the company's largest IT center in the country.. well, at least, thats what i heard..;)

nicko

April 8th, 2006, 01:51 PM

check www.tommyschultz.com --- overflowing pics of dumaguete city taken by a tourist..

ritche

April 8th, 2006, 03:21 PM

Cang's got closed for good?

from what i heard, cang's will be building their own edifice at the national highway at orchids.

ritche

April 8th, 2006, 03:43 PM

i think it was not mentioned what julio sy's building is for.. i lost the news copy but i can certainly recall that its headline was somthing like, "Robinsons dili pa siguro sa tukoron nga mall..." something like that..

mr. sy even said that robinsons land corp is still quite hesitant to expand their mall here considering the fact that business is quite slow in the province.. tourism infrastracture is not fully developed and so on.. i cant recall all of what he said but it was definitely somthing like that..

so.. having a huge mall here in our beloved city is still far from reality as of now.. i dont know..

hope u guys can have a clarification on this..

anyway, teletech's building is already for sure to be constructed early this year.. and its said that it will be the company's largest IT center in the country.. well, at least, thats what i heard..;)

nakablue print na 'yan eh. city government officials already made official announcements 'bout robinsons. There were already news circulating about it...what we are waiting is the official annoucement from the company. the best we could get so far from Robinsonsland is the announcement that they are going to purchase a land in Dumaguete and Pangasinan this year. the things going for this is the fact that where there is a Teletech, there is going to be a Robinsons. This is the trend here in Manila where Teletech is one of the main anchors of a Robinsons mall.

Dumaguete is more than ready to support a huge mall. if bohol has already two, dumaguete right now has a bigger purchasing power than Bohol. The good thing going for Bohol is their tourism industry.

Well, if robinsons doesn't push through, SM is going to be there. But my reliable sources so far hasn't indicated that robinsons is not pushing through, so the most probable thing is that they will open late this year or early next year because they will be one of the anchors of that 30-hectare IT Park there in Calindagan. The other one, I supppose, would probably be SM because where there's a Robinsons, SM is going to be there also...

Dinho

April 8th, 2006, 03:45 PM

check www.tommyschultz.com --- overflowing pics of dumaguete city taken by a tourist..

He was with the Peace Corps so he isn't exactly a tourist. But those were amazing pix. I will be forwarding the site to some of my friends here who are diving enthusiasts.

Dinho

April 8th, 2006, 03:55 PM

nakablue print na 'yan eh. city government officials already made official announcements 'bout robinsons. There were already news circulating about it...what we are waiting is the official annoucement from the company. the best we could get so far from Robinsonsland is the announcement that they are going to purchase a land in Dumaguete and Pangasinan this year. the things going for this is the fact that where there is a Teletech, there is going to be a Robinsons. This is the trend here in Manila where Teletech is one of the main anchors of a Robinsons mall.

Dumaguete is more than ready to support a huge mall. if bohol has already two, dumaguete right now has a bigger purchasing power than Bohol. The good thing going for Bohol is their tourism industry.

Well, if robinsons doesn't push through, SM is going to be there. But my reliable sources so far hasn't indicated that robinsons is not pushing through, so the most probable thing is that they will open late this year or early next year because they will be one of the anchors of that 30-hectare IT Park there in Calindagan. The other one, I supppose, would probably be SM because where there's a Robinsons, SM is going to be there also...

True, but it'd probably take a while for SM to follow suit. Took them over a decade to get into Bacolod.

nicko

April 8th, 2006, 04:15 PM

yeah, true.. there are news circulating about its mall expansion here.. but how about the news article that ive just read last week??.. i dnt know if its really reliable but it is on the headlines telling us that robinsons is unclear about it.. julio sy even said that robisons land and him hav not had any contract signings on the building of the mall, the the acquisition of a land area and some other blah blahs.. uhhh.. im kinda lost.. hehehe..

nicko

April 8th, 2006, 06:23 PM

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1619/donatilanodumaguete2cq.jpg

uhhhh.. europe???..
naaaaaaahhh.. dumaguete lang ni manoy..

La Residecia al Mar by the Rizal Boulevard..

Coffee

April 8th, 2006, 07:59 PM

I can't blame Robinson's for having some reservations about opening a mall in Dumaguete. People here are very simple and meek and don't often like spending their money. City of gentle people indeed.

Anyway, here's a picture (taken this morning) of the construction going on at the burned up Po's Marketing building. You can't really see the extent of the damage from this picture... the outer wall facing the road is pretty much all the remains of the building, and behind it is just a big pile of rubble.

http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/204/smarketing3ub.jpg

nicko

April 9th, 2006, 05:39 AM

ritche

April 9th, 2006, 01:55 PM

nicko, if what you're saying is true, kindly look for that news and post it here...let's try to be responsible here. Let's stick to being truthful by providing the truth and nothing but the truth. After all, at the end, only objectivity will prevail. We will stick to only one principle: that of providing only the truth and not rumors. This is a forum where we are supposed to provide anything going on in Dumaguete, in the most truthful manner possible so that those interested in our city, as well as researchers can get a lot of information regarding what's going on there.

I am not in Dumaguete right now, and you claim you are there. Well, it could be true, it could be wrong. You could misrepresent yourself. After all, we do not see each other face to face, and so do the other forumers here.

You are saying that the article was published in a Cebuano newspaper. As far as I know there is only one dying cebuano newspaper there. All the other newspapers in Dumaguete are in English. So it would be easy for you to find that copy.

If what you're saying is true, then I would be very pissed off because the feasibility study for a robinsons mall was done three years ago, and back then it was found out that a robinsons mall can survive in Dumaguete.

nicko

April 9th, 2006, 02:54 PM

i know the newspapers here in dumauete. we hav a subscription of metro post and negros chronicle. i know sunstar, negros news, daily star, dumaguete informer. but i was able to read negros express balita, a dumaguete based local newspaper. i think its new coz that was the first time i was able to read it and it is in cebuano.

anyway, y wud i make up such things and tell u robinsons is still unsure of really coming?..

i live near calindagan and cant help myself but get excited by rob's coming. i am constantly checking up on the construction (which, btw is very slow and doesnt look like any building or any mall because its too small.. though its still on its skeleton.)

so when i was able to read the newspaper, it got the hooks out of me. but too bad the copy was misplaced. or it cud be just in the large piles of newspaper at the back of our house. i dnt think i hav to really look for it because it is still clear in my mind wat the newspaper was telling me. good thing we have this forum so i wud be able to clarify.

so here i am, asking some clarifications, not giving off informations or sharing any rumors. my conscience is clear and i know what im telling is not made up or coming from just anyone. it came from a newspaper.

so guys, im telling u. im not making this up. i was hoping this could open up some conversation or somthing coz the news got me disappointed and im asking for any clarifications. and im really hoping that the newspaper was lying.

im asking for any clarifications about it and i was expecting u guys know something about this.

i cant blame if u doubt about my posts. its just up to u if u believe me or not. its no biggie, actually..

ritche

April 9th, 2006, 03:20 PM

ritche

April 10th, 2006, 04:42 AM

Hey guys, this was taken from Negros Chronicle yesterday. It didn't mention that Robinsons is not pushing through with its mall in Dumaguete:

http://www.negroschronicle.com/final/april_09/mall_area.jpg
NEW MALL RISING
ON this 5-hectare lot near St Louis School will soon rise a modern commercial complex, possibly a branch of Robinsons Mall nationwide, and initially the site of the first call center in Dumaguete, the Teletech Call Center who (sic) will lease a portion. This complex area is owned by the Buglas, Inc, which has business tycoon Jullo Sy as the majority holder.

You can see it published here (http://www.negroschronicle.com/final/april_09/news.html).

Dinho

April 10th, 2006, 08:35 AM

ritche

April 10th, 2006, 10:20 AM

Going to the sea...the area is really large, like 30 hectares, but I think they'll develop only 24 hectares. That means there is still space for an SM in this area...

Miguel

April 10th, 2006, 10:29 AM

SANDBAR
Manjuyod, Negros Oriental

So, how is it that you are able to stand in the middle of the ocean to take this picture? Interestingly there is a large sand bar in the area.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/1974885-ever_wanted_to_walk_on_wate.jpg

It is a 7 kilometer strip of white sands that appears and disappears with the the tide. Gleaming like a mirage in a desert, Sandbar is an unbroken stretch of white sand in the middle of the sea that appears only during low tide. But there’s nothing illusory about this piece of land. From the Aroma Beach Resort, you can arrange a visit to a bamboo hut situated in the middle of the ocean, at least a half hour away from shore. Once the boat docks, tourists disembark and frolic under the sun. Cottages on stilts provide temporary refuge for fatigued sun-worshippers and beachcombers. You can rent one of the three huts just for an afternoon, i.e. if you just want to enjoy swimming and lunch, or you can also stay overnight if you are looking for a romantic getaway. One can spend the night secluded with no electricity but only the petroleum light and the stars beaming the night.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/DumagueteNov2005143.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29223598_f651e74b4f.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29224105_c2ff170023.jpg

The sand appears durings low tide and would disappear on a high tide. During low tide, you can jump off the bamboo hut, go for a swim, and stand up on a few elevated parts of the sandbar. Talk about interesting. Bring a snorkel and a mask along with you. There's a lot of interesting sea life underneath the bamboo hut. There are thousands of starfish that dwell here, and you can entertain yourself by playing with them. If starfish are too boring for you, go chase some fish underwater.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29221085_8ce5900827.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds05_thmb.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds04_thmb.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/mnjyds03_thmb.jpg

Arrange with the resort to have lunch at the isolated bamboo hut. They can cook a huge, typical Filipino meal, and transport it on the boat with you to the hut. Enjoy a huge meal of rice, crab, fish, shrimp, pancit, lumpia, adobo, pineapple, coconut, etc. This has to be the most unique location to date. You can enjoy a not so typical adventure. This is a great compliment with the dolphin and whale watching on a nearby Bais City.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/1974876-lunch_in_the_sea-Manjuyod.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/29220871_d141250ee5.jpg
HIGH TIDE

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/18473263.jpg
LOW TIDE

HAPPY FACES
(taken from some blogs)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/Dumaguete20Nov20200520156.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/0519-2.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/reyboy/1.jpg

c0kelitr0

April 10th, 2006, 12:05 PM

from google:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g138/jafhoy3/Dumaguete.jpg

nicko

April 10th, 2006, 12:49 PM

from google:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g138/jafhoy3/Dumaguete.jpg

nice shoot!.. doesnt look like its in the phils. hehe

nicko

April 10th, 2006, 12:53 PM

nicko

April 10th, 2006, 12:55 PM

ey ritch, r u a member of www.sillimanians.com ? register unya.. and be one of the forumers!.. naabot lang ko dri coz recently, the site was being upgraded so it was unavailable.. but now, its back..

nicko

April 10th, 2006, 02:15 PM

just found the news copy.. here it goes:

(pardon to those who can't understand cebuano. i got this from Negros Express Balita dated April 1, 2006.)

ROBINSONS MALL DILI KLARONG
MUTUKOD SA DUMAGUETE

ang robinsons mall dili pa kini klarong mutukod dinhi sa dakbayan sa Dumaguete, sukwahi sa mga taho nga gisugdan na pagtukod and pinaka una untang mall ning dakbayan. kini gi kumpermar ni alex sy nga usa sa mga tag-iya sa yuta nga giplanohang tukurn sa robinsons diha sa calindagan duol sa saint louis school - don bosco.

sumala pa ni sy nga ang makitang mge "improvement ug construction works" diha sa ilahang luna, dili gikan sa robinsons kun dili gipagama kana sa pamilya sy.

matud pa ni sy nga wala pay klarong mutokod ang robinsons kay wala pa silay kontrata nga gipirmahan sa pamilyang sy ug sa tigdumala sa robinsons mall.

"ang maong plano puros paman kani istorya ug wala paman kiniy nga katinuoran bason nalamang madayun gyud sila," si sy nagkanayun.

(i ommitted some parts for it is useless)

MirageBistro

April 10th, 2006, 05:02 PM

Those are exquisite pictures
Good work

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 02:26 AM

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 02:34 AM

ritch, y POSSIBLY pamn? does that mean there is also the POSSIBILITY nga d madayon? hehe.. :jk:
well.. dba?

yeah, there is a possibility nga di madayon. but let's cross our fingers. i know the people who are facilitating these...

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 06:44 AM

Here are MY pictures from a friend:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/cb78c9cf.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/9e304ef5.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/3f06b76b.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/53cb43b4.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/af0f4545.jpg

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 06:54 AM

BTW:those are all tommy shulz photos

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 06:58 AM

okay nicko, i saw your other postings...keep it up! and keep us updated about dumaguete. btw, how's silliman now? And thanks for the website of tommy schultz. I didn't have the chance to befriend the guy when I was in Dumaguete. He's cool...

Here are samples of his passion:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d26.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d25.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d24.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d23.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d22.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d21.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/1396fb09.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/40baa3fc.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/0f249e3a.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/b5fd1f73.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/ff7e2237.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/c8dc51fd.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/9d18f59f.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/a7467697.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/94426de4.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/a4ecd72b.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/f25911b9.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/d2473e3d.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/abc37331.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/b7b57cc6.jpg

BYTHE WAY, Please Fly Aeroflot

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/a3e54e7c.jpg

Dinho

April 11th, 2006, 08:25 AM

BYTHE WAY, Please Fly Aeroflot

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/a3e54e7c.jpg

What's this about Aeroflot? Are they flying to Dumaguete? If they are, Dumaguete sure beat Iloilo's and Bacolod's new International Standard Airports! Heheh!

But flying Russian Airliners are scary! Not just for its passengers, but also for passsengers in other planes that happen to be in its vicinity. Remember the Saudia's mid flight collision with a Russian Airliner over India and several others in Eastern Europe?

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 08:31 AM

Now thats interesting, go tell someone else :)

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 08:50 AM

BYTHE WAY, Please Fly Aeroflot

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/a3e54e7c.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/NW_747-200.jpg
Hehe, this might be safer... :)

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 09:09 AM

a little bit more boring maybe? :happy:

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 09:11 AM

BTW:THEY are peace corps.
Did you know that? :runaway: :cheers:

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 09:12 AM

BTW:THEY are peace corps.
Did you know that? :runaway: :cheers:

Yes, some of them are my friends...

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 09:14 AM

wait a minit, are you Filipino or Caucasian? :)

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 09:19 AM

:cheers:

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 09:21 AM

wait a minit, are you Filipino or Caucasian? :)

caucasian, hehe joke lang. Some of them were friends way back in my school days. in fact on of the peace corps, an indian, is now working in manila as one of the managers of a large callcenter here.

Dinho

April 11th, 2006, 09:38 AM

BTW:THEY are peace corps.
Did you know that? :runaway: :cheers:

Really MB, What's with the Aeroflot thing? By the way, I didn't say that Aeroflot, per se, is unsafe. What is unsafe is mixing up Tupolevs and Antonovs in the skies. Control towers give out the altitude assignments in feet while the Russian Planes fly on the metric system. Russian pilots had to convert the instructions to meters so they can follow it. They sometimes forget this and had to compensate for the errors. That is when the accidents happen. That is the reason why they had Mid Air accidents in India and Eastern Europe.

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 10:16 AM

You can check out my threads in the aviation sction if you like......
Back to the topic :)

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 10:29 AM

a little bit more boring maybe? :happy:

so ur an indian? r u a pilot of aeroflot? now i know what u mean...aeroflot is now modernizing, unlike before where it got only outdated planes. it is now buying the latest from boeing and airbus.

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 10:39 AM

but ahem.....
I wish I was a pilot, and I still like the Tu-154.(fully airconditioned with NFDBK)
30 year old plane with 3 turbofans at your rear(not attached to the wings)...
Thats all folks.
Back to the topic

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 10:48 AM

Dumaguete Airport from Tommy Schultz Sites

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/dgte-airport.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/dgairport.jpg

Are these your freinds, Ritche?

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/dgairport3.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h137/jamesarkoss/dgairport2.jpg

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 10:55 AM

Are these your freinds, Ritche?

the peace corps batch before this one...i haven't had a chance to interact with tommy schultz. he's a cool guy. i downloaded his mp3s from his site, and am listening to them all day inside my office.

Uhmm, one of the proposals that i posed to be put up near Dumaguete was an aerotropolis (an airport city with a modern airport surrounded by malls and business establishments) so we could accommodate international flights and facilitate tourism, business and e-commerce.

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 11:01 AM

Amen :dizzy:

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 11:03 AM

BTW: Ive heard of Aeropolis New Manila.
I don't know about Aetropolis yet, but at least the police don't mind. :)

ritche

April 11th, 2006, 11:11 AM

BTW: Ive heard of Aeropolis New Manila.
I don't know about Aetropolis yet, but at least the police don't mind. :)

aerotropolis is a word coined by Dr. John D. Kasarda, Director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said that "airports will shape business location and urban development in the 21st century as much as highways did in the 20th century, railroads in the 19th and seaports in the 18th."

so new urban developments will take place with the airport at its core because of the proliferation of new kind of businesses such as e-commerce. some examples are Dallas Ft. Worth airport and Dulles airport in Washington, the new Hong Kong airport. it's not anymore impossible to build malls or business centers within airport vicinities. some are even building residential areas near airports...

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 11:17 AM

ok ok :okay:

Dinho

April 11th, 2006, 12:17 PM

aerotropolis is a word coined by Dr. John D. Kasarda, Director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said that "airports will shape business location and urban development in the 21st century as much as highways did in the 20th century, railroads in the 19th and seaports in the 18th."

so new urban developments will take place with the airport at its core because of the proliferation of new kind of businesses such as e-commerce. some examples are Dallas Ft. Worth airport and Dulles airport in Washington, the new Hong Kong airport. it's not anymore impossible to build malls or business centers within airport vicinities. some are even building residential areas near airports...

If we ever had something like an aerotropolis, I would prefer it to be located high up in Mabini so that it will be equidistant to both provinces.

Antulang is a nice place but I found some of the lower end rooms so low end. I hope they will renovate them soon and enlarge them to make sure that they fit into the 4 star category. I am also unimpressed with the architecture of the buildings. But the grounds and facilities are really impressive. I hope they could build more resorts like this.

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 04:01 PM

so ur an indian? r u a pilot of aeroflot? now i know what u mean...aeroflot is now modernizing, unlike before where it got only outdated planes. it is now buying the latest from boeing and airbus.

I still have fun anyway. New Planes like 747 and the 777's are mostly 'too modern' to satisfy my taste of pleasure

nicko

April 11th, 2006, 04:59 PM

thanks nicko...will you stay in dumaguete for the summer? uhmm, i miss my hometown. btw, you can see my blogs at techhallucinations (http://techhallucinations.blogspot.com).

Yes, the best thing for us to do is to wait until official announcements from the parties concerned.

yep, im just staying here.. its just now and last summer that i wasnt able to hav a summer break.. u know, summer classes. hav to attend.. its required.. i think iv been to ur blogsite before.. i was on google and searched for "robinsons dumaguete".. (just wanted to find out if whether the talks were true.. ) ........google gave me ur blogspot..

so its u pala.. impressive blog!!

ey, dont forget to join www.sillimanians.com
evry sillimanian is invited!..;)

ritche

April 13th, 2006, 08:45 AM

If we ever had something like an aerotropolis, I would prefer it to be located high up in Mabini so that it will be equidistant to both provinces.

it's not mabini, but mabinay. yepp, ur right dinho, it should be there. nd nicko thanks for the compliments, though in my picture, the sun was shining on my face i didn't really look good...

kiretoce

April 13th, 2006, 02:19 PM

Buglas Bamboo Institute redefining bamboo
By Jimmy P. Abayon Thursday, April 13, 2006

Proud and tall, they stand, more than 800,000 poles of them all over Negros Oriental. They are the humble bamboo, so familiar in the rural areas but at times neglected and their importance to socio-economic development and the ecology quite ignored.

A survey made by the Ecosystems and Research Bureau (ERB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimates that there are 62 species of bamboos growing in the Philippines. But it seems, the survey said, only 21 species are endemic to the country.

Apparently the Philippines have more climbing bamboos than erect ones meaning the type of species available affects the supply of poles for commercial use.

In Negros Oriental two species, the tunokon and butong are prevalent. Other varieties like the climbing bamboo are also found.

Commercially though, the economic potentials of these species have not been fully tapped. The bamboo industry in the province is small-time, mostly aimed at traditional household demands for furniture, fences, beds, aparador, and in most cases, especially in the countryside, bamboo houses.

Koerkamp

It took Dutch missionary Frans Kleine Koerkamp and a Filipino entrepreneur Nelson Estrabela to change the picture and redraw the map of the economic potentials of the bamboo in the domestic and global markets.

Koerkamp is married to Melvin Rabelista, a Filipina from Escalante, Negros Occidental. They have two children, Jobert and Monette. Growing up in the Netherlands in the 1930's was so difficult, he said.

It was a time of severe depression and volatile socio-economic situation, a condition that helped prop Adolf Hitler into power in Germany.

The war and its aftermath devastated his country's socio-economic and political structure.

But he took solace in his religious studies. Through classical literature, he found in Virgil's Aenid the line that has since then guided his service to humankind: "Since I'm familiar with misery, I have learned to help the miserable."

Koerkamp came to the Philippines in 1964 as a religious missionary. He later joined different non-government organizations and studied the human rights situation in the country.

From 1980 to 1993 he conducted a study of the impact of Dutch development organization programs in the country. In 1994 he and his wife transferred to Dumaguete City from Manila and subsequently joined the Buglas Integrated Rurban Development, a now defunct non-government organization active in community work.

His studies eventually exposed him to bamboo and how this lowly plant could become a main resource for development in the rural areas.

What particularly interested him about bamboo is the pest, locally known as bukbok, which infests the bamboo because of its rich starch content and how to treat it.

It was time to act, Koerkamp said.

"I was tired of talking and talking and hearing other people talk," the missionary said.

Between 1994 and 2000, Koerkamp and Estrabela collected data and information, researched, and lay the groundwork for their planned Buglas Bamboo Institute. The institute began its operational life at a time when the only major bamboo industry in Negros Oriental folded up.

Why bamboo?

Bamboo is the most available, abundant resource available in the countryside that could be tapped by rural communities to preserve village life, the missionary said.

Koerkamp noted that based on a survey his group conducted, land, particularly in southern Negros Oriental are so much subdivided.

"Young people see no future in the barrios, so they flow out to urban areas for jobs," he said.

There should have been no need for the exodus if resource potentials were developed in rural communities. One of these is the bamboo.

"There is plenty of bamboo in the province that waits to be used," he said.

Moreover, Koerkamp said, countries like China and Vietnam have multimillion- dollar businesses out of bamboo. The Philippines, has none, he lamented.

"If they can do it, why can't we?" the BBI executive director said during the inauguration of the institute's center in Barangay Maayong Tubig, Dauin, 22 kilometers from Dumaguete City early this month.

Based on his study, each of the province's 557 barangays has an average of 150 bamboo groves capable of producing 10 ready-to-be harvested poles a year. All in all, Negros Oriental has the capacity to harvest an average of 835,500 poles a year.

Koerkamp said BBI processes only 30,000-35,000 poles a year, a tiny dent and concentrated only in ten barangays of Valencia, Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, and Siaton.

After treating them, BBI transforms these poles into furniture, accessories, engineered bamboo, bamboo huts, and bamboo slats.

Since 2000, BBI has breached the world market for bamboo products. The international markets include Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Ireland, England, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, the U.S., and recently, Israel, Brazil, Venezuela, and Bolivia.

Last year, BBI realized P4 million sales, more than half of which came from exports. But it is expected considering that the operation is quite young. This year though, Koerkamp expects a rapid increase in earnings because of the opening of new markets and the newfound stability of the institute.

One positive sign of a brighter prospect this year is the long-range commitment of Fil Veneer, a Cebu-based bamboo product manufacturer, to buy 150,000 slats from BBI in different shipment schedules.

"We cannot fulfill the order in one shipment alone, but the firm has agreed to get the supply from BBI," Koerkamp said.

Bukbok-free

The market interest for BBI's bamboo product is its bukbok free condition.

Aside from observing folk advice to harvest bukbok-free bamboo only during months (in the Cebuano dialect) that end in "o," the institute follows a tedious process of treating harvested poles.

The institute uses the findings of a Dutch graduate student who wrote a doctoral thesis on bukbok, the first applicable research on the how and whys of the pest that destroys bamboo products.

After cutting and clearing a pole, sliced parts are rubbed with an anti-pest substance to prevent infiltration. It is then hauled onto a cargo truck and brought to BBI's treatment center in Maayong Tubig, Dauin. There the cargo is submerged to a borax and boric acid solution for two-weeks. Next, the pole is dried for another two weeks.

Presto! The product is a guaranteed mature, dry, and treated bamboo.

"BBI produces bamboo that is 100 percent treated. But, since it is a living material, we cannot give a 100 percent guarantee," the executive director said.
Helping the miserable

However, more remains to be done for bamboo to be appreciated as a significant resource and to be understood by village folks as an answer to preserve community life.

Koerkamp said his early life in Holland was miserable. From that experience, he has dedicated his life to help the miserable. And in BBI, he has found the answer to the question on how to help the people in rural communities.

BBI organized communities in the ten barangays supplying bamboo to the institute. It has also upped the cost of each bamboo pole to encourage folks to take a second look at the ignored bamboo groves as an important source for earnings.

No, the institute does not buy bamboo from rich landlords. Its focus is the ordinary rural folk to improve their income.

Alongside community organization, lectures are being conducted to educate the people on the social, economic, and ecological significance of the bamboo.

"It is an important resource against soil erosion," Koerkamp said. It is used extensively as an indigenous material for soil and water conservation technologies, says DENR's ERB.

"Check dams use woven bamboo strips between the pegs while bush or stones are placed against the dam's upper side. In protecting river or stream banks, bamboo can be planted to stabilize water while holding the soil in place while reducing water flow," the ERB said.

In fact, the plant plays so big role in many Philippine ceremonies, traditions, and beliefs. Dances like tinikling, singkil, and subli revolve around this plant. And of course, the Filipino has to read only of the Visayan myth of the first Filipino man and woman to understand the significant place bamboo has in Filipino life.

Yet out there in the hinterlands, the plant is largely ignored.

"Filipino appreciation remains low," Koerkamp lamented.

But, all these may change, gradually.

BBI, a member of the estimated 30-member Philippine Bamboo Foundation, will organize a Philippine Bamboo Congress in Dumaguete City in November.

Hopefully, the Dutch missionary said, the congress will be able to evolve a program to encourage Filipinos to appreciate their bamboo legacy.