Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental Province - Compiled Threads

[ritche]

The site is cool...

Well, from a talk with some influential people, I learned that the Alaska tycoon might donate a large portion of his company's profit to Silliman yearly. So we can expect more projects and buildings from the family in the coming years. There is now a big possibility for funding for a new gym at Silliman.

[GearX]

All Uphill For Barba
DOWNHILL RIDER JOEY BARBA FIRST PINOY S.E.A. GAMES GOLD MEDALIST

By Jun Lomibao
Editor

NAKHON RATCHASIMA—Joey Barba did nothing much but sleep the whole afternoon of Wednesday, when he stared at a downhill gold medal in cycling’s mountain bike.

Who wouldn’t? He was second in the seeding run by a mere 1.4 seconds to a Thai who knew the tough 1.9-km course at the Khao Yai Thieng Lamtakong Dam like the palms of his hands.

On Thursday, just as the midmorning sun started to scorch the eight downhillers all with devil-may-care attitudes, Barba seemed like it was he who was homegrown, knowing every rock and pebble and every nudge and bump down the course everyone dared was the most difficult, if not the scariest in the Southeast Asian Games and even the Asian Games and Asian Championships.

JOEY BARBA tastes the most important victory of his young career

The 22-year-old from Dumaguete City rode to history in Thursday’s finals, clocking three minutes and 56.920 seconds. A few minutes later, he was the 24th SEA Games best rider, winning for the Philippines its first gold medal in the Games’ 24th edition that formally started with perhaps the most amazing opening ceremonies ever at the His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary National Stadium near the sprawling Suranaree University of Technology.

That gold medal also came a day before the men’s basketball team was pruned down to 12 by head coach Junel Baculi, whose wards are to open the title-retention campaign against Cambodia Friday.

“Sa una, hindi talaga ako makapaniwala [about the gold medal and being the country’s first to do so],” said Barba, whose love for cycling—he did BMX, then mountain bike’s cross-country and even motocross—has lured him out of school, thus finishing only second year in high school at the Negros Oriental High.

His winning time was 2.460 seconds faster than Indonesian silver medalist Popo Ariyo Sejati, who was third Wednesday, and 3.940 better than the German-coached Thai Sitichai Ketkaewmanee, the No. 1 in the seeding run. Ariyo Sejati came into the Games owner of an Asian Championships silver medal, lustier than the silver medal Barba earned in the 2005 Philippine SEA Games in Danao City.

That gold medal finally put vigor into a waning Team Philippines, which could only clinch before Thursday three silver and one bronze medals out of shooting—where expectations were pegged at two golden mints. Later Thursday, one bronze medal was churned out of sepak takraw, with the women’s team finishing third in the hoops.

“Good!” exclaimed Jose Cojuangco Jr., the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, upon learning of the first gold that was very much like in 2005, when the country’s first gold medal that led to an unprecedented overall championship came from a measurable sport—in long jump, courtesy of an emotional Maristela Torres at the Rizal Memorial Oval.

Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez, the mountain-bike international commissaire, was teary-eyed. He worked so hard for the MTB riders—with national assistant coach Eboy Parr and head coach Jomel Lorenzo—who he virtually adapted for three months in Danao City, where he is a councilor. Rodriguez even accompanied the riders who arrived here earlier than the rest on November 27.

Bert Lina, the PhilCycling president, was ecstatic and hoped for more gold medals out of cycling. “One gold in the bag and, hopefully, more,” he said.

Marites Bitbit defends her SEA Games gold medal in MTB’s women’s cross-country beginning at 1 p.m. Friday. At 10 a.m. also Friday, Frederick Feliciano and Eusebio Quiñones, silver and bronze medalists in 2005, with Quiñones winning gold in Vietnam in 2003, and Nino Surban, the juniors silver-medal winner in the 2004 Puerto Princesa Asians, take their shot at the men’s cross-country gold medal in the same venue.

The gold medal did not come easy for Barba, who is now P100,000 richer because of the guaranteed incentive for a gold medal from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). A silver medal in the SEA Games is worth P75,000 and a bronze P30,000.

Barba had to take the most dangerous route in the most difficult part of the route carved out of a rocky hill. He even had to shake off all the fear he has in his heart in conquering the first five meters which are virtually on a 90-degree angle.

“Inisip ko na lang na kung kaya nila, bakit hindi ko makayanan,” said Barba of his fearless ride. He also acknowledged Quiñones, the most senior on the MTB team at 35, who boosted his morale just before the finals.

“Kung makukuha mo ang gold medal, maganda ’yan para sa ating lahat. Kunin mo para maging inspirasyon naming lahat,” Quiñones told Barba, son of Antonio, a carpenter, and Ma. Estela, a housewife, and the second in a brood of five.

And what should he do with his P100,000? “Ibibigay ko sa nanay ko para maumpisahang magpagawa ng bahay [in Dumaguete],” said a beaming Barba, who met the Philippine media, including NBN 4 and Sports Radio 918 at the Games’ Main Press Center in Suranaree University.

Barba used a state-of-the-art Giant downhill bike worth P250,000, which the PSC supplied. “Swerte rin hindi bumigay ang bike,” said Barba, who could have landed a medal in the Asian championships in China months ago if not for a broken pedal that stopped him halfway through his turn at the race.

The Games heat up in other fronts Thursday, with seven gold medals going up for grabs each in athletics and swinning and three in wresting. James Ortega, Benjamin Guevarra and Marlon Manalo will also shoot for the gold medal in team snookers, as well as Pedro Quina and Daniel Parantac in wushu’s men’s dullian.

source

[nicko]

thanks for that post, GearX.. I know a lot of Barba's here..

[ritche]

A Dumaguetena also gave the country its first gold medal in the ASEAN games held in Manila according to this story.

Dumaguete biker wins RP's first SEAG gold

Just as it had been two years ago, an athlete from Negros Oriental gave the Philippine contingent its first gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand .

Dumaguete City-born mountain biker Joey Barba provided the Philippines a golden moment ahead of the opening ceremonies of the 24th edition of the biennial meet yesterday by ruling the men's downhill race at the Khao Yai Thieng in Thailand.

Full story here.

One of my friends said that she personally know Barba being a member of the local mountain biking team. I think I saw this guy with the mountain bikers who are usually gathered at the Dumaguete boulevard during Sunday mornings.

[nicko]

GO DUMAGUETE>>>>>>> GO PHILIPPINES>>>>>>>

[nicko]

MISS DUMAGUETE & MISS TEEN DUMAGUETE 2007
some photos from the pageant night by http://flickr.com/photos/royangelo/

[nicko]

by http://www.flickr.com/photos/kidtec/
The Capitol in Christmas Decors with live Christmas shows nightly



by http://www.flickr.com/photos/13468097@N02/
Trade Fair 2007


The baywalk


Cathedral of St Catherine of Alexandria




Dumaguete City Hall



by http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheren/
Quezon Park

[nicko]

Tucked deep in one of the crevices of Mt. Talinis' foot is this majestic Casaroro Falls (by fredzdc)



(by jgavan101)
Up the mountains of Sibulan.. Twin lakes Balinsasayao and Danao









Before reaching the twin lakes, you meet up with their eerie little bro.. Lake Kabilin-an.




Apo Island's Big Rock


Your accomodation in Apo Island

[nicko]

Rizal Boulevard Marker
[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2180/2048958312_96a627a648.jpg?v=0
[/IMG]

Bell Tower Marker

[nicko]

LP Hypermart was jampacked today, full of hopefuls, both young and old as they all showcased their talents in singing, acting, dancing, storytelling, etc. to be part of PBBteen season 2, PBB season 3, and PDA season 2.. I was not able to get in in the morning and I only managed to get in this evening to check it out and took a couple of shots as the crowd became thinner and thinner.. The regional audition was held at the second level, foodcourt, north and east side..

[ritche]

^They were still holding the audition when I went there at past 6 p.m. My friend who went there earlier at 11 a.m. told me LP Hypermart was jampacked.

[johnnyS]

Hi guys,
I am interested in buying a few OLD PHOTOS of Dumaguete--photos of landmarks as well as people in the old days where there were no jeepnies.
Anyone have some? Know who has some?

[ritche]

Roro from Liloan (Cebu) to Amlan

[SUV111]

Originally Posted by ritche

Roro from Liloan (Cebu) to Amlan

Ritche, how far is Amlan to dumaguete?...just curious, i heard strange stories about that place...is it true? hehehe

[gen1]

what strange stories ?

amlan is around 15min from dumaguete

[SUV111]

Originally Posted by gen1

what strange stories ?

amlan is around 15min from dumaguete

i heard stories about some supernatural event occuring on that place

[ritche]

[nicko]

Originally Posted by SUV111

i heard stories about some supernatural event occuring on that place

i think its true, SUV111..

[johnnyS]

yes even I heard about it.

[ritche]

The Uytengsus who are one of the more prominent business families in the Philippines founded many successful companies. They are the cousins of the Uymatiaos and actually are some of the early incorporators of Uymatiao Corporation. They also headed the Chinese community in Dumaguete before Wolrd War II broke out.