Davao City (Day 2 - Pearl Farm Day Tour)

Davao City (Davao People's Park)

So lucky I chose Tower Inn Hotel, a hotel which is located in the downtown area and is near all the famous destinations in the city. Tower Inn is just a 10 minute walk to People's Park and is beside J. Palma Gil and Jose Camus Streets. People's Park is a four-hectare land area which opened last December 15, 2007 and was formerly known as the PTA grounds, the park which costs around Php70 million showcases a mini-forest, falls, a big durian dome and gigantic sculptures made by Kublai Millan, the statues are sooooo cute they look like "Kokey".

The park is open to the public and has NO entrance fee. Upon entering the park there is a security check that my companions were advised to leave their cigarette, grabe their so strict. There are also signs of "NO SPITTING" and "NO LITTERING".

Davao City (Day 1 - Talikud Island Hopping)

Four (4) months prior to our Davao trip i'm already researching for places worth visiting in the city. And Being a beach lover my no. 1 choice should be the beach or an island hopping, and I chose Talikud Island to be our 1st stop. 

approaching Babusanta Beach

We joined a group of divers and paid only Php350 for the island hopping

snorkeling in Talikud Islands' Coral Garden

Talikud Island is located in the south west part of Samal Island and is a popular destination for divers because of the rich marine life - a wide variety of soft and hard coral gardens that is home to numerous exotic small tropical fishes. The island has numerous white beaches for the beach lovers like me - Isla Reta, Dayang Beach, Babusanta Beach to name a few.

Tibiao Fish Spa Experience

While waiting for my flight from Iloilo to Manila last October I saw this cool spa in the lower ground floor of SM City Iloilo. Tibiao Fish Spa opened last June 2009 in the town Tibiao in Antique Province and the branch at SM City Iloilo is its first branch.

 I availed of the Php100.00 package and good for 30 minutes, there is another rate for the fishes located in the lazy boy tanks, I think they charge Php200.00 for 30 minutes. I stayed in tank with big fishes, this fishes are for calluses while the smaller fishes are good for dead skin.

Exploring Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental is known to be “The Sugar Bowl of the Philippines” because of it’s vast plantation of sugarcane and numerous sugar millings.  Bacolod City is not the only place in Negros Occidental that is worth visiting, there are still a lot to see in the province like the towns of Manapla, Victorias, Silay and Talisay. This are the spots I’ve been to:

 The Provincial Capitol, Park and Lagoon is located in the center of Bacolod City.

The Mansion in Hacienda Rosalia

Chapel on the Cartwheels

Cartwheels

a pose inside the Chapel of the Cartwheels

Hacienda Rosalia and Chapel on the Cartwheels is located in the middle of a sugar plantation in Manapla town. It is the ancestral house of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston, he was originally from Lisieux in France and settled in the Philippines where he engaged in the production of sugar cane which is now the primary product of the province.

I got the chance to meet Msgr. Gigi Gaston when we went inside the mansion, we knew that the house is open for public hehehe. When I told this to my new found friend Bernie he told me that I was “anak ng Diyos” coz I got to talk to one of the richest/holiest person in the place.

The Chapel of the Cartwheels is situated at the back of the mansion. The Msgr. designed the chapel, all the parts of the chapel were made of cartwheels, the windows are stained glass, and a Filipino Farmer Christ is crucified on a cartwheel.  

The Church of the Angry Christ

The Mural painting of the Angry Christ

Bell Tower of the Church

Locomotive Steam Engine of Victoria's Milling Corporation

The Chapel of St. Joseph the Worker or Church of the Angry Christ is located inside the Victoria’s Milling Company (VMC is the largest sugar refinery in Asia) compound. The church was built for VMC’s Catholic employees and their families who are living inside the sugar refinery compound. We were lucky we got to get inside the church because according to the guards on the entrance gate we need to get passes first before we can tour the place.

 

After our visit to Victoria’s Milling we dropped by Silay City, nicknamed as the “Paris of Negros” it has 30 heritage houses as declared by the National Historical Institute. One of the famous old houses in Silay is Balay Negrense, it is the ancestral house of Victor F. Gaston a son of  Yves Leopold Germain Gaston the owner of Hacienda Rosalia in Manapla.

Bihon Palabok

a slice of Guaple Pie

the famous Guaple Pie of El Ideal

The Ruins in Talisay City is the last stop for our Negros Occidental tour. It is located in the middle of a sugar cane plantation and the road going there is unpaved, took us almost 20 minutes to reach the place because of the rough road and we paid Php50.00 for the entrance fee.