10 Things I will miss in Negros Occidental

I have never stayed in Bacolod for more than a week since I left the City of Smiles for good in 2003. But recently, I had the chance to go back to my home province and stay for 2 weeks in Victorias City and another 2 weeks in Manapla. The preparations we had for the Kadalag-an Festival in Victorias City and preparing our dancers in Manapla City as they performed at the Panaad sa Negros Festival of Festivals Competition made me stay in the province for a month.

After 35 days of being out of the house, I am now back in Sta. Rosa Laguna for a much-needed break. While I now enjoy the comforts of sleeping in my own room, I cant help but reminisce the happy moments I had while I was out of town. And here are just some of the things I will miss now that I am back home:

1. Victorias Milling Company (VMC) Siren – The siren can be heard at regular intervals. It’s so loud that it can be heard all over the VMC compound. During my first night in Victorias, I thought there was an oncoming train. But i realized that in this modern day and age, trains are no longer used to transport sugarcanes to the mill site. The siren is blasted off to inform workers that their work shift has already ended.

2. Saning’s Nilaga – I think I have aleady found the finest nilaga in town. It’s in Brgy. 3 in Bacolod City and its name is Saning. Although I stayed in victorias and Manapla during my trip. There are times that I had to go back to Bacolod to finish some client projects and bring my dirty clothes to a laundry shop. And evey time I am in Bacolod, I made sure to have lunch at Saning’s. And after every meal, I always buy several orders of nilaga for our group in Victorias and Manapla.

3. Pork Barbecue, Betamax, Isaw, Masskara, Fishball – My typical merienda in Victorias and Manapla. Betamax is barbecued pork blood, while Masskara is pork barbecue made from pork’s face.

4. Manapla Puto – The town of Manapla, around 40 kilometers north of Bacolod is home of one of the coutry’s finest puto or rice cakes. And it is always a pleasant sight when vendors would get in the bus and sell freshly steamed puto, peanuts, boiled egg, and bayi-bayi a local delicacy made of ground rice, brown sugar and buko strips. And I always make it a habit to buy a pack of puto or bayi bayi as merienda while on the road. The puto vendors usually get on the bus starting from Victorias City going to Cadiz City. The puto being sold in the bus are of inferior quality, but still PUTO PA RIN YAN The best puto brands from Manapla are Barrido and Capulso.

5. 24hr Sari sari store. – Meron nyan sa Victorias! When hunger strikes at the the wee hours in the morning, we know where to go. We can buy cigarettes, chicherya, softdrinks juice and all sorts of goodies even at 3AM.

Sunset in Victorias

6. Rehearsals – Nakaka miss ang rehearsals! Dancer’s would normally start to troop at the Barangay Hall from 6PM. Usually the dancers’ rehearsals would start from 7:30 and could last up until 11PM. But during weekends rehearsals start in the afternoon.

7. Easy Rock – I think it is one of the top FM stations in Bacolod. The radio in our hideout in Victorias City is fixed to Slow Rock. I always love their playlist. But we always change station every Sunday Afternoon to listen to the Campus Radio’s Barangay Love Story. It’s an afternoon uber-cheesy-Maalala mo Kaya radio version. Most jeepneys in Bacolod play Easy Rock. Sosyal! May taste ang mga drivers sa Bacolod

8. Cheeky – Our adopted pet dog in Victorias. Up until now I do not know who really owns that cute dog. I am not a big fan of dogs. Takot ako sa aso but Cheeky is so playful. We always made sure to give him food after our meal.

9. Tanduay Long Neck – And Orange Juice, FTW! Do I have to say more?

10. Dancers – My new found friends. I miss them all.

It may take some time for me to go back to Negros but definitely I’ll go back to Manapla and Victorias again. Nakakamiss ang mga bonding moments

Check our dancers performance last March 21 during the Kadalag-an Festival in victorias City. Our group won First Runner Up, Best in costume and Best in Headress Awards.