A back story
The other day we visited Apo Island in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, today we'll resume our 1-day adventure in Dumaguete City and its adjacent towns.
Although my father is originally from Negros Oriental, I could only count with my fingers the times we visited this Province. We'd come home once in a few years to celebrate the fiesta in my father's hometown. These visits were rare and I remember looking forward every time Ma would announce that we'd be home for the fiesta. Their fiestas were grand and luxurious; my father's niece would easily prepare 3-4 pigs weighing at least 60 kgs each for the fiesta. My uncle's house would be jam-packed with visitors from neighboring mountain barangays and the merry-making at night prohibited us from getting any sleep for all the good reasons. Life was good until in recent years when my father's siblings died one after the other he no longer finds value in coming home. We haven't been home since 2015; and despite my offers to pay for their transportation, my father refused saying there's no reason to come home anymore. That's a little backstory of why Negros is close to my heart! ❤
Ride or die or both
I associate Negros Oriental with Mt. Talinis, sans rival, and dolphins but I know that there's so much more to my second home, and during this particular trip to Negros, we aimed to visit all destinations we could given our limited time.
After checking in at Vintage Inn, we asked around locals where we would find a jeepney that would take us to the town of Valencia. The jeepney bound for Valencia was packed with locals who went to Dumaguete City public market to buy supplies, students, and workers. We could wait for the next jeepney but time was of the essence so we decided to sit on top of the jeep, or what we fondly call top load.
Top load means you ride on top of the jeepney or any vehicle for that matter. It's easier than you think because jeepneys usually have metal railings attached at the top of their vehicles. This part of the jeepney is allotted for heavy and bulky items such as sacks of rice, charcoal, etc., but passengers could stay there during the entire journey if they want.
In some places in the Philippines, top loading has become a way of life. It started years ago when transportation was still limited and drivers' resourcefulness taught them that they could use the top portion of jeepneys and other vehicles to carry more passengers at a time.
I was the only one who was eager to sit on top of the jeepney on our way to Valencia; in fact, it was my dream to experience riding on top of the jeepney. Believe it or not, it was even on my bucket list. 😂 My workmates later decided to join me. They didn't regret joining me as the view from atop was surreal.
We then arrived at our first destination that afternoon, Pulangbato Falls in Valencia. It was easy to find and didn't require hours of trekking to reach the waterfalls. It's also well-managed so you could expect clean surroundings here.
Pulangbato means red stone. They got the name of the waterfalls from the color of the rocks where it flows, which is slightly reddish. Don't be fooled! Pulangbato Waterfall looked smaller than other falls but it could be dangerous. Stay vigilant while enjoying your time here.
What kind of swim do you want? Do you want a relaxing cold dip? Pulangbato Falls is the right one for you, but if you're like me who easily gets cold, the nearby Ocean 24 Swimming Pool might be the one you're looking for. If you want both, by all means, visit both destinations, you can easily access Ocean 24 Swimming Pool which is only 2.5km away from Pulangbato Falls.
During our visit, there was a newly built footbridge that connects the Barangays Cambucad and Sagbang. This bridge attracted tourists and instantly turned into a tourism destination. Weird but that's just how some things are in the Philippines.
I think one of the reasons why the footbridge easily attracted tourists is that fronting it is the famous Sulfur Mountain/Vents still located in the town of Valencia. It's impossible to miss this destination as it's just located along the main road. They built massive concrete barriers to prevent tourists from going nearer the sulfur vents.
Before sundown, we were back in Dumaguete City and had a sumptuous dinner which took the largest portion of our budget in our backpacking in Dumaguete. 😂 Of course, we had sans rival and walked around Dumaguete's famous boulevard. I don't know how we managed to explore Apo Island and all the destinations in Valencia in less than 12 hours, but we did. Now, I'm excited to tell you more about the rest of our trip. Stay tuned!
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Living life intentionally every single day, she believes that there’s no limit to one’s potential. Right now, she’s on the loose for the pursuit of endless holistic self-growth and development. She wants to light the way for others. She believes there’s no better way to leave a legacy than to pay it forward.
Her ultimate goal in life is to reach the state of enlightenment where there’s nothing but peace, love, happiness, and contentment - nothing more, nothing less.
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