Kim's Quest #44: Tales of Lazi, Siquijor

_{Rice Field near the town center of Lazi. While rice fields like this spells provincial life, it's actually rare in Siquijor due to its terrain. Siquijor is generally rocky and mountainous so it's difficult for rice cultivation.}

Hello Hiveians!

This is the last part of my Siquijor series and I dedicate this post to Dr. Concepcion Aljas, momshie Daphnie Jill Aljas, and to the Aljas family for their warm accommodation during our five days stay in Siquijor two years ago. It's a perfect example of Filipino hospitality. I should have written this series ages ago, but I guess there's always a silver lining to everything.

_{View of Lazi Port at dusk. I don't know if it's just me or the whole island has this unusual darkness even when it's still twilight.}

As a conclusion of this series, this post will wrap up the adventure we had and the accompanying stories those adventures entail. Before that, let's have a recap of what has been told so far:

I did a sort of "prologue" of the series which was all about our transit to Siquijor island and the highlight of the post was Rizal Boulevard of Dumaguete. It was a nostalgic experience. You can find out more in the link below.

_{Kim's Quest #39: On the Way to Isla del Fuego (Siquijor Island)}

For the official first part of the series, I showcased St. Francis of Assisi Church in the municipality of Siquijor, Paliton Beach in San Juan, and the Old & Enchanted Balete Tree in Lazi. Three different spots in three different municipalities and all of them are worth every visit. Details are on the link below.

_{Kim's Quest #40: Tales of Siquijor (Isla del Fuego) - Part I}

The second part is about Bolo Bolo Spring, the secret source of Cambugahay Falls. Of course, Cambugahay Falls is almost synonymous to the island of Siquijor itself, but unknown to the public, the source of the falls is just a kilometer away. You can't find this in any other blog. Learn more about the spring in the link below.

_{Kim's Quest #41: Bolo Bolo Spring - the Secret of Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor}

The third part is about our trip to Mt. Bandilaan, Siquijor's highest point. There, we witnessed the Healing Festival, a yearly congregation of the island's known healers and practitioners of alternative medicine. It's an experience of a lifetime. More of my story in the link below.

_{Kim's Quest #42: Siquijor's Healing Festival at Mt. Bandilaan}

The fourth part is about Kamp Aninipot and Capilay Spring Park. Kamp Aninipot is the first campground in the island and it showcases a panoramic view of Siquijor Bay. Capilay Spring Park is a spring pool located at the center of the town of San Juan. Both are worth visiting because both have interesting backgrounds and stories. Learn more about those two spots below.

_{Kim's Quest #43: Kamp Aninipot and Capilay Spring Park of Siquijor}

And now for the last part:

We didn't have an itinerary when we decided to spend our Holy Week in Siquijor two years ago. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions and one I didn't regret of doing. Siquijor is still on top of my list of island destinations because of its uniqueness in every aspect of tourism.

As for this last part, it will be all about the municipality of Lazi. As we spent most of our time in Lazi, I decided to dedicate one post just for this even when I already presented Bolo Bolo Spring, Cambugahay Falls, and Mt. Bandilaan.

Tales of Siquijor - Part V

_{Stories in Lazi}

_{San Isidro Labrador Parish Church. Commonly called as Lazi Church, it was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 1984 and a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001.}

I remembered that we were supposed to go to Salagdoong Beach, but because we got lazy, we stayed in Lazi most of the time. We stayed in the house of Daphnie's grandmother, Dr. Concepcion Aljas. Hospitality is impeccable. As they call it, Tatak-Pinoy.

Accommodation

Dr. Aljas' house is located near the church and it is a bungalow that's reminiscent to the style of the American era. It's more of an ancestral house and you can immediately tell they're prominent in Lazi. Judging from the proximity to the church, it means they hold some influence over the affairs of the town. It is said that in the past, especially during Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the nearer your house to the church, the wealthier and more influential you are.

The house was well kept and it can be observed that they have high regard for family. Daphnie noted of how she was close to her cousins even until now. It can also be observed that they follow a matriarchal structure. This means that Dr. Aljas runs the house. There's no single detail that she was not aware of.

_{Aljas Ancestral House interior. We stayed in the house for five days for free. It's good to have a friend who's from Siquijor.}

From the picture frames that are hanging on the wall, it can be deduced that they have also high regard to education. The family have doctors, a pilot, and an engineer. Dr. Aljas is the main influence for that. The level of her regard to education was matchless. At her age, students in their master's degree would still go to her for help in their theses and dissertations. I'm a fan. It's obvious. Her memory and intellectual processing are still very sharp.

Stories Over Meals

_{Fried Fish and Munggo over Rice. I miss those meals. Because it was Holy Week, meats were not allowed. Fish and vegetables became a staple.}

I had the fluffiest rice I've ever tried when I was there. I'm not exaggerating. Their rice was different from the white rice that can be bought in stores. Daphnie said it was a portion of the last harvest from their leased land.

_{Sunny Side Up}

_{Uyap with Kamias (Fermentated krill with Averrhoa bilimbi fruit)}

_{Mung beans or munggo with shredded fried fish}

_{A cup of hot chocolate}

I missed that very authentic provincial meal. I can't seem to move on to the fact that we were always full when we were there. We always woke up late so we would have late breakfast and then a few moments later, we would be called for lunch. We would rest for a bit and then there was something to eat again for an afternoon snack. We spent most of the time eating.

_{Teakettle with hot chocolate}

_{Fried rice}

_{Binignit - a Visayan dessert soup made with glutinous rice that's cooked in coconut milk. Slices of different fruits and tubers are added for texture and flavor.}

While we were eating, Dr. Aljas was often at another table, checking the papers of students who sought her help in their dissertations. But one time, she told us of the story of how the image of Siquijor was changed. If I remembered it correctly, it was in 1991 that the influential figures of Siquijor convened in Lazi Church to discuss on ways to change the image of the island. Before, tourists rarely visit the island out of fear because of stories of witches and mystic practices.

Dr. Aljas said one member suggested that since the image is already there, why not capitalize it. But instead of focusing on the dark side, they leaned more into the benefits of such practices. Hence, healing became the central theme of the tourism campaign of the whole island. All the six municipalities of Siquijor agreed to have a harmonized method of presenting their tourist spots. And it worked. Siquijor is now one of the top destinations in the whole Visayas region.

Late Afternoon at Lazi Port

I loved those lazy afternoons at Lazi Port. The view of Lazi is best at the port during late afternoons or early evenings. The port became a spot for locals to unwind. I could observe why. Just sitting there as you feel the sea breeze was just so relaxing. My favorite part was watching the island slowly enveloped by darkness as the night came.

_{The view from the port when the sun has fully set. I find it eerie, but I didn't feel fear. It's strange that I felt comfort in isolation.}

_{The were only a few boats and ships at that time. I'm not sure why, but the port seemed to be not in operation.}

When we were done with the reflection and get bored of the idea of not doing anything, we would stroll back to the main road in Poblacion.

I was amazed that tourists have chosen to stay in that part of Siquijor. It was about 7:00 PM, but the road was mostly empty. That road was lined with bars and restaurants and majority of the people I saw there were foreigners.

We wandered from the main road towards the wet market, but ended up in the municipal gymnasium. We saw few teenagers playing volleyball. We stayed for a bit until we decided it was time for dinner.

Lazi Convent at Night

_{Lazi Convent interior at night. We were invited by Daphnie's uncle to Lazi Convent to have dinner with the priest, but we declined with the dinner because we got so shy. We just explored the convent.}

Lazi Church was nominated to be one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the Baroque Churches in the Philippines. It's part of the historical tours in the island, but at that time we were there, the church and even the convent was still in the middle of a repair and restoration. But because the Aljas family are such prominent figures, we were able to access the convent.

The U-shaped convent is one of the biggest convent in the Philippines that were built during the Spanish colonial period. It's one of those classified as Bahay na Bato. You can immediately access the second floor from the entrance through the stairs. The first floor and majority of the convent is made of coral stones which can be attributed to the durability of the structure and the second floor is mainly composed of hardwood.

The convent also serves as the Siquijor Heritage Museum where collections of important church relics and artefacts are located.

Both the church and the convent played a pivotal role in the religious and historical beliefs of the people of Siquijor.

I guess that's all for this post. I hope you enjoyed the series as a whole. Thank you for being there with me as I relive that experience. What's next? Maybe it's time for my Camiguin series. Or maybe I'll finish my Algeria series. Let's see. Until the next post!

Kim Ybañez

_{Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.}

_{If you like his content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want to. Also, don't forget to follow him to be updated with his latest posts.}