A Breakfast Guide in Roxas City

Dawn has come and the extremely early morning flight from Manila to Roxas has just landed. Either you’re sleepy or hungry and the next thing you want is to enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a plate of sumptuous breakfast. Skip the boring food chain and head to a local café or restaurant where a tasteful breakfast is served with warm Capiznon hospitality.  And there’s more… a pristine view satiates the eyesight!

Breakfast All You Can With Lakeside View

I’m into big breakfast, so San Antonio Resort’s breakfast buffet offers the bang for the bucks with the range of breakfast favorites available from 6 AM until 9 AM. An instant favorite among diners are the dried fish that you could indulge all you want… Ooops, mind that salt intake.

A pristine view to indulge while enjoying your breakfast.

Seaside Delight

Craving for barbecue for breakfast? Bitoy’s  Balay Barbekyuhan – home to the city’s most famous barbeque - opens at 7AM. Its flavorful taste makes a perfect partner for fried rice and egg. The empty shoreline and cool morning breeze seem inviting for a leisurely  stroll...Make it up for that breakfast overindulgence! Later after lunch, their adjacent café, Jacque’s, opens and serves some to-do-for cakes and sweets.




A view of the fabled Mantalinga island is right in sight while chomping on a breakfast combo at Wayfarer. A personal favorite is their Spam breakfast. Its three, thick slices of spam with fried eggs and two servings of rice will pick your sleepyhead.
Native chocolate drink is an alternative for coffee, but if you need coffee kick, their brewed options are just a serve away.


Ooops, this is not breakfast, but this is a terribly mouthwatering lumpia... and a soothing tsokolate. 



The Edge of Glory

It’s a bit of walk and a short hike to reach the Bali-inspired The Edge, a cliff-side outpost situated literally on the edge of Roxas City, some 10 minutes away from the airport. Set amidst lush trees while overlooking the Sibuyan Sea, bamboo decks with tables and chairs hang on the cliff where a romantic “silog” breakfast may be proffered. Get those excess carbs off afterwards by taking another short, albeit uphill walk to the Lighthouse.

Enjoy breakfast with this breathtaking view at the Edge


Mang Inaso

Situated at the heart of Roxas City's public market, Mang Inaso is a favorite destination for diners craving for home-style grilled pork or liempo. They also served dinuguan, nilagang karneng baka, and other favorite Pinoy cuisines.

An Enchanting Repast

In the town of Panay outside Roxas City, the enchanting Spanish-inspired Istorya Forest Garden offers a quiet respite and loads of culinary fare. Their Sunday brunch from 9AM to 12 NN is an indulging treat to the palate. Wander around the property and commune with nature.

Charming and enchanting setting for breakfast at Istorya Forest Garden


The Europeans of Plaza 6 de Noviembre

The Bacolod City bandstand is the centerpiece of Plaza 6 de Noviembre

Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, has a rich (literally rich!) history, with its belle époque years set at the height of the sugarcane industry. In one of my sojourns, I made a lazy stroll on the city’s plaza, where my attention was  caught by its American-era bandstand.  What makes it interesting are the names of famous classic European composers inscribed on the sides of its roof.

The plaza's and the city's welcome arc. You know you're in the heart of Bacolod when you're here! 

The band stand is set at the heart of Bacolod City’s public plaza, officially called Plaza del 6 de Noviembre, after the day the Spanish surrendered of to the Negros revolutionaries.

The usual setup of a Spanish pueblo places the public square at the heart of the community. The plaza stands right in front of San Sebastian Cathedral, which looks straight ahead at the bandstand. Interestingly the municipio is nowhere to be found today. The Spanish governor’s building stood right opposite the church, but the  Bacolod City Hall has long since moved somewhere else in 2010.

The San Sebastian Cathedral, the oldest church in Negros, faces the plaza. 

The plaza has seen better days during the American period, when Bacolod was at the height of her glory as a bustling commercial and social capital.

Back  to the bandstand... Look closely this ornate polygonal. Neo-classical gazebo catches you will notice the name of Mozart, Wagner, Haydn and Beethoven on the entablature.  Long ago, concerts were regularly held in this public structure and  the works of the classic composers were played. Constructed in 1926 and inaugurated in 1927, the bandstand and the entire plaza has since served as the city’s recreational, political, spiritual and cultural space.


It is liveliest during the Masskara Celebration, which happens every third weekend of October to celebrate the city's Charter Anniversary. The Masskara street dancing completion finds its way here.

So, when you happen to dropby the plaza, take some idle walk around, imagine it is one, fine summer evening. The moon beams and stars sparkle. The crowd looks towards the bandstand, quiet and focused, captured by the musician’s rendition of Mozart or Beetheven. Ah, yes, the good life, indeed!


Musings of the Son of an Alcoholic



Many, many moons and tides ago, I posted this on Facebook. I think I was  emotional distressed when I wrote this. Time to share it here on my blog because I know this message holds true not just for me but also for anyone else in difficult times. I hope this inspires you a bit to get up and keep going.

Living with an alcoholic father for years and years rings a message for me... In living with him I learned one crucial thing - never depend on anyone or anything, or else it will control your life. I've seen how he sank deep in his dependence due to many family-related issues and that is saddening. We either give in to these trials and eventually become dependent on something or someone or we can regain ourselves and remain steadfast as we march on. We owe it to ourselves to look after ourselves. Or others, if we could manage. I've also seen many people suffer from heartbreak and depression because they depended their happiness on someone and that, again, is saddening.  We can't expect others to care for us if we don't take care of ourselves. We will remain helpless and languish with it if we don't help ourselves.

I've also seen a number of people who, despite being alone in life, learned how to live with it and they thrived despite of it. I guess I’d be the latter.

For parents, don't expect too much from your children. They will marry, have family, and have a home of their own. Be thankful if they remain with you and care for you until old age but also know how to prepare yourself when time comes when the nest becomes empty and all you have beside you is your loyal attendant.

For couples, don't expect too much for your partners. There comes a time when even the sweetest love will have to leave the door, feet first. it could be heart breaking but that's how life goes. Embrace your alone-ness when that time comes.

In the end what we have are memories, so cherish it, live gracefully, love unconditionally, and build a strong connection with people around us. Everything is fleeting. After all, we die alone, so we have to embrace the fact that at a certain point, we have to live alone.

The Construction of Capiz Provincial Capitol, 1911-1912

Capiz Provincial Capitol, c1912. Image from the Bureau of Public Works Quarterly Bulletin


There are a many digital repositories to check out for one who wishes to learn more about the past of his community. spending some time to dig deep will give you surprising details of our history, otherwise buried and forgotten. In my search to learn some tidbits of information about my hometown, I began to read details about our historic provincial capitol. I originally posted this article on Facebook and eventually added more later. Enjoy reading!

The American occupation of the Philippines following the Treaty of Paris in 1898 and the resulting end of the resistance after the surrender of General Ananias Diokno [1] led to the establishment of a civil government in Capiz on April 15, 1901 by virtue of Act 115 with Simplicio Hugo Vidal as the first civil governor [2]. With the transition from military to civilian rule, the insular government desired for efficient administration of the Philippine Islands' 31 provinces, thus, provincial capital centers were established with provincial administration buildings at the heart of every province. 

The newly established provincial governments were patterned from that of the United States, except that there was no legislative body at that time. The provincial board—the governing body—was composed of two elective officials (the governor and the third member) and an appointive member, the treasurer. Other officials of the province who also had their offices in the provincial center included the district engineer, district auditor, district health officer, district forester, district veterinarian, provincial fiscal, provincial assessor, provincial sheriff, superintendent of schools, weather observer, postmaster, inspector of Constabulary, and internal revenue agent. The provincial capitol also houses the court room, where the judge of the Court of First Instance also holds his legal duties. [3]

The provincial buildings established during the Spanish period were "attractive both in design and surrounding," [3] but were, nevertheless, not durable.  At the onset of the American rule, William Howard Taft launched comprehensive building construction and city planning in the country.  This was the height of the City Beautiful Movement,  a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that had seen its better days in the 1890s and 1900s, the focus of which was beautify cities and introduce  monumental grandeur [4].

On the helm of the insular government’s building and city planning was American architect William Parsons, who served as Consulting Architect of the American Commission by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act No. 1495 (enacted May 26, 1906) [5] [6].  His job gave him general architectural supervision over the design of all public buildings and parks throughout the islands, including provincial and municipal work as well as insular. Parsons envisioned provincial government buildings to be “arranged in a logical and convenient scheme. The order and system which exists in the form of provincial government should prevail and find expression in an orderly plan for grouping buildings.”

The Provincial Capitol for Capiz Province was one of the 31 provincial capitols built following the plans of American Architect William Parsons. It was originally a two-storey reinforced concrete structure, box type, and with Roman doric columns on the facade. The roof was made of flat tiles, unlike the "heavy curved Spanish clay tiles"  used during the Spanish period, which quickly deteriorated due to the infestation of white ants or dry rot and were replaced by corrugated galvanized iron [3].  Capiz shells were later installed on the window sash, instead of glass. The shells are trimmed into squares and set in thin strips of wood, providing a soft opaque light rather than the harsh, oftentimes intolerable glare from glass windows.

The site of the building was an old fill in a swamp. The foundation was prepared by "compacting large adobe rocks with an 8 and 10-ton road roller over the entire area of 1,110 square meters."  [3] Parsons planned out the provincial capitols to be far from the crowd:

“Unlike municipal buildings and markets, provincial buildings need not be near the centers of the population. In fact, a location at some distance from the business centers is much to be preferred for both practical and aesthetic reasons. ..” [3]

He further emphasized that “provincial buildings should be in a park, in a position of dignity, and retirement.” This principle was not merely for aesthetic reasons, but also for practical purposes as this will remove the civil servants “from the noise and dust of the streets and from the danger  of fire spreading from neighboring buildings.” [3]

As such, surrounding of the Capiz provincial capitol was laid out to be spacious enough to accommodate "tennis court, walks, lawns, hedges, and both ornamental and shade trees."  I am not sure, though, if our capitol ever had these amenities and what surrounds it today are commercial establishments. [3] parsons, nevertheless, emphasized how parks surrounding a capitol should be laid and maintained:

"The park which surrounds the buildings ought to have well-kept lawns with shade trees and blossoming plants which the Tropics like no other climate afford. Quite the most beautiful thing in the vicinity, it ought to set a good example in the way of beautifying the streets and plazas of the municipalities. Where there is prison labor, good soil, good drainage, and a supply of water in the dry season, the conditions are ideal for its accomplishments." [3]

Records from the Bureau of Public Works show that the building of the present-day Provincial Capitol of Capiz started in 1911 after the provincial government secured a loan from the Insular Government.  To finance the construction, a loan was secured by the Provincial Government from the Insular Government amounting to P55,000 by virtue of Acts No. 1728 and 1729,payable in seven instalments, payable quarterly beginning December 23, 1911, with the last payment on December 23, 1916.  The provincial treasurer took charge in the disbursement of the  fund. Of the total amount, P16,500 was taken from the insurance fund created by Act No. 1728, while 38,800 were taken from the sinking bond created by Act 1729. When the capitol was finally completed in 1912, the provincial treasurer assessed the actual cost to be P113,911.75. However, the district engineer appraised the capitols value to be P116, 880.70. [7] [8]

The Capiz Provincial Capitol has seen improvements, repairs and extensions many times in its long history. Here are some photographs of the capitol through the years.

Capiz Provincial Capitol, c1935. Image from David and Campos via Nerio Lujan's Facebook.

An image of Capiz Provincial Capitol, c1970, on a clipping at Capiz State University Main Campus Library. 

Capiz Provincial Capitol, c1980, from the Lindsay Bridge Collection via Nerio Lujan's Facebook. 

I took this shot of Capiz Provincial Capitol in 2010.

Capiz Provincial Capitol in 2018, shortly before the opening parade of Dayaw Festival.


  References

[1] Watterson, H. (1898). History of the Spanish-American War: Embracing a Complete Review of Our Relations with Spain. Werner and Co., 657-668. 

[2] Act No. 115 (1901). An Act Extending the Provisions of the “Provincial Government Act” to the Province of Capiz.

[3]Cameron, H.F. (January 1, 1914). Provincial Centers in the Philippine Islands. Bureau of Public Works Quarterly Bulletin, 2 (4), 2.  

[4]Daniel M. Bluestone, Columbia University, (September 1988).Detroit's City Beautiful and the Problem of Commerce Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. XLVII, No. 3, pp. 245-62.

[5]  A.N.  Rebori (1917-04). ("Architectural Record, Vol. 41 - The Work of William Parsons in the Philippine Islands". pp. 305-309. Architectural Record, Ltd, New York.

[6]  Bureau of insular Affairs (1907). "Acts of the Philippine Commission, Nos. 1408-1538", pg. 248. Government Printing Office, Washington.

[7] Loans for Roads, Bridges, Schools, Municipal Buildings, Etc.—Sept. 22 to December 27, 1912 (2013, January 1). Bureau of Public Works Quarterly Bulletin, 1 (4), 2-3. 

 [8] Capiz: Provincial Building (January 1, 1914). Bureau of Public Works Quarterly Bulletin, 2 (4), 51.

2020 Guide to Regular, Special and Local Non-Working Holidays in Panay Island and Guimaras

Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo. Image from Wikimedia Commons


Happy New Year! Planning for a road trip or short-break this year? Check out this list of regular and special local public holidays here in Panay Island and Guimaras. Take note that some holidays are localized and may be exclusive only to a given city, town or province. This list will be updated throughout the year to reflect latest announcements from national and local authorities. In the meantime, start thinking which destination near you deserves a visit and what festivals should you not miss!

January

January 1, 2020, Wednesday - New Year's Day
January 19, 2020, Sunday- Ati-atihan Festival (only in Kalibo)
January 25, 2020, Saturday - Chinese New Year
January 26, 2020, Sunday - Dinagyang Festival (only in Iloilo City)

February

February 11, 2020, Tuesday- Evelio Javier Day  (only in Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Iloilo)
February 25, 2020, Tuesday - EDSA Revolution Anniversary

March

March 18, 2020, Wednesday - Liberation of Panay and Guimaras

The Province of Antique. Image from Flickr

April

April 9, 2020, Thursday - Araw ng Kagitingan
April 9, 2020 - Maundy Thursday
April 10, 2020 - Good Friday
April 11, 2020 - Black Saturday
April 15, 2020 – President Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Day (only in Capiz)

May

May 1, 2020, Friday - Labor Day
May 24,2019, Sunday – Eidul Fitr (to be confirmed)

June

June 12, 2020, Friday - Independence Day

Islands in the province of Capiz.

July

July 31, 2020, Friday - Eidul Adha  (to be confirmed)

August

August 21, 2020, Friday - Ninoy Aquino Day
August 25, 2020, Tuesday – Iloilo City Charter Day (only in Iloilo City)
August 31, 2020, last Monday of August - National Heroes' Day

Atiatihan Festival in Aklan. Image from Wikimedia Commons

November

November 1, 2020, Sunday - All Saints' Day
November 2, 2020, Monday – Additional Special Non-working Holiday
November 30, 2020, Monday - Bonifacio Day

December

December 8, 2020, Tuesday - Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary
December 25, 2020, Friday - Christmas Day
December 24, 2020, Thursday – Additional Special Non-Working Holiday
December 30, 2020, Wednesday - Rizal Day
December 31, 2020, Thursday - last day of the year

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