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I passed by Don Salvador Benedicto for countless of times but the number of times I explored the town can be counted in my fingers. Aside from the Malatan-og Viewing Deck, the only place in Don Salvador that I spent more than 30 minutes was at the parish church when we were photo-documenting the churches in Negros Occidental.
We were invited to grace the opening of the 20th Kali-Kalihan Harvest Festival and 27th Founding Anniversary of Don Salvador Benedicto on Saturday, February 6. Kali or what is popularly known Arnis, is an ethnic Filipino martial arts which Salvadorans celebrate in the annual Kali-Kalihan Harvest Festival.
I was there with my boss to present the programs and project of our office for the 3rd Farmer’s Forum but I ended up cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Agro-Trade Fair. I was uncomfortable but Mayor Lawrence Marxlen “Mac” De la Cruz was very friendly and put us at ease.
The Agro-Trade Fair showcases the products of the seven barangays of Don Salvador. Visitors get a chance to buy various agricultural products such as root crops, fruits and vegetables at farm gate prices. Yakon which is known to thrive only in cold climate thrives well in Don Salvador.
Horticulture is also a potential industry for the town. Million flowers, Mickey Mouse plant, lirio and various variegated lampunaya are just some of the bestsellers of local growers. On ordinary days, these ornamental plants are displayed along the highway so motorists can stop over and buy.
Mayor Mac conceptualized the Fiesta sa nayon for this year’s celebration where every barangay were given a counterpart fund by the local government to set-up their booth at the Municipal Hall grounds. All barangays display their products and serve local cuisine to guests. Composo singers entertain the guests while they’re eating. Exotic dishes served were those of freshwater fish “bunog” and frogs. The local government wish to showcase their local culture and hoped to make this a future tourist attraction
The former Mayor of Don Salvador, now Board Member Nehemias “Nene” De La Cruz was instrumental in the passing of Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution declaring the town as the “Summer Capital of Negros Occidenal”.
Taking a cue from his father, Mayor Marxlen’s thrust is also on tourism with the theme “Turismo Isulong, Kauswagan Maagum”. Mayor De la Cruz said that no matter how many times he visited the different places in his town, he’s still amazed at how blessed Don Salvador is. With more than sixty percent of the town still classified forest reserve, the town is still waiting for the approval and awarding of its Town Site which is pending at the House of Senate.
It’s also good to note that the Mayor is very aware of the ill-effects of unabated developments like what is happening to Boracay and other tourist destinations in the country. He said whatever developments in Don Salvador should benefit the people such as employment and should be regulated so that it won’t harm the environment.
I have to agree with him. Of what I have seen so far of Don Salvador, I can say there’s so much about this town that one needs to see and experience. The town is blessed with a good climate, fertile soil and beautiful landscape. These are some of the elements that make this young and small town stand out from the rest of the towns and cities in Negros Occidental. The Summer Capital of Negros Occidental beckons you to come and visit!
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental passed a resolution yesterday naming the Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto sa the Summer Capital of Negros Occidental. Said resolution was authored by Board Member Nehemias de La Cruz, former Mayor of Don Salvador Benedicto.
Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB) is locally known as the “Little Baguio” of Negros Occidental because of its cool climate. This is also the reason why flowers, fruits and vegetables that thrive in cool climate are abundant in DSB. The town also boasts of chocolate hills, rice terraces, waterfalls and caves.
The potential of DSB for tourism development also hinges on its location. It is around 47km from Bacolod City along the well-maintained zigzag road of Negros Translink Ecotourism Highway. Most people going to San Carlos City prefer this route to save time and because of the scenic view which make traveling enjoyable.
Here in ExperienceNegros, we recognize the potential of the Don Salvador Benedicto as a tourist destination thus we have featured the town several times inthe past.
Please revisit our previous feature stories to reacquaint you with the attractions in Don Salvador Benedicto.
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We went to visit our relatives in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. Unlike last year when we just passed by on our way to San Carlos City, we spent the day in town to explore its many landmarks.
Fast Facts (from Wikipedia)
Region : Western Visayas
Province : Negros Occidental
District : 1st District of Negros Occidental
Income Class : 5th class; partially urban
Barangays : Bago-Lalong, Bagong Silang-Marcelo, Bunga, Igmaya-an, Kumaliskis, Pandanon,Pinowayan-Prosperidad
How to get there: The fastest route would be following the Bacolod-Murcia-Pandanon-Don Salvador road network which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes on a private car. Commuters have the option to either take the bus or the v-hire. You can catch one at the Ceres South Terminal near Libertad, Bacolod City.
Things to look forward to in Don Salvador Benedicto:
1. The high altitude and cool weather similar to Tagaytay.
2. Long and winding roads which follows the contour of one mountain to another. The trip’s no hassle though with the local government’s efforts of providing its constituents with a well-constructed and well maintained road system. And you’d wonder why your local government, with a higher income class, couldn’t do the same for your own town.
5. Villa Ica Garden, the perfect garden setting for weddings, anniversaries, family gatherings. They are currently undertaking maintenance construction in preparation for the wedding the son’s owner come April 2009 (and we are invited, wohooo!)
6. Monkeys hanging freely on trees by the roadside. We’ve actually seen one near the municipal hall.
7. The Signature Plant at the DSB Municipal Hall. All the town hall’s visitors are enjoined to write their names on the leaves of the signature plant. It’s grown tall now so I guess they will have to provide a ladder for visitors to do that.
9. A view of Malatan-og Falls (cigarette falls) from the Lantawan or The Viewing Deck. From there, you can also see the seas of both Oriental and Occidental Negros. There’s a trail which adventure- lover could follow leading to the falls. The walk, they say, is long, about 30 minutes, but all worth it after taking a plunge in the waters.
10. The rice terraces similar to that of Banaue.
11. Buy/Enjoy mickey mouse plants, pink torches, million flowers, anthuriums. They are grown in commercial quantities at the Dela Cruz Garden. But I’m not sure if they are selling it. From what I’ve heard, they are propagating it in time for the son’s wedding.
12. Eat/Bring Home pineapples, atis, durian, marang. If you are riding the bus, you can ask the conductor to stop for you to check out the roadside vendors who sell fruits in season.
“The Luwak (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) denizen of the coffee (kopi) plantations of Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, eats only the ripest coffee cherries.
Unable to digest the coffee beans, the Luwak graciously deposits them on the jungle floor where they are eagerly collected by the locals.
The stomach acids and enzymatic action involved in this unique fermentation process produces the beans for the world’s rarest coffee beverage.” - Raven’s Brew Coffee, Inc.
Wohooo! we didn’t have to pay a premium price to sample this rare coffee, we actually had it for FREE! Turns out, the relatives we visited in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental grow coffee and had sightings of the musang (which they locally refer to as a wild cat but is actually a civet). When they learned about Kopi Luwak and Kape Alamid (the Philippine version), they knew they were in for a treat! They call their local brew Kape Tae, which really, isn’t all that appealing. I hope they change their mind about it and call it Kape Musang when they start selling their brew commercially.
Kape Musang
Our host didn’t think we were up to the challenge so they just brewed enough for six cups. The hubby and I had to wait a little while for our coffee to be served. When it came, it was simmering hot hot hot! They ran out of non-dairy creamer so we had to take it black just as it should be.
By ocular inspection, I noticed a thin sebo-like layer on my cup of coffee. Must be natural oils or something (or so I hope LOL!). I’m no coffee connoiseur so I’m trying to explain this based on my personal, non-professional opinion. The taste? indescribable but the coffee experience was heavenly, according to the hubby. What with the cold weather and the sumptuous buffet of lutong-bahay we feasted just a few minutes passed. Me, I found it rather interesting! The coffee was so dark you’d think it would either have a burnt flavor or bitter taste. Surprisingly, it tasted just… I guess I’d have to agree with the hubby – indescribable but the coffee experience was indeed heavenly.
I would have wanted to ask if I could have some beans to take home with me but I chickened out right after I thought about it. Baka masanay tayo, eh, mahirap na, LOL!
Text and Photo: Roxie Yap
There used to be one but now there are three – one, where the founder of Don Salvador Benedicto, its first mayor and now a Sanguniang Panlalawigan Board Member, Nehemias G. De la Cruz. The second one is home to the current mayor, Mayor Marxlen Del a Cruz and the third one, still undergoing construction is for the other son, Nehemias Jr.
Stone House in Don Salvador
The Stone House has been featured in many local and national television programs including one aired on the The Filipino Channel (TFC). You will find many interesting furniture/art pieces all over the place. Some of my favorites are the old oil lamp which was revived and used as outdoor lamp, the tree trunk which served as the base of a garden table and the body of the sewing machine which got a makeover and is not used as a base for a utility table.
Inside the Stone House
Entertaning guests wouldn’t be a problem. Not with the many garden settings, a pavillion (complete with a mini-bar) and a bahay kubo conveniently placed all over the property. We sat and dined where politicians have forged agreements and tv personalities like Cesar Montano and the Viva Hot Babes have had their pictures taken.
Stone House Garden Set
Don Salvador Benedicto Magnetic Hill
Road to Don Salvador Benedicto via the Pandanon, Murcia route.
I heard about the same occuring in Los Banos, Laguna but I haven’t experienced it until this. We parked our car beside the KM34 SB13 road marker, put in on neutral and then voila! our car moved backward on the downhill slope.
They call this occurence the gravity hill or magnetic hill. We were awed by what we saw and talked much about it after the trip. Fascinating as it is, though, science (or is it?) explains it as a mere optical illusion. According to Wikipedia, “…Objects one would normally assume to be more-or-less perpendicular to the ground (such as trees) may actually be leaning, offsetting the visual reference.”
Down goes my excitement….Oh well, whatever it is, it still makes for a good tourist attraction. Check it out for yourself!
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