San Carlos City – An Enchanting Experience

I’ve been to San Carlos City, Negros Occidental several times already but last week’s trip was the first time that I get to visit Brgy. Codcod, the Vegetable Basket of Negros. It was on official trip so we asked assistance from the City Government and we were not disappointed. The people of San Carlos City, from the leadership of Mayor Bong Lacson down to his staff, know how to pamper their guests.

I have so many things to share about our San Carlos City experience that I believe a single post would not be enough. For this first installment, I would like to feature three sites in San Carlos City where people’s belief in folklore stories are manifested. It’s common in Filipino culture to believe in the existence of entities from another dimension. This belief is not only limited to a personal level but also affects and manifests in a person’s job and in the way he deals with his environment.

Enchanted Rock

Off to a dirt road in Brgy. Prosperidad, San Carlos City, a traveler will not miss a big rock right in the middle of a forked-road separating the road to the left going to Canlaon City, Oriental Negros from the road to the right going to Brgy. Codcod, San Carlos City.

A San Carlos City staff shares an anecdote about the rock. When the road was being cleared, two bulldozers malfunctioned in the process of destroying the rock. The workers, fearing that they will bear the brunt of whatever is in the rock tried talking to it.

“Forgive us but it was the Engineer who ordered us to do this,” the workers said while hammering the rock.  When the Engineer learned about this, he got angry at his workers and spoke to the rock saying, “It was the Mayor who ordered me to do this.” When the Mayor learned about what the Engineer spoke to the rock, he got angry and ordered that the rock be left as is. I don’t know how true this story is but there is the rock to prove that somehow it survived.

Enchanted Camachile Tree

The shortest route going to San Carlos City is the road via Don Salvador Benedicto. This road network was constructed where there used to be lush green forests. The roads cut through mountains and on mountainsides creating zigzag roads akin to those going to Baguio City.

Nearing San Carlos City, you will find a camachile tree (local name kamunsil) right in the middle of the road. A Filipino would easily understand why that tree was not cut down during road construction. It must be enchanted and inhabited by mystical creatures and no person was brave enough to dare cut down the tree lest they earn the ire of its residents.

Enchanted Balete Tree

This is the second time that I’ve been to Sipaway Island and the second time to see the century old Balete Tree at Brgy. San Juan. Our tricycle driver/guide told us that no unexplained incidents related to the Balete Tree were noted in recent years like it used to decades ago.

The tree is inside San Juan Elementary School and enclosed in a fence so that the children and other visitors would not be able to disturb it. As if this is not warming enough, a notice was posted on it supposedly from the Balete King, to add drama to it.

When we learned from the driver that local TV Host Angelo Anggolo and his wife climbed the Balete Tree, my officemates and I got challenged and we decided to do the same. However, of the three of us who dared, I was the only one who successfully reached the top. It was a double success for me, I conquered my fear of heights and fear of the unknown.