My Negros Oriental Tour: Bayawan City Center
Exactly 2:59PM my Ceres bus from Dumaguete was already entering its own new and wide terminal. Wohoa! I finally arrived! Their big terminal reminds me of Bogo City's. Asked the Ceres employees how I could find Casa Rosario Pension House. Ah that was easy. They told me I could take a trike but most people would actually just walk the distance. So with their directions, I walked to find my overnight home in Bayawan City. How far? Just like entering at SM Cebu’s North Wing main entrance and finding the Island Souvenirs shelves over at the men’s section of the department store. That near!There is a separate blog entry about Casa Rosario Pension House after this, but anyway, I just dropped my things on the bed then proceeded to roam around the city.
Baye-baye
Emerging from the hotel, I got curious at the row of stalls across it. Yes, the area seems part of the city's “palengke” but I could not quite get what those stores were in business for since they all seemed to be grain millers. At one stall there was even some kind of dust cloud emanating from one machine at work. But the stalls are small for grain milling. So I crossed the road to get a closer look. Hmm, they are grinding services. Grinding what? Generally glutinous rice. For what? Baye-baye! Anymore questions? Hehe, I know, I know...
Baye-baye is a local delicacy made from ground glutinous rice mixed with “botong” (young coconut), sugar and some salt, so I learned. More like the espasol really. Only that it is not rolled but cut into rectangular pieces (1-piece is too big for me). Even the way it is wrapped (with brown paper) is similar to espasol. And this local delicacy is known to all who go Bayawan as the thing to bring home as pasalubong. Now the grinders do not just grind rice for their customers but they too do make baye-baye themselves. Thus, the displayed ready to grab baye-baye at their counters! Pronunciazien? 'buh-ye-buh-ye' yeah!City Hall and Park
This was just a go-see really, as I always do at any town or city I visit. I walked towards their city hall. Reaching front of it, I did not like what I saw hehe. Ugly, cuz they have already started (actually halfway done) building a big stage right in front of the city hall’s main entrance door. So everything in front of the building was abuzz with construction folks and their various activities. I noticed this was for their “belen” and Christmas décor contest. I have seen similar constructions at the park just front of the city hall compound. Oh my, oh my. These guys must be dead serious about winning in their 
annual ‘Pasko Sa Plaza’ contest. The constructions are not simple. They are life-size big and those stages they were building required a lot of wood and other materials. That only means one thing, it would be nice to see this place during Christmas Season as indeed those "belens" and whatever else maybe on display should be great. Ok, noted!I proceeded into the city hall building anyway and asked at the DSWD city office (because they’re located front of the building) where their city tourism offices would be. They told me it is at the IBT (Integrated Bus Terminal) area. Aw! Ah did not go for it anymore. Walked to their church instead.
The Church
Nice one. Its not something old like what you would see in Dumaguete or elsewhere. Their church here is something new but a bit old. I mean the design, look and feel is not at all like the olden churches of Bantayan, Miag-ao or Paoay. Its fairly new but still evokes a cozy and tranquil atmosphere common to a house of worship. There is no jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring anything. Its just a simple church. From the outside, you would not even easily think it’s a catholic church. The design is simple and no ornate or fantastic ek ek!
When I stepped unto the entrance door though, I felt like I was transported back to Danao City hehe. They have the same patron saint, and in this church it is inscribed right on the floor… Sto. Tomas De Villanueva Parish. Am not sure what to make out of those dates also inscribed on the floor as it says “Founded on July 25 1890 1989”. Hello, kelan ba talaga?!!! Founded 1890 and reconstructed, remodeled, rebuilt, deformed, bastardized or modernized 1989? What?! Ano?! Unsa?!
Anyway, the church is of ‘standard’ size for a non-metropolis urban house of worship. There are only two columns of pews and an aisle at center. And it looks airy with big wide grilled doors all over its sides. I was reminded of the Sta. Cruz and Binondo churches in Manila though. Why? This church also has electric fan-bearing trees hehe! Y’know those steel posts where a bunch of whirring electric fans seem to sprout at the top?! Yes, and in this church they’re not planted on the sides or aisles but amidst the pews. I thought the church looked airy?! It does, but looking up, there is no ceiling and the bare trusses and tin sheet roof is what meets the eye!Ah the church altar is admirably simplistic. However, there are two round clocks flanking it on both sides, I wonder until today what for. They don’t seem necessary.
Well, maybe for the brethren to time how long the dragging homily is whehehehe! Finally, the big priest’s table commanded my attention. Its base is a big wide wooden slab with carving of the ‘last supper’. Admirable work of art!Out at the church yard, I asked a trike driver if I could walk to ‘the boulevard’. He grinned and told me it was far was far so I should take a pedicab or a “potpot”.
Alright I heeded.
If you want to read the chronology of all stories on this tour, click the following:
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