The 6th instalment
of Kite Flying Festival in Sipalay City was held last March 29, 2017 and I was
lucky to have been part of the celebration being one of the judges along with other
kite enthusiasts from all over the country. It was my first time in Western
Visayas particularly in the province of Negros Occidental and I was impressed
by the beauty of this place considered as the sugar capital of the Philippines because
of its huge sugarcane plantations. The kite festival in Sipalay is its major
tourism event and in fact it has received citation from Association of Tourism
Officers of the Philippines as Best Tourism Event in 2016. With that, I am
extending my greetings and congratulations to the LGU of Sipalay and to Tourism
Officer Miss Rhea Carbajosa.
For six years now the
wide skies of Sipalay looks very intense and vivid because of the colourful kites
occupying the horizon every last week of March. It has complimented very well
with the festival venue made up of fine white sand, crystal clear waters and
the warm people. By hosting the kite flying festival, the Sipalay City
government is sending a strong message that kite flying is one of the fundamental
components of the Filipino culture and a clear manifestation of Filipino
creativity.
I was once into kite
flying when I was a kid but I have not been able to sustain the urge of playing
the game as my age progresses. I realized then that playing with kites could be
a good venue to appreciate the simplicity of life. Another good thing about
this stuff is the excitement and patience in continuously chasing for stronger
winds to propel the kite way up to the skies. And with Sipalay now being home
to kite flyers, there is no way for this city to go but up, up and away.
Meanwhile, I had at
least two spare days in Negros Occidental which allowed me to discover the
natural wonders and incredible tourist spots in the area. Along with my friend
from Padada Czaldy Garrote and the members of Saranggolistang Pilipino (Kite
Association of the Philippines), we were brought to some secluded islands in
Sipalay. Some sites are really captivating and other spots there have semblance
to Mindanao’s Bucas Grande Island. While cruising through the ocean several
rock formations, islets, resorts and fisher folks graced us. At far north we
saw the dominant mountain ranges of Negros Occidental.
I and Czaldy took a
quick tour up northeast through a hired tricycle and visited Perth Resort, the
famous site in Sipalay because of its infinity pool laid out opposite the Sulu
Sea. What was surprising of the visit was the rainbow that appeared in the
extreme western part that added another ingredient to the beautiful landscape of
the place.
Just 2 kilometers from
Perth Resort is the Tinagong Dagat Resort. Unlike Perth Resort, this one is
pedicured with a little adrenalin theme by putting up foot trails in almost all
slope portions of the resort for visitors to trek. Tinagong Dagat is literally
patterned to the resort’s geographic feature where a lagoon was surrounded with
the canopy of terrestrial borders and is being connected with wooden hanging
bridge.
Another remarkable identity
of Sipalay is the gorgeous sunset which serves as portal for the people to
enjoy every single day. Young and old alike always flock to the beachfront and
while we think of them being used to the scenery already, they do just the other
way around. Their sunset is a stage to conclude the day. For tourists like me,
the Sipalay sunset is always a source of good vibes.
Four days are
practically not enough to complete a Western Visayas trip. With the abundance of
wonderful sites I guess I have to go back to this place anytime soon to explore
other towns in my bucket list like Dumaguete, Guimaras, Iloilo and Siquijor. I
have no regrets spending my four days in Sipalay. This underrated destination
is actually now making Negros Occidental appealing to tourists from all over
the world.
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