Tag Archives: Bacolod

Dama in the Plaza

Improvisation is always notable in this Philippine version of draughts that even the ground can be used as board. In Bacolod plaza players used wooden sheet drawn with skeleton of a checkerboard as well as using Coca-Cola caps as dama pieces.

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This sight is prevalent countrywide

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To keep the mind sharp as we age

Bangketa Unusual

Balut Carrier

Different modes to carry fertilized duck eggs also known as balut.

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Temporarily stationary for the day at a selected spot if balut is in a drum

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Balut in a cart for easy mobility

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Balut in the basket strapped to the vendor for unimpeded mobility

Banana Trunk Meat Stand

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Displaying the selections of skewered chicken parts including pork in upright arrangement using banana trunk

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Banana trunk is commonly used in Negros as chicken inasal stand

Merrymaking Festival

Masskara is an annual festival of Bacolod City with no folk Catholicism connotations. Most festivals in the country are associated with religious icons like for example the Sinulog of Cebu, Ati-atihan of Kalibo and Dinagyang of Iloilo were all for the veneration of the Sto Nino, the Pahiyas harvest festival of Lucban is the feast of San Isidro Labrador and so on. Even the fiestas at the barangay level are dedicated to their patron saint.

Partying in an urbanite sense isn’t my thing but folk fiestas and city festivals are enjoyable mainly for their cultural touch.

Masskara partying includes eating inasal and you go home smelling like inasal and then looking forward to the festival highlight – street dancing. So here are some of the photographs among the many masks of Masskara 2013.

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Best in mask

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Reason why Bacolod is the City of Smiles

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Street dancing started at 1 pm and the city was booming with Latin beat as they dance their way towards the plaza

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Even walis tambo can be mask material

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Not just elaborate masks but costumes too

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Not just having masks and costumes but props too

Barangay

Forthcoming is the barangay election thus campaign posters have sprouted in the villages all over the country. A government unit that operates at the people level is the barangay so this must be (should be) the most important government unit. I like the thought that this political unit exists prior to the arrival of Spaniards, hence it’s a Malay heritage with no bad memories as compared to those gobernadorcillo-headed pueblos and much bigger political units headed by alcade mayor and so on.

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When it comes to campaign paraphernalia, I like those crude ones such as that repurposed rice sack poster with Pentel pen written "BILLYCARO"

Ibos, Bot-ong, Suman

Glutinous rice being the main ingredient of these kakanin trio of Bacolod: ibos, bot-ong, suman.

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Ibos in coconut leaf packaging

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Bot-ong in banana leaf packaging

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Bot-ong and ibos without the leaf packaging

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What one should expect when we say suman in Bacolod (known as biko in Cebu and Manila)

Takatak

That wooden rectangular box with compartments for cigarettes and candies and is usually strapped to the vendor for ambulant peddling is known as takatak.

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This takatak man sells crackers too

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Punk takatak boy

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Efficient way to display by hand the different brands of cigarettes available

Kilometerstone

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Public market expansion over time which eventually overtook the road side but left this kilometer marker intact. This location is one kilometer from the capitol of Negros Occidental

Guinamos

Guinamos is an Ilonggo salty shrimp paste sold by blocks. A sautéed guinamos in tomatoes and pork fat is my favorite rice condiment.

Look like bricks