Dapitan : History, Nature and FESTIVAL!

Always saving the best for last...

That's my motto. And that is the reason why in my 5 years of travelling, and of experiencing the different parts of the Philippines, it is only now that I will be visiting the very historical, and beautiful City of Dapitan. 

I have been waiting for this time to come for so long. And come 2017, I was fortunate enough to be able to book a flight to the neighboring city of Dipolog, with Dapitan as my main target of course. 

Kinabayo Festival 2017. One of Dapitan City's Colorful Festivals

It started as a plan for a 5-day long Zamboanga del Norte - Zamboanga del Sur - Lanao del Norte tour from July 27-31  but it all changed when a student of mine who is now a resident of Dapitan tagged me in his FB post about Dapitan Tourism Council's invitation to cover this year's city festival. I readily signified my intention to be part of the festival and with the tourism council's approval, the dates of my visit changed. So my 5 day-long travel is now 10 days because I'll be visiting Dapitan 5 days earlier - on July 22!

There are many spots and places that I want to see in Dapitan since I decided to visit the city and here they are:

1. RIZAL SHRINE and any other Dapitan sites related to Rizal. As a self-proclaimed history buff, I am very much interested to see the places in Dapitan where Rizal lived and literally walked around. It will be a good story to tell my students (and would be children and grandchildren) that I have already visited some of the places we're talking about during our lessons in Rizal.

2. DAPITAN ANCESTRAL HOUSES AND OTHER HERITAGE SITES. I would want to see Dapitan's heritage sites including the old church, ancestral houses, old buildings, and other heritage structures as I am also a certified (self-proclaimed again 😄) heritage enthusiast and advocate. 

3. DAKAK BEACH RESORT. Dakak has always been hailed as one of the top beaches of the Philippines. I remember when I was younger, and not yet a travel blogger, many brochures, tourism pamphlets, and advertisements include Dakak in the list of beautiful Philippine beaches so since then, I know it is one of the places I surely won't miss when the time I  set foot in Dapitan comes.

4. ALIGUAY AND SELINOG ISLANDS. A picture paints a thousand words... Definitely Nature at its best!

Aliguay and Selinog Island as depicted in a tarpaulin promoting Dapitan City Tourism

I am definitely hoping to be able to visit all of the places I enumerated above, plus more sites I haven't mentioned yet and might discover upon reaching the city. But what I am most excited about is my chance to witness for the first time Dapitan's own brand of festival, the KINABAYO FESTIVAL!

What is Kinabayo Festival?

Kinabayo Festival is one of Dapitan City's festivals. In this festival, the apparition of St. James (Dapitan City's patron Saint) riding his horse and guiding the Spanish Christian in their battle against the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga (in Spain), is relived and celebrated. 

Though the main day of the festival always fall on July 25, the festivities last for not less than 10 days. This year, the festivities will start on July 16, 2017. There would be street dancing, motocross with live band, national bowling tournament, music festival, hiphop competition and tattoo congress, and many other activities lined up. I hope to attend and witness all these events but I am sure I won't be able to join all of them since I am not a hiphop, a bowler nor a motocross rider... Hehehe...

All these activities are going to be made possible through the able guidance and support of Dapitan City's Mayor Rosalina Jalosjos, and Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agolong.

There are so much I am looking forward to during this trip. As I have long planned and prepared for this, I will make sure I will be able to experience and immerse myself in everything and anything Dapitan has to offer. Expect more Dapitan City posts to come!