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Baclod City: Advice
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What advice would you give to someone who is moving to Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines?
badaboom10
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I belong to one the old families there and would perhaps give a more unconventional answer while writing this. Dislcaimer* You don't have to agree with me as it is after all, a personal experience living there for nearly 12 years from my childhood to early teens. Maybe this would shed light on “"what life is like” around those parts Start It was difficult for me growing up. I was born in Metro Manila and moved there when I was about 5. My parents wanted to expand commercially in their hometown. Aside from established connections, it was also an easier strategy for them as it wasn't capital intensive and unlike the dog-eat-dog culture in NCR. It started after preschool, my mom sent me to one of the local private schools. As a 5 five year old, I was belligerent because I didn't feel comfortable with the unnecessary strictness dictated by that school. This was further exasperated with their uptight, drill-sergeant teachers that like to shout a lot, and obligatory school uniforms which was exactly similar to prison regalia. In simpler words, torture. Moving on to elementary, I was singled out easily by the other kids because I spoke in English. the language barrier already restricted any way of communication. Quite frankly, common idiosyncrasies in English are perceived as very offensive and does not sit well with hiligaynon language. It was very dissimilar to Manila culture where being “coño” “maarte” or “spabulado” would easily win you friends and establish fraternal bonds with your peers. This left me disheartened as a young lad because I wasn't accepted. I decided to stay mum and quiet most of the time because I felt very uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I don't blame anyone for being left out. Because honesty, I couldn't adjust to illongo culture. So therefore, I stuck out like a sore thumb for most of my childhood and teenage years; but still, it hurt like a bitch. In spite of this however, all clouds have a silver lining. Eventually, I learned how to cope by taking up martial arts, reading lots of books and other quirky hobbies. This not only intensified my already weirdo-loser reputation, but also afforded me the opportunity to meet really good friends as well. To this day, I still hold a very fond place in my heart with them because they too, felt the pain of being ostracized for having English as their first language. My adventures with them were very surreal, something like Will Wheaton’s “Stand by me” or the Hardy Boys novels. Moving well into my teens was an even more difficult challenge than being the awkward reject in elementary, I felt lonely, misunderstood and disliked. It wasn't pleasant at home either because my mom was always breathing on my neck with her cleanliness and extreme religiosity issues while my dad on the other hand, with his no-nonsense seriousness pertaining to “success” “discipline”, "high expectations” etc etc etc. they always had this knack on irefully projecting their moral uprightness onto me like some heathenous sinner. I never liked them that much afterwards.. This was very toxic and all I really wanted to do was to listen to rock music, meet girls from Manila schools like AC San Lorenzo and hangout with friends I didn't really have because of my predicament. I became angry and sullen and started to ignore my sister for a very long time because my folks were really biased towards her while I take blame for anything wrong that happens in their family. despite this however, I never flinched, I gutted it out and sucked up whatever emotional distress I experienced in Bacolod. Eventually, moved back to Manila after applying to the big three universities here. Im now working as a financial advisory services associate and have ambitions on setting up business one day. The greatest irony of it all is that I might end up following my parents and move back when the time is right. moral of the story: Much like the resilient salmon, I’ll likely end up finding my way back home to die. So in summary, here's what to expect: Bacolod people are nice- in front of you. Don't be fooled. They're capricious, I've seen them mistreat one another like that. Its also a small town, they know everyone. Be careful, they gossip all the time. To avoid the first two, it is best to be fair weathered and have a meek personality. Otherwise, it will be a subject of laughter and ridicule behind your back. Like any other small city/town, theyre mildly xenophobic, you have to adjust to they're ways. The food is delicious, from the mouth to the asshole. the women there are beautiful, but hard to get/understand from a foreign POV It's nice for vacation. All of my comrades that served their time in that paradise-prison-island long to go back and retire there one day. lastly, everything is five minutes away. It's fantastic to live there for the convenience. you should also check out dumaguete, I go there often and like it more than Bacolod to be honest. and there you have it, live long and prosper.
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My family moved in this lovely city 8 years ago and it captured my heart the very first day. Back then, I couldn't speak the dialect fluently as I was born and raised in Cebu. I had (and still have) a Bisaya accent. Surprisingly, majority of Bacolodnons were quite helpful when it comes to communication. I was a freshman in college and my schoolmates + teachers were ever so kind to use Tagalog or English when they talked to me. I got used to the dialect after a few months. So when it comes to reaching out to the locals, the best advice I can give is to never hesitate. There's a reason why this city bears the nickname “City of Smiles” As Bacolod is also a highly urbanized area and one of the most livable cities in PH, numerous establishments are developed every few months — cafes, pubs, commercial buildings, up-market shops, and many others. I live in the city centre so in my area alone, a number of cafes + independent shops + recreational centers had taken place in the last 4 years. Just a few steps would take me to a 7/11 + coffee shops selling delectable foods in almost every corner, and in just about a few more steps: a gym, and even a mall up ahead. When I go out, I always see to it that I only bring the exact amount of money I needed to spend on that day. Or else, I’d find myself buying this, buying that, or I’d go chill in my fave cafes and voila~! There goes my money and a little extra belly fat on the side. L o l. Anyway, my point is to go easy on the wallet in this city. Just a heads up 😉 Also, traffic can get worse in the rush hour — just like in any other cities. The only thing is we don't have number coding scheme and I think more and more people are owning private cars these days so… it's getting worse every. single. day. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ Welcome to my city! Here are a few accessible places of interest: {Photos not mine btw. Credits to Google.}