This is my entry for the 2018 challenge of
Sir @anomadsoul

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Welcome the vast plantation of Sugarcane and
Agricultural land of Negros Oriental
Bayawan City!

Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, Philippines!

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Where the name Bayawan did came from?

Bayawan before the time of Spanish colonization in the country, it was known as Tolong Nuevo and now in modern times the City was well known as Bayawan. Which came from the word “Bayaw” it is a Visayan word simply means
“to hoist “or “to elevate”.

According to my grandfather’s story, the town gets its name because there was a Spanish priest who was conducting a mass that was slain with a bolo while he was on the act of hoisting the chalice for the communion. It was believed that the man who slew the Spanish priest was the father of the woman who was raped and killed by some of the Spanish armies in the town. Thus, the town was then called BAYAWAN.

So that’s the origin of my towns name!

Now, let’s see what activities can be seen in Bayawan, foods and its Hidden gems!

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Let’s ride a Potpot

One of those who roams the streets of the town was a “Pot-pot”, it is a common vehicle for us Bayawanons. It is trike powered by driver’s feet on a bicycle is called “potpot”.

Pot-pot was commonly known in other parts of the country as “trisikad, sikad".

In just a minimum of $0.12 dollars (₱6.00) you can ride a “pot-pot” but sometimes depend on the distance of your destination.

Traditional Pot-Pot

Modernized Pot-pot (electric-powered)

A lady potpot driver

Then now, let’s go to Bayawan Boulevard!

The Longest Boulevard holder…

As of now, the town was still the holder of the longest boardwalk/boulevard in the country. It’s about 4 kilometers in length.

It’s good for a walk and jog!

Along with it, the locals' businesses have already started to sprout though. If you wanted to have a good time and wait for the setting down of the sun on the horizon, they can cater your needs!

The mouthwatering Baye-baye

One of the interestingly popular delicacies in the town was Baye-baye (pronounced as báhyeh báhyeh), it is a native snack made from glutinous rice (but can be substituted with corn or pinipig). Its name believed came from or originated from an Ilonggo word baywi or bayohi, which means to pound.

One of the makers of Special Baye-baye in town.

Since those times electric-powered grinders aren’t present, the men are the ones who often prepare this kind of snacks for it requires a tedious process of pounding with wooden pestle and mortar to produce sweet-smelling polished rice.

It looks like brown cake formed by the hollow shape of the mortar. A simple food yet amazingly delicious and it’s good and a perfect match for coffee or soda!

Baye-Baye is well loved by the people in the town and the best pasalubong for those who visit on the town.

It-s Y-U-M-M-Y!

Festival(Tawo-Tawo Festival)

This festival was also known as Scarecrow Festival, as I have mentioned earlier the town is an Agricultural Land. There are many crops planted in Bayawan by our hardworking farmers in the town.

So, one way to repel, deceive and scare those pesky “Maya” birds which commonly feed on the rice grains, our farmers put a “tawo-tawo” or “scarecrow” on the field to protect the ripening grains to be eaten by the Maya birds.

Ensuring a bountiful harvest thus the Tawo-Tawo festival was born to celebrate the bountiful and abundance of their produce!

Tawo-tawo festival portrays the two important elements in the field: the Tawo-Tawo(scarecrows) and the “Maya” birds.

My smiling friend

In which the dancers wear costumes that represent the farmers, there are also scarecrows as the props, making paper mache giants as guardians of the town’s crops, the Maya birds, rice plants, and Carabaos.
)

Street Dancing

The dancers energetically dancing in a synchronized movement that has a story to tell, that is how the farmers of Bayawan drive away the thief crows or the Maya that steals the harvest of the farmers in the town!

The tawo-tawo festival was one the highlights in the annual celebration in the town, which falls in this month- February! This festival shows how we bayawanon's colorfully shown the rich culture of Bayawan---------- Our City’s pride!

The Showdown

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Niludhan Falls

My boyfriend and I went here just to witness how stunning this falls is! After the long travel, (we were unfortunate for it started to rain when we are travelling on our way there) I considered it as long since its 43 kilometers away from the city proper, situated at Barangay Dawis.

Mr. Sun was up high above and hot when we are still in Bayawan proper but when were 18 kilometers away, the tiny raindrops starting to drop and Oh my God! We don’t have even something like a raincoat to cover ourselves from getting wet! Unlucky Trip!

Yet we continue heading to Niludhan falls, no backing off dude!

Indeed, it is fantastically stunning one!

This falls is about 25 meters wide and the vertical drop was 40 meters.

The blue-sky, the calm and green surroundings, the turquoise basin where the water pours, fantastic and worth it!

Another, smiling fact while visiting here is that there is NO ENTRANCE FEE , yeah it’s FREE!!!

There are also benches available on the side. The toilet and the wash area are also in place. The place was very good, suitable for picnics, and swimming. (You want to swim? C’mon! HAHA)

Let’s take a look to Mantapi falls!

Mantapi falls were situated 4 kilometers from the proper and can be seen in the green forest of Barangay Mantapi.

Okay! Let’s go!

After a couple of minutes’ drive, were finally at Mantapi but not exactly on the falls coz we still need to walk and enter the lavishly green forest.

One tip to easily get by the falls, you just need to follow the irrigation system coz its way connect to the falls.

The irrigation system and the falls itself was a BIG help to the settlers of Barangay Mantapi, they used for it washing their clothes, bath, and watering their crops (their primary source of income).

Unlike us, we follow another route, which we think the shortest route to get there (but safer one than on the irrigation) but honestly, we lost in the forest!

Good thing was, we saw a nearby house and ask for some help. They told us to follow the black tube and it will get us to the falls.

We passed on a slippery rock and I almost give up because I was so tired (it’s been a long walk!) and then when I heard the roaring volume of water and sound of the falls. I became hyperactive and wanted to get there as soon as possible! (lol)

Now we are here! Welcome to Mantapi Falls! The long walk was so worth it tho we got lost hahaha. I could feel the cold-water splash and the water are so clear and blue!

The falls have different levels but unfortunately, we are afraid to go up because it was so slippery.

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There are also another falls that can be seen in my town like Lourdes Falls and The Habhaban Cave which also had the falls inside it, I haven’t been to Habhaban coz I’m a bit afraid for it was too dark but the mazes and labyrinths that can be found inside was so amazing! How I wish I'm not afraid of Bats. Hehe.

Hope you had fun while reading it!
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