This Week in Bacolod (February 11 to 17, 2018)

Bacolod City will celebrate its Bacolaodiat Festival from February 15 to 18, 2018. There will be road closures at Lacson Tourism Strip from February 15 to 17 for the festival. Partial closure will be at 2:00 PM and total closure will be at 4:00 PM.

There will also be a rerouting for vehicles due to the road closures. Motorists taking the Bata-Libertad route should make a right turn to 13th Street and a left turn to Gatuslao Street. On the other hand, motorists taking the Mandalagan-Libertad route should make a right turn at 23rd Street and a left turn to Gatuslao Street.

Tourists and visitors can celebrate the Year of the Dog this Chinese New Year in a Bacolodnon way. Part of it is experiencing Chinese dishes which local restaurants offer. There are various options for diners at homegrown Chinese restaurants in Bacolod City, from appetizers, soups, and rolls to rice toppings, vegetables, and other Chinese dishes. Recommended local restaurants are L’Sea Dimsum and Noodle House, Diamond Palace Restaurant, Apollo Restaurant, Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant, and Hongkong Kitchen. These restaurants are very accessible since they are near the business district.

Chinese temples are not common in Bacolod City, making them a great spot to visit in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Bun Su Chosi Temple is one of two temples that tourists can go to. The temple is located at Gardenville Subdivision, Brgy.Tangub, Bacolod City. The other one is Fo Guang Shan Bacolod Yuan Thong Temple located at 2876 Burgos Street, 6th Road, Bacolod City. Various activities will be held at Yuan Thong Temple this February 15. There will be a Chinese cultural show at 8:30 PM, followed by lion, dragon, and lantern dances at 9:30 PM, and the hitting of the bell at 12:00 MN.

One pasalubong that visitors can bring from Bacolod is turmeric tea. Since tea is said to have originated from China, it is also a fitting drink to consume for the Chinese New Year.

Turmeric teas are ideal not only for tea lovers but also for health-conscious people. It helps a person prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, boosts one’s immune system, and ease symptoms of arthritis. In Bacolod, there has been an exponential growth in companies selling turmeric teas. Shoppers can find turmeric tea at Yamang Bukid, Agriko Bacolod, Alter Trade Corp., Twenty Six Herb Garden, Hillside Farmlots, and other organic stores in the city.

Aside from events happening in Bacolaodiat Festival, there are a lot of activities in the city which people can look forward to. One of them is the Bacolod Mass Wedding which will be held this February 13, 2018 at the Bacolod Government Center. There will be 200 couples who are expected to tie the knot at the event.

People can also enjoy a free screening of short films at the Bacolod Shorts Film Festival. The event will be held on February 14 to 15 at MM Audi A at the University of Saint La Salle. Attendees can see short films made by film makers from the province.

The good weather continues in Bacolod City this week. There will be cloudy skies on the weekdays and a bit of rain on Saturday afternoon. Temperatures will range from 23 °C to 30 °C. It will be a dry, warm day for people who will be celebrating the Chinese New Year at Lacson Tourism Strip.

Organizers of the Bacolaodiat Festival have expressed support for Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s proposal to ban Coke products from their event this year. By enforcing the ban, organizers hope to help protect and promote the sugar industry of Negros. Last year, stakeholders of the sugar industry in Negros protested against the company for not patronizing Negros sugar. As a result of the campaign, Coke products and event sponsorships were banned from different festivals in the province. Ordinances have also been made to regulate products with high-fructose corn syrup.