If I were asked to define the word “home,” I would simply respond with one word: Dumaguete. For someone born and raised in this small town, Dumaguete has, and will always be my very definition of home. Why should it be anything less? Dumaguete embodies the very nature of home – warm, cozy, and safe.
When I think of this city, a knowing smile would always appear on my face. For you see, Dumaguete is more than just its quaint buildings, soft breezes, and busy streets. There is a history to this calm town. A deep bond between the locals – people knowing people. From one person towards another – you will always meet a familiar face. From your mother’s best friend, to your grandfather’s varsity teammate, to your uncle from your father’s mother’s side, to that beaming young kid of your high school sweetheart, Dumaguete holds an interwoven connection between its citizens that you can gleefully call your family. In Dumaguete, family goes beyond blood. Homes go beyond houses.
As I walk down the brick-laden path of the Rizal Boulevard, I can’t help but reminisce about my childhood. The days spent pining for the weekend knowing fully well there would be a pitstop to this iconic location. Many a summer day were spent playing tag on the grassy areas, and walking along the long stretch of the shoreline unmindful of the sand on our feet. During low tide, we would immediately go down the steps that led toward the beach and rushed towards the wide expanse of stones and dead corals to search for starfishes, crabs, and shells. Our curiosity would lead us to follow the fishermen catching bait for the fishes prompting us to also learn their techniques and unknowingly helping them whilst having fun.
The beating of loud music would then bring me back to the present. The Boulevard now was not the Boulevard of my childhood. If you look around, you would realize how much has changed. The expansion of the paths, the myriad decorations that would shine with varied colors of neon lights at night, the different vendors and independent entrepreneurs selling all kinds of trinkets and snacks, the booming sounds of music and karaoke – all of this giving a different vibrance to the once serene site that is Rizal Boulevard.
With that, slowly, one would come to realize that it didn’t stop there. The changes, some subtle and some obvious, can be seen all over this little city. The Dumaguete that was is not the Dumaguete that is. What once were roads with more pedicabs are now crowded with cars and other vehicles. Architecturally, taller buildings and infrastructure have erected all over the downtown area and even around the outskirts of the city. We even have malls!
Possibly, the evidence of Dumaguete’s path to modernity is the dawn of BPO (business process outsourcing) companies and condominiums. Yet even with the presence of both of them, they still shift to fit into the Dumaguete lifestyle. Since Dumaguete is known as a university town, BPOs cater to students and offer them a chance to earn a living while studying. Some companies even ease up on the dress code thus the employees report to work in their laidback outfits – which, if I may, would be the Dumaguete fashion ensemble (we dress for comfort).
Even the condominiums are made to appease both their local and foreign clientele. Having been labeled as one of the best retirement locations, Dumaguete has people of different races and nationalities calling it home. Recently, I attended an unveiling by Filinvest Land, Inc. (the company behind the ever-popular Marina Homes) on their latest development. They dubbed this second condominium as Futura Shores – a property made to cater to individuals who want to settle in Dumaguete. The beauty of this condominium is that this embodies the very essence of Dumaguete – a cozy and safe environment that’s very close to nature. Located along NORECO Road, the structure is built right near the Dumaguete coast providing the future residents the opportunity to relax and enjoy the soft ocean breeze in the comforts of their home. What magnetized me to this new venture is that Futura Shores also include the benefits of city living – such as the access to a commercial strip and the chance to offer business opportunities and employment to our city. I believe we are indeed heading towards this new chapter of Dumaguete.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with it. Like any other city, Dumaguete is growing and evolving yet somehow, Dumaguete is still holding on to their traditional Dumaguete-esque feel. Regardless of the evolutionary state of the city, we still have its homey vibe. People still know people, locations are still (for the most part) a few blocks away, and the artistic sense of comfort is still very evident. If you ask me, is Dumaguete still the embodiment of home? I would, with all of my proud Dumagueteño heart, answer YES.
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