Sorsogon By Night

Sorsogon used to bed down at 7 p.m. The end of the day would usually start at 6, with the tolling of the bells for the Angelus. And then the march toward home would start.

The early bedtime could be because we're all so used to the Marcos-era curfew. Or to the fact that there was practically nowhere to go to after the shops closed. The pier and the park were just about the only after-seven destinations. Even then, they had dark stories that made them virtual no-nos.

Sorsogon is a lot different now. Most of the shops still close at seven. But the bells no longer toll, and there are places that open well into the night. Call it the ushering in of the fast-food era, but Sorsogon is no longer the seven-pm Cinderella. It has, in fact, learned to dance all night. And beyond.

Osiao

Osiao is one of two hamlets that can only be reached by charting (often rough) waters. Populated by around 300 families, this tiny, remote barangay is nevertheless big in possibilities. It is here where tiger grass grows in wild abandon. At harvest time, the grass is woven into brooms, which then find their way to Baguio and are eventually sold as "Baguio" brooms.

In Osiao, one can find Lake Danao, whose emerald waters mirror the surrounding mountains. As one of the hosts of the PNOC, the barangay provides natural energy that powers up the turbines of the National Power Corporation.

Sto. Nino

Nearer to the Province of Albay than to the rest of Sorsogon, Sto. Nino evokes images of remoteness and isolation. There are no roads going there. To get to this remotest of islands, one must board a boat and muster the courage to rough it out with the waves.

The going may be rough, but it's most often worth the bout with seasickness. The waters are a calm shade of bluish green, and the surrounding mountains are a source of strength. On clear days, Mayon Volcano peeks behind the clouds, lending an air of symmetry to an island roughly shaped by the elements.

Laptukay

This is the stuff of memories: laptukay popped on somebody else's forehead. Long before Dora barged into our TV screens, the laptukay made childhood explorations a lot more exciting. Oh how we would comb open fields and cogon-choked gardens! How we would go home at the end of a full day, faces smeared with mud, play clothes trailing with amorseko, arms cradling a precious harvest of laptukay, dulce kurumbot and cadena de amor!

As houses were built on the vacant lots that used to be our playground, fields were leveled and weeds uprooted. Our laptukay days, it seemed, were over.

But give it to the hardy laptukay to survive. While I was weeding the garden, I saw a plant weighed down by the "fruits," its roots crawling through the rocks. Happiness! My daughter will have her share of laptukay wars, after all!

Milo's Sorsogon

In 2005, acclaimed filmmaker/photographer Milo Tolentino visited Sorsogon City for a look-see. Here are some of his shots:


Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Bacon


Danao Lake, Osiao


Paguriran Island Lagoon, Sawanga


The approach to Paguriran Island, Sawanga

Rompeolas

This is Sorsogon Bay on a lazy, hazy Saturday morning: an inviting, calming shade of blue.

Lebanon Beach

The trek to Lebanon Beach is not the easiest. For those with wobbly knees, the descent is something short of torture. After all, one has to pick one's way through boulders and a steep incline.

But the beach is well worth the hassle of going there. The powder-fine sand is a treat for sore feet, and the crystal water is just perfect. On windy days, the beach lends itself well to surfing.

Located in San Juan, Bacon District, Lebanon Beach is virtually unspoiled. The surrounding granite mountains mirror those of Palawan's. And the soft breeze that blows from the distant mountains is perfect for a day of ease.

Truly, life is a beach.

El Retiro

Sorsogon boasts little pockets of serenity. They are everywhere: in gardens, by the beach, in parks, even in unexpected places.

El Retiro, tucked away in a quiet corner of Cabid-an, is one of these. Built primarily as a home for the religious, it has lawns lovingly tended by praying hands. A few meters up, there's the Monastery of St. Clare. The chapel and the surrounding gardens mirror monastic calm, making El Retiro a touch of heaven on earth.

Pepita Park

When I was much younger and the world was much bigger, it never occurred to me that Pepita Park was just 15 minutes away. Going there seemed a huge production number. We would dress up, stock up the old Volks, lock up the house and go. The drive would often be interrupted by bouts with motion sickness.

Sorsogon is a lot smaller now, and Pepita Park isn't really that far: it can, in fact, be reached via tricycle. Between then and now, Pepita has lost its park appeal. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are gone, and so are the swings and the slides. The Balay na Kasag is no longer as fascinating. Its once sprawling garden has been turned into a communal clothesline.

But some things never change. The grotto is still the best viewdeck, and the park still opens into a perfect view of Sorsogon Bay.

Suhi, Buenavista

There is no shortage of surprises in Sorsogon City. A bend, a curve, a fork in the road often leads to sceneries that cool the senses and nourish the spirit.

The trek up and down the slopes of Sitio Suhi in Buenavista is made a lot more refreshing by the spring that wends its way past trees, rocks and lush vegetation. More than just cooling the secluded hamlet, the spring also cloaks the hidden gem in an enchanting shade of green.

Bacon Beach

Bacon is perhaps the most accessible beach in Sorsogon. A 15-minute ride from the city proper--through smooth roads framed by rice fields--and there you are. Right smack into a picture-pretty beach.

Sorsogon Bay Sunsets

There's always something about watching Sorsogon sunsets that gives me that happy-to-be-home feeling.

Sunsets at the Rompeolas are a wonderful thing. As the sun sets--was it Emily Dickinson who said one ribbon at a time?--Sorsogon is suddenly awash in a variety of colors: pale pinks, fiery reds, glorious oranges, hazy purples. It is in these quiet moments that makes me look forward to the next day. And the next...

Pili

A bowlful of shelled pili nuts. Yummy, if eaten in moderation.

Rompeolas

Rompeolas--Sorsogon City's baywalk--got its name from the Spanish rompir: "where the waves cavort." There are others who romp here as well: students out on a cheap date, kids out on a day of fun, those who just can't get enough of the glorious Sorsogon sunset.

Here's the orangefied Baywalk. Minus the cavorting crowd.

Dagos Tabi

Welcome to Sorsogon!

Whether green ...



Or orange...



Sorsogon City beckons.

Come in, discover, explore.