Zamboanga City: Bienvenidos!

Last February, when I filed for my vacation leave and advised everybody in the office that I’ll be spending the weekend in Zamboanga City, I was bombarded with questions like…“You’re kidding, right?” and “You must be out of your mind!”  I really couldn’t blame them for Zamboanga has the “reputation” of being an “unsafe” place.  Well, it doesn’t help that geographically, it is bounded in the south by the Basilan Strait and just the thought of Basilan already sends shivers up A’s spine.

 But it never bothered me since this is one trip that I’ve been looking forward to, I’m just intrigued of this city in Mindanao that is known as Asia’s Latin City and I guess the “danger” adds more excitement to it.  Yes, I’m weird like that.  So, I was pretty excited when we boarded the plane and a random shot gave me the assurance that Zamboanga City is going to be worth it.

My favorite shot...to date

After a couple of hours inhaling recycled air in the cabin, we finally got there.  Visitors are greeted with banners in English and Chavacano (sometimes referred to as broken Spanish), the language spoken in the area which is a combination of Spanish and native words.  We were out of the airport in no time because we didn’t have any check in baggage and our driver was already there waiting at the parking lot.  First stop was brekkie and I guess, you could say that this is one early disappointment for me.  I was hoping to taste “satti”, a local delicacy of small pieces of roasted beef or chicken on a barbecue stick dipped in a bowl of sweet and spicy sauce but due to an irritating discussion with one companion, I had to let the opportunity pass.  So, it was Jollibee for breakfast.  You think I should start taking photographs of all the Jollibee outlets we’ve tried?

The unique building design in Zamboanga airport

We’re off to an early start…and it’s a holiday on the day that we arrived because it was Dia de Zamboanga.  The city was celebrating the date when Zamboanga was declared as a chartered city under the Commonwealth Government in 1937.  I was not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing because for one, most public establishments are closed on holidays but on the other hand, there might be festivities that we can also enjoy while we’re there.

Soldiers...police...they're all around the streets of Zamboanga

And so we started the city tour.  The Hispanic/Latin influence is very evident in this city because of the building structures and the dialect.  I was pleasantly surprised when I asked our driver, “Kuya, ganito ba talaga ka-strict ang security sa Zamboanga?” (I asked because of the police visibility in the area.) And he replied, “Si!”  Cute noh?

Zamboanga City Hall since 1907

In honor of Gov. John Joseph Pershing

 We saw the Yakan Weaving Center where local people called “Yakans” weave intricately hand-woven fabrics on giant looms.  To us, this center is just another tourist attraction in this city but in truth, it’s this tribe’s refuge. The weaving center is now home to a Muslim Group that fled the war in Basilan. The Yakan tribe is known to be some of the finest weavers in the country.  They lived through farming during the peaceful days of Basilan.  It’s just fortunate that when war broke, they were able to move to much safer grounds and they brought with them their culture so we can appreciate authentic Yakan weaves.

 Of course, shopping will always be a priority in trips like these, so we’re off to the Canelar Barter Trade.  It’s like a public market but most of the items that you’ll find are malongs, batiks, shawls, jewelries, canned goods, candies and noodles from China, Taiwan and Malaysia.  

 

I should've bought some for my friends. Haha!

My loot!

   

And like I said, touring on a public holiday has its downside because the museum in El Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza otherwise known as Fort del Pilar was closed when we dropped by.  I was not THAT disappointed when we’re not allowed to get in because it’s just like a smaller version of Fort Santiago, anyway.

We walked a bit further and found the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar.  We heard mass and lighted a few colored candles…almost torched myself doing so because of the peculiar way candles are lighted in this part of the archipelago.

Paseo del Mar is also around the corner and it’s interesting to note that locals would flock in this park at night to play with flying sparklers, have dinner, drink or just bum around.  This is like Manila’s version of the Baywalk…which I never got to see. (sigh!)