A little over a two-hour drive south of Cebu City is the first-class municipality of Dumanjug, my father’s hometown. It is bordered to the north by the town of Barili, to the east by Sibonga, to the west by Tañon Strait which is between Cebu province and Negros Oriental, and to the south by Ronda.
My siblings and I used to spend our summer vacations there in our old ancestral house located along the highway. Even at such a young age, we have always been curious about the town’s name. Our Aunt Conchita, the younger sister of my father, told us one evening that during the Spanish era, some Spaniard soldiers passed by the place and wanted to know where they were. The soldiers approached a crowd and asked. The villagers thought the visitors wanted to know what was happening, so one of them replied, “Si Duman na huog” (Duman fell). Not understanding what it meant, the Spaniards thought the name of the place was “Dumanahug” which later was shortened to Dumanjug. Fact or fiction, it doesn’t matter because it sounds right.
I remember my siblings, cousins and I would play right in the middle of the road fronting our ancestral house as very few vehicles would drive through it, especially at night, with nothing but the moonlight illuminating the road. After our games, our grandmother would call us in, for us to take a shower and get ready for dinner, after which she would have a box of Tootsie Rolls for us to choose from. On some mornings, we would walk to the beach, which was just beyond the town plaza and either just play along the shoreline or take a swim in the usually cold water.
Sometimes, my cousins would drag me along and we would head towards the upper part of town where kapok trees abound. We would then practice our marksmanship by trying to hit the kapok fruits with our slingshots. There were no winners as none of us was skilled enough. That was our life in the sleepy town of Dumanjug, which continues to evoke beautiful memories of fun summers with our cousins.
Fast forward to how it is today – I am amazed at the town’s transformation. It’s just like someone waved a magic wand because a sleepy town it certainly no longer is. My nephews, Efren Gica as mayor, and his brother Erwin as vice mayor, have changed the municipality into a charming, visually enthralling destination for the young and old. With a population of approximately 60,000 occupying 37 barangays, the town is now buzzing with activity, with many beautiful places to visit.
Formerly known as “The Land of Golden Friendship,” it is better known now as the “Home of the Governors” simply because most of the governors of Cebu province come from this town. The current Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s family has its roots in Dumanjug.
What can visitors do when they visit town? For one, the 170-year-old St. Francis of Assisi Church is very well preserved. This is most significant to me because my father, the eldest of the boys in his family, was named after the town’s patron saint, in honor of whom the town fiesta is celebrated every Oct. 4.
This is when the colorful Bisnok Festival sets in where hundreds participate in the street dancing which ends with the ritual showdown. The festival’s name is derived from the Cebuano words, “Bisaya,” meaning a native from the Visayas, and “Manok” (chicken), to highlight the town’s most popular culinary offering. Performers in their attractive costumes dance merrily on the streets with the performances focusing on the preparation and cooking of the native chicken.
For those who enjoy communing with nature, there is the enchantingly undeveloped Pityak Falls, which is not only Instagrammable but also a refreshing spot for urban denizens like me who are always in search of relaxing getaways. Phase 1 of a beautiful Boardwalk along the bay has been opened but this will soon be extended to 12 kilometers long. To further increase its tourism value, the municipality has included in its Master Plan Cruise Tours in the near future, starting from the area fronting the Boardwalk.
The municipal government will build a new Government and Business Center designed by popular architect Jun Palafox on a 27-hectare lot with a budget of P527 Million. The new 500-square-meter Public Market is now almost done and a 10-bed Dialysis Center will open in a few months.
Great things are happening in my father’s hometown. Kudos to my nephews for their vision and determination to transform this once-sleepy town into a vibrant destination. Definitely, it’s no longer “the little town of Dumanjug!”
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