Dapitan City: Saint James Church

DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - During the time of Dr. Jose Rizal's exile in Dapitan, it was in this church where he heard mass every Sunday. The church was built by the Jesuits in 1871 and is located right at the center of Dapitan, next to the plaza.

The most striking feature of the church is its beautifully designed ceiling. The orange and white rectangles form a swirling pattern on the dome creating an optical illusion of depth and motion.

The church was named in honor of  Dapitan's patron, St. James the Greater. During the time of our visit, banners saying "Viva Señor Santiago!" adorn the streets of Dapitan setting the festive mood in the city for the week-long town fiesta, culminating on July 25, the Feast Day of St. James.

How to get there: from Dipolog City At the Dipolog City Bus Terminal, take a non air-conditioned bus bound for Dapitan. Inside Dapitan City, take any tricycle and tell the driver to take you to St. James Church. Alternatively, you can take a Rural Bus from Dipolog bound for Ozamiz, Pagadian or Cagayan de Oro. Tell the conductor to drop you off at Dapitan-Polo Junction. From the junction, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to St. James Church. Total travel time is 30-45 minutes. from Ozamiz City At the Ozamiz City Bus Terminal, take a Dipolog-bound bus, just ask the terminal crew where the queue/line for Dipolog is (there is a separate queue for air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses. Air-conditioned buses usually come from Pagadian, Zamboanga City or Cagayan de Oro, and would only drop-off or pick-up passengers at Ozamiz City, so be prepared to wrestle your way into the bus. Air-conditioned buses bound for Dipolog leave every hour. There are non air-conditioned buses that begin their trip from Ozamiz City and they depart from the terminal every 30 minutes (usually only half full). Tell the conductor to drop you off at Dapitan-Polo Junction. From the junction, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to St. James Church. Travel time to Dapitan is 6.5hours, fare is P230.00 (air-conditioned bus).

How to get back: to Dipolog City From Dapitan, there are non air-conditioned buses bound for Dipolog. Alternatively, you can take a tricycle from Dapitan and tell the driver to bring you to Polo Junction. At the junction, you can take Rural buses bound for Dipolog. At the Dipolog City Bus Terminal, take the tricycles passing outside the gate to your destination in Dipolog City. Tricyle fare is Php10.00 per person. to Ozamiz City From Dapitan, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to the Polo Junction. From the junction, take the Ozamiz, Pagadian, Zamboanga City or Cagayan de Oro bound buses (air-conditioned and non air-conditioned) and get off at the Ozamiz City Bus Terminal (fare is P230.00 for air-conditioned buses). Take the tricycles stationed at the terminal to your destination in Ozamiz City (fare is Php10.00 per person or Php50.00 special rate if you don't wish to wait for other passengers). Total travel time is 7hours.

Dapitan City: Dr. Jose Rizal's Landing Site

DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - On the day of our flight back to Manila, we would usually just stay at our hotel in the morning so not to risk missing our flight. Since the neighboring Dapitan is just a short ride away, we decided to make a short trip to the city very well known in Philippine history where our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, spent four years in exile.

LUNGSOD NG DAPITAN, Zamboanga del Norte - Sa araw ng aming lipad pabalik ng Maynila, kadalasan ay nananatili na lamang kami sa aming hotel upang maiwasan na kami'y maiwan ng byahe. Dahil maikling byahe lamang ang papunta sa katabing lungsod ng Dapitan, napili naming sumaglit sa lugar na ito, kilala sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas kung saan ang atin pampansang bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal ay namalagi nang apat na taon ng buhay-tapon.

It was on July 17, 1892 when Dr. Rizal arrived at the shore of Sta. Cruz, Dapitan. Coincidentally, we visited his exact landing site on July 16, 2012, one day before the 120th year anniversary of his arrival to Dapitan.

Si Dr. Jose Rizal ay dumating sa dalampasigan ng Sta. Cruz, Dapitan noong Hulyo 17,1892. Nagkataon naman na bumisita kami sa eksaktong lugar na kaniyang pinaglunsaran noong Hulyo 16, 2012, isang araw bago sumapit ang ika-120 taong anibersaryo ng kaniyang pagdating sa Dapitan.

At present, a monument stands on the site where Rizal disembarked in Dapitan. Inaugurated in year 2009, the Rizal's Landing Site is one of the many shrines in Dapitan City dedicated to our beloved national hero. If you have the chance to visit Dapitan City, take the time to stop by this site. This experience will transport you back in the time when our forefathers fought for our independence.

Sa kasalukuyan, isang monumento ang nakatayo sa pook kung saan lumunsad si Rizal sa Dapitan. Pinasinayaan noong taong 2009, ang Rizal's Landing Site (Lugar na Pinaglunsaran ni Rizal) ay isa sa maraming dambana sa Lungsod ng Dapitan na inialay sa atin minamahal na pambansang bayani. Kung magkakaroon kayo ng pagkakataon na bumisita sa Lungsod ng Dapitan, maglaan po kayo ng panahon na dumaan sa lugar na ito. Dadalhin kayo ng karanasang ito pabalik sa panahon ng pakikipaglaban ng ating mga ninuno para sa ating kalayaan.

How to get there: from Dipolog City At the Dipolog City Bus Terminal, take a non air-conditioned bus bound for Dapitan. Inside Dapitan City, take any tricycle and tell the driver to take you to Rizal's Landing Site. Alternatively, you can take a Rural Bus from Dipolog bound for Ozamiz, Pagadian or Cagayan de Oro. Tell the conductor to drop you off at Dapitan-Polo Junction. From the junction, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Rizal's Landing Site. Total travel time is 30-45 minutes. from Ozamiz City At the Ozamiz City Bus Terminal, take a Dipolog-bound bus, just ask the terminal crew where the queue/line for Dipolog is (there is a separate queue for air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses. Air-conditioned buses usually come from Pagadian, Zamboanga City or Cagayan de Oro, and would only drop-off or pick-up passengers at Ozamiz City, so be prepared to wrestle your way into the bus. Air-conditioned buses bound for Dipolog leave every hour. There are non air-conditioned buses that begin their trip from Ozamiz City and they depart from the terminal every 30 minutes (usually only half full). Tell the conductor to drop you off at Dapitan-Polo Junction. From the junction, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Rizal's Landing Site. Travel time to Dapitan is 6.5hours, fare is P230.00 (air-conditioned bus).

How to get back: to Dipolog City From Dapitan, there are non air-conditioned buses bound for Dipolog. Alternatively, you can take a tricycle from Dapitan and tell the driver to bring you to Polo Junction. At the junction, you can take Rural buses bound for Dipolog. Total travel time is 30-45 minutes. At the national highway, take the Ozamiz, Pagadian or Cagayan de Oro bound buses and get off at the Ozamiz City Bus Terminal (fare is Php15.00, travel time is ~30 minutes). Take the tricycles stationed at the terminal to take you to your destination in Ozamiz City. Fare is Php10.00 per person (or Php50.00 special rate, if you don't want to wait for other passengers) to Ozamiz City From Dapitan, take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to the Polo Junction. From the junction, take the Ozamiz, Pagadian, Zamboanga City or Cagayan de Oro bound buses (air-conditioned and non air-conditioned) and get off at the Ozamiz City Bus Terminal (fare is P230.00 for air-conditioned buses). Take the tricycles stationed at the terminal to take you to your destination in Ozamiz City (fare is Php10.00 per person or Php50.00 special rate if you don't wish to wait for other passengers). Total travel time is 7hours.

Dipolog City: Karyll's Grille | Beer & Barbecue

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - We sampled again the Dipolog City nightlife and went where the locals go for beer and barbecue. There are several bars in Dipolog, but we chose this open air restaurant - Karyll's Grille.

A typical Dipolog evening usually revolve around barbecue, they just can't have enough of it. It was not a surprise that an area along Sunset Boulevard was designated for barbecue stalls. But if you want beer to go with your barbecue, then head to the bars and restaurants. By nine o'clock in the evening, Karyll's Grille was already full, but people (usually on motorbikes) kept on arriving.

Dipolognons enjoying the evening

We started the evening with grilled chicken and puso (rice) for dinner. It appeared to be one of the best seller as almost every table had a plateful of this chick.

chicken barbecue, grilled soriso (longanisa) and puso (rice in coconut leaf pouches)

It did not take long for us to finish our dinner. Let's just say, we did not keep it long, as we were already fancying for ice cold beer. So from canned so soda, we switched to ice cold bottle beer, and there was no better pulutan (finger food) than their bestselling pork barbecue at P3.00 per stick.

Time really flies if you have great company, listening to top hit music and enjoying the best beer in the world. Round after round of beer went, and we did not notice that it was already 12:30am. It felt like the evening has just started as people still kept arriving. We finally called it an evening and left at 1:00am.

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Karyll's Grille
orner General Luna and Martinez Streets
Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte

Dipolog City: Barbecue Stalls along Dipolog Sunset Boulevard

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - Almost all restaurants in Dipolog City closes at 9:00pm except for some that stay open until midnight during weekends. But what if you wake up in the middle of the night or your insomnia keeps you awake in the wee hours of the night, and suddenly you feel hungry? The barbecue stalls along Dipolog Sunset Boulevard has got you covered.

As soon as the sun sets, people start flocking at the barbecue stalls and by dinner time, the place is practically packed. Filipinos are crazy about barbecue at night, and this more pronounced in Mindanao, such as in Dipolog and other cities like Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Tagum, where the night market culture is very much integrated into their daily lives.

All the stalls sell almost the same choices: pork, chicken, isaw, chicken feet (adidas), soriso (longanisa), and hotdog. Barbecue is paired with pusô (rice wrapped in woven coconut leaf pouch). Some stores sell fish and lugaw (rice porridge). Barbecue stalls set up tables and monoblock chairs for their customers.

The barbecue stalls are located on the northern end of Dipolog Sunset Boulevard, near the Santa Cruz Marker. They are open from 6:00pm to 5:00am of the following day, and are closed on Mondays.

Dipolog City: Cusina de Binoys | Montaño Spanish Style Sardines

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - After a tiring day of touring around Dipolog City, we went back to Antonio's Pension House to freshen up and get ready for dinner.

Cusina de Binoys is located on the roof deck level of Antonio's Pension House. They serve classic Filipino dishes and specializes in set meals for a couple of a group. They also have a live band performing acoustic music every Friday and Saturday night.

Browsing through the menu, one dish in the breakfast section caught our eye. Sar-si-log, Montaño Spanish Style Sardines with rice and sunny side up egg. Fortunately, Cusina de Binoys serves all-day breakfast. Dipolog's bottled Spanish style sardines is definitely the best.

Bottled sardines is a million peso industry in Dipolog City which earned the city its nickname Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines.

Cusina de Binoys
Antonio's Pension House
Corner General Luna and Martinez Streets
Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte
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Dipolog City: Dipolog Sunset Boulevard

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - Dipolog City faces the vast Sulu Sea to the west, blessing the city with spectacular sunsets.


The city government developed the Sunset Boulevard with promenade and benches to provide a venue for leisure and entertainment. As early as 4:00pm, food vendors start to set-up their stalls anticipating the arrival of visitors.


Sunset Boulevard's promenade is Dipolognon's favorite spot for jogging, walking, biking, skating or simply sitting to watch the sunset.

Dipolog City: Ginanggang for Afternoon Merienda

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - If in Manila we have the banana cue (fried saba banana coated with caramelized sugar), in Mindanao they have the ginanggang. The saba bananas are pealed and grilled on stick over charcoal. When browned, the bananas are then brushed with margarine and sprinkled with sugar.

The picture above is taken along Dipolog Sunset Boulevard, near the Santa Cruz Marker. For only Php5.00,  you get two large-size ginanggang on a stick.

Dipolog City: Santa Cruz Marker

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - The Santa Cruz Marker is the oldest landmark in Dipolog City. It dates back to May 3, 1905 when it was erected by migrants arriving from Bohol and settled near the mouth of Dipolog River. It marks the spot where the Boholanos safely landed.

The cross is situated at the intersection of Rizal Avenue and Martinez Street. At the opposite end of Rizal Avenue stands the Dipolog Cathedral.

Dipolog City: Welcome Rotunda Fountain

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - The Welcome Rotunda Fountain, also called Pagsalabuk Circle Fountain, features a monument depicting the three groups of settlers of Mindanao: the Christians, the Muslims, and the indigenous tribes or Lumad.

The three figures represent the diverse culture of the people of Dipolog City. The raised bowl symbolizes the unity of the Tri-People despite their differences, and celebrates the common aspirations of the Dipolognons for peace and prosperity.

The fountain is located in the middle of the Welcome Rotunda/Pagsalabuk Circle roundabout where three major roads converge in Dipolog City:

*General Luna Street is one of the main streets in downtown Dipolog City that further connects the city westward to other municipalities of Zamboanga del Norte

*Dipolog-Oroquieta National Road connects Dipolog City eastward to other towns in Zamboanga del Norte and to the province of Misamis Occidental

*Dipolog-Polanco-Piñan-Junction Oroquieta Rd connects Dipolog City southward to the other municipalities of Zamboanga del Norte and to the province of Misamis Occidental

Dipolog City: Siomai and Siopao at Classic Dimsum

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - We wanted to visit the Provincial Capitol of Zamboanga del Norte, but unfortunately, the building was being renovated. Across the capitol, we were surprised to see a Chinese restaurant, Classic Dimsum.

It was 4:00pm and it was just the right time for an afternoon merienda. We ordered Steamed Siomai (four pieces at Php 30.00) and Bola Siopao (Php22.00). Though there was really nothing extraordinary about them, they were good enough to satisfy your craving for authentic Chinese dimsum.



They also serve noodles, congee, rice toppings, hot pots, and other Chinese classic dishes. According to the staff, their best sellers are their seafood dishes, especially the crab dishes. The restaurant is owned by a Chinese businessman based in Dipolog.

When we were about to finish our dimsum, two "politician-looking" men escorted by four armed soldiers entered the restaurant. They seem to be frequent customers of Classic Dimsum as they already know what to order even without looking at the menu. Their order also included steamed siomai.

This is a joint post between Pinas Muna and Chinoy Edition.


Classic Dimsum
General Luna Street
in front of the Provincial Capitol
Dipolog City
Phone: (065) 212-2176
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/classic.dimsum
Store Hours: 8:30am-8:00pm

Dipolog City: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - The Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, or Dipolog Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog. Its principal patroness is the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary*, after whom the cathedral was named. It is one of the five cathedrals within the Ecclesiastical Province of Ozamiz.

The church building was constructed in 1894 and has undergone several renovations, the latest of which was in 2009 when the facade of the cathedral was covered with marble. The present altar is a replica of the retablo originally designed by Dr. Jose Rizal. The main attaction of the cathedral is the ceiling made of hardwood.

After taking photos of the church building and a short tour inside the cathedral, we crossed the street to Magsaysay Park. It is your typical town plaza with a children's playground, fishball and ice cream vendors.



The Dipolog Cathedral is part of the Lakbay Jose Rizal @150 travel program, in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal in 2011.

Dipolog City: Big Joe's | Grilled Baby Back Ribs

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - This is probably one of our least prepared trips ever. We arrived  at Dipolog Airport at 12:05pm, that is 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Thanks to Cebu Pacific, by the way. Hungry that we were, as soon as we checked in at Antonio's Pension House, we immediately searched the net for a restaurant.

We were not in the mood for fastfood so we used Fourquare and checked what's nearby. Big Joe's caught or attention as it has 12 Tips posted, most of which recommend the Grilled Baby Back Ribs.

And so we took the recommendation and ordered the famous baby back ribs of Big Joe's. Each serving comes with two slabs of ribs, a cup of rice and some veggies.

The ribs did not disappoint! The meat was so tender and the barbecue sauce was perfect. Their serving size will put most steak houses to shame. At only Php135.00 per order, this Grilled Baby Back Ribs were a great deal!

While eating, we noticed people coming in and out of the restaurant ordering burgers. It looked liked Dipolognons could not have enough of Big Joe's burgers.

On our last day in Dipolog, we went again to Big Joe's to try their burgers. We asked what the best selling burger is, and the staff said "tanan, sir" (English: everything, sir). Well, we were not sure if she was being honest or she just simply had no idea which one was their best seller.

So, we just ordered the burgers that appealed to us based on their names and descriptions: All-in-Burger (Php65.00) & Grilled Half Pounder (Php120.00).


(left) All-in-Burger; (right) Grilled Half Pounder


The All-in-Burger has a fried burger patty, a fried egg, a slice of cheese and a slice of canned pineapple. The pineapple gave this burger a sweet but refreshing taste.

The Grilled Half Pounder has a grilled half-pound beef burger patty, a slice of cheese, lettuce and onions. Because the patty was grilled, this burger is savory juicy. You should order this if you are looking for a burger that is truly filling. This goes well with mustard.

Aside from steaks, sizzling plates and burgers, Big Joe's also serves classic Filipino dishes such as lecho, crispy pata, calderetang kambing, as well as noodles and soups. You may also try their selection of fruit shakes, tea and coffee based beverages.

Big Joe's
General Luna Street
Dipolog City
Phone: (065) 212-4111 / (065) 212-3025
Email: gerald_concha@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.bigjoescafe.dmc.edu.ph/

Dipolog City: Dipolog Airport

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - Touchdown Dipolog Airport, our 16th airport destination in the Philippines and 4th in Mindanao. We arrived at 12:10pm, 20 minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival. Since we did not have checked-in baggage, it only took us 10 minutes to deplane and to exit the terminal building.

The domestic airport is pretty basic but efficient. It is also secured with two x-ray machines installed, one before the check-in counters and another one before the departure area. There is no baggage carousel though, so arriving visitors will have to pick-up their baggage in a designated section of the arrival hall.

What we find fascinating about the airport is not the building but the airport's location. The airstrip lies right beside the sea, parallel to the coastline. At the southern end of the airstrip is the mouth of Dipolog River. Seated at the window seat will surely offer an exhilarating experience during landing or take-off.

Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 703 (Manila-Dipolog)

Airlines and Flight Services

Cebu Pacific Manila-Dipolog (Flight 5J 703) Dipolog-Manila (Flight 5J 704) Cebu-Dipolog (Flight 5J 863) Dipolog-Cebu (Flight 5J 864) *Check Flight Schedules

Philippine Airlines Manila-Dipolog (Flight PR 167) Dipolog-Manila (Flight PR 168) *Check Flight Schedules

Transportation to and from Downtown

Tricycles are the common mode of transportation within Dipolog City. Outside the airport terminal building, there are tricycles lined up to transport passengers to downtown. Standard fare is Php30.00 per person. Some drivers will try to overcharge you by asking for a flag down rate or special trip rate equivalent to the passanger capacity of the tricycle. It is very important that you agree on the fare with the driver before boarding the tricycle. If tricycle drivers try to overcharge you, just politely say no and walk away. If you don't have much baggage, you can walk a little further (about 30 meters from the gate) and wait for passing tricycles. From downtown, the standard fare going to the airport is Php20.00-30.00 per person, depending on the point of origin.