Cadiz City, known as the City of Whales, will have its Dinagsa Festival from January 13 to 28. During this time, seafood lovers can have a taste of grilled stuffed squid and bring home dried fish as pasalubong (take-home gift). Visitors can also enjoy a private stay in a vanishing island and join some festival events. Although there would be partly sunny weather over the weekend, visitors should still prepare for flash floods brought by La Niña to Negros Island.
Buses bound for Cadiz
Buses to Cadiz leave from Bacolod North Bus Terminal. (Image: Skyscraper City Bacolod)
Cadiz City is celebrating its 44th Dinagsa Festival, which is famous for being a unique version of the Ati-Atihan Festival. Visitors and tourists should expect light traffic in going to the city. However, commuters can anticipate to compete for limited bus seats. Due to this, it is recommended for commuters to leave as early as 4:00 AM since many people will be lining up for the first bus trip at the Bacolod North Bus Terminal. For a convenient way to go to Cadiz, it is recommended to drive or rent a private car.
Grilled stuffed squid
Grilled stuffed squid from Terrace Garden Restaurant (Image: Terrace Garden Restaurant)
Cadiz City is one of the premier centers of agro-fishery resources in Negros Island. Cadiznons are especially proud of their seafood. Visitors usually buy dried seafood for pasalubong (take-home gift). Visitors can also dine on grilled stuffed squid. For this dish, the squid is stuffed with onions, tomatoes, ginger, salt, and ground black pepper and then marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and lime. One can find grilled stuffed squid at the Terrace Garden Restaurant and L Seafoods Restaurant.
Kabilang-bilangan Vanishing Island
Kabilang-bilangan Vanishing Island during low tide (Image: Dong's Travel)
Aside from Lakawon Island, one such notable destination in Cadiz City is Kabilang-bilangan Vanishing Island. It is called as such because the small island can be seen during low tide but vanishes during high tide. The only structure in the island is a watchtower, which serves as a place for monitoring fishing activities around the area. Located at Brgy. Daga, Cadiz City, visitors can enjoy a more private experience since it is not as crowded as other islands in the province.
Dried Fish
A local tends to fishes dried under the sun. (Image: Jemuel’s Dried Fish Supplier)
Cadiz City is known as the dried fish capital of Negros Occidental. Dried fish is abundant in the city and it is their best-selling product. Visitors can find plenty of dried fish at Cadiz Public Market or at Punta Cabahug Street, Barangay Zone 6. Prices range from PhP30 to PhP900 per kilo based on the type of fish. Aside from eating it as a viand, visitors can buy dried fish as pasalubong as well. It is usually paired with sinamak, a Visayan spiced vinegar.
Dinagsa Festival events
A fun run, talent show, and street party to look forward this weekend (Image: Cadiz City Tourism)
Locals and tourists can expect a lot of events for Dinagsa Festival. For one, the 3rd Cadiz Dinagsa 21k Half Marathon will happen on January 27, 2018 at 4:00 AM. The run will start at Cadiz City Hall. In the evening, the grand finals for Star Ka Cadiz will be held at 5:00 PM at the New Cadiz Arena. A series of street parties will also be held from January 26 to 28. The biggest Dinagsa 2018 street party featuring a powerhouse of disc jockeys will be staged this January 28, 2018 at 8:00 PM.
Sunny Saturday for Dinagsa Festival
Sunny weather ahead for Dinagsa Festival
This week, the weather forecast for Cadiz City includes rain showers and thunderstorms on weekdays. Over the weekend, skies will be cloudy but it will be partly sunny on Saturday. Temperatures will range from 24 °C to 29 °C. It is recommended for tourists and visitors joining the Dinagsa Festival to bring bottled water to be fully hydrated, whatever the weather conditions.
Flooding in Victorias City
La Niña brings flood to a barangay in Victorias City. (Image: Natzkie Gasendo II)
La Niña brings steady rains recently in Negros Occidental which greatly affects flood-prone cities like Bacolod City, Talisay City, Silay City, and most especially Victorias City. More than 3,000 families were recently affected by floods caused by heavy rains in Victorias City. Due to this, Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca has met with department heads and concerned stakeholders to strengthen flood control measures and monitoring activities.
In going to Cadiz this week, locals and tourists should be aware that floods will be inevitable if there is a sudden change in the weather forecast.
