Negros Occidental Tour: The Piaya Chronicles

I’ve always been hearing good things about Bacolod City so when the opportunity came, we quickly grabbed our tickets and booked our flight. Of course we didn’t just toured around Bacolod City as we have an entire island for our discovery. There were so many unexpected things that happened to us during our trip which made it that much more interesting.

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Background

As a runner, it’s not a surprise that I’d go to a place I’ve never been to “just” to run. I strongly believe that touring by foot is one of the best ways to know a particular place better. And when Run United Bacolod was launched (alongside other Run United provincial events) I was an opportunity for me and others who have never been to Bacolod to have a tour. Coincidentally, the event date was also set during the Masskara Festival (which was oblivious to us by then) so there’s not much second thought when we booked our flight right after the launch.

Unfortunately, days before the actual event it got rescheduled.

We were supposed to leave Manila on the first flight to Bacolod Saturday morning. It was heartbreaking for me at the time since that Saturday was the Nike We Run Manila day. Since the race that was the primary catalyst of our trip isn’t there anymore, our itinerary was broken. I was so desperate on how I may fit both races on my agenda, and since Bacolod gave way I pursued Nike We Run Manila.

What about our plane tickets? We booked our flights with the troubled flag carrier with regular fares (see how much we wanted this trip?) and days before the flight I was able to rebook our tickets for Sunday, with no extra charges! At that time, our Bacolod trip became condensed into an overnight stay!

It’s not the tissue dispenser that’s interesting, it’s its “Recycling Facts” (taken at NAIA Terminal 3)

Arrival

We were fortunate to be at the better end of the troubles with the flag carrier as we never experienced anything bad, in fact it all went better for us. Instead of the usual NAIA Terminal 2, all their flights were diverted to the much better Terminal 3. And of course flying with the flag carrier is arguably much better than budget airlines.

Flights to Bacolod now go to the modern Bacolod-Silay Airport—one of the newest and best looking airport in the country. It is uniquely situated in the middle of a sea of sugarcane plantations so it really stands out in the area. There are also shuttle services to Silay and Bacolod readily available, but if you’re pressed for time like we do, a taxi ride to the nearest city, Silay, is your best option. The trip to Silay should only be around ₱100 (about $2.35).