What's On & Expat - Philippines

attraction during the Bronze Age. So were the houses on stilts found in what is now Rio Hondo. Rising from the waters along the shoreline, these communities on stilts are peopled by farmers and fishermen, with their families, who all feel secure living in such structures precisely because the weather in Zamboanga City is always favorable.

mainland It is renowned for its pink sand and corals and is a great place for swimming, diving, snorkeling, beach combing and sunbathing.
  - Zamboanga Golf Course and Beach Park is the oldest golf course in the country but certainly one of the most lovely in the Philippines. The championship course is a par 72 18-hole course, measuring 6,404 yards. The front 9 holes are laid out on flat ground while the back 9 holes are over rolling terrains. Numerous varieties of trees provide demarcation for the fairways. Beach Park is situated at the seaward fringes of the Golf Course. It occupies a stretch of about one km. and is dotted with picnic sheds, tables and food stalls. The golf course and beach park have a combined land area of approximately 78 hectares. For reservations, tel. (062) 991-1796
  -Zamboanga International Seaport has a berth length of 220.44 linear meters(can accommodate up to 20 vessels at any one time.
  - Zamboanga City Spcial Economic Zone and Freeport. (See my headline story in last week’s issue.)
      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
  To Mayor Celso L. Lobregat for having his Office sponsor my sojourn in Zamboanga City;
  To the City Tourism staff under the Office of the Mayor, particularly Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Sarita S. Hernandez and staff Linger Lim Bobares - for superintending my sojourn and tours;
   To Emma Milabel Richter for being a very efficient tour guide;
  To Benjie Barredo of the Mayor’s Office for fixing my camera when it failed to function;
  And to Bob Zozobrado for facilitating with Mayor Lobregat’s Office my sojourn in Asia’s Latin City.

Landmarks of Great Beauty

  There are certainly numerous places to enjoy, but let me just suggest a few you must not miss when you do visit Asia’s Latin capital:
  - Fort Pilar is the coastal fort built in 1635 around which the present city first grew.The National Museum of Zamboanga City is located inside the fort.
  - Pasonanca Park has the famous Tree House where you can see things from a literal bird’s eye view. The park also contains a Butterfly Garden and an Aviary.
   - Yakan Village in Calarian is the community of Yakan people who are primarily engaged in weaving in their inimitable style, producing attractive cloths with several colors;
  - La Vista del Mar is the leading resort in the city. It commands a magical view of the Sulu Sea. Take in its verdant surroundings, floral gardens, commodious rest houses, lit pathways and a cozy restaurant that serves the best seafoods of Zamboanga.
  - City Hall, housed in a heritage building, was built in 1905. It still has its war-era siren which wails at 12 noon to remind all of lunch break and at 5 p.m. to signal the end of office hours.
  - Plaza Pershing, near City Hall, is surrounded by greenery, making it the ideal place for temporary relaxation in between rush hours.
  - Santa Cruz Island is 15 minutes away by pumpboat from the Zamboanga City