Need a break from Bacolod? Escape to Cadiz

Only an hour-and-a-half drive away from the hustle and bustle of Bacolod City is the charming city of Cadiz.  Before becoming a municipality, Cadiz used to be an area of trade known as Cadiz Viejo. Today, Cadiz is known as the dried fish capital of Negros Occidental. Here’s a list of some of things to see and do in Cadiz City, brought to you by the GMA News TV travel show “Weekend Getaway”. Lakawon Island If you want an island all to yourself, then head to Lakawon, a 15-hectare island with an uncommercialized white sand beach, and refreshing blue waters sans the loud beach parties. Lakawon Island Resort offers simple lodging that’s just right for a weekend of pure relaxation. The resort also offers diving, surfing and jet skiing for more adventurous tourists. Sicaba Beach Travellers with an interest in environmental volunteerism can visit Sicaba Beach to help plant mangroves, which serve as a vital breeding ground for fish and mollusks while also protecting the shorline from erosion. Visitors to Sicaba can also take a stroll along the bamboo bridges that span the mangrove plantation. Alimatoc Rice Terraces _{Most people have heard of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, but less well-known are the equally postcard-perfect terraces of Sitio Alimatoc in Cadiz City.} Cadiz Folk Dances Cadiz is also home to the Makawiwili dance troupe, whose folk dances tell the story of the people of Cadiz. The group performs three different folk dances inspired by fishing, the main industry in Cadiz. The first dance is the Panulo, which depicts fishing at night. The other dance is the Regatones, a folk dance normally performed by fishermen’s wives while they wait for their husbands to return from the sea. The last dance is the Pamulad Isda, which depicts the act of drying fish under the sun. Tune in to “Weekend Getaway” every Friday, 11PM on GMA News TV Ch. 11.-Angel Bombarda/PF, GMA News