See you in sugar-sweet Sipalay!

With its sparkling white sand beaches, Sipalay municipality in Negros Occidental is often referred to as the jewel of sugar country. Sipalay was named after the local phrase “si palay”, which means “There is rice."  Today, there is much more to see and experience than rice in Sipalay, now considered one of the province's tourism draws.  Here are some of the top things to do and see in Sipalay, as featured on the GMA News TV travel show “Weekend Getaway". Punta Ballo is a kilometer-long stretch of white sand beach. Aside from the usual swimming and chilling by the beach, Punta Bello also offers excellent diving and snorkelling. One of the more popular beaches at Punta Bello is the Nataasan Beach Resort and Dive Center, which offers first-class amenities for those looking for a relaxing weekend getaway, and a wide range of activities from kayaking to SCUBA diving for the adventurous ones. Like any well-loved tourist destination, Sipalay has its own festival, the Barungoy Festival, which celebrates the barungoy or flying fish. The barungoy is one of the municipality’s major sources of income. With its distinctive long fins, the barungoy often appears like it’s flying whenever it jumps out of the water. Aside from the street dancing and colorful costumes, one of the highlights of the festival is the contest on the “pagdadaing” of the barungoy. Only 15 minutes away from downtown Sipalay is the famous Sugar Beach, named for its sugary like sand. Tourists can take their pick from the German, Swiss and Filipino-owned resorts lining the beach. Lonely Planet names Sugar Beach as one of the Philippines’ best-kept secrets. The beach's powder-soft sand and turquoise blue waters are supposedly reminiscent of Boracay, minus the hoardes. Since no trip to Negros is complete without satisfying the sweet tooth, tourists should try Sipalay’s famous local dessert, chocolate moroon, a kind of chocolate-flavored suman made with peanuts and coconut milk. For more travel tips about the Philippines’ best destinations, catch “Weekend Getaway” every Saturday at 4:30PM on GMA News TV Ch. 11. -Angel Bombarda/PF