Silay City - A home away from home

It’s odd but I don’t actually feel like I’m really in the Philippines until the plane descends towards Silay City and you see sugarcane fields, patches of green and the grazing caribou. Though Manila embodies the vivaciousness of Filipino city life, and beaches like Boracay and Palawan boast the Philippines’ natural beauty, I don’t really feel that warm sense of welcoming until I’m in Silay.

Children playing around a memorial of the uprising against Spanish rule

Perhaps it is because of the humble nature of the city – how things have remained the same for years and how the same businesses that were open in the Marcos era are still open today. For me, Silay symbolises the Filipino life and mentality – it finds beauty in simplicity and while it is open to change and develops over time, it remains loyal to its roots.

Street art hidden amongst the bushes

I have been going back to Silay to visit my extended family every 2 years but have not until recently really fallen victim to its charm. I guess it’s perhaps because during this visit I could wander the streets alone rather than the usual hustle and bustle of family gatherings (try getting 50 people into one house!).

What you find is beautifully preserved colonial architecture, colourful houses, cars, and tricycles, and a range of eye-catching street art – all dotted between patches of tropical green fauna. It’s edgy without trying.

On top of the architecture, you can also get a taste of authentic Visayan food. El Ideal on Rizal St. has been open for nearly a Century and sells homemade Illonggo delicacies, either fresh from over the counter or pre-packaged so you can share them or bring them abroad. Definitely bring some Piaya, Butterscotch, Food for the Gods for your loved ones with a sweet tooth. El Ideal also serves some of the best Batchoy and Buko pie I can think of, so you can enjoy a merienda after your shopping.

Another delicacy is the Visayan Pili Nut. You can get Pili Nut treats in shops but the best ones need to be ordered from a family who makes them. My family turns to the Lacsons. If you’re interested in trying them out when you’re in town, let me know!

If you feel like a caffeine break, you should check out Café 1925 off Rizal Street on J. Pitong Ledesma Street. It’s a quaint little café that serves delicious little cupcakes. Want to try something more local? Order the calamansi cupcake. Calamansi looks like a miniature version of a lime and is served with a lot of our food. Café 1925 takes a fresh spin in taking calamansi (which I’ve usually only seen with savoury dishes) and serves it as a dessert. I’m hoping this may pave the way for calamansi panacotta, or calamansi parfait in the near future. Yum.

You can’t leave Silay without trying the seafood in Balaring. If you are feeling brave try the talaba which is raw oysters. The food is to die for, the portions are generous, and because it’s no tourist trap the prices are fair. Not to mention you have a nice view of the seaside.

Entrance to Café 1925

Having an iced mocha and a red velvet cupcake in Café 1925. Yum!

Silay also has a very rich history. You can take a peek into the lives of the sugar barons of Silay, in Balay Negrense, which was once owned by the Gaston family, one of the pioneers of sugarcane cultivation in that region of the Philippines. The house has now been converted to a museum, which when last I visited was free of charge. 

I can’t emphasise more how highly I think of the people and city of Silay. How I admire them for finding comfort and happiness in incredible food, their history, their faith, and most of all family. Their warmth reaches out to others and even coming in from another country you feel like an extension of the Silay City family.

Decorations in the Silay Plaza

Another piece of street art tucked in between two shrubberies

The community church

The Philippines, having been colonised by the USA for several years, is highly influenced by American culture, resulting in a rapid rise of American or American-like chains surfacing the Philippine streets (you can even find a Starbucks in Boracay… seriously). Just take a gander around Makati or Fort Bonifacio in Manila and the clean streets, the street names and skyscrapers do not differ much from New York City.

Silay City Hall

So if you want a closer look at everyday Filipino life, discover the rich history of Silay, and want to try things without having to worry about ‘local versus tourist’ prices, visit Silay City. It will feel like a home away from home.