THE CITY OF GENTLE PEOPLE / A Quick Trip To My Town - Life in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

With the Philippines nearing reopening, Pea takes viewers on a practical tour of Dumaguete City — not the tourist-brochure version, but the everyday reality of living there. After 140 videos, she realizes she's never actually shown her own town. The tour covers transportation, the wet market, local shops, the hospital, the mall, and what daily life looks like for locals and expats alike.

What's Covered ​

• Getting around: trikes, not taxis

  • Dumaguete has no taxi cabs and only a few jeepneys, unlike most Philippine cities
  • The primary transportation is the trike — a motorbike with a sidecar
  • Pre-pandemic, a trike could hold up to 6 passengers plus driver; now reduced to 3 due to plastic dividers
  • Cost: as low as 20 pesos per passenger (~$0.40)
  • Pea hires "Kuya Danilo" as her private trike driver for the day's tour

• Dumaguete basics

  • Population: ~135,000 people
  • Capital of Negros Oriental island in the southern Philippines
  • Good weather year-round; geography protects it from typhoons and most natural disasters
  • Constant ocean breeze keeps temperatures bearable
  • Known as "the City of Gentle People" — a nickname Pea says it genuinely deserves

• Rizal Boulevard — the social hub

  • Named after national hero Dr. Jose Rizal
  • Gathering place for both locals and foreigners
  • Morning activities: watching the sunrise, jogging, walking dogs
  • Evenings: sitting under centuries-old acacia trees, watching the sunset with someone special
  • Portions transform into a street food area with chairs set up for dining while watching the sunset
  • The water is clear enough to see someone spearfishing from the shore

• Forbes #5 retirement destination (2014)

  • Forbes rated Dumaguete the 5th best place in the world to retire, citing great beaches and affordable healthcare
  • Pea is skeptical of the ranking — she's lived all over the Philippines and says it feels like a typical town to her
  • But she acknowledges it's a favorite with retiring expats

• The wet market — living like a local

  • Pea says this is where you go if you want to live cheaply — prices are far lower than the mall
  • Under $10 can buy enough food for two people for an opulent dinner
  • Vegetable section: string beans and other fresh produce at rock-bottom prices
  • Meat section: No refrigeration — meat sits on counters with no freezers or chilling, just crushed ice to keep things fresh. Pea warns viewers not to be "horrified" — this is standard. She casually points out a rat running through the area ("there's a rodent... but hey, this is the Philippines")
  • Seafood section:
    • Tilapia: 150 pesos/kilo (~$3)
    • Jackfish: 280 pesos/kilo (~$6) — fresh, with clear eyes as an indicator of freshness
    • Shrimp in small, medium, and large sizes; squid; mud crabs (no Alaskan king crab, to Pea's regret)
    • Parrotfish (momo): 240 pesos/kilo (~$5) — Pea is enchanted by the turquoise-orange coloring, calls it "magnificent." She buys 1.6 kilos for ~384 pesos ($7-8). Notes that parrotfish "poop sand to produce coral" and probably shouldn't be fished, but buys it anyway for sweet and sour
    • Vendors will clean and descale fish for free — ready to cook when you get home
  • Dried goods section: dried fish, deep-fried pork crackling ("heart attack in a bag"), tiny packets of seasoning, eggs sold individually at 5-6 pesos each (~$0.10)
  • Offal and extremities — "we don't waste anything":
    • "Adidas" (chicken feet, named after the shoe brand) and chicken intestines — good fried or with soy sauce, pairs well with beer
    • Chicken heads are also sold
    • Native chickens: smaller than regular chickens, Pea jokes they "look like ostriches"
  • Staples sold in tiny quantities: salt in tiny bags (5 pesos/$0.10), seaweed, spices in small bags, onions (3 pieces for 10 pesos/$0.20)
  • Pea's advice: befriend your vendors, learn the lingo, become a regular — they'll learn what you want and give better prices

• Local shops outside the wet market

  • Key duplication and watch repair stalls — "not a lot of those in the West nowadays"
  • DVDs "of dubious origin," including new releases for ~$1
  • Barber shops: 50 pesos ($1) for a haircut versus up to $15 in the West

• Silliman University Medical Center — healthcare anchor

  • A state-of-the-art, highly regarded hospital in Dumaguete
  • Founded in 1903 by Presbyterian missionaries
  • Affiliated with Silliman University, one of the oldest schools in the Philippines and in Asia
  • Known for producing quality accountants, physical therapists, and nurses
  • Pea says to put it on your emergency contacts if you're in Dumaguete — they have equipment to handle most illnesses

• Robinson's Mall — the only decent mall

  • Pea's opinion: it's the only decent mall in Dumaguete
  • Many stores still closed due to COVID restrictions at time of filming
  • Has the basics: Jollibee, KFC (though "sometimes they're out of chicken"), department store
  • A giant Christmas tree is up — Pea explains the Philippines has the world's longest Christmas season, running September through January
  • Not comparable to the massive malls in Cebu or Manila, but locals are glad to have it reopening

• Overall assessment

  • Dumaguete is not for people wanting busy nightlife or unlimited shopping/dining
  • It's quiet and peaceful — fits people seeking a laid-back lifestyle
  • Pros and cons, but overall a nice place to live
  • The "city of gentle people" nickname is well-earned

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe to The Filipina Pea