After Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental, I traveled to Pagadian City, province of Zamboanga del Sur - the last province on my list. It was a three-and-a-half-hour land travel with a huge picture of how the people of the Zamboanga peninsula lives. At the integrated terminal, I rode on a motorcycle to the center of the city passing by the famous rotunda. I was wearing a sando, thus, I easily felt the fresh and cool wind while we were on a descending road with a clear view of the stunning sunset.
Rates, Budget Friendly and Affordable Place to Stay in Pagadian City:
While on the motorcycle, the driver asked my if I already booked a hotel and when I answered NO, so he offered Napsallys Pension House. Since I already stayed at GV Hotel branches in Samar, Southern Leyte, Ipil, and Dipolog, I planned to stay at their branch here but there was no available room upon my arrival. I walked along Rizal Avenue, where a few hotels are located, and ended up at Hotel Guillermo - a good option for an overnight stay. I paid 750 pesos for a standard room with a single bed, aircon, cable TV, WiFi, and toilet and bath with hot & cold shower.
It was already dark and I haven't eaten my dinner yet. Tidy up and rest for 20 minutes. Then, walked on the street to find a place for dinner. While walking, I noticed that a lot of people were walking on the streets towards the Pagadian City Hall and the city plaza. Without anything in mind, my feet brought me to the place where these people were heading to. I was still a few meters away, and street food stalls were blocking the gate of the city plaza, I easily saw the sparkling and dancing lights on and I thought that there was something special. And YES, it was the crowning night of the Pasalamat Festival Queen 2019.
Best Places to Visit and Suggested Activities in Pagadian:
VISIT PAGADIAN CITY HALL: The entire city hall was decorated with stunning lights.
VISIT PAGADIAN CITY PLAZA: Because of the celebration, the plaza was also covered with lights.
"Welcome to Pasalamat Festival"
PASALAMAT FESTIVAL 2019: This huge event is being celebrated to thank the Sto. Nino for all the blessings and it is also Pagadian City's 50th Golden Year. In relation to Sto. Nino festivals, if Manila has the parade of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Cebu has Sinulog Festival, Aklan has Ati-Atihan Festival, then, Pasalamat Festival in Zamboanga del Sur is something that we also need to look into.
My mandatory selfie
It was already 10 PM, the event was still ongoing and the 5th contestant was performing, when I left the city plaza. Also, standing there for three hours was a bit tiring. Bought two steamed hotdogs at one of the food stalls and headed back to Hotel Guillermo. Tidy up again and rested.
RIDE IN A TRICYCLE WITH UNIQUE DESIGN: The streets in Pagadian City are uphill and downhill so the design of their tricycle, their primary mode of transportation, is different from the other across the country.
VISIT PAGADIAN CITY CATHEDRAL: The cathedral is situated few blocks away from the city plaza.
How To Get To Pagadian City:
Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have their regular trips to Pagadian City airport. At the airport, there are habal-habal and other means of transportation to bring you to the integrated terminal or other locations.
If you are from Zamboanga City, Dipolog City, Municipality of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay and Ozamis City in Misamis Occidental, just proceed to their integrated terminals and there are routes to Pagadian City. At Pagadian Integrated Terminal, there are routes to Cagayan de Oro City, Zamboanga City, Dipolog City, and Ipil. ALSO READ: SOLO-BACKPACKING in ZamBaSulTa, Zamboanga Provinces and Misamis Occidental.