WHENEVER we hear of Zamboanga City from other people, what usually comes to our mind is that it is a place near a state of conflict. Security has been intensified with National Guard all around checking IDs and keeping a close watch of suspicious activities to maintain peace.

I had the chance to visit the city for roughly a week when I was invited to attend the Gallega and Gonzales’ Family Reunion and birthday celebration of their family member—Quinn Florence Gallega Astillo. Indeed, only few travelers and foreign people can be seen around as the city’s tourist spots had not been known.

The city has nice-looking tourist spots. Among the resting place we visited were Paseo del Mar, Fort Pilar, Rio Hondo Village, Pasonanca Park, and Canelar Barter Trade Center. Other than that, Zamboanga has Merloquet Falls, Yakan Village, Great and Little Sta. Cruz Islands, and Tagbilat Falls.

I came to the realization that Zamboanga City is not a very dangerous place after all. In fact, the third largest city in the Philippines operates as the commercial and industrial center of the south. The city is bustling with factory district, plenty of businesses, shops, and markets where anyone can find any goods and/or services that they desired most.

The city is the center of economic activities in Mindanao. Its modern international seaport and airport served as entry points in the country to many destinations in Southeast Asia. Zamboanga is dubbed as “Asia’s Latin City,” for its Latin-originated dialect. Chavacano or Philippine Creole Spanish is the language of the Zamboangueños.

Zamboangueños are very proud of their cultural roots and heritage. You will know this after you taste their food, hear them talking, and see their architectures on some infrastructures. I have learned all these things from the natives and through observing my surroundings as I wandered around the city with the Gallega family.

If you have any plans to visit and roam around Zamboanga City, go with a Filipino that knows their way around the safest areas. Locals will definitely be surprised and happy to see you. They are most familiar with all the nice-looking tourist spots and scrumptious food in the city predominantly sea foods and sotanghon. (Ivy C. Tejano)