Visual Survey Dumaguete Tourist District

These are the following questions that are

needed to be answered in order to draw a correct
visual survey:

o What
are
their
characteristics,
physically and as defined by
activity?
Path
The paths in the tourist
district are identifiably divided
into two parts; the pedestrian
path which is a strip is a
footpath right beside the
beach where people walk the
stretch of the boulevard and
the streets which cater from
trucks to motorcycles.

Components
o What are the principal components of
the district?
The district is labeled as a
tourist commercial district according
to
the
zoning
ordinance
of
Dumaguete City. It is located at the
East side of the downtown area.
The boulevards stretch is
quickly noticeable when coming into
the Dumaguete port by means of
any ocean vessel. The white light
posts lining up the stretch of to the
stately trees influencing with the
ocean breeze.
o Where do they begin and end?
The Rizal Boulevard is built
in 1916 which extends 780 meters
long. It is named after Jose Rizal
who walked along the beach long
before
the
boulevard
was
constructed. The Rizal Boulevard is
considered as the show window of
the city of Dumaguete.
The area is bounded on the
North by Silliman Avenue; on the
East by Rizal Boulevard; on the
South by Pinili Street; on the West
by Sta. Catalina Street, Perdices
Street except Block 42 which is an
institutional
zone.
The
Rizal
Boulevards boundaries are the
tempura stalls at the North, the
CSWD building at the South, the
beach at the East and the 10 meter
street at the West.

Footpath

Intersection going to Rizal Boulevard

Northern edge of Rizal Boulevard

Southern edge of Rizal Boulevard

Landmarks
As it is the tourist
district of the city, there are
countless of landmarks in the
area. Rizal Boulevard holds a
major part in the citys
commonplace appeal and has
turned into an exceptionally
famous point of interest.
These are the following of
landmarks in the district:

Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres

The monument dedicated for
the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. It
is to commemorate the arrival of the
seven Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres
(SPC) in Dumaguete City. They came
to the city at the invitation of Bishop
Frederick Z. Rooker of the Diocese of
Jaro (Iloilo), to which the island of
Negros belonged at that time. The
people
of
Dumaguete
openly
welcomed them and not long after
the
St.
Paul
Academy
was
established
which
opened
on
January 9, 1905, which in known at

the present as St. Paul College of

Dumaguete.
The monument was built at
the launching of the Centennial year
on October 29, 2003. It is a marker
by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres
to honor the birth of SPC in the
country. After a year, it is
considered by the National Historical
Institute as a Historical Treasure.
The Boulevard
The Rizal Boulevard is named
after Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine
National Hero, who took a troll along
the area right before departing for
Dapitan, Dipolog City. It is one of
the historical landmarks of the city.
It is considered by many as
the most beautiful landmark of the
city. At any time of the day, the
boulevard is full of strollers who
want the relaxing and serene
atmosphere of the place. On
mornings, people love to walk or jog
around the strip before they start
their day. It is also the perfect spot
to watch the sunrise. On the
afternoons, people walk stroll on
strip to escape from the heat of the
sun and enjoy the ocean breeze. As
night time arrives, the people come
to the place for the different shops
and restaurants on the area.
Silliman Hall
The Silliman Hall visible while
strolling along the boulevard. It is
the first building to be constructed
in 1903 which is 2 years after the
Silliman Institute, now Silliman
University, is founded. It is a wellsituated
three
storey
building
located at the corner of Rizal

Boulevard and Silliman Avenue. It is

modeled after the American design
and
architecture
which
takes
inspiration from old-world colonial
mansion.
Today, Silliman Hall houses
the Fine Arts Department of the
College of Performing and Visual
Arts. The first floor serves as a
venue for corporate dinners and
other social gatherings.
Tempura stand
Every late afternoon, tempura
vendors start to set up their stalls.
They place small plastic chairs and
tables in order to cater to a larger
group people. As the night progress,
the area is filled with locals and
tourists wanting to grab different
kinds of street food.
Rotary Club Waiting Shed
The rotary club aided in the
building of the hexagonal waiting
shed that serves as additional sitting
area for the visitors of the boulevard.
Currently, the area houses a group
of people that offers reflexology
massage.

Nodes
A node is a focal point of
activity. It is a point of interest
that is recognized from a
landmark by virtue of its
dynamic capacity. Where a
point of interest is an
unmistakable visual article, a
node is a particular center of
action.

Edges

The end of a region is its

edge. A few areas have no
particular edges whatsoever
though bit by bit will decrease
and mix into another district.
At the point when two areas
are joined at an edge they
form a seam.
o How apparent are they?
The components of the district
are all clearly visible since they are
considered as show pieces of the
city. One other aspect that makes
the different components is because
of the people or users. The tourism
district itself should normally have
abundant audiences, we can easily
identify them such as weak spots,
places that make risk safety and
more.
Appearance
o Regarding their physical appearance,
what are the characteristics of
building forms, building density,
signs,
materials,
greenery,
topography, and route pattern
landmarks?
Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres
Commercial buildings
Tempura stand
Waiting shed
Sitting area
Walking strip
Strips of Light Posts
Line of acacia trees
o What are the key visual elements
the things principally seen which
establish the character of a district?

Walkway
Bay area
Commercial establishments

Saint Paul Monument

Tempura Stands
I Dumaguete sign

Activity
o Regarding visible activity, what are
the principal clues of the activity of
an areathe kinds of people, when
and how they move about?
Most of the people going in the
tourist district vary. In the morning,
the boulevard is visited by people
that start their day off by strolling or
jogging on the walkway. Others
bring their dogs and walk them
around the strip. Meanwhile some
people sit on the benches and
admire the beautiful sun sunrise. By
the time sets, vendors set up at the
northern part of the boulevard. They
sell different kinds of street food and
cater to locals and tourist. In
addition, the southern part of the
boulevard is where a small group of
people do zumba which is a type of a
dance fitness program. At nighttime,
the boulevard is packed with
tourists who start to wander the
night life of the city and locals who
seek to relax after a busy day. At
weeknights, some establishments in
the
strip
provide
live
band
performances outdoors for the
public which adds vibrancy to the
district.
o What are the key visual elements
the things principally seenwhich
establish the character of a district?
The boulevard is packed at
night time. The lights from the strip
of lamp posts provide ambiance on
the district. The sound of the waves
coming from the sea gives a calming

atmosphere for those who choose to

stay at edge of the boulevard. The
northern part of the strip is packed
with people eating at the Tempura
stands or taking a picture at the I
Dumaguete sign. The southern
part on strip, on the other hand, is
where people take massages from a
local organization. At the southern
part is also the place where there is
lesser volume of people.

Threats
o What are the threats to the district?
Southern Edge
Tempurahan
Construction
Area
on
Southern Edge
CSWD
Intersection
of
Silliman
Avenue and the Rizal Avenue
o What external elements, such as a
through road, threaten the health
and survival of district?
Landscapes of the Boulevard
Unpleasant odor from the sea
due to the misplaced disposals
from the sewer.
Current situation of the
pavers along the boulevard are
damaged
and
may
compromise safety of the
passersby.
The concrete road cannot bear
the load of the vehicles that
pass by such as trucks and
etc. which may cause it to
break and eventually bring
danger to other
passing
vehicles.
o How is the district changing?
Since it is a tourism district, it
should always be developed to

improve the city. A city is mostly

well-known for its landmarks and
tourist spots. So naturally, the
government of the region should do
its best to keep it up to date to lure
more people into the city.
o Is it changing its position?
No. We currently do not see a
change from the current location.
o Is an edge decaying?
Unfortunately, yes, and that is
the Southern Edge. For one thing,
due to improper city planning,
skwaters have started to build
homes around this area which
makes it not pleasing to the eyes
and also dangerous for other
members of the community. Another
is that not much people like to hang
around in this area which makes it a
threat because criminals tend to use
public places of the like to get
victims. And lastly, there is not
much to see which is one of the
main reasons why there arent many
people. Many of the nodes and
landmarks are located on the
northern part of the district giving
the southern part less point of
interest.

The CSWD on the Southern edge of

the district

The Tempurahan

o Is an edge advancing, perhaps into a

peripheral district?

Construction along the southern

edge of the district

We believe that the Northern

Edge is advancing.

Intersection of the Silliman Avenue

and the Rizal Avenue

Emergence
o Is the district struggling to emerge?
No, because it is the tourist district.
It will always be given attention
because it is where most people go to

for recreation and also it is where a city

can show of its natural or man-made
features to other people from different,
regions and even countries. So having
that advantage already gives it an edge
on emerging and being developed.

located in it, it must be related to its

context.
We
can
take
the
Department of Tourism office as an
example that would be fitting for the
current location of the current
government office in the boulevard.

Relation
o How do all these parts relate to each
other and especially to the route
patterns of the entire city?

o Are some of these targets for urban

design work?

These parts relate to each

other because each area gives
interaction among its users. They
also determine the density of the
occupants that come in through the
nodes
and
other
different
attractions.
The Rizal Boulevard also a node
when we refer to Dumaguete City as
the context. It is an attraction and
brings about large densities of traffic
especially during the peak hours
Parades for special occasions also
take place at the boulevard which
changes the usual traffic patterns of
the street that also affects the city.
o Finally, what are the areas in the
district that cannot be classified
easily, that lack cohesion in form and
character?
The areas that lack cohesion
can mostly be found in the southern
parts of the district. These parts are
where certain government offices are
located such as the CSWD. The
group may conclude that these
offices can be classified as out of
context since the district is a
tourism district therefore, if there
are government offices that are to be

Yes. The group believes that

some of these are targets for urban
design work.
Landform and Nature
o Terrain
The terrain of the district is flat and
may
suggest
either
vertical
architecture or assertive horizontals.
o Prominent features
Some prominent features that can
be seen in the district is the
Dumaguete bay which may serve as
vista for the people in it.
While on the other side, a view of the
Mt. Talinis can be seen.
o Pattern, Grain and Texture
The pattern of the district is linear
which stretches from the edge of
Silliman Avenue until A. Pinili St.
The grain and texture of the buiding
is coarse and uneven because of the
large blocks of buildings and their
varying sizes.

References
DUMAGUETE: The City of Gentle People. (2013, November 06).
Retrieved
August
30,
2016,
from
https://thetravelvisionary.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/du
maguete/
Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete. (2016). Retrieved August 30, 2016,
from http://dumaguete.com/rizal-boulevard-dumaguete/
Maranga, M. (2012, September 13). Landing of the first St. Paul of
Chartres Sisters in the Philippines. Retrieved August 31,
2016,
fromhttp://www.phtourguide.com/landing-of-thefirst-st-paul-of-chartres-sisters-in-the-philippines