Moved South

I stayed in Zamboanga City for some time and Last June was the very chance I get to be. The place developed rapidly with tall buildings and more malls in the city. Old cinemas torn down and are now new structures of great interests. One thing is quite developed too. More traffic in the City. Maybe it’s a great part of developing places anywhere, globally.

In spite of the city’s glaring lights at night, I am thinking of people and friends who once with me back then. Some had traveled in their respective home places and some even go abroad. Most have their families now while I stayed single and there are few who simply just got lost (no contact) for no reason. Or maybe they buried themselves working too much in a corporate world. This place doesn’t feel the same.

I decided going to Basilan. An hour boat ride from Zamboanga City (20Php) with ordinary vessel. I don’t know with fast craft vessel, never got the chance to embarked in it. My nephew goes with me. As for some, going to Mindanao is a thing that needs a lot of nerves to decide.

Garden With A Natural Rock Formation

Camp Isawad, Isabela, Basilan

That’s what they’ve gained watching only local news.

News and more news.

I heard from a bus driver going to Bataan that the only thing that’s absolutely true in the news is its date.

There, I told the tricycle driver to give us a ride in the heart of one of Isabela’s barangay. As we arrived at friends place, their house wasn’t even existed in the area. Good grief, they transferred to a new place not too far from the former.

Actually it’s a serene place where you could hear cicadas screaming in gloriousness. Wind blows as the coconut tree leaves dances, fresh air hit your nostrils to rejuvenate the lungs’ oxygen and dry leaves scattered not as an eyesore but a part of good ecosystem.

Santol Tree House

{ On A Cliff }

Higher Than A Rooftop Of A 3rd Floor Building

Isabela has evolved in its new state since the last time I visited. They have now a newly developed plaza with a colored fountain at night. A fast-food emerge in-front of the Capitol building. Some resorts and camp sites are all in its good state. Nightlife is alive and well. It’s one heck of experience being there once more. Good friends, bottle of beer and hi-hos. Truly, it is a place of a real Republican.

In the heart of those terrain lies a magnificent view overlooking a nearby island, Malamawi. drillö

The General Santos City

May 1st of this year 2008 was my sked of flight to Gensan. I wanted to experience a different culture in a place I’d never been… I’m always excited by that. From the window pane I looked down, there it is; a huge area of green meadows from birds’ eye view. The General Santos Airport located in a center of a great savannah. Good thing there’s someone who’ll pick me at the airport. Jay Borja, brother of a friend (Joeven) who’s now in Titay, Zamboaga Sibugay. It would cost you 300 to 500 pesos from airport to mainland when you ride via taxi or habal-habal (a ‘single’ motorcycle used for commercial purposes- particularly common in Mindanao area). Gensan is a home of our boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. I reside near their resident home in Lagao. Only, I never got the chance to make a visit or is it allowed to do so for ordinary individuals. Cannot even make a glance, the fence is too high. Can barely see the window located on their second floor from the outside. It is widely known too for pineapple and tuna. They have a sandy soil even kilometers away from shore. A typical place as it may be, only there’s plenty of commercial factories and processing for canned foods. We’ve visited houses of friends and as expected, they offer us to drink tuba served with sugba and kilawin. It’s a common thing when having such time to visit every once in a while and a chance to do lots of conversation.

We’ve also visited Saranggani Province. Not too far from Gensan, a place of local fisherman and along the national highway you can see fishes and seashells on talipapa.
Some individuals simply display their catch for the travelers too see. A meter long octopus cost only a hundred (Php) and fish that are served only in big restaurants in Manila are for sale just along the road.

Moved forward. Kiamba. And there we go, another kin’s place to stay. They have a rice farm and their problem is an opposite problem in my province. In the field, the water don’t stop from emerging on surface even crops are about to harvest. And we, in Mindoro Occidental- water won’t emerge and it will never be. Rainfall is the only hope for most of the local farmers. We have this NIA (National Irrigations Association) but the water supply won’t suffice the hundreds of hectares farmland. So, I just shrugged in awe.

The opposite of Saranggani bay is Glan, located on the eastern side of its shore. Glan, they said is a mountainous area filled with breathtaking view from the top. A friend was inviting us to go to Glan but we don’t have enough time and budget. Hmmnnn… next time.

Summer Heat
Children Take a Dive at Local Shore
Tukuran, Zamboanga Del Sur

• The next morning, we find ourselves in van terminal going Pagadian City. Last trip is 10 in the morning. Travel lasts seven hours without any misfortune in our vehicle. Thank God. You can see different places reminding of what culture they have along every municipality. National Highway is cemented all across the region. Only the newly opened road in Cotabato is under construction. Van traveled via Polomolok, Koronadal, Tacurong, Midsayap, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Lanao Del Norte, South Cotabato. drillö

Vacation

Vacation trips can be so enthusiastic. Whenever possible, spending time with friends in Mindanao (southern part of the Philippines) is my virtue. Excitement, happiness, things shared, ideas and plannings comes in a set of the distance between us. Still remembered the time- i was invited by a friend to attend (with) in their Family Reunion. It was held on Dapitan City (It is historically significant as being the place where the national hero, Jose Rizal was exiled by the Spaniards and is known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines".) A small town, and almost every family knows their neighbors up to the end blocks of their respective streets. Old Houses are still abundant. For some reasons, both ups and downs- some are being reconstructed in a new state (that's bad i think) and other families who lived in ancestral homes liked the looks of Century Old House (?) so they preferred the old and original architecture with new materials available. Dapitan has many to offer inspite of being an island at far end of Dipolog City. They have their good beaches which are open to public with cottages accross the shore with enough space and are good for simple occations. Dakak, widely known beach and hotels are just on the other side with a white sand and has many to offer: boatrides, reataurants, diving, etc. Our National Hero- Jose Rizal had a small museum and replica of some houses that he once used when in Dapitan. Trekking is also one good thing to stay fit when i stayed there- it's just my body can't comprehend. ...And one thing enthralled me. Across the beach at night, we're walking ang talking like a normal thing for a friend that's long gone- there !!! A place in a middle of a small typical town- a fenced theme park (and it's not southpark i guess). There's the rides, Automated Teller Machines, Videoke, Restaurants, Bars, i don't know if there's a Disco House in there too, and in a perfect center of those is a masterpiece... Cockpit Arena. Filipino's are fond of watching sabong. It is one part of Philippine History. Truly, my stay in Dapitan makes me think of possibilities that old thing and new ones can be mixed, lived, enjoyed together in a way that they cannot interfere each progress or deter progress (for the common good) due to cultural difference and preservations. If You Have Enough Time, Find A Way To Experience Dapitan- drillö

After All These Years

• It's been quite sometime since the last time i visited my blog. A couple of years or so- Making updates and Spending time in-front of the monitor seemed so difficult by that time. Made myself busy on things that i usually can't define. Hoping that this time around, it'll be more progressive- Good thing i listened once again to music that made my mind to rediscover my treasured past. If you want to try if it has a positive effect on you: click here.