2010 saw the birth of Libotero.com which initially featured family trips around Luzon from the previous years. I’ve always had the passion for travel but was limited by my fear of travelling alone. June 2010 marked a breakthrough as I embarked on my first solo trip ever, and to Mindanao at that. From that point up to the end of last year, I was able to visit 5 new provinces in Visayas and Mindanao.

There are various reasons for travelling. As for myself, I’ve always been inspired by these travel shows on television and wanted to personally experience the places away from home, to discover a colorful mix of cultures in different settings, and more.

Travel has shaped me. It made me realize that life can also be about doing things you love, and not just about things you’re supposed to love. This blog is a reflection of how I live the dream and I’d like to grab a few lines from a song, “Believe in the dream, believe in the promise, that you can be all that you wanted to be…”

And so, for the 3rd part of this Year-Ender series, I share to you a round-up of my travels and lifestyle gigs for the 3rd quarter of 2011 (EDIT: Actually September isn’t included in this post. Read why at the end of the page).

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 2 here.

July

July 1 – Kawasaki Leisure Bikes’ Roadgasmic Bikers’ Party 2011 – Kawasaki Motors Philippines landed in Cebu City, taking center stage at Luxx, Vudu for the Kawasaki Leisure Bikes’ Roadgasmic Bikers’ Party 2011. Launched during the 80s themed event were the new Kawasaki KSR 110, Ninja 250R, Vulcan 900, Ninja 650 & Ninja ZX-10R leisure bikes. Vrooom!

July 2 – Hoops Dome Launching – Boxing Champ Manny Pacquiao spearheaded the launching of the 4,000 square meter, world-class Hoops Dome in Gun-ob Lapu-Lapu City by serenading the Oponganons through a free concert with the MP band and singer-composer Lito Camo. The celebration was one of the highlights of the 50th charter anniversary of the city.

July 8 – Oyster Bay Treat – Select Cebu bloggers were invited by Oyster Bay Restaurant to a dinner featuring their delectable seafood offerings. Oyster Bay offers a wide selection of live and fresh fish, crabs and lobsters cooked into delightful dishes. Or you may also choose from Filipino favorites like lechon kawali, bicol express, crispy pata and more! (The Baked Diwal is a must-try!!)

July 9 – The Country Style Fashion Show at Ayala Center Cebu – Shoppers were made to relive and experience the fashion of the American West with “The Country Style Fashion Show”, one of the activities prepared by Ayala Center Cebu as part of the Fil-Am Friendship Celebration. The audience was blown away as models strutted in style wearing items from some of the well-loved stores/boutiques that participated.

July 11 – Sabores de España at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu – Select Cebu bloggers were made to experience another installment of Marco Polo Plaza’s much-loved culinary journey – Sabores de Espana! The Spanish food festival showcased once more the very best that Spain has to offer. Last July 8, Spanish dances, live guitar music and giant ham & paellas jumpstarted the festival at the lobby of Marco Polo Plaza with passionate displays and flamboyant colors. The occasion was be graced by His Excellency Jorge Domecq, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Philippines.

July 14 – Ambassador’s Cafe Experience – Just a few steps away from Oyster Bay Restaurant at Bridges Town Square Mandaue is Ambassador’s Cafe. Select Cebu bloggers were invited to taste their set continental meals and breads. Interestingly, incorporated with the dining area is a “pasalubong” center. Try their pumpkin soup!

July 16 – Gensan once more! – Exactly a year after I first stepped on the SOCCSKSARGEN region, I am back, to experience the T’Nalak Festival 2011 and explore even more areas in the region.

July 17 – Hello Sultan Kudarat! – I believe one of my greatest achievements as a traveler this year is having been able to visit Sultan Kudarat. Only a few people from Luzon and Visayas dare to visit this place because of fear, caused by bad national media publicity. When I texted my parents that I was en route to Sultan Kudarat, the replies were expected. “Is it safe there?”, “Are you kidding? You might be kidnapped!”. “We can’t afford for ransom money” and the like. I was actually fearful myself but the only way to know what is actually going on in there is to go there, so I did. And here is a photo of their majestic Provincial Capitol, probably the best in the country, in terms of form and function. Sadly though, I wasn’t able to explore much of Isulan and Tacurong as it rained just moments after I captured some shots of the Capitol building, but I definitely won’t think twice about visiting the place again in the near future. After my brief visit, I returned to Koronadal for lunch at Fitmart Mall of Marbel (now Gaisano Grand Koronadal) and then attended Kuya Avel and Sir Ariel Lalisan’s Blogging 101 talk. As the talk ended, we explored the streets of Koronadal and visited the Agro-Industrial Fair and the Bahay-Kubo Competition, which are among the highlights of the T’Nalak Festival. While exploring, we bumped into Lake Sebu Mayor Antonio Fungan and had a photo-opp! Feeling a li’l bit tired and hungry, we walked to Popoy’s Batchoy and Eatery, arguably Koronadal’s best! It was getting dark already and we had to catch the last bus bound for General Santos but before that, we grabbed some sweet corn at Rizal Park! Travel time from Koronadal to General Santos takes about an hour. As we arrived at Kuya Avel’s home, we freshened up and rested for a few minutes before having dinner at Tiongson Arcade in Lagao. I swear, the Pinaputok na Tilapia is a must-try! (How many times did I use the word must-try in this post?!) I thought the night was over as we burped after dinner but then, we headed to SunCity Complex for videoke and some drinks at Music City Family KTV, which has 12 private rooms equipped with wide flat screens, two microphones and an updated songlist! High-tech!

July 18 – T’Nalak Festival 2011 – After the Kadayawan Festival last year, this is only the second festival in Mindanao that I’ve experienced and having been to several festivals all over the country, I can say that the T’Nalak Festival has its own charm. Mostly participated by teenage school-children, the festival portrays the very colorful culture in the province. Aside from drum beats, also prominent in the festival is the use of gongs and “kulintang”. The festival celebrates the T’boli’s dream cloth, the T’Nalak.

July 19 – The other side of Sarangani – Last year, I got to explore the eastern towns of Alabel, Malapatan and Glan in Saragani. This time, I explored the western side, thanks to Kuya Avel who made it easier for me by coordinating with Sir Arlex, the tourism officer of the municipality of Maitum. Passing by Maasim and Kiamba, travel time from General Santos takes at least two hours on air-conditioned vans (GT Express). Ranked as a second class municipality, my tour started at the municipal museum and when I reached the second floor, I was very amazed by some unique-looking jars bearing human face and form. Nearly 2000 years old, the anthropomorphic jars recovered from some caves in Maitum serve a very important role in retracing and recovering our country’s once rich cultural heritage. From the municipal hall, Sir Arlex brought me to the Pawikan Nesting Sanctuary in Old Poblacion where I got to meet Danilo Dequiña, a very determined simple man who saved thousands of hatchlings! He helped the local government establish the sanctuary. Along the way, I got to see the black stones in Saub River from where the town got its name. We then proceeded to witness the making of Maitum’s most popular product, which is specially marinated half-dried flying fish (bangsi). After the short eco-cultural tour, Sir Arlex brought me to one of the local households for some refreshments. Interacting with the locals really gave me a heartwarming feeling as I got to discover how they go about on their day-to-day living which was very simple considering that internet access in the area is limited and very expensive! (average per hour rate at internet shops in the area is P50). Sir Arlex offered the town’s shining star at the moment, the tourist-drawing White Water Tubing in Pangi River but I declined since I was alone and wasn’t able to bring extra clothes. I will definitely be back for that though. Finally, I rested for a while at the tourism office before catching the last ride back to General Santos.

July 22 – Sitti at Ayala Center Cebu – The Bossa Nova Queen, Sitti, promoted her newest self-titled album, “Sitti” with 8 new tracks and 3 classical remakes in bossa nova flavor at the activity center of Ayala Center Cebu. Photo-ops and CD-signing were done after the show.

July 27 – Make Your Own Havaianas 2011 at SM City Cebu – Now on its sixth year, Make Your Own Havaianas 2011 was held at the Northwing with the theme, “Travel in personalized style”. The whole MYOH area was set to fit the theme, with “boarding passes” given to each guest during the media/VIP night, and waiting lounges featuring Cebuano furniture. Make Your Own Havaianas is an annual event where you take full control on how your pair of Havaianas flip-flops would look like. You can choose from a palette of soles and straps, and set of accessories.

July 28 – Airphil Express launches direct Cebu-Hong Kong flight – I was very privileged to have been handpicked as one of the four Visayas-based bloggers to be part of the inaugural Cebu-Hong Kong flight of Airphil Express. I really did not know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised as we got in the international terminal as we were greeted with smiling APX crew putting on us an orange orchid necklace. As we moved on to the boarding gate, there was a dragon dance, which made the occasion very festive plus free breakfast buffet for all the maiden flight passengers! After all the speeches and formalities by Airphil Express’ executives, they pulled a piñata shaped as a Chinese lantern which contained a lot of prizes including a round trip ticket for two to the newly-launched destination! Wow! The flight took us almost three hours but we landed in Hong Kong thirty minutes ahead of schedule, a very good start indeed! As soon as we arrived, we proceeded to a room in the Airport World Trade Center for a press briefing with members of the Hong Kong media and also to celebrate the partnership between Airphil Express and its logistics groups and concessionaires in Hong Kong. What’s good about this new offering by Airphil Express is its day schedule so you’d be able to see and appreciate the aerial views of Cebu all the way to Hong Kong. Once more, I’d like to thank Airphil Express for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join an inaugural flight! (P.S. I’m hoping and praying Airphil Express resumes its day flights from Cebu to Singapore!)

August

August 4 – Hello Davao! Hello Abreeza! – One of the highlights of my 3rd time in Davao is a visit to their newest lifestyle destination, Abreeza! Abreeza Mall is the first Ayala Mall in Mindanao, with over 300 stores which include a wide array of retail choices with popular local and foreign fashion concepts, brands opening their first stores in Davao, carefully handpicked dining options and homegrown favorites. The mall showcases relaxed and contemporary architecture blended with signature open spaces and verdant landscaping. Inspired by the rich culture of Davao, the mall makes creative use of color, accenting classic neutral tones. It provides the Davao community with a truly unique and rewarding experience in shopping, dining and entertainment. Don’t laugh at me when I say that the mall is one of the new tourist destinations in the city..

August 6 – Eyeball with Davao Bloggers and SkyscraperCity Davao – Davao is really close to my heart, it’s like another home where I feel light and very secure. I did not prepare any itinerary for this trip as I only wanted to relax and have a few days off from the bustle of my hometown but I took the chance to meet the people who made me appreciate Davao more in their efforts to dispel the Mindanao stereotype, the Davao Bloggers and SkyscraperCity Davao. That day, the Davao Bloggers gathered at Trellis ‘N Vines in Torres for their monthly gathering themed as Geek Up or “skills enhancement” with English Grammar 101 as their topic. Thank you Ate Ria for inviting me to drop by as I learned a few tips to help my writing as well!

Shortly after, I went to Abreeza to meet Jonas, one of SSC-Davao’s active members. For those who don’t know what SSC is, it is actually the largest online forum for those who are enthusiastic about urbanity, progress and development, so if you’re sick and tired of the negative news you see on TV and read on the papers, then log-on to www.skyscrapercity.com and engage in the intellectual discussions! … We then headed to Kuya Ambie’s homey backyard, Landong’s Grill, which hosts regular SSC-Davao meets. After an awesome barbecue dinner, we then proceeded to talk about the latest buzz in Davao at Yellow Hauz and ended the night at the ever-amusing Kasagingan Kapehan!

August 8 – Davao del Norte – Once again, uncooperative weather is a bummer. I was supposed to visit Banana Beach in Tagum but it rained so hard while I was along the way so I had to cancel my plans and just have lunch at the Gaisano Grand Mall in the city. As I returned to Davao City late in the afternoon, I explored Magsaysay Park, a popular area for the locals, to breath some fresh sea breeze. I really appreciate how the Davao City government maintains public parks since these are the only places where majority of our brothers and sisters will be able to unwind without the need to spend a dime.

August 11 – i.We.U. – Marco Polo Plaza Cebu hosted the Networking Lunch for Day 2 of the MICEConvention. Gracing the event was DOT Secretary at that time, Alberto Lim, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos. The best of Marco Polo’s food offerings and coffee were served!

August 22 – Welcome to Paradise! – Only the insanely expensive airfare to/from this place prevented me from visiting this island sooner but thanks to Airphil Express’ P88 promo, I was finally able to conquer the island paradise. Please don’t get mad at me when I declare that Boracay is the best beach because for me, it is. I’m not just talking about the beach itself but also the availability of facilities, establishments and other things to do while in the island. Three days and two nights in the island isn’t enough and so I’ll be back next year!

Where’s September? This post, at two thousand words and counting is already very long and I’m sure a lot of you won’t reach this point, lol, so I’m creating another post dedicated for the festive -ber months! Cheers!

(…to be continued)

Earlier today, I witnessed for the very first time the T’nalak Festival in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. Thirteen contingents which represented each town in South Cotabato (except Polomolok which did not send a contingent) and Koronadal City. The festival is a wonderful display of the rich culture and heritage of South Cotabato.

Here are the results of the recently concluded 12th T’nalak Festival held as part of the 45th founding anniversary celebration of the province:

T’Nalak Festival Street Dancing Results

Kasadyahan sa Kapatagan
CHAMPION: Tupi National High School
1st Runner-Up: Barangay Saravia National High School, Koronadal City
2nd Runner-Up: Barangay San Jose National High School, Banga

Kasadyahan sa Alalan
CHAMPION: Notre Dame of Sto. Niño, Sto. Niño
1st Runner-Up: Norala National Higj School
2nd Runner-Up: Purok Sison Elementary School, Surallah

GRAND SHOWDOWN:
CHAMPION: Liberty Tampakan National High School, Tampakan
1st Runner-Up: Lugan Central Elementary School, T’Boli
2nd Runner-Up: Sta. Cruz Mission School, Inc., Lake Sebu

The winners of the three categories each received a trophy and a cash prize of P125,000 for the champion, P100,000 for the 1st Runner-Up and P75,000 for the 2nd Runner-Up. All the other participating contingents also received a consolation prize of P10,000.

Congratulations on the success of the 12th T’nalak Festival!

Part 11 of the Libotero Northern Mindanao Adventure series.

DAY 2.

When Marc returned, the bag was not with him. So, we decided to go to the city’s van terminal. We learned that there are two van terminals in Marawi from where services to Iligan depart. The first terminal got us negative answers. The group of drivers there suggested that we try to go to the “Jimmy Terminal”.

So we took a tricycle to the “Jimmy Terminal”, only to find out that it was GMA (as in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) Terminal. That amused us in the middle of a tense moment.

At the GMA Terminal, Marc narrated his story to the drivers: the whats, the whens and the hows. It was already past 1pm and we haven’t eaten lunch yet. Marc told us that he’ll just be staying at the terminal to wait for any news about his bag (fyi, the bag contained very important documents like his passport, IDs, expensive gadgets such as a DSLR camera, iPod Touch, cash, etc.) and pushed us to continue exploring the Mindanao State University (MSU) even without him.

For that, Eric and I took another tricycle ride (it was the first time I took the “backride” of a tricycle and I enjoyed it!) and in a few minutes, we found ourselves at the Aga Khan Museum inside the MSU campus. Along the way, we passed by the mansion that Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic built for his wife, celebrity Alma Moreno (but wasn’t able to take photos of it as the tricycle was running at super-high speeds).

Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Arts

As we arrived at the museum, it was already drizzling so we immediately went inside. The museum originally opened in 1962. It was moved to its present site and renamed in 1963 following a donation from His Royal Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. It contains ethnographical artifacts, particularly those connected with the folk arts, featuring the very distinct Maranao culture.

It is a repository of Maranao and other Moro artifacts, which boasts a huge collection of indigenous art and cultural materials, ethnic music, the native tools and weapons used by the Muslims, and houses, including the Torogan, which is the traditional Maranao house, with different artistic designs. It was named so in honor of King Aga Khan who contributed significantly to the realization of the museum. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the museum. The museum is open from 9:00am – 11:30am and 2:00pm – 4:30pm on Mondays to Fridays.

As we exited the museum, it was already raining! So without wasting any time, we took another tricycle, this time bound for the King Faisal Mosque, still within the MSU campus. We told the tricycle driver to just wait for us as we won’t be staying long.

King Faisal Mosque. The mosque was named after the former King of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project, as well as the Islamic Center inside the campus.

We just quickly snapped some photos of the mosque as the rain was getting heavy and then went back to the GMA Terminal.

A mosque in one of the villages in Marawi.

A typical street in Marawi. Most of the traffic is actually just concentrated in the downtown area. That wiped off my bad first impression.

The MSU campus is huge! Probably the size of a barangay…

As we approached the terminal building, we saw Marc, still without his bag. But there was good news though as they were able to trace the driver of the van and that he was already on his way back to Marawi, from Iligan. Great! A few minutes later, Marc already got his bag back! We all felt very relieved.. Phew! For that, it was time to leave Marawi.

Exiting Marawi…

We were only able to explore Marawi for a few hours but we learned a lot and instantly fell in love with the place. All my doubts about the safety of the area was erased, but ofcourse, one has to always practice caution, anytime, anywhere… I’ll definitely be going back to Marawi as there are still a lot of areas that I have yet to explore. I love Marawi and I’ll be back soon but how soon is soon? Maybe next year?

Anyway, we took a van back to Iligan and we arrived there at around 5pm. It was still raining and we didn’t have time to visit the majestic waterfalls of Iligan anymore..

The three of us have not eaten anything since breakfast! So as soon as we arrived in Iligan, we rushed to Dunkin’ Donuts to munch on a Bunwich and some donuts. Just as we took our last bite, a bus bound for Ozamiz arrived and it was time to say goodbye to Iligan City. See you soon!

From the Iligan Bus Terminal, the bus went straight to Mukas Port in Kolambungan, Lanao del Norte. Travel time was at least an hour. We then took a Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) Barge to Ozamiz. The RORO trip took another 30 minutes. It was already past 7pm when we arrived in Ozamiz City.

(…to be continued)

Part 10 of a series.

DAY 1.

After a successful search for the perfect midnight snack, Vjandep Pastel, we headed back to the hotel and indulged on the yema-filled buns! Yummm! It feels like heaven! In a few minutes, we consumed the whole box and we then proceeded to regular programming, blogging!

We ended the night early though as we anticipated the next day to be long and exciting.. Weee! Zzzzz…

DAY 2.

The second day of the Libotero Northern Mindanao Adventure started quite early. By 7am, we were already at the West-bound Terminal of Cagayan de Oro City. We took an air-conditioned bus to Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. Upon arrival at the Iligan Bus Terminal, we immediately had breakfast in one of the carinderias in the area. I had beef steak and it was great! There’s really some truth to the saying that the best food can be found in the “cheapest” places. Meanwhile, Eric had fried chicken and fish kinilaw and Marc had chicken adobo.

After we had breakfast, we took a “taxi” to the Jeepney Terminal. We paid for a fixed rate of P100 but it was quite reasonable as the jeepney terminal was quite far away. As we arrived at the Jeepney Terminal, we took a van bound for the Islamic City of Marawi in Lanao del Sur! Travel time was approximately 45 minutes. The road to Marawi is 100% paved. I was impressed! Now who said that Mindanao is so behind and that Luzon has all the infrastructure projects? I’d just like to share that the roads to Baler, Aurora (which will be featured here in the next few days) are nothing compared to the road to Marawi. Media’s stereotyping of Mindanao has really painted a bad image on the island, unfortunately. I am writing this post in an effort to help repaint that image,… to bring TRUE awareness of what’s really happening there. Anyway, halfway through the van ride, we passed by a checkpoint where the road was made one way with more than ten army men holding long firearms and there were a lot of cars parked along the sides of the highway. I didn’t know what that was about though as there was no ongoing road repair.. Hmmm… But I really cringed that very moment as it was the first time I saw a lot of army men, all of them with long firearms… After we passed through the checkpoint, everything seemed normal so I really don’t have an idea what that was about.

Marawi wasn’t actually included in our itinerary when we were planning it a few months back. But when Eric realized that our Northern Mindanao trip fell on the week of Eid’l Fitr, we decided to go since we heard that it is one of the occasions when Marawi is at its safest and most peaceful, despite our friends warning us not to go as Marawi is one of the “most unsafe” places in the Philippines, or so they say. The van brought us to the city’s downtown area and I was very much surprised of the city’s traffic situation. Heavy-bumper-to-bumper-traffic, even worse than EDSA! It was almost a virtual parking lot… That was quite bad for a first impression but I was still open-minded and hopeful to see the beautiful side of Marawi.

When we realized that we’ll be getting to nowhere if we’d still wait for the van to reach the terminal in downtown area, we disembarked, in the middle of the road. When we got out of the van, we felt like we were transported to a different world! First, the language, Maranao, I couldn’t understand even a single word. Second, the environment, Marawi is predominantly Muslim and we had to be really careful. We started to walk towards one huge mosque when suddenly, Marc cried out! One of his bags was left in the van!

All of us panicked! Marc went back to the place where we disembarked hoping to find the van while Eric and I waited for him in front of the mosque. We really worried for him.

Marawi’s population is dominated by Muslims, at 92%.

Anyway, while waiting for him, we just took photos of the mosque, Jameo Dansalan.

(…to be continued)

Part 9 of a series.

DAY 1.

After a sumptuous dinner at Kagay-anon Restaurant, we went inside Limketkai mall in the search for the ultimate Northern Mindanao dessert… VJANDEP PASTEL!

Unfortunately, the supermarkets (there are two inside the mall: Plaza Fair and Robinsons) ran out of pastel but they advised that we try to go to Divisoria so without further hubbub, we got out of the mall and took a cab to Divisoria.

Plaza Divisoria (also called Golden Friendship Park) was built in the early 1900′s as a town divider or fire breaker after a great fire that almost burned down the entire town. It is now a park dedicated to local and national heroes. Every Friday and Saturday night, Divisoria’s streets are closed to traffic and are filled with stalls selling food and other dry goods, transforming it into a bargain hunter’s paradise!

In the search for the Vjandep Pastel, which was now or never for us, we hopped from one stall to another. Most of the stalls only carried the other brand, which was not what we were looking for. We were almost becoming hopeless until we reached the last stall, and fortunately, they had Vjandep Pastel! For that, we bought 1 box for our midnight snack.

VJANDEP means Virgilio Jose AND Eleonor Popera, the business owners. It comes from Camiguin but they also have a branch in Cagayan de Oro City.

(…to be continued)

Part 8 of a series.

DAY 1.

After taking some photos and offering some prayers at the St. Augustine Cathedral, we realized that it was dinner time… So from there, we took a jeepney bound for Limketkai Mall.

Eric opened the idea about eating an ostrich! At first, my reaction was like, eww!, but then in the end, I decided to give it a try. So we went to Kagay-anon Restaurant, a famous local restaurant.

When we arrived, there wasn’t much people but a few minutes later, the restaurant was full! We were surprised that the restaurant could actually get full on a weekday

FUN FACT: Did you know that Kagay-anon Restaurant was selected as among the top ten restaurants in the Philippines with the best Pinakbet? (we didn’t get to try it though)

We ordered their specialty, the exotic Ostrich Salpicao

Ostrich meat just tastes like BEEF! Cool!

Sizzling Bangus Fillet, which was very garlicky-good…

Sweet and Sour Pork

The food wasn’t something to rave about but it’s good enough and it’s reasonably priced too. So if you’re adventurous enough to try on some ostrich meat, then you must visit Kagay-anon Restaurant, located at the 2nd level of Rosario Arcade, Limketkai Complex, Cagayan de Oro City.

Phone:+63 (88) 856-3688

(…to be continued)

Part 7 of a series.

DAY 1.

Just across the Cagayan de Oro City Hall Complex is the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

St. Augustine Cathedral. A wooden Cross erected in 1888 by the Augustinian Recollect missionaries can be seen standing in front of the Church.

Originally built with coral stones imported from China in 1845, the Church was destroyed during World War II. Inspired by Gothic architecture, the present cathedral was built in 1946 by Archbishop James T.G. Hayes, the first bishop of Cagayan de Oro.

The Jubilee Door

Inside the Cathedral are rare priceless stained glass windows that came from the chapel of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of New York and are the works of well-known masters.

An altar of the Crucified Lord at the left side of the Church entrance

The interiors. A mass was going on during our visit so I did not take much photos so as not to disrupt the solemn ceremony.

(…to be continued)

Part 7 of a series.

DAY 1.

From the Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol, we wanted to go to the Cagayan de Oro City Hall so from where we were standing, we took a jeep bound for Divisoria and from Divisoria, we walked two blocks to get to the City Hall.

Cagayan de Oro City Hall

Bordered by J. Seriña and Capistrano Sts., the then municipal hall was inaugurated on August 26, 1940. Cagayan de Oro was upgraded to a city on 1950 thus it became the City Hall. The building has survived World War II and was just recently renovated.

(…to be continued)

Part 6 of a series.

DAY 1.

After communing with nature at the Gardens of Malasag, we instructed our taxi driver to bring us to Limketkai Mall, the largest mall in the city. There, we bought some personal needs but we didn’t stay long and just took another cab to bring us to the Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol.

Cagayan de Oro City is the capital of the Province of Misamis Oriental so it is home to the provincial capitol, the province’s seat of government.

Built sometime in 1948-1950, the Provincial Capitol Building features American Colonial Architecture

Located in front of the Provincial Capitol is the Vicente de Lara Park. Named after a former governor, the park features age-old mahogany trees that provide a therapeutic shade for the promenades. The park is a popular jogging area during the morning. In the evening, it simply becomes a place to laze away, a sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. I LOVE how parks in Mindanao’s major cities are very-well maintained. Congratulations to the people of Cagayan de Oro, Davao and General Santos!

FUN FACT: The park was formerly called MacArthur Park, named after American soldier Douglas MacArthur.

Improvement works on the park are still ongoing.

Standing on the middle of the park and unveiled just a few months ago is the Heritage of Misamis Oriental Monument.

The Heritage of Misamis Oriental Monument was sculpted by Eduardo Castrillo, the man behind the People Power Monument in EDSA. Sculptured with his constructivism method, the monument depicts the historical, socio-cultural and economic transformation of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro. The work of art is an attempt to capture the participation of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro residents in the Philippine revolution during the Spanish and American regimes, as personified by their leaders Don Apolinar Velez and Don Nicolas Capistrano, and of good governance represented in the monument by the late Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez. The symbolic sculptural tableau includes a mosaic of respected well-known leaders and statesmen, a Higa-onon woman with a child, a Muslim maiden playing an indigenous musical instrument, professional migrants, and historical landmarks such as the Cagayan de Oro river, Saint Augustine Cathedral and Xavier University. All the human figures are in double life-size intricately sculptured out of number 14 and 16 thick brass sheets while the 14×14-meter base was formed out of the original obelisk enhanced by fine tiles and mosaic glass.

Anyway, when we were about to leave the Provincial Capitol complex, I didn’t fail to notice the heavy traffic congestion along Velez Street that has been ongoing since the early afternoon…

Traffic… not good.

I hope the city government does something about it as though traffic may be an indication of progress, it is generally bad for the our health and the health of the world we live in.

(…to be continued)

Part 5 of a series.

DAY 1.

Immediately after our super late lunch at Slers Ham and Cafe, we hired a cab that would take us to the Gardens of Malasag. Since it was located quite far from the city proper and there was no public transport available in the area, we asked the driver to wait for us and bring us back to the city. We contracted him for P400.

Softly perched on the slopes of the Cugman Watershed in Cagayan de Oro City is a cultural, natural and ecological destination suitably called the Gardens of Malasag Eco-Cultural Village.

Covering approximately 7.2 hectares, the eco-tourism village features prominent eco-trails, which connects to 800 hectares of reforested area, perfect for those who love to trek!

The village also offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Macajalar Bay.

From the name of the place itself, would you be able to guess what the main offering of Gardens of Malasag is?

GARDENS ofcourse! An impressive wide array of different types of flowers..

Aside from the natural attractions, the village also gives visitors a glimpse of the rich ethnic heritage of Northern Mindanao.

The streets at Gardens of Malasag are named after Datus

A bahay-kubo featuring the customs, traditions, and practices of the indigenous Talaanding Tribe of Bukidnon

If you plan to pay a visit to the Gardens of Malasag, try to do it in the early morning or in the late afternoon when it is not too hot so you can enjoy strolling around, trekking, appreciating nature and the culture of Northern Mindanao.

The Gardens of Malasag is operated by the Philippine Tourism Authority. For more information about the eco-tourism village, you may proceed here

The Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village is 30 minutes away from the Cagayan de Oro (Lumbia) Airport.

(…to be continued)