gensan

Terrorism. Violence. Fierce People. Those are just some of the words that easily come in mind when we heard of Mindanao. We have come to picture Mindanao in that angle because of the way the media portrayed it. But believe me it is totally untrue.

Mindanao is a must see part of our country. Once you have visited it you would always love to come back. It is a haven of rich nature, cultural legacy and warm people.

I with my brother and sister had the chance to come and see for ourselves this intriguing land of Mindanao. At first, I was a bit unsure and had a little hesitation about safety because of the negative preconceived ideas about the place. I even doodled on the idea of coming across a terrorist, well, just for the fun of it.

When our date of departure came, I have stopped thinking about my worries especially when I observed how things were done at the airport. There were number of ways to go to Mindanao. By land, by sea or by air. We chose the latter because its very fast and convenient. The airport was crowded. It was bustling with activities. Both local and foreign passengers were anxious to be on the holding area where they will wait for the flight. Foreign tourists were all over the place since it was summer. I noticed that the most number of flights were bound to Caticlan,Boracay. It seemed like all roads lead to Bora. I can’t help but wonder how packed the island would be just by looking at all the people who were about to be there.

After three hours we queued to get our boarding passes and passed through the tight security or the standard operating procedures, we finally rested at the holding area and waited for our flight.

In a while we were walking in the tarmac to our aircraft in the midst the gushing wind from the plane’s turbines. For a first time flyer like I was the plane ride was great. It was like a ride in an amusement park. I enjoyed it a lot especially when the plane accelerated on the run way. Little by little the entire city was just a spot clouded by a dark veil of pollutants. Then the plane steadied at 64,000 ft altitude.

Since it was a sunny afternoon, the scene outside the plane’s window was delightful. The clouds of all sorts roam around looked like a mass of gas when up close. The island forms of Southern Tagalog and Visayas were visible too.

After an hour and thirty minutes the cabin crew announced that the plane was about to have its final descent. By that time I had the first peek of Mindanao. The island was in sight. I was pleased with the view. Luscious mountains were all over. The shades of deep greens of the forests were punctuated by the luminance of the deep blue oceans. Above the Cagayan De Oro vicinity I saw the very wide expanse of plantations. The vegetations were planted in exquisite order that it looked perfect from afar. Finally, we reached our destination which was at the southernmost part of our country. General Santos City. It was entirely different from what I have painted on my mind. It was progressive and urbanized but still carries the natural, laid-back ambience

It was a place where the rural and urban settings fuse. The locales generally Visayan speaking were friendly. In terms of food, there was so much to choose from. They offer good choices for sea foods, fruits and vegetables which were always fresh and quite affordable compared with the prices in Luzon.

After some days of roaming through the city we headed on our trip for a vacation at Island City Garden of Samal. The island was a part of Davao. We had a three hour bus ride unto Davao City. We passed through the provinces of Davao Del Sur, Saranggani and Sultan Kudarat.

It was a totally enjoyable ride. The roads were perfectly Alright, fully cemented. The view was simply incredible. The road sides were lined with vegetations and various agricultural crops like pineapple, banana and mangoes. Most of the land areas were covered of plantations but there were also industrial plants.

The setting in Davao City was very much like Manila’s. But it was less polluted, that was why it was called the most livable city in the Philippines. It’s more progressive compared with Gen. Santos City. In the down town, there were long lines of fruit stands.. The aromatic smell of durian drifted through the air

A ten minute boat ride led us to the resort in Samal Island. The island was in full summer bloom. Tourists passed some quiet and relaxing moments at the island. Of course the island was beautiful but I thought some of the beaches here in Aurora were better. The difference was Samal Island was highly developed.

From that experience, I have proven that not all notions about Mindanao were true. The people were friendly and approachable. But I just can’t help then but wonder why a place so far away from the central of our country could have dependable services while our province just nearby is somewhat far behind.

Mindanao was such a great place. It has so much to offer. It can show you multitude of life’s colors. My brief visit was not enough to see its entire splendor. To come back in that incredible place will always be a pleasure since this orient place is a refuge to someone who loves nature and a laid back atmosphere but still posses the urban fascination.

everything changes.

everything passes by.

memories are all left behind.

Mindanao trip with Kuya Roger and Ate Ophel. Summer 2007