Manila in the Eyes of a Davaoeño

“Horrendous traffic. Very dirty. Crowded. Stressful way of life."

These are some words that my friends use to describe Manila. Some of them discourage me of visiting Manila; they keep on insisting that I should visit Baguio, Batangas or Laguna instead. But I always have this urge to travel and explore Manila. Behind the towering skyscrapers of Makati Central Business District, and the heavily polluted waterways and highways lies the soul of Manila, curled up in her own bed, crying. One misunderstood soul.

Armed with only Php 1,500, I flew to Manila in search of her soul while braving its chaos.

Everlasting Power of Love Waterfalls

There’s this cascading waterfalls located within the highlands of Davao named Epol. For the past years, it had drawn tourists from neighboring towns and cities. I was curious back then about its name. Of ALL possible names, why Epol? Is it because it’s located within the premises of an apple orchard? Does the water taste like apple juice? I did not have any clues or answers about its etymological origin.

Just recently, I learned that Epol is actually an acronym which stands for Everlasting Power of Love Waterfalls.

Now I know the reason why it was named as such.

Fine Dining at Apo View’s Entrée Restaurant

Yesterday, after attending the Kadayawan press conference I had the opportunity to dine at Apo View Hotel’s Entrée Restaurant, one of Davao’s finest buffet restaurants.

The buffet restaurant offers delectable courses – from appetizers to desserts.

Sneek-Peak of Kadayawan Festival

In 2007, the Apo View Hotel celebrated Kadayawan Festival in line with its 60^th anniversary of being one of the country’s premier hotel and the second oldest hotel in the whole Philippines. This year, Apo View Hotel gives you more color to the most-awaited festival as it showcases different tribes and the diverse culture of the island of Mindanao.

The amazing fire dance!

The Kadayawan Fiesta at the Apo View becomes a significant event that Apo View Hotel and its valued guests look forward every year.

Learning Hiligaynon the Hard Way

I started learning basic Hiligaynon last year. Some of my classmates come from Sultan Kudarat, Marbel and General Santos. These provinces are known to be the second home of the Ilonggos. During the late 50s, Mindanao was tagged as the Land of Promise – new home, lots of job opportunities and most of all, a new hope. Migrants coming from Luzon and Visayas have settled in key cities of Mindanao. The Ilonggos have settled in the South Cotabato area.

The Philippines is an archipelagic country. Its culture is so diverse that it had at least 120-175 spoken languages in the country. The top three spoken languages are:
Filipino, Visayan and Hiligaynon.

The Hiligaynon language has this peculiar intonation which pushed me to learn this language. But during the learning process, I had a funny experience about it.

Cheap Accommodations in Davao City

Kadayawan Festival, the King of the Festivals is just around the corner. Flights to Davao are all fully booked as tourists start to flock Davao City. Looking for a comfortable yet affordable stay in the city can be a great challenge for budget travelers.

If you’re looking for a comfortable and at the same time affordable stay in Davao, then you have come to the right place.

Touchdown Davao: A Comprehensive Review of Davao International Airport

Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Francisco Bangoy, Cebuano: Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Francisco Bangoy), also called Davao International Airport (IATA: DVO, ICAO: RPMD) is the primary gateway of Mindanao serving Davao City, the largest city of the Philippines in terms of land area.

(Top picture: Façade of Davao International Airport, photo by yours truly. Bottom left: The infamous Durian monument sits in front of the terminal building created by a Davaoeño artist, Kublai Milan. Photo by George Parillo via Flickr. Bottom Right: The right wing of the terminal building, photo by lightning099 via Flickr.)

I have been to this airport since 1992 and over the years I have witnessed its developments. It had undergone major upgrades from its terminal and cargo buildings to its navigational systems to meet international standards. It had also battled some serious issues about its expansion, survived a bomb explosion that claimed at least 30 innocent lives, and even experienced a few notable air disasters.

But despite these issues, I can truly say that the airport’s image has not been compromised since the start of its operation.

It was my first time, and it didn’t feel good.

I was only seventeen when I had my first experience.

To be honest I did not know what to do or to expect on this particular circumstance. I was excited yet nervous at the same time. If something goes terribly wrong, I might be dead. Dead as a dodo. All I was asking was a great and wonderful experience. No more, no less. And if all else fails, I would gladly accept and face the consequences no matter what.

Armed with only a little knowledge about our destination, a few hundred pesos and a backpack filled with unnecessary stuff, I braved the wilderness and learned a LOT of things aside from collecting data from the transect-quadrat we have made.