Distinct dwellers of Davao City

Map of Davao del Sur (photo from the web)

In nature Davao City is clustered with the province of Davao del Sur and the center of Metro Davao, positioned in the southeastern section of the Philippines. Davao City is administered autonomously from Davao del Sur and acknowledged as the main commercial and industry hub of Mindanao. Apart from being the most crowded city in Mindanao area, Davao City is also considered as the largest city of the Philippines with respect to its territory.

Philippine eagle

Mt. Apo (photo from the web)

Waling-waling (photo from the web)

With its substantial land area, Davao City has distinct dwellers. For one, the place is home to the highest mountain of the country, Mt. Apo. Endemic to Davao is the country’s pride and considered the largest eagle in the world yet critically in danger of extinction, the Philippine eagle. Davao is also a habitat to Euanthe sanderiana, a flower of the orchid family known as Waling-waling in the Philippines and hailed as the “Queen of Philipine Flowers”. Waling-waling is said to be worshipped by the Bagobo, one of the indigenous tribes in Davao, as a “diwata” or fairy.  

Japanese tunnel (photo from the web)

Japanese tunnel (photo from the web)

Davao City was referred to as “Davaokuo” or Little Tokyo sometime in the past when there used to be Japanese dwellers in the city. In fact, one of the tourist attractions in the city is a tunnel that showcases the Japanese occupation in Davao. It is such an interesting trivia that the local officials want to relive to attract more tourists in Davao.

 

dancing fountain (photo from the web)

Other places of interest in the city include the Philippine Eagle Foundation and Nature Center that nurture this endangered specie; the Davao Crocodile Park which aside from crocodiles also showcases variety of wildlife; Malagos Garden Resort for the Waling-waling flowers; Eden Nature Park which offers activities such as camping, trekking, horseback riding, fishing and zip line; and the People’ Park, expansive and breezy that attracts visitors with its dancing fountain. And although not directly part of the city but part of Metro Davao, Samal Island, an island city situated near the city's coast in the Davao Gulf, is known for its beaches and the highly recommended Pearl Farm Beach Resort.

 The city is also known as the “Fruit Basket of the Philippines” and “Durian Capital of the Philippines” and fruits such as Durian, Pomelo and Mangosteen are plentiful and generally cheaper in the city. 

Durian (photo from the web)

 This particular city in Mindanao is very accessible to its visitors. Davao City airport is in fact the busiest airport in Mindanao and has direct flights to major Philippine cities like Cebu and Manila.

Vigan, the heritage city of Ilocos Sur

Map of Ilocos Sur (photo from the web)

One of the many interesting places worth visiting and recently pinned the Philippines across the globe as one of the “New Seven Wonders Cities of the World” last December 2014 is the heritage city of Ilocos Sur - Vigan City, the provincial capital of this particular province in northern part of the archipelago. 

Among the striking feature and major attraction of the place is its best preserved Spanish colonial district which encompasses the preservation of Spanish-style residential, institutional, commercial and religious structures that earned Vigan’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Traversing Vigan’s Calle Crisologo, a cobblestone-covered street wizened with heritage houses and the hub of this illustrious district is like a transitory spell, a glimpse in the distant past and a brief affair of reliving history. Visitors can find sizable collection of cultural treasures like centuries-old paintings and sculptures and repository of mementos in the old mansions turned museums along this celebrated street. Beyond doubt, the city inscribes and imparts the rich history of the country.

 

old church in Vigan City (photo from the web)

 

 

Other must-see attractions in Vigan City are the equally interesting old churches, the Bantay Belfry which is built in 1591 and said to be the locals’ watchtower, and the Buluarte Vigan, a privately-owned mini zoo that houses animals endemic in the country. The city also offers must-try food like the mouth-watering, crunchy “bagnet” and a tasty delight street food “empanada” a turnover with vegetable and meat filling.

"bagnet" (photo from the web)

"empanada" (photo from the web)

Visiting the heritage city of Ilocos Sur is easy with the scheduled land trips from Manila and a transit point Laoag City, an hour and a half drive which has airport that has scheduled flights from Manila or Cebu. 

Leyte: lives to tell the tale

Map of Leyte (photo from the web)

Leyte is part of the Eastern Visayas region of the country. Long before its capital Tacloban City was largely damaged by typhoon Haiyan last November 2013 which set the province across the globe, Leyte lives to tell the tale of World War II’s turning point. The province became a momentous landmark shared by the Philippines and the USA. The Mac Arthur Landing Memorial Park in Palo, Leyte memorialized the historic come back of General Douglas Mac Arthur to the Philippines shore.  

 

Aerial view of San Juanico Bridge (photo from the web)

San Juanico Bridge (photo from a friend)

Another place of interest in the province is the arch-shaped truss design San Juanico Bridge. It is the longest bridge in the country with a length of more than 2 kilometers connecting the provinces of Leyte and Samar which also offers picturesque views of San Juanico Strait with its whirlpools and the flanking islets. Sadly, typhoon Haiyan has in some extent damaged this iconic infrastructure.

 Sto.Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum in Tacloban City on the other hand, is a repository of magnificence. While the museum was spoiled by typhoon Haiyan and warrants repair, it still has a lot to showcase. Visitors can come across plush bits and pieces in vast collections.

Pope Francis in Tacloban City (photo from the web)

Pope Francis during his homily at Tacloban City (photo from the web)

The recent papal visit of Pope Francis in Tacloban City last January 2015 denotes the province is on the road to recovery and still lives to tell the tale of one of the strongest typhoon ever recorded. The airport of Tacloban City plays a significant role of this historic event not just for Leyte but the country as a whole.  It is where the locals and pilgrims gathered together to welcome Pope Francis in Tacloban City.

Apart from the airport in Tacloban City which serves its public and visitors with regular flights from Manila or Cebu, the province can also be reach through ferries from nearby provinces like Cebu or by land passing thru San Juanico Bridge from Luzon provinces.

Swift side trip in Surigao del Sur

Map of Surigao del Sur  (photo from the web)

My first glimpse of Surigao del Sur was not prearranged officially but spur-of-the-moment. In fact it was a fortunate event for wanderlust like me. 

The stopover was as quick as the decision took place to include the province in our route mainly because of the two particular attractions, the Enchanted River in the town of Hinatuan and Tinuy-an Falls in the City of Bislig. While it was categorically spontaneous in nature – a swift side trip, it was undeniably one of the many impressive travels I have in Mindanao. And obviously it was an awesome experience. 

 

The Enchanted River got its name because of the many local talks and mysteries that veiled its spectacular beauty. Its brackish water is a prismatic variation of colors which reflect the depth of the water.  

 

Known as the Niagara Falls of the Philippines, Tinuy-an Falls is just as eye-catching that flaunted its multi-tiered cascading waterfalls.  This white water curtain in Mindanao is classified as the widest waterfalls in the country and one of the most visited attraction of the province.

Surigao del Sur is located in the eastern coast of Mindanao and faces the Pacific Ocean. It can be reached by land from two transit points Davao City and Butuan City which have airports that have scheduled flights from Manila or Cebu. 

Priceless adventure and praises for Palawan

Map of Palawan (from the web)

Located in the westernmost part of the country, Palawan is one of the island provinces that set the Philippines on the map. Dubbed as the “Philippines last biodiversity frontier”, this province is a sanctuary to marine and terrestrial endangered species and home to two World Heritage sites declared by UNESCO – the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, also recently named as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Indeed, this largest yet unspoiled island is one of our country’s prides showcasing verdant jungles, teeming mangrove swamps, extraordinary biodiversity coral reefs, spectacular karsts limestone and the world’s longest underground river. And I am one of the millions who guarantee of these offerings.

Trekking under the canopy of thick forest that even the tropical sunlight barely reaches the foliage’s moist ground, was one of the many fun memories I have of Palawan’s best. Traversing the mangrove swamps where I have a first glimpse of a Kingfisher (bird specie) and a yellow-striped black snake coiled around a mangrove twig were equally remarkable experience, too. And aside from the intense excitement in island hopping, the underground river tour top and sealed our short but priceless adventure in Palawan.

Definitely we will have another round exploring the rest of this fascinating island, adding to our already fun-filled and lifelong memories of the place and hopefully that will be arranged soon.

With the regular flights from Manila or Cebu, Palawan is quite accessible to its growing visitors with the two airports located in Puerto Princesa City and Coron.