Bukidnon's Tribes

In less than a month, Bukidnon will be celebrating it's annual Kaamulan Festival -- the coming together of the seven native tribes of Bukidnon.  These tribes are the Bukidnon, Manobo, Matigsalug, Talaandig, Higa-onon, Umayamnon, and Tigwahanon.  Each of these groups has it's own signature mark, as follows (taken from http://kleomarlo.multiply.com/journal/item/25):

1.  Bukidnon - Contrary to what their name implies, these are actually lowland people, those who have adapted to Christian ways and modern living.

2.  Manobo - The most widespread of all Bukidnon tribes, they can be found mainly in the municipalities of Pangantucan, Kalilangan and Kadilingan, with roots in Don Carlos, Kitaotao, Kibawe, Quezon and Damulog.  They have developed their own archaic language which cannot be understood by the other tribes.

3.  Matigsalug - Basically river people, they live along the Salug River in San Fernando.

4.  Talaandig - The tribe's women are expert embroiderers and patchwork-makers, producing beautifully colored bead jewelry and materials.  The people are semi-sedentary, living mostly on the sale of their handmade products and agriculture.  They are found in Talakag.

5.  Higa-onon - Identified as the most common tribe, the people have migrated as far as Misamis Oriental and  Agusan del Sur, but have remained peaceful with agriculture as their main source of income.  They still practice their traditional dances and rituals wherever they are.

6.  Umayamnon - The nomadic branch of the Manobo tribe, they live near the Umayam River and specialize in beadwork and brass jewelry.

7.  Tigwahanon - They live along the Tigwa River and in the Tigwa-salug Valley and are known as the traders among the ethnic groups.

The Kaamulan Festival will showcase Tribal Culture and Arts (February 27) and will highlight their Ethnic Dances (March 6) and Ethnic Sports (March 8).  The festival itself will open on February 18 and will close on March 10, the day Bukidnon became a province in 1917.  (see also Kaamulan 2010 Activities at BukidnonOnline)

Cultural immersion anyone?

The Flying Gecko a.k.a. The Flying Habalhabal

FOR CURRENT NEWS AND UPDATES ON THE FLYING GECKO, PLEASE GO TO www.islandswanderlustours.wordpress.com


Almost every other day now, we hear this motorcycle sound coming down the road.  We expect it to drive right past but instead... it flies over us!  This is the Ultra Light Plane piloted by our own neighbor, Cal Frias, who just moved here last August 2009, after retiring from work in the US.  Yes, he is Filipino who has come home.  He has always enjoyed flying and while he was still living in the US, had bought this aircraft so that he could take it for a spin during his free time.  Well, since he's been here, everyday is his free time, so he goes up and explores the world from above.

Watch the Flight of the Eagle

Watch the Flight of the Eagle

But flying by himself is boring, he says, so he invites his neighbors and friends to fly with him.  He doesn't charge much, just pay for his gas.  He declared, if he could fly for free, why not?  Ed and I went up in December.  You know, my husband and I love to travel, see new places, experience new things.  I think we've seen about 90% of the whole province of Bukidnon already... but, I'm sad to correct myself, we haven't.  Because when we went flying that beautiful day last December 9, we realized we haven't really seen anything.  The view up there is AMAZING!

Watch the Flight of the Eagle

If you want to try it, contact me -Gina- at La Montana Tours & Vans or message me in Facebook (Account Name:  ISLANDS WANDERLUST) so that we can have you booked into Cal's fully-booked schedule.  Cost is P1,000 per person (includes a 20-minute flight and warm breakfast on the airfield).

Fly Like the Eagle!!!

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 7)

We left the boys (Joey, Chi and Maxie, Joey's friend) out on the waves and Father Cid brought us girls (Mama, Maite and me) and Ed to the Gold Bar Restaurant to have lunch.  Let's see, what did we have?  Binagoongang rice, fresh lumpia, tinolang malasugi, and tilapia.  And like any gracious host, he wouldn't let us pay... he wouldn't even let us see the chit, claiming all he had to do was sign it and we were done.

By this time, the beach house was ready and cleaned so Ed dropped us off there.  After that, he went about returning Father Cid to the convent and picking up the tired surfers and bringing them to the house.  It was easy to laze away the afternoon, with the cool ocean breeze and the sound of the surf in the distance.  As the sun was setting, we went out for a dip.  The water was amazing!  It was so calm, so clean and so clear!  That night, we had dinner on the beach (crabs, prawns, clams and chopsuey), courtesy again of our host and drinks (red wine) at the house of the Provincial Tourism Officer.  Unfortunately, we couldn't really keep up with the developments because we were all soooo sleeeeeepy.

The next morning, January 6, we were served breakfast again on the beach and then we had to say our sad goodbyes to Father Cid and Maxie, with the solemn promise that we would be returning soon.  Our trip was finally coming to an end and we would be on the road back to Bukidnon.  We took the shortcut at Lianga, through the mountains dividing Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur and came out just outside Prosperidad.  We headed north until Butuan City where we had our lunch (at around 1:00pm) at a restaurant called Rosario's.  Then, with a short side trip to the new Suspension Bridge, we were on our way.  We made good time and arrived home at around 6:00pm.

Joey departed for Manila early the next morning...  And so another turning point in our lives as travel coordinators has developed, and so begins another chapter in our journey to know the Philippines!

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 6)

We were really leaving the next day, January 5.  It was raining and surfers were being discouraged to go out on the water.  So, off we went.  Our departure time was 6:45am.  By 7:45, we had entered the city limits of Tandag, and after correcting a wrong turn, we arrived at the Sacred Heart Cathedral.  Bishop Cid was ready and waiting with our smörgåsbord breakfast of scrambled egg, ginisang ampalaya, ham, bread, peanut butter, fried rice and our choice of coffee or chocolate.  Then, since we had a bit of time to spare, and Joey wanted to visit the owner of his outlet in the city, Father Cid graciously offered to be our guide.

First, we made a surprise (we were the ones who were surprised) courtesy call to the Provincial Capitol.  Father Cid directed us to the Tourism Office where we saw the many tourist sites of Surigao del Sur -- Casarica Island, Campamento Cave, Britania Island, Enchanted River, Iron Mountain, Mangkagangi Bat Island, Cagwait White Beach, and Tinuy-an Falls.  It did not look like we would be able to see any of them as our planned route would take us into Agusan del Sur via a shortcut, but at least we had an idea where to go for our next visit (very soon).  Then we went straight through to the Governor's Office, told him of our proposed tourism activities, had our picture taken, and out again.  One thing for sure, by the time we were back out into the sunshine, we had certainly made an impression of the Governor.  And, Father Cid had made a most favorable impression on us.

Then, we went to the best surfing spot in Tandag (in front of the Tandag Polytechnic School).  Joey was ready to go in and had already prepared his surfboard and bag for immediate use.  While we were watching his excitement, Father Cid asked why we weren't staying overnight, when there were many sights to see in the city? We were tempted; I was free until the 6th but I was concerned with Chi and Maite's daughter and business back in Malaybalay.  After a short conference, the couple decided that one more day wouldn't be too long for their daughter to wait.  So the priest directed us to a house along the beach which he said he was allowed to use whenever he has guests.  The house turned out to be the private beach house of the mayor of Tandag City.

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 5)

It's a good thing we decided to stay, for we still hadn't seen the surf shop that made bamboo surfboards, the Agsam handicraft shop, and the famous seafood restaurant near Carrascal.
 

Bamboo surfboards?  I couldn't imagine, but there it was, and true enough, there were surfboards made from bamboo weaving hung out to dry.  You can check out their website at www.bamboosurfing.com.  Then we drove to the shop of Norma Roz de Lara, maker of agsam novelties.  Agsam is the name of a tree found in the forests of Surigao which grows long, brown aerial vines, and these are what are used to make beautiful, organic jewelry such as necklaces, chokers, bracelets, anklets and earrings.  My mom bought a tissue holder while Joey put in an order and requested to have his logo woven into the items.  For orders, just email rosamaebautista@yahoo.com.  Well, it started to rain and it was getting dark, so we headed out to the restaurant we were told that we shouldn't miss eating at.  Turns out it was almost an hour's drive back the way we came (towards the Iron Mountain).  Mayor Geri and Joy arrived just after we had ordered and sat down. The food was delicious, freshest as usual -- fish tinola, adobong shell ('five fingers'), pinakbet and grilled fish.  Sorry I'm not good with names of fish and I have no pictures.  But the place was called JC2 Seafood Haus and it was a good send-off.

Incidentally, we mentioned to the mayor that we were passing through Tandag on our way home.  He said, "That's great!  I'll turn you over to my brother who is the Bishop there and he will take care of you."  He texted him and called him and no matter how we tried to decline, we now had a host for the next day.

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 4)

Because we were short of daylight, we weren't able to see the Lanuza Marine Park and Fish Sanctuary, however, our gracious hosts, Mayor Geri and his wife, Joy, invited us over for dinner at the View Deck.  Just our group and the couple, along with their little daughter, and our guide, Hannah.  Fare was simple -- native chicken tinola, kinilaw, steamed shrimps, steamed crabs, grilled bangus, boiled shell, and for dessert, their delicacy, gabi embotido... Everything was fresh and delicious.  Afterwards, drinks were brought out and talk turned to shop (plans to turn Lanuza into a tourist destination for both surfers and non-surfers - more later).

The next day, January 4, dawned bright and hot, and we got ready to leave.  To say we had heavy hearts was an understatement and Joey, especially, was trying to get as much time on the waves as he could.  Hannah and the other municipal guides came by to bring us to the White House.  Before I go into its description, let me explain something first.  Mayor Geri's family was one of the oldest in Lanuza and his mother had been the previous mayor for 9 consecutive years.  He, in turn, has been the mayor for 15 years -- two terms the first time, then now on his third term the second time.  Talk about doing a good job!  Anyway, so we were going to visit the White House, which turns out to be the ancestral home of Mayor Geri.  In fact, his great-aunts still live there and maintain it.  Many of the bric-a-brac and Filipino clothing had been arranged in glass cabinets to protect them from dust and weathering.  All the original rooms were clean and showed signs of loving care.  All their old-fashioned appliances (flat iron, rice and coffee grinders, lanterns, etc.) were grouped together in an attractive display and meticulously cleaned daily.  Wow!

It was after the tour of the house, as we were enjoying the snacks the Aunts served us, that they convinced us (as if we needed convincing) to stay one more day.  There was still so much for us to see, sayang lang daw because we were already there.  Predictably, as soon as Joey heard the news, he changed clothes and disappeared in the direction of the ocean.  =)

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 3)

Speaking of surprises, did I mention that I found a weak internet signal in the homestay?  I had brought along my laptop so my camera phone's memory card wouldn't fill up.  Well, after traveling seven hours over 'uncharted' territory, I had accumulated over 200 digital images (many of these images will find their way into my blog over the next few weeks) and we still had two more days to go.  So the next morning, January 3, I switched on my laptop and waited for it to be ready for loading.  After a few minutes, I noticed the icon for WLAN had lit up.  I gave in to curiosity and clicked on it.  It was an unknown signal and the status was 'very low', but it was steady and I was able to open my email and update my Facebook.  For free!  Cool!  (Should I have informed them that they might want to charge for the wifi?  Hehe)

Mayor Geri (of Lanuza) had arranged a guide for us so we could explore the surrounding tourist sites.  This gave Chi-Chi and Maite the idea that we could develop activities which non-surfers could do as well.  This morning, we went to Campamento Cave and Silop Spring.  The cave had been used as a hiding place during the second World War and was so well-preserved that I was glad I agreed to join the group.  One thing though, as is true for any cave I have entered, was the humidity.  Which was why, I was happy to note, that when we exited about an hour later and went directly to the spring, the fresh, fresh, and clear water was a welcoming sight!  Even the carabaos thought so, I think!

In the afternoon there was a little delay in schedule because we had to wait for the surfers to return.  We now had two of them -- Joey and Chi-Chi, who, after his first lesson yesterday, became almost as enthusiastic as my brother.  So we were able go to Magkawas Falls at about 5:00 already.  The bright side was, we didn't make the trek under the hot sun and my mom was able to walk the whole distance AND BACK with minimal assistance.  How's that for a 78-year-old Lola?

I shall let the pictures do the talking, shall I?

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 2)

When we arrived in Lanuza a little after noon, several things struck me as odd.  First was that we had been cruising at a reasonable speed along the highway and had to stop suddenly because it appeared we had just entered a subdivision.  We were about to backtrack when Joey turned the van onto a road that led to the ocean, which was only meters away from where we were.  Of course, Joey got out immediately to check out the waves and we (Ed, Chi-Chi and I) got out to take pictures.  My brother then communicated with his friend, who was the Mayor of the town, and we were instructed to go to a certain house.  When we got there, I got my second and third surprises.  One, the mayor was a young man (I guess my image of "mayor" is a tad old-fashioned, that he/she must be older) and two, the house he was directing us to was to be our 'hotel' or homestay.

What is a homestay?  Instead of looking for capital and constructing new buildings, the local government unit decided to convert their old houses into vacation homes, much like in the US.  They are actually fully-furnished houses whose occupants find the space too big for their own use, so they let out rooms to travelers, or surfers, in this case.  How much is the rent?  Oh, just the minimal fee of P200/head/night.  It's a municipal ordinance; we were impressed.  The house we were given was owned by the mayor's aunt.  So we chose our rooms, brought in our bags and settled in... at least the rest of us did.  Joey disappeared immediately.  Hehe, well, it was to be expected.  After all, we did come to this far place because he wanted to chase some waves.

Anyway, later in the afternoon, when the sun wasn't too hot, Ed and I decided to explore.  The town proper wasn't very big and you could walk right around it in just a few minutes.  There was a small plaza, with a basketball court and the municipal hall, a small market and an eatery right next to it.  Then I got my fourth surprise.  The main highway tapered to a narrow two-lane road and appeared to end just a couple of blocks from our homestay.  When we walked over to the corner, the road turned to the right and widened again as it flowed on out of the town.

All in all, it is a quaint place to be.  Everybody knows everybody, even the bus drivers and jeepney drivers.  Everyone had a smile even for visitors like us.  It was pleasant to see a family set up a banana cue stand just around the corner from our homestay and as the afternoon became evening, all their bananas were bought by none other than their neighbors.  We ate dinner at the small eatery.  At around 6:48 pm, there was an earthquake.  The ground shook, the eatery shook and we could hear the stones from the beach shaking.  We were looking for something sturdy to hide under, yet, the people sitting at the next table didn't even react.  So we asked them if earthquakes were a common occurrence...  They said yes.  Okay, no worries.

Road Trip: Lanuza (Part 1)

This trip to Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, had been suggested last November but we really didn't know what to expect.  All we were interested in was that when my brother, Joey, has a destination in mind -- especially one which we haven't been to yet -- we wanted to go, too.  It turned out that, not only did he intend to go there to surf, but also to determine if his expertise in events management could be put to good use for the promotion of a relatively unknown destination.

We set off at 5:00 am on the chilly morning of January 2, 2010.  We were: Joey, Chi-Chi and Maite Abellanosa, Edgar (driving) and myself, and Mama.  Chi-Chi and Maite are close family friends who also work as sports events organizers and trainers for safety programs based in Malaybalay City.  They, too, had never been to that part of Mindanao and were only too willing to join us on this excursion.  Who knows?  Maybe their knowledge and experience would come in useful as well.  So that was our group: an adventurous and enterprising surfer, a sports enthusiast, a safety advocate, an all-around mechanic, a traveling travel coordinator, and a 78-year-old lola.

We made good time, passing through Gingoog City just as the world was waking up, and entered Butuan City  before 8:00 am.  It was easy to spot McDonalds and Jollibee, both located at the corner of Gaisano Mall along the highway.  After breakfast, we were back on the road, passing Cabadbaran (9:20am), Lake Mainit (what a view of such a BIG lake), and into Surigao del Norte.  At a junction just before Surigao City, we took the right fork headed for Tandag and at which a notation said "Lanuza 70km".  At Claver, Surigao del Norte, we were welcomed by the panoramic view of the ocean and a sighting of Bucas Grande Island.  Our pleasure was short-lived though because the whole coastline was tainted with red silt, apparently coming from the nearby Red Mountain (a.k.a. Iron Mountain).  As more and more of the sea shore became red, we realized with shock that this was the area we'd heard about that had just become the new mining haven of foreign mining companies, particularly from China and Korea.  (Note: pictures and more comments on this in future blogs)  Heaving a sigh of relief to be out of the mountain and back on concrete road again by 12:12pm, we cruised through Carrascal and Cantillan, had lunch in the van (with Joey driving so that Ed could eat his sandwich), passed Madrid and Carmen, and finally, Lanuza!

Family Event: New Year's Day 2010

Much to our (my family's) delight, the Del Monte Golf Club brought back the Annual New Year's Day Hangover Tournament.  It wasn't exactly the same, and I didn't really expect it to be, but it was pleasing to know that the "younger" generation of Cawayanon residents were making an effort to revive the old traditions.

The mechanics were the same:  form a team of 2 players, golfer and non-golfer, and bring along 3 clubs of your choice (usually a driver, an iron and a putter) and 1 ball, which they marked.  Sequence of play was simply alternate.  The golfer would tee off for the first hole while the non-golfer did for the second.

This year's game committee introduced some unique mini-games, where teams had to aim for shapes drawn on the course using specified means other than the usual golf strokes, i.e. using the sole of their shoes, using the clubs as billiard cue sticks or using their nose.  It was an amusing version of the game, all in the name of fun and the new year.  For me, it certainly beat keeping track of the number of strokes trying to get to the hole, hehe.

For this year's Christmas holidays, we hope more of our family comes down and celebrates with us!

New Year's Resolutions

It is that time again when we make promises and hope we keep them all the way 'til the end of the year.  That's 365 days.  Kaya kaya?  I guess the effort is easier if you are a student or an employee because you just have yourself to think about.  Then again, when I was a student, I still had difficulty keeping my resolutions.  Anyway, I have learned that when you actually write something down, the act comes out as a form of commitment.  Well, this year, 2010, seems to be the right time for our business to take off.  I don't have any scientific explanation for it... I just feel it is right.

So!  Here's my list:  (I am broadcasting this to you guys also because it will also seal my vow to uphold my commitment to myself)
1.  DIET = NO RICE!
     a.  LESS pork & beef, MORE fish & chicken
     b.  LESS coffee, MORE tea
     c.  LESS soft drinks, MORE water
     d.  LESS fat, MORE fit
     e.  LESS sitting, MORE walking
     f.  LESS Facebook, MORE dancing
     g.  LESS cholesterol, MORE vegetables
     h.  LESS sugar, MORE honey
     i.  LESS solid, MORE liquid
     j.  LESS craving, MORE discipline
2.  Break 1Million Pesos gross sales in travel again.
3.  Be a Better Blogger:
     a.  Life in the Bukids - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting January 18
     b.  Islands Wanderlust on Multiply and Facebook - quarterly update or when there's something new
4.  Get more sleep, spend less time on the computer and try (and try again) to have a baby.
5.  Enjoy our work, because then it won't be work!

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

May our year 2010 be showered with His Blessings that we shall return to Him all glory and praise!

MANOLO FORTICH LIST OF CANDIDATES 2010

This post is long overdue, so I'll do it without further ado.

FOR MAYOR

1.  Miñoza, Raul Sacapayo "Roroy" - Nacionalista Party

2.  Quiño, Rogelio Narvasa "RQ" - Lakas Kampi CMD Party

FOR VICE MAYOR

1.  Albarece, Johnny Calonia "Boboy" - Independent

2.  Ditona, Diosdado Narvasa "Ryder" - Nacionalista

3.  Pausanos, Hilario Balbutin "Larry" - Lakas Kampi CMD

FOR COUNCILOR

1.  Alba, Ephraim Zagado "Roy" - Independent

2.  Albarece, Mario Jr. Belisario "Jong" - Nacionalista

3.  Albarece, Salvador III Alombro "Buddy Boy" - Independent

4.  Bacol, Montano Ramon Paglinawan "Mon" - Liberal

5.  Bagayas, Reynaldo Jr. Labis "Bojun" - Liberal

6.  Cubero, Arnold Tenio "Boboy" - Independent

7.  Dagunlay, Elzevir Ayuman "Eddie" - Nacionalista

8.  Demata, Miguel Dades "Mike" - Lakas Kampi CMD

9.  Dignos, Jierer Mandawe "Jer-Jer" - Nacionalista

10.  Dumotan, Visminda Quirog "Minda" - Lakas Kampi CMD

11.  Ganas, Ronulfo Duites "Karogans" - Lakas Kampi CMD

12.  Gonzales, Marbon Ramirez "Bobong" - Independent

13.  Labnotin, Rolando Palanas "Lando" - Nacionalista

14.  Lavisores, Juliano Corilla "Nono" - Nacionalista

15.  Leyson, Jerson Soon "Intong" - Lakas Kampi CMD

16.  Onahon, Eliezer Sabana "Larry" - Lakas Kampi CMD

17.  Pacrudo, Ben Pios "Dok Ben" - Lakas Kampi CMD

18.  Payangga, Alex Dialong "Alex" - Nacionalista

19.  Tidalgo, Armida Anlagan "Edao" - Nacionalista

20.  Tinoy, Alberto Baculio "Berting" - Lakas Kampi CMD

21.  Tugot, Jirrold Medina "Jino" - Nacionalista

22.  Yongco-Balintucas, Genevieve Logroño "Bubut" - Lakas Kampi CMD 

Happy New Year, Everyone!