Cebu to Malaybalay: Sights and Scenes

Arduous long travel? You could say that - if you did not like what you were doing - as this trip took me more than 9 hours just from Cebu. Eh I came pa from Tacloban the day before! It was for me another wonderful experience, anyway! Because this was first time I landed at Laguindingan and commute all the way to Malaybalay in Bukidnon. CGY airport is now farther away from CDO than it was in Lumbia!

It is only about 130kms from Laguindingan to Malaybalay, and Cebu to Laguindingan takes about an hour, why did this take me 9hrs? You guessed it., Cebu Pacific is now the new PAL, Plane Always Late!

For those not in the know yet, Cagayan De Oro City Airport, IATA Code: CGY, which had been on top of a mountain, 601 meters above sea level, at Brgy. Lumbia of the same city, since opening in the 1930s, has transferred 2013JUNE to Brgy. Moog, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, 46kms to the west of CDO.

Baggage carousel looks familiar? It should be, as this was part of that batch of airport constructions that included those at Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Manila T3, Legaspi and Tacloban (that is yet to happen)!

The look and feel of/at this airport is generally just like being at those other new airports.

Here's something different and should be emulated by all airports: in front of the arrival lobby, you see a good number of transport companies called "Shuttle Service" or "Airport Shuttle". They have desks.

I like this kind of conveyance. These "shuttle" services are not taxis where you are the only passenger inside a vehicle. This is very ideal for solo travelers - where the cost of a comfortable coaster gets to be somehow shared, so it is cheaper. Plus, you are not "alone and vulnerable" inside the vehicle. As many seasoned travelers would say.., it is safer to be traveling with other people in the same vehicle.

Most of them use clean and comfortable coasters (not the usually cramped L300s) for an end-to-end travel. Stops are only for those getting-off (e.g, El Salvador, Opol, Gaisano). No pick-ups along the way.

Their destinations are displayed all over the place. You may ask at the ticket desks that each of them have. If they don't have a desk, it must be a fly-by-night illegal operation. Avoid at all costs. Run away!

I rode on a "Magnum"! This dark-blue van is "Super 5". Those are two of the most reliable shuttles..,

By the way, Super 5 even has a service that's only about 5kms to the national highway. From there you can ride their or other bus companies going right to Iligan or going left to Cagayan De Oro and beyond

Airports are "going away" from their original locations! Call it a sign of progress or something, airports in the world are moving farther and farther away from cities they've been originally built at. As of now, there are already too many examples worldwide (and still growing). Like Iloilo (ILO) Airport which was originally built in Manduriao, was moved to the town of Cabatuan. Hongkong International Airport was originally in Kai Tak and moved to Chek Lap Kok (sa dagat pa!). And, Bacolod (BCD) Airport is in Silay!

Ang lalayo na! But I like this "shuttle service" system that they have in Laguindingan. In Cebu, there is My Bus, which, I think is even better. Though for smaller airports like CDO, these coasters are the best.

Anyway, since the airport is far from the city.., it was a sightseeing opportunity for me!

Here are pics I got as we were negotiating the road out of Laguindingan Airport..,

You might wonder why these photos look like I was going towards the airport terminal..,

It's because the road fom the public parking area (where shuttle service coasters are parked) winds to the arrival area before exiting the compound. Nice to see the surroundings of this new facility anyway!

So okay, I was finally out of the Laguindingan Airport on my way to Cagayan De Oro's Agora Market to connect to a Ceres (oops Rural) Bus going to Malaybalay, Bukidnon. I said that before, right? Rural and Bachelor buses in Mindanao are also owned and operated by Vallacar Transit, owners of Ceres Buses.

One of the first notable structures you'll see going away from the airport (as of now), is a new masjid!

I like the external color. Green is the color of Islam, but this one is uncharacteristically green! Isn't that "apple-green"? I think I haven't yet seen this kind of color on a mosque. Ah elementary school madami!

Moving on..,

This is that Super 5 terminal I mentioned above. You can ride to this place and hop on the big buses..,

Conversely, you may ride big buses or jeeps to this point, then hop on Super 5's shuttles to the airport.

Now now.., this thing might not last that long. Why? Because I heard that the local government unit of Laguindingan is going to build a transport terminal somewhere around here, THAT, will do just exactly what the Super 5 company is already doing. I wonder.., do things like those have patent or IPR ek-ek?

Anyway, the surest thing that you won't be lost or stray away in the future is this intersection..,

This will soon be a rotunda, as I could see the DPWH is building a circular something, probably even a park-like installation, as I could see structures being built, that are not common for road roundabouts.

Note: whoever is in charge here should now be ridiculed for laying the foundations of a chaotic heavy traffic intersection. Mark my word my dears. Give it 7 to 10 years, this junction will be often jammed. When has it been good to traffic that a prime intersection has 3 gas stationS, and 1 coming up soon?

Oh anyway too, just about 500 meters going left from this junction is the Laguindingan Municipal Hall, right smack by the national road. And even meters before that, on the other side of the highway, is the Laguindingan Public Market. Give it a few years and traffic in this area will become metro-manila-like!

See? I saw some things new! That's the beauty of travel, we get to see and/or experience new things where many scientific or social principles can be applied to. Oh ha?! Travel is the best education! And if they did not move CGY to Laguindingan, this corner of earth wouldn't have even been in my dreams!

Let us move forward with the new learnings, plus..,

Now I know (I am aware), that westward going to Cagayan De Oro, after Laguindingan is a town called Alubijid [a-lu-bi-hid]. And now (just now) I also know there is a city named "El Salvador" in this country!

Was this part of the 16 "questionables" that eventually became cities? But, I was surprisingly awed to see that in this city are the plants and/or factories of big national names like Universal Robina, Yakult, WL Foods, ZestO, Asia Brewery, Tanduay, Monark Equipment, etc. Wow, respect restored. City nga sya!

Come to think of it, based only on what I have seen here and now, if I compare the 16 cities that were questioned by the league of cities, El Salvador is definitely not the least of them all! This is industrial.

Maybe sometime soon, I should come back to know more interesting facts about El Salvador City!

Here's an interesting name, a Barangay called Luyong Bonbon in the town of Opol, next to El Salvador

So what's interesting? Ah eh, funny (at least for me) that the barangay next to it is named "Bonbon"! In bisaya (Cebuano or Waray), "luyo" means the other side or behind. So, "Luyong Bonbon" is at the back of, or the other side of "Bonbon". And I started looking out for "Atbang Bonbon" just in case there's one hahaha! More creative than Cagayan De Oro central district - barangays are named Poblacion 1 to 40!

Here's a welcome sign at the entry to the central area of Opol..,

I really thought the last line says MIS. OB. but upon 'further investigation' I came to learn that it is MIS. OR. meaning Misamis Oriental. Hah, people here shorten their province name to "Mis. Or."! I wonder if folks in Ozamiz also shorten their province name to 'Mis. Oc.'? I didn't notice when I was there in 2009.

Still on this naming of names thing, I took this next photo to capture the signage (left edge of pic, that is even too dark) that points to where their municipal hall is - supposedly some 77 meters to the right.

But what instead captured my attention was the name of that bank. "D' ASIAN HILLS BANK"! Although puzzled why so, I feel I am okay hearing "Asian hills" even if it alludes to some kind of a memorial park hehehe! But the use of an apostrophe after the letter "D" surprised me. Does the BSP really allow that informal a name for a financial institution? It sounds to me more of a name of a '70s disco or combo!

Here's another one! I did not take this photo because of the bakery name. Look at the arrow..,

I even thought the first word is "MAX". But I am curious to know what is a "MIX FRIED CHICKEN JOY"!

Next, I took this pic just to let me know that I was getting closer to the center of Cagayan De Oro. Yey!

That is of course the Gaisano Mall in Brgy. Bulua. Oh, this building that hosts the Floor Center is called the Fast Logistics Building. And though it's just 2 levels, I think it's way wider than Gaisano's land area.

I remember too, behind both Fast Logistics and Gaisano, is the wide compound of Nestle Philippines. Ah, on the other side of the highway, yep, across Gaisano, is a home depot something hardware that's also enormously wide! Needless to say, I knew I was already in the CDO commercial business district, yet still far to the Limketkai Center and eventually the Agora Bus Station which was my shuttle's route!

But when you like what you are doing, you catch every reason to smile.., or chuckle!

Like this eatery whose name has been murdered by careless advertisers not just once but.., thrice?

I couldn't help but laugh while "analyzing" which one is the dumbest stupidest of all! TNT, right?! Bogo!

And entering city center..,

A fleeting time for nostalgia.., the Cagayan De Oro River that goes as far as Kitanglad and Talakag..,

Surely many folks still remember the devastating floods of yesteryears.., but looking at the city streets now, there's hardly any trace or mark of those unfortunate events. The city has become too urbanized!

I wondered too, how many bridges now cross the entire length of this very long river? 11? A dozen? Ah let's hope they are all as sturdy as this one, that cannot easily be swept by rampaging floods, because I think there will be more of that to come in the future, as global climate changes from worse to worst.

At this point, when the coaster crossed the bridge, for a moment I thought I was in another Asian city.

I heard Seda has a CDO branch, but I didn't know nor imagined where at! And what is that skyscraper?

And OMG, so Ayala Center is across Gaisano City diay! Have I been away for too long? Maybe yes!

This happens to many people.., you go to a place, but you go straight to where your purpose is, most especially if work-related. So, you don't anymore see that this and that is already this that and more! The last mall I entered in CDO was SM City when the airport was still up at Lumbia. Matagal na nga!

Tuyok tuyok.., and my shuttle passed by this thing.., wha,., it's a hotel (the skyscraper I saw earlier)!

My my.., the LimketKai Mall of the 1990's has grown to a sprawling and towering thing of today. Wow!

And my shuttle stopped here.., everyone got off (even hurriedly), but driver hollered for me to stay!

That's their passenger lounge! Hm, talo si Grandtours Duptours Vanvan! But this is an airport shuttle!

Look here! The coaster was already empty! Driver said "you are Agora sir, right"? I said yes hehehe

I moved to a seat near the door, and as I made this selfie (of my shoulder) and the empty coaster..,

the driver was still talking.., he was saying "I bring you there now, sit tight sir"! I was dying controlling myself not to laugh out loud hehehe! But take note my dear travelers, this was not a kind gesture on the part of the driver or the shuttle service. The Agora Bus Terminal is the last Magnun drop-off point. It just so happened that I was the only one going there, while all others got off at the Limketkai Center.

Alright.., my Airport Shuttle ride continued. It's actually just 1 to 2km more to the Agora Bus Terminal

That big big Puregold is (I think) still part of the Limketkai Center complex as this is Limketkai Drive

I took this picture while we were already turning left to that little street going to Agora. Why did I take the photo? Ah eh.., wala lang. I just remember that straight on this road is the way going to Bukidnon. And I remember that BPI Branch at right, nag-withdraw na ako dyan last time I was in this place dahil wala sa Agora, only to find out that my bank (Unionbank) has a branch at left (lower-left of pic) hehe!

Tsadaaan! Okay, alright.., here I was on a Rural Tours bus inside the Agora Bus Terminal...

There is something absurd in this terminal. To get inside (whether you're a passenger or not), you pay a 3-peso entrance. You are given some kind of a stamp or ticket as receipt for that payment - which - is immediately taken by another man literally one step from that one who collected your money and gave you the damn receipt. I said "what was that for, what do I get to keep as a receipt"? File daw nila!

Where does that happen? At the grills/fence, there at the entrance! Here's what your 3-pesos is for:

The place and the facilities are actually good. I mean "clean" for a bus station. But why issue a receipt that you will also get from my hands in less than a second?! To clearly illustrate this dumb procedure: the ticket issuer and the ticket collector are literally beside each other and they are constantly talking to each other. That is how near they are to one another.

I am sure that is a government procedure. Because, only them are that "duh"! Ever!

Anyway, let's not ruin my wonderful travel with idiotic government procedures! Here was my bus..,

Clean. Looks new. The seats are even still wrapped in plastic hehe. The red shiny thing at upper-right corner of the picture is a pack of plastic bags that serves as "burp-bags" - yes, motion-sickness bags!

There's a WC on board! Good for travelers like me who can't contain their kidneys for long periods!

What is a WC? It's a toilet, お手洗い, 화장실, john, potty, latrine, loo, and for most of us Pinoys: CR!

You might be wondering why is it not "CR" in the first place when we Pinoys don't say "WC"? Well, that is how it is usually called in the country where the bus was manufactured which is obviously definitely not Philippines! Our buses are not like airplanes where things can be "customized" according to buyer whims or specifications. Mahal yun. Besides, many of our buses are imported junk, iko-customize pa?

Let's be happy these buses of Vallacar transit do not look like repurposed scrap!

By the way.., did you know that all of our Asian neighbors use WC (if they have to) and that only us the Pinoys use CR? Well, most of them were either colonized by the British and/or have a leaning towards the UK English (where WC comes from), while we Pinoys were the only ones who grew up with Uncle Sam (sumablay sila sa Vietnam, diba?) that brought to us CR. But now, even Americans don't say CR!

WC = Water Closet, CR = Comfort Room! Both are far from the reality of "i-ihi" or "ta-tae", right?

Hah and eew really, I can make a discourse about those two abbreviations, but this is my travel blog, so let us proceed with my very long joyride to Malaybalay Bukidnon. We are still 90+ kilometers away!

12:26NN here we were going out of the Agora Bus Terminal of CDO for the 2-hour trip to Malaybalay!

Disorderly as it may look.., I like it that this scene has almost all the kinds of land vehicles the city has!

12:35NN we were already cruising through the national highway, as if going to Butuan..,

I don't know or care about that business park. I just took this photo as its entrance road looked good!

Oh here the bus just turned right. That's Gaisano Puerto (left side of bus, I was seated on the right)..,

That is a very important intersection - the corner of 'Iligan-CDO-Butuan Road' and 'Sayre Highway' or the Puerto Flyover as this is where vehicles must turn right to Sayre Hiway, and start the climb up the mountains going to Bukidnon. Drivers remember: do not go up the flyover or you'll end up in Gingoog!

Today I didn't care much about these intersections as I was on a bus. But other times of my roaming life, like just sometime ago, this corner had been crucial to my sanity! But am not alone in this. I know people who also missed this intersection and gone astray! There are no big signage approaching the intersection. If there will be, it must be 500 meters before and say "Bukidnon: DON'T take the flyover"!

Anyway, as the bus zigzagged up Sayre Highway, my neck kept twisting left and right for the views!

Like those whitish roofs down on the seafront.., those are buildings of the vast Del Monte Philippines Pineapple Cannery Plant in Brgy. Bugo, Cagayan De Oro - biggest in the world! Yeah, this is their turf!

Let's fast-forward to the town of Manolo Fortich. I eagerly waited for a glimpse of this..,

Brgy. San Miguel, Manolo Fortich. That little building with a green roof in the middle is a barangay hall (I think). There are many folks crowding there, though not in clear in the picture. Probably distributing things to constituents. The open building at left is like a public market while at right is a covered court or multipurpose building. Middle to this foreground is a play/activity area usually of Del Monte School.

What's the significance? Well, this picture below will explain my excitement to "remember" this place..,

This is an important corner to travelers as this is the access road to Del Monte Golf & Country Club!

Blue arrow is Sayre Highway going to Malaybalay (my bus destination), brown arrow is to the previous pic above (and back to CDO), while red arrow to yellow arrow is the way to the Del Monte Club House.

If there's a club house, then there must be a club, right? Yeah, the Del Monte Golf & Country Club since 1928! It's an 18-hole par-72 all weather layout golf course that one of my friends say is "a challenging course, especially hole 16". It's just about a kilometer from that corner to the lovely rustic club house.

The Del Monte Club House as it is fondly called by everyone is at a corner of the compactly-designed but vast golf course, which, sits at the edge of an OMG seemingly boundless pineapple plantation - as far as your eyes can see! They offer tours, serve good food (ohh, steaks!) and even host celebrations.

The one and only one time I 've been there, it was a late-afternoon-to-evening-event, I didn't quite see a lot of things clearly or up-close. And I wasn't even able to take pictures because I was supposedly the "guest-of-horror" (I was the one being photographed, oh ha?)! I wanna be back there a whole long day!

Trivia: Did you know that this town had some role in the life of General Douglas MacArthur? Read on..,

I was in luck the bus slowed down at this area. I quickly took a pic of this Matthew's Restobar. Why?

I remembered that going south (to Malaybalay, like I was on this bus trip now), the left-turn next to this resto goes to a MacArthur Memorial. I was wishing if I could only ask this bus to turn left now! Ganun!

So ano na nga, bakit me memorial in these mountains? Relaaaks, teka laaang..!

This area here was the "Del Monte Airfield". When the Japs were like getting successful at Corregidor, he made layas to Cagayan De Oro via torpedo boats, drove on the real/orig jeeps to this place, stayed here for four days, and escaflew to Australia (with his staff and family no less) on two B-17 bombers.

According to reliable sources.., da tsismis pa nga daw is.., those B17 bomber planes daw were really kakarag-karag na! But they made it. And there in Oz, sa riles ng tren nya sinabi yung.., "I Shall Return"!

Yun.., ganun nga daw ang blow-by-blow account ng flight-of-the-bumblebee ni Gen Dougie!

O sya tama na, let's move-on na, Malaybalay is far pa! Aha, hihirit ka pa ha? Eto trivia pa more.., after exactly 9 days, somebody prominent and very important too at that time, also flew the same route to Down Under kasama pa si dayunyor! Unfortunately for him and sadly for the Filipinos, it was the last time that his feet touched on Philippine soil.., yeah, at Del Monte Airfield. O ano, knows nyo? Isip-isip!

Onwards, probably just a little more than a hundred meters on the right side is this interesting gate..,

The sign says Provincial Industrial Zone. Haven't heard of this yet. But this could be something grand.

About a kilometer on from that Industrial Zone, I did not quite catch on my camera the Manolo Fortich Municipal Hall as it was on the left side of the road and on a busier part of town. I did see it as the bus drove along - a new, modern-looking building. Anyway and however, another kilometer on, I saw this..,

An old, colonial style house, big enough for yesteryears' public office standards, and oh wow made of wood! The sign says Manolo Fortich Legislative Building, but there was no mistaking, I was sure (and still am now), that this was the town's municipal hall. Proof? This area is still the busiest part of town!

Hey, the inner area at right still has the monument of Jose Rizal nobly standing on his old monument. Was he not part of the "lipat-bahay" to the new municipal hall? Why? Me bago na bang national hero?

Okay okay, let's leave Manolo Fortich... But not without giving you more trivia:

Maluko was the original name of this town before it was changed to Manolo Fortich in 1957. Maluko is still the name of a barangay of Manolo Fortich. Manolo Fortich is/was a true-blue Bisdak. He hailed from the town of San Nicolas (before it was dissolved to become part of Cebu City). Now, ambot lang if taga Basak, Proper, Pahina o Suba ni siya kaniadto. I forgot to ask him man gud bai, hehehe!

Dahilayan is a barangay of Manolo Fortich. Okay fine. But Dahilayan Adventure Park is not one and the same as Dahilayan Forest Park or viceversa! Both are in Dahilayan, at just 250 meters between gates.

Camp Philips and Camp JMC are not barangay names! So is Kawayanon where the clubhouse is!

"Agusan Canyon" is a barangay of Manolo Fortich, therefore very far from Agusan Del Norte or Agusan Del Sur provinces. The Agusan River at Agusan Canyon is the same river that empties out at Barangay Agusan of Cagayan De Oro, which is, therefore not, the Agusan River in Butuan City, that traverses all of Agusan Del Norte and Agusan Del Sur, even all the way down to Davao De Oro and Davao Oriental.

But Bukidnon Province where Manolo Fortich belongs to, was originally part of the old whole Agusan Province, before it was divided into Agusan Del Norte and Agusan Del Sur, and Bukidnon provinces.

Makabuang 'no?! Anyway..,

And so the bus continued on.., this time going out towards the less busy parts of town. Ah the church and the new building (gym?) were on the left, so I couldn't see much of them, all the more that I could not take any pictures. And the bus started careening down to another zigzag portion of the highway!

I was excited to see those lovely mountains reveal themselves even at that distance..,

Though this horse on foreground competed for my attention.., it had a nice color, but its stance told me he was weak and lonely. This was 1:31PM.., isn't that too damn scorchingly hot even for animals?

And I saw a resort with swimming pools - yes, plural! But Mr. Driver was like making a takeoff run!

What could I do? Alangan namang I walk up to the front, make pa-cute and say.., "ah hi hello Mr. Driver na mabait sir, could please make dahan-dahan muna for a while kasi I wanna enjoy da nice views eh"!

Wheh, di ba? In fact.., we passed by this sign, it says "CAUTION ACCIDENT PRONE AREA"..,

That was on the first sharp curve, as we entered the winding road. However.., it felt to me like.., all the more that Mr. Driver rammed his foot on the accelerator as if we were being pursued by some ghosts.

Hahaha! Sadista!

Look, I had to press the camera hard on the window glass to avoid the sway since we were "flying"!

Blue arrow shows the continuation of the road - as if we were making a u-turn down to the bowels of an inner earth hehehe! Truth be told.., I actually enjoyed the left-right-left-right pummeling of the bus!

I know.., I knew it was dangerous, but.., sometimes we get a kick out of danger! Hesumalusep hehe!

Look at the arrows and look at the road.., that's where we were going at roller coaster speeds!

On top of all that, Mr. Bus Driver was in a jolly chit-chat with Mr. Bus Conductor. They were bantering!

Well, there are "moments" in our lives we are thankful there's traffic. This scene was one for me!

Our driver would slow down when slower vehicles were in front of us! And I would exhale deeply hehe!

But we were traversing mountains.., there were cool inviting scenes that make you forget everything,

That river must be cool and fresh clean.., we were in the boondocks in the first place. I smilingly told myself, I can live there! Sit around all day, with the birds and the bees.., basta me wifi, marlights.., and

And OMG this sitio is even named after the kind of road that they have here in the mountains..,

Sitio ZIGZAG! And I started guessing the barangay name.., hmm.., barangay "up-and-down"? Dapat!

Look! Road repairs make all vehicles run slowly. And we get to see the fantastic highland views!

And I was like quietly cheering.., there was no way Manong Driver can continue flying on the road. Ha!

But I saw this thing.., and I said "oh Lord Of Mercy, I hope it did not fly off its body just now"!

I was like "OMG that's only the "claw", where is the rest of it". And I actually looked around for it hehe!

And in no time, we were already entering the town of Impasug-ong. Whoa! Wasn't that fast? Not really!

But seeing those two tarpaulins on the side of the road at Impasug-ong, I told myself "ahh that's why"! That's why my "ka-meeting" (tonight) in Malaybalay was insistent I arrive yesterday and not just today.

I thought Kaamulan Festival was moved to August/September since 2014. Apparently not anymore!

Anyway, here's proof how cool is Bukidnon.., construction workers sleeping on a roadside at noon!

It is really never that hot in this province, even on our hot summer days in the lowlands.

When I saw this beautiful "ranch-style" building, I knew I was already in Malaybalay City..,

What is a "stock farm"? I am not really sure.., but the many times I've heard or passed by this place, I think this is a wide wide wide area where they grow (breed) animals scientifically to produce the best.

I saw some white-colored big fat cattle roaming the grounds but I could not catch them on camera as the bus sped its way to city center. Oh, sometime ago, I heard people here talking about a "communal stock farm". That's almost a "nose-bleed" for me, but I guess folks make use of the science offered by government experts. There are various (and varied) research centers in that compound and across it.

After the animal things.., here came to my view the pineapple thing, again! There's too many of them!

Not only in Manolo Fortich, but up here, even down at Maramag, Del Monte also has vast plantations.

Hey the bee says his Malaybalay store is just 3 kilometers away.., therefore I have arrived!

And then I saw this big and beautiful barangay hall. It looks like a munisipyo, right?

It even has its own fire truck! To the right is a big plaza and even a church!

Oh well, I was back in Malaybalay Bukidnon. Let's talk about it next!

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