Philippine Travel Notes

This was planned. That I would not return from Malaybalay to Cagayan De Oro, but proceed instead to Davao City for another dinner-meeting (bisyo na 'to!), before flying back to Cebu, then to Tacloban. But I was not at all concerned as I have done this 'overland' trip before. There are even 2 known ways - via Kapalong and Tagum (5 to 6 hours) or via Kitaotao and Marilog (4 to 5 hours) - both panoramic roads. I was taking the shorter route, as I heard the highway was already spruced up and can be faster. Not that I was in a hurry, but hearing that a road has lately been repaired means it is (probably) also safer. Anyway, let's take off from my last paragraph in the last article . What did I see that "stirred my sanity"; that it even prompted me to hurry back to the hotel in a tricycle instead of finishing my morning walk? It was this bus terminal.., where too many people kept running from bus to bus.., chaotic! There were too many passengers, many were sta...

My chinky eyes grew widest seeing those intersecting streets full of ukay-ukay in the open! Whew! I was just in a jeep and did not even dare go down to explore the multitude of whatevers on sale. But yes I said ’YAN ang ukay-ukay’! And this was probably the ’men’s wear department’ that I chanced upon hehe. As you can see almost all customers are the male populace. And that made me a bit lily livered taking photographs lest they all pounce on me! But where there’s a will, there’s a way, right? I took this the quickest way I could and without even aiming hehehe! Hah, if in Manila or Baguio you skim through racks, shelves or hangers, not in Cotabato City! Can you see the wares on sale? You’ll really have to make halukay, probably even dive to or swim through them until you find your find! Jeep driver told me its nothing new and it has been so as far as he can remember even as a kid. Lovely!

Talking about the weird confusing location of Cotabato (City), people naturally also talk about ARMM. Why? Because said ‘region’ is part of the confusion that is Cotabato! Just an addition, in fact. And, as promised in the previous story, let’s talk about what I’ve learned about Cotabato and ARMM so far… Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Again, as said in a previous blog, its “IN Muslim Mindanao” not “OF Muslim Mindanao” as many I know would mis-describe it. You will agree that those two little words (in and of) matter a lot especially to the learned folks I asked about ARMM and Mindanao. One professor tells me that “in Muslim Mindanao” says there is an autonomous region amongst places where majority of residents are Muslims. On the other hand, she says that “of Muslim Mindanao” seems to construe that the autonomous region is the only Muslim-populated area in Mindanao – which is not. If you didn’t get that (I had a hard time), we can always say… “whadeveeer” hehe! But if Cotaba...

Kuta–Wato, Kutang–Bato, ah, we already know that, right? It is when someone starts asking “WHERE” is Cotabato that things start to get muddled in terms of area references. More than a puzzle actually. Here’s what I know so far… and these could be changing now or will change a bit more later! There was once the Moro Province created in 1903 during the American occupation. It consisted of five districts - Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga. Simple, right? But we are talking Cotabato, so let’s leave all other districts aside… First there was the town named Cotabato. Then the district was named in its sake. When the Moro Province was chunked into provinces instead of districts, there became the province of Cotabato with the capital town also named Cotabato. Just like Tarlac, Tarlac, Iloilo, Iloilo or Cebu, Cebu. In 1959 the town became Cotabato City. Simple, wasn’t it? However, in 1966 the province was chunked into two when south Cotabato was created, that later was even als...

So, Cotabato City visit came to an end and I had to get myself back to the airport for a noontime flight to Manila. Good that I was already staying at Estosan Hotel since they have a shuttle service. Actually, an airport limousine as many would call it! It’s an old “Mercedes”!. Vintage if you may. And I liked the spacious seats! But that is not my topic here. There is something that travelers have to watch out for, and watch their mouths for hehe. It happened to me, it may happen to you. Don’t do what I did if you are not that crazy stupid and stupid crazy like I was! I am serious… hehe, yes, really! Here’s the story, so you’ll know what to do and what NOT to do… Black Mercedes as Estosan Hotel’s Airport Limousine departed with, of course, just me beside the driver and my backpack regally seated at the spacious “backseat”. Whatever the vehicle, when I’m not home (Metro Manila), I take every effort to get me seated at front seat beside the driver, so I could see things around, so I ...

Estosan Hotel, my refuge from Day 2 until I left Cotabato City. Good that I saw it on Day 1 so that when I realized I did not like Hotel Castro, I packed up and transferred to it. Good location – Just a few steps from the ORG and along the jeepney route too. Also nearer to the airport, the new city hall (and Mega Square), a Mercury Drug and the better restaurants and restobars of the city. Of course away from the barbecue smoke that envelops Hotel Castro from sundown to sunrise hahaha! I have a story… Approaching front desk, the uniformed girls chimed an enthusiastic good morning. At first one of them asked if I was part of ‘the group’ they were expecting and immediately followed it with “dumating na ang flight? Ang aga naman!”. I said I was alone and called up just a few minutes ago for reservations. Another girl replied calling out my name saying “we are very sorry for such an experience in Cotabato City”. Hey, being a customer service advocate, I loved what she just said and noted t...

This was that smaller edifice I’ve been passing by yesterday and earlier in the morning when I went to see the new city hall. Its just before and beside the city hall if you are coming from city center. Not that there was something of note I learned and needed to see about this place. The building just looked too attractive to me to not drop by, and since I was already in the area, I decided to go and see more of it for myself. While signages refer to it as MC Square, I learned that its official name is Mega Square. Some kind of a mall or commercial square. Yes the building looks beautifully designed. I was surprised to chance upon a marker on its wall saying that the place “was built with the assistance of the American people though USAID”. Hmm, they build tiangge centers too? What’s next? A DVD square or another ‘barter’ market at another place in this country? Hmm, new realization for me! I was wrong to have assumed that the USAID only does schools, bridges, hospitals or highways. ...

Wow! What a building! Hands down the most beautiful city hall in this country I have seen so far! I learned about this new city hall when mentioned by manang as I ate tapsilog at her food stall across the old city hall earlier in the morning. She just told me it was somewhere near and beyond the two hospitals. Further told me that it was big and wide no one would miss it on the way to the airport. Hmm, I should’ve passed by the place 3 times yesterday when I arrived thru the airport and when I went to the grotto, then back to the city. So I thought I could easily find it. Maybe I’ve seen it but just did not know it was the city hall or maybe I was always looking elsewhere when I passed there. Maybe. And when the jeep stopped for me to disembark, voila, it is/was this big building I thought to be some Muslim something hehe! Suddenly and in so short a time, the ORG was displaced in my head as the most beautiful government office I have seen! Oh well! The city hall does not sport an...

Very early in the morning of my Day 2 in Cotabato City, I walked over to the old city hall. Its just near Hotel Castro, just a short walk along the barbecue and fruit stalls. It’s a lovely old building but surrounded on almost all sides by a plethora of ukay-ukay and turo-turo stalls. One time I was attempting to shoot the building, a newly awakened ukay-ukay owner even gave me that irritated look thinking I was photographing him as he opened the covers to his store. I made him know I was looking at the beautiful roof of the building, then gave him back an even more wrathful look. He proceeded, I proceeded. I ate tapsilog at one of the many food stalls and got a bit more of insider information from the manang there. The building, she told me, still houses a few more government offices, but most of the others have already transferred to the new city hall. Hmm, a new city hall. I asked where that is and just noted it. I asked what would happen to this old and beautiful building. She said...

I was not leaving Cotabato City just yet, but, I fled away from this ‘hotel’ ASAP! At 7:52AM. Yes, very early on a Sunday morning! Here’s the story… While still in Manila, I flipped through my Lonely Planet book and checked out hotels in Cotabato that they recommend. I saw this Hotel Castro as the most ideal of the three listed. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. So it was supposed to be in the middle. Reason probably why it was mentioned second of the three. [See picture for exact image of page]. Called the hotel up, talked to a certain Honey of front desk and voila, I had my reservation for a single room at P500 a day! On arrival, as I was checking-in, I casually asked why and when did they close their restaurant. Honey was a bit surprised and told me “as I said yesterday when you called up sir, wala kaming restaurant”. So I did not pursue the topic since it was nothing really. I knew and know that I could easily get food outside if I wanted to. But for the first tim...