New place, same scheiss
After a long interval, I was able to go out of town again (Samal’s a different city, but that doesn’t count as going out of town for a Davaoeño). And I was pretty excited about it too, because I’d never been there. Compostela Valley. But it was such a big disappointment. Nothing, absolutely nothing to see but same old stuff — nothing you won’t see anywhere else. Worse, we went to the really rural parts of Compostela, where there was just banana trees everywhere.
See, I’d expected nature, forests, or meadows. Instead, endless highways (on the flip side: the roads going to Compostela are terrific, unexpectedly well-maintained). I guess those places my father told me about — like the lush vegetable plantations — were on some other part of this new province.
The town of Compostela was rather depressing for me, because it emphasized to me the lack of progress in Mindanao. Davao City might seem a lot more developed, or even Tagum looks a lot better compared to how I’d seen it years ago… but Mindanao as a whole is still in the pits. I was with a Japanese friend, who was the one who took me there. He remarked about how things are done a certain way here in the Philippines — not derogatory remarks, but they did hit the nail right on the head. He said something like, Filipinos seem to be going around in spirals. He’d been in the country before, and, for him, nothing’s changed.
One good thing that came out of that trip, however, was the positive reinforcement I felt when I was interacting with the people there. Anywhere you go in Mindanao, people are generally hospitable. Genuinely helpful even.
I was looking forward to another out-of-town trip, this time to Cagayan de Oro. I don’t know what it is over there, but I actually enjoy the place. The last time was in 2006, for a few short days. Too bad that I won’t be able to take the trip tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find time to go soon.
Cagayan de Oro trip
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[...] friend Blogie Robillo had a post on his blog that kind of surprised me today. Apparently, he went to Compostela Valley recently, and he came away feeling that he didn’t [...]
Hi Blogie – Hey… sorry, but I have to disagree with you. I don’t think that Mindanao is “in the pits”. I think that there are a lot of great places around Mindanao, and I’ve been fortunate to see many such places on the island. You mention CdO… I remember when I first came to live permanently in Mindanao, the road between Davao and CdO was REALLY the pits. Now, it’s a great highway, and the travel time is almost half!
I like Compostela Valley. I enjoy riding along the highway with the Agusan River flowing alongside the road, it’s beautiful! Yeah, there are a lot of banana trees, but it’s really an agricultural province. One thing that Feyma and I always notice when we go there is how clean it is. You don’t see trash along the roadside, etc.
For me, each Province of Mindanao has it’s own beauty, and each is different from the others. I understand that because of the differences, certain provinces may not be a perfect fit for each individual. But, remember… if you don’t like one province, there are a lot more to choose from!
How about Bukidnon? That’s probably my most favorite of all the Provinces of Mindanao.
Hey Bob. You’re right about that, I may have spoken too abruptly or harshly. My head, you see, is being filled with all sorts of notions of development by my Japanese friends.
You’re right Bob,Im from Mindanao too,but I’ve never traveled the
entire island as much as you do.I believe that Mindanao is not in
the “pits” as Blogie and his japanese friend see it.Perhaps he and
his friend needs a lot of touring to make before jumping into con-
clusion.
Hi Blogie and Jun – please don’t take me wrong. Blogie is my friend, and I don’t mean to be critical of him. I know that Blogie really loves Davao, and I would think that his love extends to the rest of Mindanao too. Like Blogie said, maybe he just spoke to quickly, or had something on his mind that clouded his thoughts about Compostela Valley. Also, as I said before, not every province is for everybody too.
Oopss… I didn’t mean to be so negative in this post. Yes, it does extend to the rest of Mindanao, Bob!
Allow me to explain: my Japanese friend and I, you see, were talking about how depressed Mindanao is in general, economically. Meaning, there’s so much that we all could do to make it a lot better. Not necessarily in the way that Manila is developed, but in a way that Mindanaoans’ lives can become more fulfilling. This is what I meant. I apologize for being so flippant and used “in the pits” without thinking.
I’m Mindanawon too, and I’m mighty proud of it!
Hi Blogie,
What I meant is that there are still nice places in Mindanao that
you need to see,I know as a Mindanaoan you love Mindanao
as much as I do.You and Bob are doing a great job promo-
ting Mindanao.Keep up the good work.
thanks Jun!