Fun Facts of the places we visited, according to me:
1. T'nalak Festival for me is the most colorful and culturally diverse festival in the Philippines.
2. When the time is right, the Tarsier Village at the town of Tupi will be open for nature lovers and tourists.
3. Tuka beach is not the only tourist place to visit in Kiamba, Saranggani, but it must be visited more than once.
4. Travels alone are soulful, but travels with great friends are cosmic fun, memorable and extremely addictive!
This is my fourth time going with the Byaheng Mindanaw team, our first Byaheng Mindanaw experience was is Arakan where we climbed Matigol Falls. This is our second time going around Mindanao wearing Ethnic Costumes, our first was in Agusan Marsh.
On this entry, i will talk about my experience with my friends in the places we visited. Probably one of my longest entries.
Night one
We had to travel from Davao all the way to Koronadal City, we took the coaster at Abreeza mall by 6pm, transfered to another bus at Digos City and arrived around 11pm at the city of Koronadal South Cotabato where the T'nalak festival was held, after taking the tricycle to from the bus terminal to the cathedral, we walked on the main road from the church to the gym where we tourism office was, we will be sleeping at the tourism office for the night. we walked abit to the crowded areas and found that it was bombarded by loud electronic music, on one stage there was a show band playing and many young people standing around, it turns out that they were waiting for a local actress to come on. realizing that we were too old for that, we went back to the area near the gym.
Photo by Jovic Ferrer
Day one
Just after midnight, we walked to different booths from different towns and cities and found the both of region 12, (were they are promoting tourism for the entire region). There were also bands playing a fusion of ethnic and rock music but were poorly received by the people drinking in the area (it is very difficult to make filipinos clap at the end of musical performances). We also met Jovic (wild bird photographer) and Ceasar Sulit (who masterminded the T'nalak festival 18 years ago) over small and big bottles of beer, part of the group went ahead and rested before dawn came. By the time we finished drinking, it was already 3:30am, no use sleeping because the rest of the gang will be awake at 4am so we can move to our booked pension house. What to talk about when you are drunk and have not slept? love and relationships :)
When we arrived at the pension house, at villa princessita, the staff was not ready for our arrival so we had to sit around while Olan used his powers of persuasion so they will give us a temporary room, after 20mins a room was provided for us but it had only one bathroom that could not accommodate nine of us so most of us bathed in the shared bathrooms.
is it possible for politicians not to be involved in festivals in the Philippines?
We were going to wear our ethnic costumes for the street parade so we went back to the tourism office to prepare, while we were there, we met the beauty title holders also preparing for the event, i prodded one of them and she had a big smile, probably because she had no clue what was going on :D
having fun while preparing our ethnic wear. Photo by Leah
the beauty and the diapered child
We walked around and met the Governess of South Cotabato and watched the street dancing and took some pictures and posed for some pictures during the street parade.
Byaheng Mindanaw and The Governess in the middle. Photo by Madayaw
Being in a tribal costume has its benefits, nobody would think twice about not letting us in, every body thinks we are part of the program. after the street parade, the performers gathered in the sports complex to wait for the second part of the activity which was the dance off, we went around and took pictures of the different local people in their respective tribal costumes before the show started. by the time the show started, we could only stay for the first contingent because after that, the opening ceremonies was made long and boring by politicians' speeches and one particularly long intermission by a marching band. the kids had to stay under the sun (when each performance would not last more than 8 minutes) for more than an hour to listen to things that could have been said and done in a meeting room. While the dance off was happening, most of us slept while the rest of us watched the event from the glass window at the tourism office.
Leah and Chi taking a break from the heat after watching the street dancing
The T'nalak street parade was thematic, the themes were about T'boli and B'laan tribal costumes and traditions, and the arrival of muslim and christian cultures. Because of the different cultures shown in their street dancing, it was very colorful and dynamic. There was one music that was playing all throughout the event which synchronized the rhythm and beat but surely cost money because they had to buy airtime to broadcast the music, personally i prefer live music like in Sinulog and Kadayawan festivals.
the first performers where the T'boli tribes
For lunch we were invited to a luncheon just by the next room from the tourism office, for me, the highlight of that event was having to watch somebody carve up a full bodied tuna and serve slices of its meat as sashimi ( i would have asked for the head and made fish soup out of it), and the very creamy and delicious maja blanca (which i tasted only a slice of)
all that is left of the majestic tuna
While waiting for the launching of the 12th paradise of the philippines tourism campaign (the T'nalak festival is in region 12 of the Philippines), we walked around the streets some more and found more native booths showcasing different tribal wares and produce. we saw pets in tribal costumes too! but i doubt the gods would approve of that. the trinkets and native accessories sold in the booths are truly unique compared to the stuff being sold in booths during other festivals in the Philippines, mainly because the tribes themselves create the weavings, the bead accessories, the metal crafts and the instruments, making each item you purchase authentic!
at the launching of the 12th paradise of the philippines tourism campaign, we saw cultural dances about each of the town or city's tourist destination. having seen those, opened my eyes more to different places to visit next time around.
as the day came to an end we decided to go back to the pension house to rest and recharge but the night has just begun.
Night two
that night we had our dinner at jolibee, ( were there was a big fat woman lying on the road just infront of the big jolibee statue and asking for alms) and much later, we had a videoke session where we learned more of each other's secret singing and dancing talents tightening the bond of our friendship. that night we did not go back to the street party and just decided to empty a bottle of emperador light and discuss about the festival we had just experienced. Emperador light is becoming our official drink, are you reading this Emperador distillers? we want sponsorship!
the calm before the storm: the scene a few minutes before things got wild and crazy and we sang modern talking's brother. Louie
before we went out to the videoke house, i sketched two prodding child drawings, you can view them at the prodding child's instagram account together with the videos i took during the street dancing.
the prodding child hitches a ride
Day Two
when i woke up it was already past 8am and everybody was up so i quickly bathed, ate breakfast, and packed up. a few minutes later, our host arrived to take us to the Tarsier village in Barangay Linan, Tupi, South Cotabato.
The friendly locals of the B'laan tribe also talked about a mysterious animal bigger than the tarsier but the local tourism officer has not seen it before, it is yet to be identified. The officer also noted that there are many Bagras trees (the most beautiful variant of the Eucalyptus tree in the world) that are more than 150 years old. Someday we will go back there, to give art workshops and help plant trees.
After our very satisfying lunch around 2pm, we spent the rest of the day going to Kiamba, when we got to General Santos City, it rained and our Police Tour Bus passed by flood waters by the road that was knee deep.
At Tupi, before going to General Santos, we stopped by the pineapple plantation at the foot of Mt. Matutum and took pictures.
photo by The Travel Teller's camera, because he is in the picture
the Beautiful girl is The Traveling Kit. photo by Tibing Lakawero
then off we were to Kiamba. It is not everyday i get to ride in a vehicle with a police officer driving and i am not in handcuffs
Night Three
It was already dusk when we arrived at Kiamba, the waves where big, and the tourism officials did not want us to go to Tuka beach anymore, after negotiations, we stayed in Jose Villanueva's Homestay house which was more than 50 years old. By rule, the should be a heritage site already.
a sketch of Silliman Hall framed at the heritage house.
Being curious about the house i walked around and found many interesting items, among those was an antique bell that was connected with a nylon string to the gate and acted as their doorbell.
As we waited for everybody to wash up, i found Olan and Arnee talking about backpacking in visayas and just relaxing, their positions were interesting to draw so i did. As i did the drawing, i was siting on an old comfortable rattan chair.
When most of us settled already, some went to the board walk, some went somewhere dim, some carried on working online. We ended the night sharing a bottle and a half of Emperador light, during that time, i thought i Anawangin was lost so we had shots in very small quantities, i did not think we would be able to finish the bottles but we emptied it over conversations about agusan marsh and other beautiful sites not yet open to the public, the tarsier village community and more love and relationship talks (love and relationship talks never gets old and i do not know why)
meet Anawangin, my bamboo shot glass, i thought i had lost her after our second night of drinking in Marbel but found her in my pocket at the end of the third day. Anawangin has gone with us to three weekend warrior trips already and has since served us faithfully. Picture above was taken outside our house at calinan.
Day Three
Morning came on the third day and when i woke up, half of everybody was awake already, i went down to the living room area with one mission, to sketch the wooden toy rocking horse which was happily resting below the staircase behind the tv and beside the footwear rack.
By the time i finished sketching and made coffee, everybody was up and we were just waiting for breakfast to be served, the others have gone back already from their dawn walking at the boardwalk.
photo by Madayaw
When we were having breakfast, we looked like a big family and for a few moments we lived in the big house like we owned it, the oldest soul among us being the father of the family, i am not naming who it is. :D
After breakfast, we took the outrigger-less pumpboat to the third beach at tuka where Manny Paciao's resthouse is at, but we did not stay there, we stayed at the pink cottage just next to it. the moment we jumped out of the pumpboat, everybody was taking photos and videos of the beautiful place, it was only us and a few beach staff so taking great pictures of the serene (even if it was windy, gray, rainy and the waves where a bit big) beach was not difficult.
sometimes the sun would come out and the sky would turn blue for a few minutes. photo by Tibing Lakawero
After taking pictures, we took more pictures in the water as we took a dip together in the rain, i also tried snorkelling but with the sea being choppy with waves, it was difficult to look for the beautiful corals.
left to right: takaw travels, the travel teller, tibing lakawero, me, jon, arnee, madayaw wow dagway
When we got out of the water, we wore our Mindanaon tribal costumes and was about to go on a shoot but it rained again, so we had lunch first, eating with our hands sharing one pot of boiled riced and pork adobo before going for another shoot before leaving the area and going back to Davao.
Night Four
On our way home, we all looked tired but happy from the experience, specially our friend who found a new love during that trip. Spending three days and four nights with Byaheng Mindanaw made me know each person more, i could be silent, and also be loud with them and they would not mind, they are happy being silent with me, and also happier being louder and wilder than i am, they are always happy to take pictures of me or us as you request them to, but also happier to tell you how to pose again and again for your shots. And they are the happiest when laughing at you, laughing with you and specially when making fun of you...and of course i do the same to them...until the next byahe...
it is bodots time!
this is a screencap from a video file, but i am not sure if it is for public viewing :D
In the bus from General Santos City all the way to Davao City, somebody gave non-stop love advice to his seat-mate but it was loud enough to feel like he was giving it to everybody.