Tag Archive: Mindanao

Dec
06
2011

The Awakening of Maria Cristina Falls

Maria Cristina Falls in her full splendor

Iligan City was supposed to be just a brief stopover for me for my trip for Marawi. However, it became one of my destinations, thanks to the Iligan Bloggers who convinced me to stop and relax a while in the “City of Majestic Waterfalls,” before coming back to the crazy urban jungle. Well, when you are in Iligan, it’s literally “chasing waterfalls.” Who wouldn’t be? Ever since elementary days, when someone say Iligan, it’s that picture of twin powerful waterfalls cascading into the ravine—Maria Cristina Falls. Iligan is not complete with these mighty cascades that not only it is a tourist attraction, but it empowers almost all of Mindanao!

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/12/06/the-awakening-of-maria-cristina-falls/

Dec
02
2011

Blogfest Soccsksargen 2.0: Fun and Beyond Personal

It was a much unexpected weekend for me. I wasn’t expecting to go to back to Gensan that November—plane fares have gone up and we weren’t allowed to file a leave since it was a Thanksgiving (the busiest day in the US). However, with our bosses nodding for a vacation and the 13th month pay coming, I was able to push through with my trip to Gensan to attend Blogfest Soccsksargen 2.0 (or Sox Blogfest). It was organized by the Manansala brothers, Avel and Orman, together with the rest of Soccsksargen Bloggers of south-central Mindanao which was held on 26th of November, 2012 at Sun City Suites in the city of General Santos.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/12/02/blogfest-soccsksargen-2-0-fun-and-beyond-personal/

Nov
30
2011

The Heart of Urban Marawi City

Downtown Marawi City from Mindanao State University

“Even most MSU students don’t dare to go to ‘town,’” a Maranao friend of mine once said.

Marawi City has been hampered with so much negative publicity in the Philippine mainstream that for the people of the lowlands, the only thing that makes them go there would be enrolling or visiting at Mindanao State University—never mind the rest of the city! People are too scared to venture out to the streets of the Maranao city.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/11/30/the-heart-of-urban-marawi-city/

Nov
18
2011

Alhamdulillah and Congratulations Marawi! City of Banners

Greetings from the City of Banners and Streamers - Marawi

From Iligan to Marawi, it usually takes an hour by van or FX (Asian utility vehicle). Passing by the towns of Balo-i, Pantar and Saguiran, you can’t help but notice banners everywhere. Politicians for early campaigning? Nope. Mostly congratulatory coming from the families of the achievers. Yes folks, banners and steamers are not an election campaign exclusive in Marawi and the rest of Lanao del Sur. It’s an everyday part of life, just like urbanites in Manila see the billboards at SLEX and EDSA. Manila-based outdoor and billboard advertisers may think of setting up a branch here, market demand here is high!

Alhamdulillah (It’s the Arab equivalent of “Hallelujah!”) and Congratulations!” everywhere—from board passers, bar passers, Hajj delegates, weddings, birthdays, and even to coronation of the sultans–you name it and Marawi has a multitude of these banners and streamers. Before the advent of those giant billboards at EDSA, Marawi has all of these fill up Iligan-Marawi Road and most especially every nook within the city. They may even compete with Guinness Record as “The city with most number of congratulatory streamers and banners per square kilometer!” Unlike EDSA though, they are not monstrous in size, but the number of banners can easily overwhelm people who are not used to these.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/11/18/alhamdulillah-and-congratulations-marawi-city-of-banners/

Nov
17
2011

Marawi City: Bolos Kano!

Marawi City from Agus River

I have been curious about Marawi City in Mindanao. I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about it. Wild, violent and seemingly dangerous place—these were my perceptions of the capital of Lanao Del Sur Province in Mindanao Island. A lot of people told me not to go there or don’t even bother to think about it or else you might get killed, robbed or kidnapped. And yet curiosity has fueled me to go there—and I got a chance.

Against the wishes of my mother (who went ballistic when she knew my plan and I was already in Cagayan de Oro), I went to Marawi City, which is just about three to four hours away from Cagayan de Oro City.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/11/17/marawi-city-bolos-kano/

Nov
12
2011

Gensan’s Tuna Festival and A Generals’ Story

The Champion Tuna Float

I wasn’t planning for a second (actually the third) visit to General Santos City in the span of three months time (like I’m there every month!), but blogger Avel Manansala of Gensan.com convinced me otherwise. I’m no stranger to this city that I fell in love with for so long since the college days, but this latest visit just went a notch higher: Defied gravity four times, pigged out for three days, camwhoring galore, and of course celebrating one of the two big fiestas of the City by the Bay, the Tuna Festival.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/11/12/gensans-tuna-festival-and-a-generals-story/

Oct
27
2011

Twilight at Taluksangay Zamboanga

Minaret of Taluksangay Mosque

When I went to Zamboanga, one of my top priority destination that I would like to see and experience was Barangay Taluksangay and its red Masjid (mosque). It’s in history and travel books, and even on postcards about Zamboanga City. That Sunday afternoon, John Marlowe, a friend of mine and a local of the city, took me to this historical place that is a known bastion of Islam in Mindanao. Some people said, “delikado doon! Wag ka nang pumunta doon” (It’s dangerous! Just don’t go there.)–I said, “then let’s go there!” without hesitation nor fear for the people.

The Taluksangay Mosque

Barangay Taluksangay is located some 20 kilometers east of Pueblo (downtown Zamboanga City). The community is located at the swampy coastline of the peninsula. Taluksangay proper itself lies separated from the mainland by an estuary. One would see the towering minarets from afar, welcoming guests who have come to Taluksangay.

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Permanent link to this article: http://habagatcentral.com/2011/10/27/twilight-at-taluksangay-zamboanga/

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