If not only for this writing I will never know that Davao is a part of Mindanao. Mindanao is one of the three island groups of the Philippines, the other two are Luzon and Visayas. Davao City is considered to be the largest city in Mindanao.
I travelled heavenly to Davao from my province in Bataan. Yes, it was heavenly because I went there for free at my company’s expense. So it is basically a business trip.
Upon my arrival to Davao airport, something has welcomed me. It was the landscape that says, “ DAVAO – LIFE IS HERE “. So why life is here – stays on my mind. I will surely get the answer after my five days work assignment in our Davao office.
Who says that is going to be a pure business work? Thinking that life is good and that I will have only one life to live, I never let a day pass without exploring Davao.
I went to People’s park. Although it was dark already, there are still so many fun things to do. I took my sweat off and jog with one of my colleagues. The park may look more beautiful at day. They said, during the “ Kadayawan festival “ which is an annual festival in Davao, it is where most of the dances and presentations are being held.
I cannot hide my expression of being surprised and amazed on how Davao maintain its cleanliness. No plastics and trash around – it is really clean. You cannot see anyone smoking in public. Truly, admirable.
You can also see fruits being sold around – pomelo, durian and marang. You cannot see these two fruits ( durian and marang ) in any other places, only in Davao. And you can buy them at a very cheap price.
I also got the chance to see for the first time the flower they called Mickey Mouse which looks like intentionally shape or molded like the famous cartoon character Mickey Mouse. I laughed when I first heard its name but they were not joking, so I just accepted the information provided.
We also went to one of the tourist destinations in Davao which is named “EDEN”, which is a real paradise and true to its name. On our way, Mt. APO which is considered to be the tallest mountain in the Philippines showed upon us although it is still too far from where we are. At least, I was able to have a glance of its beautiful view.
It is a hard way up to EDEN NATURE’S PARK so I decided to ask my colleagues to drop me off from the car and let me walk on the way up there. It was fun and breathtaking. The sceneries are really captivating. Trees, flowers and mountains. How beautiful is God’s creation.
In the EDEN NATURE’S PARK, we experienced the skycycle or riding a bike in the air. How is that? A built-in runway wire for bicycle and a partner bicycle with specialized wheels to make it safe for the rider to reach the other end. It was frightening but a great adventure experience.
I can’t let this story end without mentioning how kind the people in Davao are. They are so simple and honest. You can ride alone in a taxi even at late night without worrying about your safety. They are kind, simple, disciplined and happy people. Truly, they made a great contribution in my search for an answer to my question if why “ life is in Davao.”
/// Written by Rosemarie Ramos, The Philippines
