take me to Magsaysay Park

So Magsaysay Park of Davao City has a wide open public plaza for strolling. The children’s playground, restaurant and ampitheatre present families ample attraction especially during weekends. It even has government offices which makes the park a public affairs destination.


across the fruit stalls of Magsaysay Park is the Chinatown gate



selecting the durian


However, to me, Magsaysay Park is the place to be to get my durian fix. Sure there were pomelos, mangosteens, oranges, mangoes and other fruits. But when you are in Davao, you know you are where the king of fruits are in abundance. By reputation the best durians are in Davao and as you can see here, I was not disappointed.


durian sharing in the park



eating out

To go: Magsaysay Park is in Leon Garcia Street, Agdao District, Davao City, the Philippines

the seaweed farms of Tibungco, Davao City

Visiting seaweed farms always shows me a slice of the lives of ordinary people at work. This is agriculture but not in land.


seaweed growing in the coast of Tibungco, Davao City


In Davao City, one of the fast-growing sources of the seaweed cottonii is the coastal community of Tibungco. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of the people doing seaweed cultivation are Muslim. This demography is repeated many times over all throughout Mindanao particularly in the regions of Zamboanga and Sulu where seaweed first became popular. Over the years when people move around and resettle, they naturally bring with them the skills that helped carry them over economically.


a group of stilt houses which we had to pass through to get to our boat


The take off point of this trip in Tibungco was Purok 16 Buhisan. A boat was pre-arranged to take us to the farms nearby and we had to pass through a small community of stilt houses. Traversing a labyrinth of footpaths of loose planks and bamboo never is easy but tripping over is not a option as I didn’t want to take a swim, especially when I have my dSLR camera with me.


a Tibungco farmer sitting in a farmhouse where seaweed are being dried


The boat ride was short and took us less than 10 minutes. Along the way, we zigzagged through long monolines of seaweed. The boatman was a farmer himself and was extra cautious not to cut or drag down any cultivation line.


weaving through a sea full of seaweed farmlines


The farmhouses, which serve as depots for farm materials, as drying platforms for the fresh harvests and as temporary dwellings, are mushrooming around the coast, our contact assured us. There was a recent incidence several hectares of seaweed plantations being bought out by a company which needed the area to build a private wharf. I forgot whether it was a fish canning firm or something else but the farmers are a persistent lot and they merely brushed off the setback and moved their lines to the neighboring waters.


a farmer tending his farm



farmhouses and boats are necessities in seaweed farming


It will take awhile to see the volume really take off but time is on everyone’s side. Meantime, I heard that the neighboring island Samal had some potential so I planned to head up there too. More places to visit mean more pictures to take. I am not complaining.


a Tibungco farmhouse with Samal Island at the background

Good Friday: the Siete Palabras

a Lenten Special

When I was growing up in the 80s, there was no cable TV at home to keep us company during the Holy Week. The state of solitude pervades most during Good Friday when regular free TV and FM radio would sign off. Being raised in a conservative Catholic household, we would not be allowed to go out either. Not there would be any open destination anyway as there were no malls yet and all commercial establishments would shut their doors during this holy day. The idea of spending the Holy Week outside of home was unheard of either, if not outright taboo.

What was left for us was join in the religious rites- the via crucis, the mass services, confession and the solemn processions. On Good Friday, the day that Jesus died on the cross, there too is the popular series of oratories of the Seven Last Words, or Siete Palabras in our vernacular, which is read in the leadup to 3PM. As kids, we were excused and did not have to go to church – Lent falls on the dead of summer in the Philippines so the heat and humidity can be unbearable – but our parents would have us tune in to the AM radio.

As an homage to the age old tradition of the Seven Last Words, here are photographic depictions of Christ’s crucifixion.


Bantayan, Cebu, the Philippines
I. Amahon Ko, pasayloa sila kay wala sila nakahibalo sa ilang gibuhat. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)



San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City, the Philippines
II. Karon, magauban ka Kanako sa Paraiso. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43)



Museo San Pablo, St Paul's Cathedral, Vigan, Ilocos Sur
III. Babaye, ania ang imong anak. Anak, ania ang Imong inahan. Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (John 19:26-27)



an ebony cross from Tanzania, at home in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, the Philippines
IV. Diyos Ko, Diyos Ko, Nganong gibiyaan mo Ako. Eli Eli lama sabachthani? ("My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?", Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)



the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Sibonga, Cebu, the Philippines
V. Giuhaw Ako. I thirst (John 19:28)



Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio de Maria Church, Boljoon, Cebu, the Philippines
VI. Nahuman na. It is finished (John 19:30)



Salvador Dali's Crucifixion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, uptown Manhattan, New York, the US
VII. Amahan Ko, sa Imong mga kamot, itugyan Ko ang Akong Kalag. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)

the Cacing Diaries #32

questions on bringing infants on board a plane: answered!

My wife and I need to be convinced that Cacing will do just fine in the multiple plane rides to Bali next week so about 2 weeks ago, the entire family (me, Dia, Cacing, my mom and Cacing’s yaya or nanny) went to Davao.


arriving at Davao- my mom, Cacing and her nanny, my wife


Cacing, being about one year and a month old, hasn’t yet been able to travel out of Cebu. This was to be her first plane ride and we were uncertain.


glee in Paradise Island Resort, Samal Island, Davao del Norte


Do we have to pay plane fare for infants? Domestically, for unseated babies up to 2 years old, the answer is no. International carriers ask for a steep fee though. We paid Cathay Pacific about $200 for infant fare for the Cebu-Hong Kong-Surabaya round trip.


it’s the shirt…


What documents should be bring upon check-in? As a rule to prevent baby trafficking, airlines normally require parents to bring copies of the marriage certificate and the birth certificate. At Cebu Pacific, we were not asked these documents though perhaps because we all were traveling together as one family.


She immensely enjoyed the wind sweeping over us in a boat ride at Samal Island

Can we bring formula milk inside the cabin? Typically, liquids and their containers should not exceed 100mL but there are provisions special for infant formula and water for babies boarding a plane. In our case, domestic inspection was relaxed.


Cacing is beginning to get comfortable with hats and no longer tries to remove them from her head


Will she be asked to wear a special seatbelt? No, she wasn’t given any. We did receive an infant safety flotation device to keep during the entire duration of the flight.

Would Cacing be disturbed by the compression inside the plane? Cacing was drowsy and was already sleeping soundly when we boarded the plane from Cebu to Davao. She slept like a log and only woke up at the tailend of the flight. She was curious at seeing the view outside when we landed and probably had no idea that we were not in Cebu. On the way back home, she was awake and seemed to have noticed the change in pressure as she tugged on her ears for awhile. We quickly had her drink some water and milk off the bottle so that helped. She did not cry at all. Excitement overtook her.



Sleeping fitfully in her first plane ride ever


Perhaps these all bid well for our trip next week. There’ll be some new complications of course. Aboard jumbo jetliners, cabin compression would be more pronounced and the Hong Kong-Surabaya leg would be about 5 hours not a short one hour hop.


inside the San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City, the Philippines


Then there are the numerous challenges in airport transit, hotel changeovers and late night arrivals. The hope is everything would turn out fine. We always have to look at the bright side.

it’s Durian time!

I could not exactly place when I got to be a durian addict. I only got to taste this “king of fruits” when I was already off college and I remembered the first one I had was not really that sweet. The odor did not turn me off. I never am one with a weak stomach anyway. Slowly and incontrovertibly though, morsel by morsel, over several years in my trips around the country and abroad, I tasted the real delectable samples. I was hooked and there is no turning back. I just need to have my fix of the creamy luscious sweet buttery goodness of the durian wherever I am and whenever I can, be it at a bar in Zamboanga, in a night stall in Saigon, or at a mall in Bali.

Before I went to Davao last week, I know I would be in durian heaven. Like a soldier with a war plan, I mapped out what I needed to do. Simple: just try everything durian.


Fri 1PM, durian pie and durian float at Sagay, Casa Leticia

We just arrived by plane from Cebu and I was insistent. We needed to go to Sagay, the banner restaurant of the quaint boutique hotel Casa Leticia. I do not have any particularly strong feelings, positive or negative, for Ilonggo cuisine which was what Sagay is all about but the buzz is that it has the best durian pie in Davao. Lunch was consumed fast as we were famished. But the pie I had to savor slowly. The crust was simple, almost plain to the palate and on the soft side, which set contrastingly the plump and firm durian filling. I was treated with large slivers of real durian which were obviously fresh, delightfully creamy and unforgettably rich. I could not get enough.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/125s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 1600
the durian pie of Sagay (Ilonggo) restaurant, Casa Leticia, Davao City, the Philippines

According to the waiter, the owners of the Casa Leticia hotel have their own durian plantation so fresh fruits never are a concern and the setup pays. This durian pie has a following and count me as a new fan.

For extra measure, I even tried another delicacy, the durian float. Frozen cold, sensibly sweet, it was the denouement to the pie climax.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/100s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 1600
the durian float of Sagay (Ilonggo) restaurant, Casa Leticia, Davao City, the Philippines


Sagay, Casa Leticia, J Camus St Davao City 8000, tel +6382 2240501


Fri 8PM, durian cake at Jack’s Ridge

Jack’s Ridge is an institution in Davao. It sports a spectacular mountain view that overlooks the Davao cityscape and it is best enjoyed at night. With ambience provided by the flickering lights of metropolitan Davao, food almost became secondary. Not the durian cake though. We ordered several slices and I ended up eating most of them as always. Between the beds of light chiffon were thick layers of durian-rich paste. Highly recommended.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/160s, f/1.8, 50mm, ISO 1600, -1/3EV
the durian cake of Jack’s Ridge, Davao City, the Philippines


Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant, Shrine Hills, Matina, Davao City 8000, tel +6382 2978830, www.jacksridgedavao.com


Sat 10PM, durian pie, again, at Sagay, Casa Leticia

I told you I am a convert. I figured we might run out of time the next day with our flight scheduled late in the afternoon. We decided not to risk missing out on the delicacy so we passed by Casa Leticia again to get two whole pies (Php 450 each). Handcarrying the boxes was a most welcomed chore.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/125s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 1600
the durian pie of Sagay (Ilonggo) restaurant, Casa Leticia, Davao City, the Philippines


Sun 1PM, durian at the Magsaysay Park

Of course, I need to have the real thing. One of the best places to have the fruit is Magsaysay Park. The row of fruits stalls leaves you spoiled for choice. There are fruits galore, from pomelos to mangosteens and taking more space than any other is not to my surprise, the durian. My friend was rattling off the different varieties. The names were difficult to remember but I caught “basketball” which is said to be quite creamy. For a few minutes, we settled by the roadside, huddling, eating, and there was little between me and durian heaven.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/80s, f/4.0, 17mm, ISO 640, +1.0EV
loads of durian, pomelo and mangosteens on display, Magsaysay Park, Davao City, the Philippines



Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/200s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 125
attacking the durian, Magsaysay Park, Davao City, the Philippines


Sun 2PM, durian cake at the Waterfront Insular Hotel

With time to spare, we decided to have mid-afternoon desserts at the swanky Waterfront Insular Hotel. Although I just had my real durian fix, I saw another version of the durian cake. No harm in trying it. Yes, it was creamy. Yes, it was sugary. Too bad, the cake was a sanitized middle-of-the-road concoction. Non-durian lovers might even like it for the flavor is light. Not me. I want my durian to come out strong. I was looking for any durian paste or fruit chunks so I was disappointed.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/200s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 500, -2/3EV
the durian cake of Davao Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City, the Philippines


Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, Lanang, Davao City 8000, tel +6382 2332881


Sun 3PM, durian at the Buhangin Fruit Stand

Before checking in the airport, we could not bid the city of Davao without buying the obligatory fruit pasalubong. Pomelos became the ready choice. Wistfully, I was eyeing the bound durian hanging at the Buhangin fruit stand but alas, the malodorous fruits are now taboo inside the plane cargo. Some other time and way then.


Canon EOS 5D Digital, 1/400s, f/2.8, 100mm, ISO 1600, +1/3EV
durian fruits on display at the Buhangin fruit stand, Davao City, the Philippines


Besides, we still have our two boxes of the durian pie. It’s all good.

what I brought back from Davao, part 1

It is a given. Whenever we, Filipinos, go to a new place far from home, we are obliged to bring something back to friends and relatives. Last week, I visited Davao with family in tow. Of course I brought back the requisite pasalubong.


By reputation, Lola Abon is the brand to most people in the know and this is what we got for both the mangosteen and the durian candies pictured here


There were big ticket items which we lugged, like fruits and pies and I would have to blog later. For basic giveaways though, locally made sweet delicacies never would be out of fashion. Of course when in Davao, the first candies that come to mind would be anything durian. Billed as the “king of fruits” notorious for its odor (sewer-like, they say), the durian somehow loses the telltale noisome smell upon caramelization. So at the one-stop complex of Aldevinco in Davao City, we got durian candy bars, yema and squares. We also threw in mangosteen candies for good measure.


the special mangosteen candies come in dark red violet colors, sweet in smell and taste


Let’s just say, we have lots of happy friends.


We also tried the smaller durian cubes (Minco brand)



Custard candy is called yema in the Philippines and the durian yema of Minco is a heavenly confection