bahandiExploring the treasures of the South

Colors of the Southp. 9

The legacy of t’nalakp. 17

Mindanao’s Most Treasured Palacesp. 25

Vol. 6, Issue 2 | March 2014

content SEVEN FALLS

COLORS OF THE SOUTH

MINDANAO’S TREASURED PALACES

CELEBRATING LIFEIN DAVAO

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SEVEN FALLS

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THE PICTURESQUE

SEVEN FALLSand the Zipline AdventureBy Dayanara Dotarot

One of the many highlights of Lake Sebu and certainly one of the favorite spot amongst the adventure lovers like me is the interconnected Seven Falls

The Seven falls are very precious and authentic. For only twenty pesos worth of payment for the entrance fee including the tour, you can already see a big portion of the best of Lake Sebu It may not be the longest in the whole world but it I’m pretty sure it offers the spectacular view ever since it’s the highest zipline in Asia. For me, it epitomized the scenery and sheer size that characterized Lake Sebu. Every one of the seven falls has a name in T’boli language. The first of the series of the seven falls was named as “Hi-kong Alo” in T’boli that is 35 feet tall. It is also here where the breathtaking zipline ride is located. The zipline is 600 feet above the ground and a 700-meter ride. Falls number 2 named Hikong Bente or also called Dongon falls, which stands majestically at 70 feet high and considered as the highest among the six waterfalls. It is 400 meters from falls number one and can be reached only through zipline or by hiking the 700+ steps. As of now, only falls number 1 and 2 can be easily reached by the tourists al-though you can see other falls when you fly

up in the air by the means of zipline. More-over, they cannot determine the rest of the falls because of its distance. The others falls were Hikong B’Leb-el (Falls number 3), Hikong Lowig (Falls number 4), Hikong Ukol (Falls number 5), Hikong K’Fo-I (Falls number 6), and Hikong Tonok (Falls number 7). The provincial government of South Cotabato developed this eco-tourism park to promote their province. The falls were a true discovery that you wouldn’t expect it to be so much scenic. These majestic falls are worth to be known to the rest of the world. According to the program assistant of seven falls, Randy Dongon, they start-ed operating the gates of the falls in 2008 right after the road was developed and con-structed, and not long after, they decided to operate the zipline in 2011. “The operation is under the pro-vincial government of South Cotabato. The construction of the zipline and the rehabili-tation of the roads” Dongon said. The price for the zipline is relative-ly cheap (250 pesos on weekdays and 300 pesos on weekends) but not as cheap as your smile when you ride the zipline.

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PHOTO BY ANJU DE VERA

So don’t forget to smile as cameras are taking your memorable experience. The zipline was very incom-parable compared to others because in the usual zipline, what you can see below is only the rainforest, while in Lake Sebu you could see the amaz-ing falls from above. When we were about to ride the zipline, I almost jumped for joy though somehow I was scared but my curiosity pushed me to ride the zipline. I wasn’t afraid of the height. I was more worried if ever I would fall. But gladly, I didn’t. As I stepped to the stairs, I felt scared. But as I hopped into the platform and the staffs strapped me tight, somehow my fear was gone because I know it’s safe. In no time, my friend, Maura, and I were being strapped on the zipline. Without fur-ther adieu, we were zipping through the air.

Before I could freak out, I real-ized we were already released into the air. And in that moment, I swear my eyes almost popped out seeing Lake Sebu’s majestic falls. I saw three waterfalls gushing through a sumptuous tropical rainforest. I was holding a camera to re-cord the views, but it was in the middle part that I felt nervous that I couldn’t stop screaming. I tried my absolute best to take a video of our ride but I was way too amazed that I almost forgot I was holding a camera. As we approached the landing, I again felt nervous because our velocity

going down to the other end made me think that the waiting staff wouldn’t be able to catch us. Of course, they did. I’m really certain that Lake Sebu has the beautiful falls of all. It was a moment of adrenaline rush for me and I would say that my Lake Sebu zipline experience was the best so far. Lake Sebu is very blessed with its nature that many tourists are going there to experience the amaz-ing adventure. Many media peo-ple have gone there to promote the place without the government paying for the promotion. The local government is now having an on-going projects inside the park because they are planning to construct additional amenities and beautify the landscape area, so that the tourist would not only enjoy the falls and the zipline, but also other activities like trekking.

“Before I could freak out, I realized we were already

released into the air. And in that moment, I swear my eyes

almost popped out seeing Lake Sebu’s majestic falls.”

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Generosity,

in BLUE Due to the immense number of students from public elementary schools in the Philippines, not ev-eryone are provided with enough school supplies. As part of being Filipinos, we are morally bound to help those who are in need. One of the elementary schools that were given gifts was the Lake Sebu Elementary School in South Cotabato. The Mass Communication students of the Ateneo de Davao University humbly donated school supplies and three electric fans to aid the short-age of items in the school. Lake Sebu Elementary School was put up in the year 1954. With about 100 students in the preschool and 300 students in the grade school level, Lake Sebu Elementary School does the best they could to teach the students everything they must know. Despite the lack of tables and chairs, the children still go to school to learn and study for their own purpose and advantage. Bernadette Alojado, a grade school teacher said that in all the years she has been teaching, she has witnessed the children’s desire and strong will to study. Some of the students are also enthusiastic and play around in the campus during break times.Howev-er, not everyone is able to enjoy every minute they can spend in school. Alojado said that not all the students come from financially manageable families. Some students wake up early in the morning to travel and go to school because they live from high rocky mountains. Not every student also has his/her own school materials. What’s more unfortunate is that some of these kids go to school with an empty stomach. “Marami sa aming mga estudyante ang walang kain at malnourished. Mas mahirap silang turuan kasi pagkain ang nasa isip nila,” Alojado said. Alojado said that it is difficult for these students to compose in their minds all the things their teacher taught them because they are hungry and think about

By Sharlene Ferraren

the food they want to eat. To help these children ease their distress, the school offers food to them every afternoon. This happens usually three times a week. They serve the children lugaw or arrozcaldo and champorado. Whenever a student was absent, they go door to door and ask the parents why their child did not go to school. The usual reason would be be-cause the child had nothing to eat and no energy and motivation to study for the day. Most of the students are coming from T’boli families, and from different religions. The T’boli folks are known for making beady bracelets and learn-ing how to make these bracelets is a part of the school’s lesson plan. Some of the students are members of the Indigenous People’s day program. They would demonstrate presentations about festivals and native dances. The teachers of Lake Sebu Elementary School wishes to see all their students to graduate. Although it cannot be denied that not all of the students are able to graduate. Alojado men-tioned that only about 60% of the students are able to graduate. One reason for this is because of the required passing grades that some of the students lack. Alojado said that some of the students marry before they graduate.

She said that there are some students from the fourth or fifth year level who persisted on marrying. Usually their partners are aged fifteen to sixteen. As part of their culture, there are some tra-ditions they first have to do before they are able to marry. One of these traditions is the famous dowry. “apat na kabayo na ang pinakamababa na dowry,” Alojado said. Alojado said it is her passion to teach stu-dents and at the same time help them however pos-sible she can. She said that the school will continue teaching these children and help them in encom-passing their goal of learning and graduating. The school will continue to teach the students to be able to help the children who wants to learn and encompass the dreams and aspirations they want to hold. In behalf of Lake Sebu Elementary School, she is thankful for the support and donations of the Ateneo de Davao Mass Communication students.

Approximately 143 miles away from the busy streets of Davao, some-where along the rolling mountains of the South and in between the rich and tranquil waters of Lake Sebu lives a tribe rich in dreams, colors and culture known as the T’bolis.

Cover Story

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PHOTO BY ANJU DE VERA

COLORSOF THES O U T H

BY NECTA CASIPLE

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The journey to the land of the T’bolis is undertaken from the cities of either General Santos or Kidap-awan which involves a four to five-hour drive.

Passing by the sloped and snake-like lanes of their small town are the mud-slicked rice fields and three diverse-sized lakes where the fish pens lay–a signature of how the tribe follows simple, unique and na-ture’s way of living.

Similar to how unique and natu-ral the sceneries are in their home-land is also how beautifully distinc-tive their culture is.

One evident thing that makes the T’bolis divergent among other Min-danawon tribes is how they dress. The ladies of the tribe wear along-sleeved, waist-length, and collarless blouse, a matching ankle-length tubular skirt. They are women and

girls adorned with foot-long earrings, lay-ers of necklaces, hats as large as umbrel-las, and stacks of anklets and bracelets.

The men on the other hand,wear their traditional shirt, trousers and a head ban-dana –some delicately embroidered; with the typical T’boli sword hanging on their side. These clothing are mostly dominated by the colors red, blue and black –a fash-ion statement of their own which they believe reflects one identity of their tribe –colorful.

These folks subsist through simple hunting, fishing and cultivation savour-ing the rich resources provided by nature itself for them. This is why most of them live near the edges of the still lakes, on the foot of the craggy hills or close to the lush green forest with their nipa-made houses.

Ordinary as it may seem but the T’boli household is much more complicated un-

like the regular familial structure most Filipinos have. They are known to be one of the local tribes who practices polygamy wherein the husband can enjoy having as many wives as he’d desire depending on his economic and financial stability. This makes him clearly the head of the family whose opinions and decisions should always be followed.

As for their houses, a T’boli’s house is one of simplest since it has only 2 parts –the kitchen and the ‘sala’ or the lobby which becomes the family bed-room at nightfall parts are made up of natural resources. The floor is made of thin strips of bamboo in which through the spaces one can see the earth be-low, while the roof is made up of hand-made nipa. The walls are surrounded with large-sized, open windows sig-nifying their openness in embracing the beauty of nature encircled around

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“Similar to how unique and natural the

sceneries are in their homeland is also how beautifully distinctive

their culture is”

their cozy, little shelter. In lieu with this warm and welcoming customise

one of their traditions which for over the years have already become a vital entity of their tribe –dances.

Dance is one cultural heritage the T’bolis is proud of. They have number of dances –from birth, court-ship, death and more which is accompanied by their different musical instruments like the agongs and kulintang.While the melody is played by these instru-ments, the dancers gracefully perform every step of these dances dressed in their traditional outfits that are famous for their intricacy and uniqueness to cel-ebrate and re-enact life and its events.

Despite the richness that surrounds their tribe and its culture, they, similar to the rest of the ethnic tribes in the Philippines, are continuously facing a great threat of the viral influence, the world outside theirs is currently offering.

Instead of seeing these folks wear their proudly hand-made clothing, they are now seen dressed in just some regular shirt, pants or skirt. The supposed-to-be everyday clothes that the T’bolis wear has slowly became an occasional costume for them.

The accessories and fabrics which were meant to be worn by the people of their tribe together with their land areas which were found by their ancestors first has become product of capitalism – converted to become money-oriented –major influence brought by the outside world.

Though the modern world is slowly and inevita-bly changing the ethnicity of the T’boli tribe, many of them are still determined to fight and win the bat-tle against modernity; to continue their simple life with nothing but the gentle mountains, fluvial lakes and good music –an heirloom their ancestors left for them to preserve and continue.

PHOTOS BY ANJU DE VERA, NECTA CASIPLE

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BIG DREAMS,BIGGER

EXPECTATIONSby Glanery Anne Manalac

“I am a very proud T’boli”

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There is more to some-one that meets the eye. People are ruled by per-ceptions of other people by how they look and how they seem. It is most often than not forgotten to dig deeper into someone’s life, truly understanding the in-ner workings of his brain and of his heart. Dressed in traditional T’Boli clothes, 57-year-old May-or Antonio Fungan might look like a simple man with dreams of his own, but he most defi-nitely has a bigger and brighter dream for the future of the city he rules and loves. Mayor Fungan started joining politics in 1986 and be-came the first politician in his family regardless of being the youngest among seven siblings. He was also a T’Boli by blood. Despite the T’Boli tribe being polygamous, he was a devout Catholic Christian with only one wife bearing three sons and one daughter. “Hindi ako Datu, pero Datu sa heart. Hindi by blood,” Mayor Fungan explained when asked if he was by any chance

a Datu, or a native chief. Before becoming a mayor for two consecutive terms, he started his way up from the bottom of the political ladder as a barangay captain, to being a municipal councilor, up to vice mayor. What pushed him to run for of-fice was his desire to lead the city to fur-ther development. He served as a municipal coun-cilor for nine years and as vice mayor for a term of three years. When he was a councilor, he didn’t see projects and developments done and desperately wanted some ac-tion done in the movement of such proj-ects. One of which was to promote Lake Sebu as a tourism destination. There is a vision to develop the people in terms of economic status be-sides the development of the place it-self. His motivation to do so is mainly to preserve the culture. “I am a very proud T’Boli.” Schools in Lake Sebu have pro-grams that teach the students as early as possible the city’s history along with its different traditional dances and mu-sical instruments. This makes him even

prouder to be one of his tribe. Now on his second term as mayor, he is determined to beauti-fy the city even more and maintain peace and order for the people’s safety. He hopes to make Lake Sebu a tourist destination and give job op-portunities through its tourism. He plans to run for office for his third and last term in 2016 to leave behind a legacy of bringing Lake Sebu in the tourism industry. He has high hopes of his el-dest son running into politics as well but starting from the bottom of the ladder just as he did. If not working as a mayor, he admits that farming would be closest to what his future might have been doing. Even before entering politics, he already grew to love farming be-sides teaching. In his eyes, Lake Sebu is a treasure filled with golden culture and a shining future. He makes sure of its preservation and its transfor-mation in the long run. Mayor Antonio Fungan might be a man with simple dreams for Lake Sebu, but he’s a man of pas-sion and determination who can totally transform it into something greater than expected.

If there is one thing that can be considered as the cen-trepiece of the art and culture of the T’boli tribe in Lake Sebu, it would be the traditional T’nal-ak cloth. Although the T’boli tribe are also good in other arts, T’nalak weaving has become the most popular art form for its uniqueness, symbolisms, and its long and meticulous process of making. The T’boli tribe consid-ered T’nalak as sacred. It rep-resents the spiritual beliefs of their tribe. It is also made to cel-ebrate important events such as birth of a child or marriage. Because of the cloth’s value, the cloth was also used for royal dowries, rituals and as offerings to their gods. In the past, T’nalak was also used for barter system. The cloth takes 3-4 months (6 meter) to make. The long and meticulous process starts with stripping off fibers from abaca trees. These fibers will be kneaded, dried, combed, and cut before the actual weav-ing. The colors are achievable by dying the abaca fibers, using or-ganic materials such as loko tree to for color red, leaves and fruits of a kanalum tree for color black, and kunin or ginger for color yel-low. The finishing touches will be the “ironing” which is done by re-

peatedly pounding and rolling a big shell on the cloth that will result to its fine texture. The patterns they used are in-spired by Fu Dalu, the god of abaca. According to T’boli belief, it is the god of abaca who sends dreams to the weavers. Someone who can interpret her dream and transform it into a pat-tern is called a “dream weaver”. The master dream weaver of the T’boli tribe, Lang Dulay, was a Gawad sa Manlilikha sa Bayan Awardee and was hailed as a Na-tional Living Treasure by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in 1998 because of her ex-cellent craftsmanship in weaving the traditional the T’nalak. Lang Dulay learned the tech-nique from her mother when she was 12 years old. At the age of 89, Lang Dulay had stop weaving due to health

problems. However, the master dream weaver was still visited by Fu Dalu in her dreams. Despite the fact that she can no longer weave anymore, Lang Dulay continues to dictate the designs and share her aspirations to her students. Lang Dulay produced 40 graduates who mastered the

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T’nalak Photosby

Jojie Alcantara

T’NALAK:THE LEGACY OF THE T’BOLI TRIBEBy Hanna Mae Salcedo

PHOTO BY JOJIE ALCANTARA

T’nalak weaving. However, as of now there are only 16 graduates left. It takes five to six years of schooling to be a weaver, but not to become a dream weaver. In the past, there were 11 dream weav-ers who were visited by the spir-it of Abaca, but majority of these dream weavers already died. To-day, only three dream weavers are left to continue the legacy. Any woman can learn the weaving techniques, but only few are fortunate to be blessed by Fu Dalu’s dreams. It is said that the attitude of the weaver is one huge factor for the spirit of abaca to let one dream. For now, weavers who haven’t dream yet are following

the patterns from the expertise of the dream weavers. T’nalak cloth has been a source of pride and honor for hun-dreds of years for the T’boli tribe. The tribe has had a long history of T’nalak weaving, and the challenge to contin-ue the tradition is inevitable especial-ly among the T’boli youth. Aside from bringing pride and honor to the tribe, T’nalak is also a source of livelihood for the T’boli women now. T’nalak cloths cost from P600 to P1, 200 per meter, depending on its design. However, the most ex-pensive T’nalak are those with Lang Dulay’s signature which costs double or triple than the ordinary ones. T’nalak is much more than an expensive and delicately made sou-

venir. It is more than a cloth made into bags of different sizes, blankets, jackets, purse, clothing, belts and others. The creativity that goes into it, the culture, and the skills that was achieve for years lift T’nalak to an important legacy that shapes the identity of the T’bo-li. Thus, it symbolizes the rich cultural heritage of the T’boli tribe. Lake Sebu celebrates T’nalak Festival every July 11-19, the festival showcased the culture, art, music, and prod-ucts of the province, centering the T’nalak weaving, the legacy of the T’boli tribe.

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PHOTO BY JOJIE ALCANTARA

PHO

TO BY AN

JU D

E VERA, NEC

TA CASIPLE

“I am Benralph Sanchez Yu,

a proud product of public schools

and of Mindanao”

“I am Benralph Sanchez Yu,

a proud product of public schools

and of Mindanao”

Crown Jewel of the

YOUTHCrown Jewel of

MINDANAO It’s never been a ‘cliché’ to have stories about how a person from an underprivileged origin becomes successful in the later part of his/her life. People still have different kinds of chronicles that can be a living testimony and in-spiration for others. One of them is Benralph “Ben” S. Yu, a jewel of the youth whose feats and excel-lent leadership brought him to unprecedented heights. He is now an inspiration for all, espe-cially the young people of Mindanao. But Ben has a humble beginning. With this beginning, he didn’t stop from dreaming and achieving big. Coming from a lowly family, Ben experi-enced a life full of hardships and odds. For him, his life situation had served as an inspiration and effective stimulant to do better and to be better all the time. He just believed that he can. Ben is the third eldest siblings of six whose parents are both jobless. His father is a retired salesman who sometimes drives a taxi, while his mother died in 2011 because of can-cer. “It’s sometimes funny, that people would

mistakenly think that I am well-off since my fam-ily name is Chinese – YU. Unfortunately, it is not all the time that Chinese sounding names refer to rich people,” he said remembering those times when people don’t believe that they’re poor. Ben is a proud alumnus of Davao City National High School (DCNHS) and a consis-tent honors’ class student. During his high school life, he began to lead the whole studen-try as President of the Supreme Student Gov-ernment. He also became the Editor-in-Chief of Davao Wave, the official student publication of DCNHS. But it was not a bed of roses for Ben, unknown for some, he was a self-supporting student. Aside from his “rakets”, he supported himself financially through his earnings from winning competitions like oratorical, writing and debating contests. According to Ben, his journey as a teen-ager is so hard to describe. Because of his re-sponsibilities and what he has been through, he has matured early for his age.

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BY VINCENT GONZAGA

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“Childhood would forever be a nostalgia for me. But in exchange for that, I am able to help my family even at my young age,” he said as his a con-solation to keep him brave to face the odds of life. As mentioned earlier, Ben has been joining competitions in the field of journalism, public speak-ing, debating and many more. He has gained nu-merous awards and recognitions from various orga-nizations and personalities. Among his best achievements, both aca-demic performance and leadership abilities are the following accolades no one among his peers in school, in Davao or even in the entire country has achieved: Vice President Noli De Castro Exempla-ry Leadership Awardee, 18th Alfonso Yuchengco National Discipline Awardee, Amercian Field Ser-vice-Japan East-Asia Network Exvhange Student and Youth Ambassador of the Philippines, Jaycees Club International Most Outstanding High School Graduate (MOHSG) 2008 of Davao City, Most Outstanding Campus Journalist for 2008 Nation-al Schools Press Conference, Outstanding Davao Youth for 2005 and 2006, Youngest Parliamentarian Age 15 during the 6th National Youth Parliament of the National Youth Commission, Best Debater and Best Speaker during the 2nd and 3rd Saceda Youth Lead International Grand Debate, and many more. His remarkable leadership proficiency paved his way to become the President of the Na-tional Federation of Supreme Student Government of the Philippines in 2007 and the first Mindanawon to become the National President of Secondary Editor’s Guild of the Philippines. He was also then President of Davao Council for Outstanding Youth Leader Against Smoking. But these are only his achievement during high school. Upon reaching college, Ben initially took up Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies at the Uni-versity of the Philippines-Manila as a full scholar, but decided to shift to BA in Organizational Communi-cation. In college, Ben was a debater for UP Manila Debate Circle and was one of the top 10 best ad-judicators in the Philippines during the 10th Nation-al Debate Championships. He was also elected as number 1 Councilor in UP Manila and awarded best undergraduate thesis.

He was also active in volunteering for DepEd-Center for Students and Co-curricular Affairs, and then President of National Alumni Association of Supreme Student Governments. Despite these achievements and awards, Ben admitted that it was not easy for him to adapt with the new environment in UP. For him, everyone is competitive and wants to be a lead-er. “I had to juggle my academics and work and my extra-curricular activities. Another chal-lenge was coping with the environment. Manila is very different from Davao and I also had to get used to living alone with no family here,” he said. Though a full scholar, Ben still had to work at the same time in order to finance his needs such as rent for his boarding house, meals, and other payments and projects. “Considering that I am a self-supporting student with minimal help from family finan-cially, everyday was a struggle,” Ben said “Overall, my experiences made me stron-ger emotionally and spiritually,” Ben added.

Ben now is a graduate of BA in Organi-zational Communication and currently working in Nestle Philippines as Corporate Management Trainee for Sales and Marketing. Today, Ben is often invited by some schools in the country as guest speaker in lead-ership trainings and writing workshops. All of these are not miracles or magic, these are the product of his hardwork and perse-verance to achieve what he wants in his life. Ben also thanked his colleagues and mentors who are always with him. “It is important to note na there were people who helped me. My DepEd-CSCA fam-ily, My TOPS Family (Ten Outstanding Public School of the Philippines), my mentors, family and friends,” Ben said. Surely, Ben will forever be a living inspi-ration for all potential writers, aspiring leaders and just about who dreams big even amidst humble beginnings. “I am Benralph Sanchez Yu, a proud product of public schools and of Mindanao,” Ben said on top of his voice.

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BY MAURA VIGILIA

MINDANAO’S MOST TREASURED

PALACES

PHOTO BY MARCO PHILIP SANCHEZ

The historic Capitol of Sarangani is lo-cated at the Province’s Capital, Alabel, an hour away from General Santos City. Because of the Capitol’s huge com-pound and stunning structure, it is consider as the landmark of Sarangani. Its architectural design has a semblance of the White House in the United States, which is a neoclassical type

of architecture, a mark of American influence. Aside from its beauty, the Capitol has always been the center of business, politics, trade and industry in this southern part of Mind-anao. It is also a center for sports development in the region. A Sports Complex is located at the back of the building, inside the Capitol’s compound where office events and sports fest

Sarangani Province Capitol

in province mostly was held. Today, there is an ongoing construc-tion of the Province’s Hospital. Government officials planned to maximize the space of the Capitol building and decided to con-

struct it inside the compound, a good indi-cation of the province’s rapid development and an effective plan for the government civic center.

Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol

Beside the bus terminal of Isulan, the golden 5-storey fortress of the province was constructed, The Sultan Kudarat Povincial Cap-itol. Its gold exterior attracts everyone passing through it, as the Capitol directly seen in the high way of the province. It is located in the town of Isulan, the capital of the province. You will be welcomed by Sultan Muham-mad Dipatuan Kudarat’s statue, as you enter the gates of the Capitol. Sultan Kudarat came from the tribe Shariff Kabugsuwan, who first brought Islam here in the Philippines, and successfully won over the Spaniard’s Colonization in Mindan-ao during his regime. It is placed at the center, and on its right side is the capitol’s fountain. You will see a gigantic chandelier that will amaze you as you enter the building, a light that is extraordi-

nary. The huge pillars of the Capitol is made of granite stones stand side by side, making the fa-cades even more impressive. Tall coconut trees stand besides the main high way, which is by the way traffic free. The whole compound is green and clean. The Capitol houses the different provin-cial government offices for the province of Sul-tan Kudarat including the office of the Provincial Governor and Vice Governor and the session hall for the provincial board. There are also important rooms inside the Capitol; the Hall of Sultans where meetings of Muslim Sultans or leaders are conducted, the Hall of Kings, which is used for gatherings of Christian leaders of the province or their visitors, and the Prayer Room.

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PHOTO BY JOJIE ALCANTARA

Cotabato’s Golden Mosque

A few kilometers away from the City of Co-tabato hides the largest Mosque in the Philippines and the most popular landmark in the city, The Sul-tan Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid also known as The Golden Mosque. The mosque is located in Barangay Kalan-ganan in Cotabato City, and lies in the middle of the vast land in the Center of Tomantaka River, the wa-ters leading to the Moro Gulf and Timako Hill. Sul-tan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam funded it at a reported cost of US$48 million. The Golden Mosque’s elevation is equiva-lent to a 15-storey building and can accommodate hundreds of worshippers or estimated of 1,200 people. A fountain is also placed on the Mosque’s courtyard and Cresent moons, which are a symbol for Islam, beautify the domes painted in gold.

Its architectural structure was being com-pared to huge Mosques in Middle East, which is very unusual to see here in the Philippines. It is considered a meditating place to all Muslims and at the same time a relaxing place for the tourists. The place has its caretaker who is responsible for the maintenance of the place and the one who lets tourists in, for free. The Mosque is visited especially on Fes-tivals and on Muslims’ special event Eid’l Fitr and Eidl’ Adha. Because of the openness of the Golden Mosque, it will come a day when all fears about Co-tabato will be replaced by acceptance and interest of people about Islam; their beliefs and cultures.

At night, the Capitol’s colorful lights will fascinate everyone. The whole building is covered with vibrant colors, which stand out in the dark.

The Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol is one of the most visited tourists attractions in Soccsksargen. It doesn’t only reflect the rich culture of the place, it has also become the emblem of Unity for the province of Sultan Kudarat.

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PHOTO BY WANDERINGBLUECRAB

The

Forbidden Masterpiece

BY VINCENT GONZAGA

Architecture, as a form of art, is a reflection of a nation’s rich and vibrant history and heritage. It is also a manifestation of people’s greatness and brilliance in the field of art

It is undeniable that the Philippines has a pool of talented artists and their masterpieces are already part of the country’s treasures. In the City of Royalties, Davao, a few ar-chitectural masterpieces designed and built by world-renowned artists are found. One of them is the old terminal building of Davao International Airport, the one and only of its type in Visayas-Min-danao region that was design by a national artist. The building was erected in 1980, replac-ing the earlier structure to accommodate the in-creasing air passenger traffic flying to and from Davao. National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin was commissioned by then President Fer-dinand Marcos to design and build the terminal building. In general, the structure is a combination of both Malay-inspired and brutalist architecture. Its Malay design is marked with multi-tiered roof and wooden pillars with carved marble bas-es and caps. The design is an expression of the Philippines’ genuine cultural origin and heritage. Meanwhile, a western architectural type was in-corporated, the brutalist design.  It is formed with concrete and masses, contrasting dramatically with the highly refined and ornamented buildings. The interior is a floating volume. Mean-ing, the building’s massing is elevated above the ground plane and is supported by minimal struc-ture below. It has a high ceiling with precious sea-shells chandeliers mounted above. The pillars that support the structure has bases and caps made up of marble with minimal-ist carvings. A wooden narra was once placed in-side the terminal that served as the divider of the departure area and arrival area respectively.

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All in all, the building was a Locsin’s origi-nal. It has the themes of duality of light and heavy, buoyant and massive running. This architectural gem was the crown jewel of its type in Mindanao during its time. It was an epitome of a functional art and a masterpiece of the city. However, as what other people may say, time has taken its glory. Before its impending abandonment to give way for the new terminal building, the whole city was shaken and trembled by one of the worst terror attack in Davao. The infamous “Sasa Air-port Bombing” on March 4, 2003 that killed 21 people and injured 145 others was the mark left on the minds of everyone about the old building. For many, it is the place of sorrow and horror past, especially for those who lost their loveones during the night of the bombing. It was never remembered as an architectur-al jewel and a heritage site needed to be preserved. After the opening of new terminal build-ing last December 2, 2003, the old terminal was

abandoned indefinitely. It now seats beside the mil-itary airbase and a dwelling place for squatters. The enthusiastic crowd rushing in and out the building is now replaced by the gushing blow of wind. The noise of rolling carts, boarding calls and dramatic cries of farewells are now replaced with the deafen-ing silence of the surrounding. There are proposals to transform it into a museum, while local officials motioned to convert it as a Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) Fa-cility. However, all of these plans have not materi-alized. 11 years have passed, and still counting, this masterpiece will remain idle and gradually deteriorate – a reflection that this nation lacks the aesthetic sense and heritage preservation initiative. We have lost so many for this country, we can’t af-ford to lose another one. Nonetheless, we must acknowledge that sometime in our history, we had a chef-d’oeuvre in our midst and will never be abandoned in our memories and dreams.

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bahandi

Davao City is known to be one of the biggest cities in the world. It is also popular for it’s clean, green and smoke free environment through various advocacies implemented by the city Mayor Rudrigo Duterte. However, one of the most common factor that makes Davao City popular to other people is it’s festi-vals. There are two major festivals which Davaoe-nios celebrate every year -the Araw ng Davao and Kadayawan Festival. Araw ng Davao is a vibrant celebration of the Davaoenos’ oneness celebrated during March of every year. Davao celebrates its birthday in a grand gala fashion befitting the largest city in Mindanao. The Araw ng Dabaw festivities come complete with a jam-packed, seven-day schedule of trade fairs and cultural presentations. There are also various arts, cultural, musical, culinary, sports and street events that highlights the festival these includes the “Parada” or socio-civic parade, “Bandahan sa Kadalanan” a band parade, “Piging sa Dan” a food street party, “Kasikas” another part of the extravaganzas, along with other specta-cles along the major city streets, there is also a color-ful civic-military parade.

“Huni” is a pop music song writing competi-tion, there are concerts, arts and culture presenta-tions, various sports competitions that will be held during the festival. But the much-anticipated event in the Araw ng Davao is the search for the “Mutya ng Dabaw”, the city’s Ambassador of Goodwill every the 15th of March. Another festival that Davao City celebrates is the Kadayawan festival -a weeklong celebration of thanksgiving for bountiful harvest and a tribute to Mindanao Tribes. Kadayawan is derived from the prehistoric word “madayaw,” a warm and friendly greeting which is also used to describe a thing that is valuable, su-perior, beautiful, good or profitable. The Ethnic tribes around Mt. Apo usually gathered during the har-vest-time when they had a bountiful harvest to give thanks to their gods particularly the all-powerful “Ma-nama” (the Supreme Being). According to legend, the occasion is noticeable by happiness, singing, and dancing, as well as offerings to their divine pro-tectors.t This festival features the Mindanao tribes, their industrial, arts and entertainment. It highlights the floral float, street-dancing competitions and pro-motes tourism, products and services. 

Celebrating Life in Davao

by Arlette Ongachen

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Celebrating Life in Davao

by Arlette Ongachen

Various farming implements, fruits, flowers, vegetables, rice and corn grains were displayed on mats as villagers give their respect and thanks for the year’s abundance. Singing, dancing and offerings to their divine protectors are the highlights of this ritual. Although times have changed, this practice of thanksgiving or “pahinungod” is still very much practiced by modern day Davaoeños. This tradition flourished and evolved into an annual festi-val of thanksgiving. Other more exciting events also takes place during this time which includes the search for the “Hiyas sa Kadayawan,” the festival symbol who will epitomize the beauty and richness

of Mindanawon fashion and floral arts. Festival highlights also include a river festival, an indigenous music exhibition, dance competitions, a trade fair, food trips and music parties.Which makes the fes-tival exciting, enjoyable and flocked by the people not only the locals but also foreigners and other tourists. Kadayawan festival is the festival that offers enrich-ing experience with a difference as its shows and tells different stories, cultures, and values. It’s not only for the local people but for everyone who wants to join and have fun. Be entertained by their en-chanting music and dance performance. Be part of the experience and make great memories.

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