Guest Blog

Today’s guest column is from my friend, Jim Cunningham. Jim is a long time visitor to the Philippines, and will be retiring to the Philippines by the end of this year. Jim recently visited Davao City, among other places, and writes here about his experiences. Thanks for writing this, Jim! Meeting you and Marilou for dinner during your visit was a real pleasure! Bob

During our recent holiday to the Philippines we had an occasion to visit Davao for the first time. The journey to Davao was made in the company of Greg and Rose Longcob the husband and wife team who manage the administration of Bethany Christian Home for Children in Talakag, Bukidnon along with my wife Marilou’s tita Mrs Caring Garcia.

The journey to Davao took us through some of the most beautiful scenery not only in Bukidnon but also Mindanao. The contrast from the coastal areas to mountain region was a sight to behold. Certain parts of the journey particularly where there is an abundance of pine trees growing reminded me of the alpine regions of Europe.

At over a thousand meters above sea level the climate in the Quezon/Buda region is almost akin to an eternal European spring or early summer. Along the way locals were selling plant species that could only be described as alpine, thriving no doubt as a result of the elevation.

There is a place along the highway called Overview from which you can have a spectacular view of the Bukidnon scenery from mountains in the distance to rice fields in the valleys a whole 360 º panorama it’s absolutely breathtaking. How some of the heavy goods vehicles negotiate this mountain road is beyond belief but obviously they do, hour by hour.

When eventually we arrived in Davao we visited a very close friend of ours who like ourselves lives in the North East of England but also has a house in Mindanao. The lunch we enjoyed was sumptuous one or two even enjoyed forty winks after leaving the table. Since we had not booked accommodation in advance of our journey we set out to look for a centrally located hotel to stay for the next two nights which we thought would be relatively easy. Easy in deed by now it was becoming almost dark and we had visited all the down town hotels to no avail when we stumbled across a small hotel called Humberto’s “The Charming Little Hotel” which transpired to be a little jewel in the heart of the city. After my wife returned to the car to confirm that there was room at the said inn we decided to park the vehicle in front of the hotel as there was a space available and it would be easier to unload our bags etc. When I got out of the car I accidentally dropped my camera due to my small bag still being open which I use for cameras and phones when I travel. I retrieved my camera and continued to guide Greg into the parking space. When we were settled into our room I noticed that my mobile telephone was missing and began to search around for it asking the other members of our party if they had seen it. We even searched outside around the car where I had dropped my camera as well as inside the vehicle to no avail. Additionally we even telephoned our friend with whom we had lunch just in case I had left it there at her house.

So I was resigned to the fact that I had lost the phone and I would contact my office the next day to cancel the sim card just in case someone was telephoning their friends and family around the world at my company’s expense.

The next morning we set off to visit Samal Island which we had heard about through reading Bob Martin’s www.liveinthephilippines.com. We used the RoRo ferry to take us over to Samal as we had taken the car with us so we could explore the island at our leisure. Whilst on Samal we visited Chemas Resort which is a private resort family owned and managed and is very secluded should anyone want peace and quiet whilst on holiday. The accommodation is currently being upgraded although the present rooms are very nice. We stayed at Chemas for lunch which was excellent and reasonably priced even although we just dropped in. The truth was we used Bob Martins good name to gain entrance as normally one would have to book at the Waterside Hotel and travel to the resort by its private boat, so we were fortunate having a well-known acquaintance. Later that afternoon we made our way back to Davao as the women wanted to do some shopping and we stopped off at an area of the city where they mainly sell native crafts etc. Whilst the women did what they do best I went to look for an internet café so that I could contact my office and cancel my sim card. I found an internet café very quickly and when I checked my mail I saw one from my daughter and on opening it I got the surprise of my life. My daughter informed me that someone called Jackie had contacted her by text to tell her that they had found my mobile telephone. Jackie had left her e-mail address as well as phone number for me to contact her. I text her straight away and very soon had a reply that she would come to Humberto’s Hotel to return my phone. I was overjoyed to receive this news as the phone was my only means of staying in touch with my office during my holiday. I went back to find the others and gave them the good news.

At around 4pm Jackie (Jacqueline B Javier) arrived along with her mother Ma Fe B Javier and related the story of the previous evening when the phone was found outside the hotel. When I had dropped my camera the previous evening unknown to me I had also dropped my phone. Mrs Ma Fe B Javier was on her way to the Gym around the corner from the hotel and had noticed the phone lying on the road. There was no one around and it was raining so she continued to the Gym for her workout.

Later that evening when she returned home she explained to her daughter Jacqueline who is a medical student at Ateneo de Davao University, what had happened. Jacqueline soon found my daughter’s messages to me and contacted her to say my phone had been found. That was how I discovered my phone had been found. My wife and Ma Fe soon got chatting and discovered that they were both members of the same civic organisation called Alpha Phi Omega Sorority which includes “honesty” as one of its jewels. How true this turned out to be as far as I was concerned I was absolutely delighted.

My day had been made and later that evening we met up with Bob Martin and his charming wife Feyma to enjoy what turned out to be a fantastic meal at De Bonte Koe restaurant on Rizal Street.

The next morning as we left Davao I was so happy the way our visit had turned out having my lost telephone returned and meeting up with nice friends and having the opportunity to see Davao at last.

I hope if there is anyone from Mayor Duterte’s office reading this to note that I am most grateful to Mrs Ma Fe B Javier and her daughter Jacqueline of La Verna Hills Subdivision, Buhangin for being upstanding and honest citizens of Davao City. A real credit to your city Mr Mayor.

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