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Let’s count our blessings

Davao City, Weather / by

This article is from Mindanao Bob’s Journal, which is a regular weekly column in SunStar Davao Newspaper.  This column appeared in SunStar today, October 2, 2009.

This past weekend, the scenes on TV from Manila were horrific.  The flooding in Manila was devastating.  The suffering of the people was heart wrenching.  It’s really a time to count our blessings.

Count our blessings? Yes, I believe it is time for that.  We are blessed to be Dabawenyos.  Imagine the differences here compared to other places around the Philippines.  Mindanao is the only part of the Philippines that is outside the typhoon belt, we have beautiful weather here!  We have an abundance of so many things here in Davao, we really need to count our blessings for that.

Davao is hounded with flooding whenever it rains very hard, but it certainly is nothing like we saw on TV over the weekend.  Yes, we get a few centimeters of water on the City Streets, and we complain.  It’s human nature, we want the streets to remain dry, of course.  But, when was the last time you saw the water waist deep, or heaven forbid neck deep in Davao City?  It just doesn’t happen here.

As the flooding hit Manila, what was the next thing we saw on TV?  People were hungry.  Here in Mindanao we live in a land of abundance when it comes to food.  Fruits and other kinds of foods are plentiful, and inexpensive too.

Yes, I believe that as Dabawenyos we are really blessed.  Those who are from other areas, though, away from Mindanao, only talk about what a bad, or dangerous place Mindanao is.  Just the mention of Mindanao brings fear to those people.  It seems they don’t realize that only a few parts of Mindanao present danger, the vast majority of Mindanao is a beautiful, unspoiled and safe place!  Especially Davao City.

A lot of times, when we have visitors come to Davao they rave about the place.  It’s so beautiful, such a wonderful life!  The food is so cheap and abundant.  Yet, others tell them to fear Mindanao.  Why?  Because those who advise fear have never set foot in Mindanao.  And, when it comes to danger, that’s about as far as you could get from Davao while still remaining on the Island.

Yes, even as I write this, things are not comfortable for those in Metro Manila.  Most of the water has drained off, leaving a ton of mud on the streets, in the homes and just about anyplace you might look.  It’s dirty, and there is a lot of work to be done.  I feel sorry for the people in Manila, no doubt about that, and I pray for their well being.  I wonder, though, if they realize just how much different life in Davao is?

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Comments

  1. Proud to be Dabawenyo Bob and we are proud you're among us!!! We do really have to count or blessings.
    I felt extremely sad on what happen in Luzon. I just pray they can recover soon.

  3. I am no stranger to the violence of mother nature as recent as 2004 I went through hurricane charlie that tore the roof off my house and left me in the dark for 13 days, with that said I know it is ten times tougher for the people of Manila with a fraction of the support available form the powers that be. I am so much concerned as this supertyphoon bears down on Manila and Samar we are preparing here like I would have in the states all outside flying debris items secured etc. I hope this doent come to fruition but without sufficient updates from the local weather we will observe and prepare the best we can 😉

  6. hello bob i have heard there is another stronger storm heading toward luzon , im glad my wife and babygirl are in davao

  7. Hi Ken – Indeed, there are actually two more storms headed Luzon way right now! The one that is getting very close to landfall is really a strong storm too. Indeed, I am quite happy to be in Davao, in the land of good weather! 😉

  8. Is all of Mindanao outside the typhoon belt or only the Davao area? My wife and I were discussing this just last night. We have relatives in Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte and don't remember them getting typhoons, but then again our memories ain't so good either. Tangub City in Misamis is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

    Bob, if I enter amazon.com via one of your links, but buy something unrelaed (I buy alot of music) does that do you any good?

  9. Hi Peter and Senn – Pretty much all of Mindanao is outside the typhoon belt. Some parts of the extreme north of Mindanao (i.e. around Surigao City and such) get a typhoon rarely, but anything south of there just never gets a typhoon at all.

    If you click any of my links to Amazon, and buy anything there at all, I will get credit for that.

  11. Nice article Bob and once again congradulations on being published in the Sun-Star ! This should give you a new audience to inform of your experiences in Mindanao and bring to it some positive publicity that it deserves. As I have commented before, when ( and I imply that in a positive manner instead of saying " If " ) certain persistant discrepecnies can be settled, I still think Mindanao could compete on the world market as a first class tourist resort area generating thousands of jobs and tourist revenue.

    And to think some people ( including some Filipino ) told me I must be crazy to have a vacation on Mindanao. True to what you have said many times Bob, those with all the negative opinion and comment had never been there themselves. Thanks for your encouragement and advice Bob, it was the best vacation I ever had !

    In stead of " Las Vegas ", next time make it " Las Mindanao " !

  13. Would just like to say no matter where you live there is some kind of disaster that can occur. Where I lived in OK. we had toronadoes. In Calif. there are fires and earthquakes. In New Orleans they have Hurricanes. The worst I have ever seen. I was there. The last storm had some hard winds. Anywhere you live there is some kind of problems. That is just the way it is on planet earth. Matthew 24:7-8 For nation shall rise agains nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are beginning of sorrows. Am sure Mindinao is a good place to be as far as storms go but then it has problems also. Am sorry for the families of the two U.S. soldiers who lost there lives there this last week. We should all pray for their families and also the families here in Luzon which lost their loved ones. Thanks you have a nice website. May GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN MINDINAO

  16. hello bob –i guess this is not the right place to post this –but i was not sure where or how to do it–i wanted the folks in the philippines to see this –you can delete it if you see fit–have a great day and pray for thee folks in Manila-

    Pass this on after you watch it.
    NOTICE THAT THIS IS FROM CNN, NOT FOX!!!

    click:
    http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/17260182/1610997888/n…

  17. Hi Bob, You're exactly right that we need to count our blessings. So much of us take everyday for granted and are not prepared for the worse. On the other hand, how can we be prepared for something like this? Let us take a moment and pray for this present life and the situations that arise; and realize that they can be gone in a blink of an eye.

  18. Dear Bob,
    I came upon your website in a somewhat convoluted manner. I browsed your pictures from Mindanao and they are absolutely gorgeous. Life as it is in the unspoiled hinterlands. Keep it up.

    p.s. I am an Ohio based Filipino American and return for visits regularly. After seeing your site, Mindanao is now on my list.