Malita, Davao Occidental in 22 Hours

I have been aching to go back to Malita after sometime. The last time I visited the place was two years ago but I was only until the Buhangin campus of SPAMAST for a short speaking engagement. Malita is one of the most memorable towns for me. I finished my college degree here for four years and stayed another year as an employee of my beloved alma mater SPAMAST. Secluded as it is geographically, this is one place that somehow helped outlined myself and being able to influence my present existence as a person.

A good site in Fishing Village

So what are you gonna do if you have the chance to be back to your most treasured place in just 22 hours? That is exactly what I did last weekend when I was invited by Sir Harry Camoro, the good PDRRM Officer of Davao Occidental for a trail run as part of the events of the 4^th Founding Anniversary of the youngest province in the country. My desire to join the run was pushed by the idea that I would finally revisit some of the great memories that this town gave me.

I was on board an airconditioned ACF Bus in Digos Terminal by 12:00 noon and arrived in Malita at 2:00 PM. In fairness I observed several changes in the transportation services to Malita. There are already 3 bus companies operating there, some with really comfortable set ups. The one I took in fact had a working internet connection. With the road already paved 100% passenger vans are also in greater numbers now. During my time I could hardly settle to aircon bus because I think there was only one serving the route. The bus ride had me reminiscing the beautiful landscape of Davao Occidental from the town of Malalag and Sta. Maria. Mountain ranges are dominant sceneries and the adjacent Davao Gulf is a pleasant site to my eyes. This province for me is the most scenic. Oh, from that bus ride I was also riding high with nostalgia.   

  

Airconditioned bus serving Davao-Malita route

Poblacion Area as seen from the peak of Felis

San Miguel Coal-fired Power Plant

Through the help of a friend Ella Gabaldon I stayed overnight at Karl’s Pension House, one of the pioneering accommodation establishments in Malita. At 500 pesos per night I got a relaxed stay here, enough to prepare for a trail run the next morning. Minutes after I checked in I did a quick walk to see after almost 20 years some important streets and buildings. My first stop was Sto. Rosario Parish, the place I always settled to every Sunday to pray to God especially if I had problems with my grades that could befuddle my academic scholarship (hehehe).  Then I saw Fanlo Hospital having its new name now where I was confined for almost a week before I was transferred to Davao Medical Center in 1994. I was in the first semester then when I suffered Hypocanemia due to severe loss of potassium. Few steps from Fanlo Hospital I went to Samtalika Village and bought hot cake there. I used to board here when I was in the second semester of second year as I decided to go out of the school dormitory. And then just before the day closes I had a good dinner in Yahyah’s Kitchen with Maimai Palanca, a good buddy who is a faculty member of SPAMAST.

Sto. Rosario Parish

The former Fanlo Medical Clinic 

Samtalika Village

Children seen at Yahya Street

Yahya's Kitchen

The next day was pure trail running and birding for 4 straight hours. I was supposed to run the 21-kilometer category but decided to downgrade to the shorter 8-kilometer because I would at the same time do birding in the tropical mountain trails of Malita plus I was running alongside Ella and her Aunt. Sir Harry has been participating trail runs in Davao City and in fact we’ve been crossing paths before but the way he organized the Dumalagan Trail Run is excellent. Good foods and hydration, friendly race marshals and nice route which brought us to new tourism attractions in Malita such as the Titus Hilltop Park and Jill’s Garden Resort.  

Although the weather did not favor my birding but still I was able to register 24 species highlighted by the presence of Immature Pied Bushchat and flock of Pied Trillers. Other notable birds present were the migratory Brown Shrike, Pink-necked Green Pigeons, Asian Glossy Starlings and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters to name a few.

Pacific Swallow

Flock of Chestnut Munia

Asian Glossy Starlings 

Brown Shrike

An immature Pied Bushchat

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Davao Occidental has a new venue for their socio-cultural shows and exhibition in Barangay Felis. It was a perfect choice because the Poblacion area is now very congested with vehicles and structures from private business establishments. It is obvious that this capital town of the province is a prevailing place for trade and commerce and soon enough I would love to consider it one of the next component cities in Southern Philippines. A coffee lunch with Maimai and Sam rounded off the 22^nd hour of my fruitful stay in Malita.

While riding a bus going back to Sta. Cruz I could not help but recall the times I have been to this place before. The trying times, the good moments, the survival… All these were spices as I cooked a recipe of personhood. I hope to be able to spend more time in Malita soon. For now I am contented with that 22-hour visit. In a month or two, or maybe years frow now Malita will always be a constant return bucket list for me. 

Reconfigure yourself at Zoula Oasis Spa by Jas Jen

As a naturalist who spend most of my time in the outdoors I don’t usually appreciate doing various physical therapy such as skin treatment and the likes except body and back massage. My childhood experience in the barrio had us settled for the traditional “hilot” from one of my father’s siblings and somehow I found it curative then because “hilot” was the only way we could lessen physical strain after a whole week of working in the farm.

When medical and wellness tourism came in as a surprise addition to the pool of products introduced by the Department of Tourism, wellness hubs and spas became a hit in the tourism market. In fact there was a time when Davao Region tourism authorities integrated wellness tourism to the marketing and branding initiative that had us trying hard to connect it to adventure and nature theme which the region was already known for. Indeed, wellness tourism justifies the existence of Davao, making the bulk of adrenalin experience the reason to insert into the loop another activity to maintain and enhance personal wellbeing.

Two weeks ago I came across Zoula Oasis Spa, a very young wellness center with three branches in Davao City as introduced to me by Ate Nene Abajero. Well, Ate Nene has always been a good marketer and she did just that again by convincing me to try the menu of services offered by Zoula. Out of curiosity I tried their Radio Frequency facial service which, according to one of the crew is a best seller. Ate Nene, on the other hand, eagerly tried a quick head massage and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) underarm hair removal.

What is good about Zoula Oasis and Spa is that they always make sure to provide better service at a very affordable rates. The Radio Frequency for example, your 4,000 pesos assures you of a 25 sessions in a pre-arranged but flexible schedules. This means that clients have the option to consume the package at a given interval and before you know it you already have your face reconfigured. Other services offered by Zoula Oasis Spa are face enhancement procedures, eyebrow microblading and shading, massage, foot spa and many more. Comprehensive packages of each of the service are lined up such that you can never turn your head without getting one for sure.

Their branch in 2^nd floor of Gaisano Grand Buhangin is the most spacious while the other two branches in DAMOSA Arcade and Apo View Hotel are good options for clients within downtown area. The crew are very friendly and accommodating too.   

Just when I thought these kind of stuffs would never entice me as a naturalist, I think I need to re-evaluate my stance now. I think I have to do a physical reshaping especially since age always allows us to allocate resources for “depreciation allowance”. I think Zoula Oasis Spa is an ultimate remedy.