Stride Guide No. 4. MALAGOS GARDEN RESORT

I have been visiting every now and then at Barangay Malagos in Calinan, Baguio District, Davao City basically to steer guests and friends who wanted to personally see the Philippine Eagle in the Philippine Eagle Center. All of those trips obviously allowed me to overlook the Malagos Garden Resort located just before the Philippine Eagle Center. Many other visitors in Malagos might have the same experience with those of mine and hopefully this blog would be able to open their eyes and would prompt them to visit this very wonderful place.

I got the chance to be in Malagos Garden Resort when I facilitated a seminar last November 12, 2012 as a requirement of my graduate school curriculum along with my classmates Nhessryll and Mae Ann. I discovered then that Malagos Garden Resort is more than just an ordinary resort. It actually compliments with the Philippine Eagle Center as it has a traditionally-designed accommodation facilities and other nature-themed structures.

Apart from the cool ambiance brought about by the man-made forest in the area, Malagos Garden Resort also houses several bird species. According to one of the owners Doctor Bo Puentespina, they just allow their birds to fly around the place to really let them experience their natural habitat. Unlike any other resorts where birds are caged, Malagos Garden Resort serves as an innate aviary.

As a park for all ages, the management of Malagos Garden Resort made sure they have all the facilities necessary for an overnight stay and day tours. They have a restaurant serving vegetable dishes freshly harvested from their farm. They also have children’s playground, a soccer field, an outdoor pond dwelled by lovely tamed fishes, a water ball park and several function halls for trainings and seminars.

Mr. Puentespina also revealed that aside from the ecotourism program, the resort is also going into a more interesting field of agri-tourism where guests can be treated for a tour in their huge agricultural farm.

“We wanted to be known also for our agricultural productivity that’s why we are into enhancing our farm here,” said Doctor Puentespina who, along with his staff, personally oversees their cacao plantation and dairy goat farm. While having a farm tour, I was amazed by how the farm was managed. They are basically employing natural farming practice with minimal and/or zero chemical usage.

We were fortunate then that we were also taught the basics about dairy goat production from kidding to milking right at their ventured Golden Sunset Farm. Their breeds of milking goats produce an average of 2.5 to 3 liters per goat per day.

Currently, the resort is accepting agricultural tours and at the same time catering to seminars related to dairy goat production with Doctor Puentespina himself taking care as training and education section in-charge.

To all readers of this blog who are inclined to dairy goat production and cacao plantation, I would recommend Malagos Garden Resort as one of the best places in Mindanao to visit. 

Papong climbs Mt. Fansipan in Vietnam

Being in hunt to scale mountains outside the Philippines, LOGSAC’s Danrev Bronola has climbed Mt. Fansipan in Vietnam last October 27-28, 2012, adding another roll of mountain into his personal climbing portfolio.  Papong reached the summit of Fansipan on October 28 using the Manila-Hanoi-LaoCao itinerary that took him almost two days of travel before getting into the jump off area. The entire climb was only two days, shorter than the usual itinerary.  

Located in Lao Cai province, Fansipan is the highest peak of Indochina with the height of 3,143 meters above sea level. It is being dubbed as the "roof of Indochina", and has been considered one of the very few eco-tourism sites of Vietnam. Records also have it that Fansipan is home to about 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species.

Like Mt. Apo and any other tropical mountains, Fansipan is characterized by wet and steamy climatic conditions. Montane rainforest is a usual scenery in the first day of trekking.

The ascent going to the summit is just a 2-4 average hike through wild bushes, rock structures and some vertical drops.

According to Papong, climbing Fansipan is almost the same with Mt. Apo. There is a need to prepare physically. "It's basically just like Mt. Apo only that they have several bamboo plants located along the trail. But everything that is there is quite similar to our Mt. Apo."

Visiting the unspoiled City of Puerto Princesa

Much has been written about Puerto Princesa city in Palawan, the place dubbed as the “City in the Forest”. When I visited the place last October 18-20 for a special trip with my colleagues, I validated everything that has already been inscribed and I couldn’t help but affirm all the good things of the city that has long been part of my bucket list.

The new Davao-Puerto Princesa flight courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air has given us opportunity to explore Palawan easier

When we arrived via Cebu Pacific flight from Davao (this flight was only launched last August this year), we instantly noticed the warmth of the people residing in Puerto Princesa as we were treated with an affectionate reception right at their airport. And when we were ferried to our transient house, the other thing that captured my interest was the city’s hygienic thoroughfares. I couldn’t remember other places in the Philippines as clean as Puerto Princesa, and it will be worthy to be emulated, if not surpassed. My salute to the local leaders of this place for crafting a very comprehensive clean and green policy and for religiously implementing it. 

Puerto Princesa Airport arrival lounge

Our visit to the Underground River was scheduled on October 20, but we already secured the permit on the 19^th with the help of the travel agency catering us in the city. Another thing I admired about this place is that travel agencies are taking care of the tourism sector especially in arranging tours to the famous Underground River. Unlike any other places in the country where most of the natural park tours are still being partly managed by the national and local governments, Underground River tours are solely handled by the private sector, that’s why the tour rates in Puerto Princesa are way cheaper as compared to other popular destinations in the Philippines.

Hardi Joy is shown here enjoying the breathtaking view of Puerto Princesa landscape

The local government in Puerto Princesa is also exceptional in terms of placing the city in the chart of Philippines’ growing cities. According to Mayor Edward Hagedorn, they only have two priority programs: Agriculture for food security, and Tourism to basically augment livelihood for its people. When these programs are stable, the rest of the programs would just compliment. In terms of agriculture, Puerto Princesa has been a major supplier of food products (most notably marine products) to Luzon and the rest of the country. Its tourism program, on the other hand, is also anchored on the protection of environment, proof of which is that it is the only city in the entire country that the forest cover is increasing every year. In Puerto Princesa, there is no mining, no logging, no hunting whatsoever which made its forest cover still unspoiled. Another salute to the local government officials for that. 

This is a towering karst formation covered with thick forest vegetation

I was amazed then when we traveled to Underground River the next day because the infrastructure needed to support tourism was in placed like roads and bridges. Local and foreign tourists alike are flocking almost everywhere. Sabang Bay, as a jump off point to the sub terrain, is also amazing. Just before we headed to Underground River, we were treated to a sumptuous lunch which was already part of the tour package. I also used to taste their native delicacy called “tamilok”, a fresh and very delicious mangrove-living sea worms.

Left: My wifey Michelle taking a pose at Sabang Bay. Right: Glenn Mark eating a fresh "tamilok" during our lunch on October 19

After a 20-minute boat ride from Sabang Bay, we were face to face with the magnificent Underground River with beauty beyond compare. The huge cave formations inside has fascinated us. Indeed, this piece of our natural heritage is worthy to be declared as one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites and one of the world’s Seven Wonders of Nature.

Entrance of the glorious Puerto Princesa Underground River

On the third day, we availed of a seascape tour in one of their known islands comprising the Honda Bay as part of maximizing our time in Palawan. While enjoying the island tour, we witnessed the other side of Puerto Princesa, a pristine environment in the ocean. The water was crystal clear, the coral reefs are simply abounding and the fishes always try to befriend with humans. 

One of the islands in Honday Bay

 Our 3-day trip to Puerto Princesa was very fruitful. My wifey Michelle also enjoyed it very much along with my other companions Hardi Joy, Glenn Mark, Camila, Cheryl, Liezel, Baran, Kendall, Anne, Zaldy, Mam Flor, Ate Vivian, Engineer Susie and Charina. It was one of my most memorable travels. 

This blogger with buddies Hardi Joy and Glenn Mark during our island hopping

Puerto Princesa now belongs to my own list of most admired places to include Bohol, Cebu and Tagum.