Ciudad de Zamboanga, Summer’s last Hurrah!

(Part 1) 

Bienvenidos! Arrival at Zamboanga International Airport

Sank deep into her dissertation writing, my wife envisaged a summer escape after the grueling academic requirement. And there is no other place she wanted to be but, Zamboanga City!

She wanted to explore a city that is not usually the summer destination of many, and the Latin City of the South is just the perfect place for the ‘Huling Hirit sa tag-init.’ It would not be our first time in the city. She’d been here for a convention which was so confined to the four walls of the hotel venue and embraced the long power outages at that time. That’s why she felt they need to explore and enjoy more this beautiful city.

Catching summer in the nick of time, off to Zamboanga we went. Luckily, some good friends who live the city had been more willing to accommodate and tour us around the city.

After we dropped our backpacks in Astoria Regency Hotel in Pasonaca, we skipped and hopped to nearby tourist destinations in the area. 

First stop was the popular landmark Tree House in Pasonanca Park.  Inside the tree house is a complete facility fro an overnight sleep. Just in sight also were the wigwams of campers which had also become a landmark of Brgy. Pasonanca. Few meters away was the government-managed pools, according to locals those were the first ever public pools in the city. We just passed by it since swimming was not yet in our to-do list then. Moving few meters forward was the Paseo La Jardin de Maria Clara Lobregat which gathers some good resto and bars, the Butterfly Sanctuary, the Zamboanga City Science Park and the statue of the late city mayor, Maria Clara Lobregat.

Then few minute’s drive was the place called helmet in at the foot of Mt. Abong-abong (an upland barangay. This park was dedicated for the late mayor Cesar C. Climaco.

Before the sun sets on our first day, we wanted to visit the Pueblo, the downtown area. The historic Plaza Pershing was hosting flower and plant exhibit staged by the local government and the Department of Agriculture. While the majestic façade of the city hall was so inviting for a selfie, it was difficult to find parking so we went directly to Paseo del Mar, the spacious plaza that highlighted by the view of Zamboanga sea waters, the port for, the view of Sta. Cruz Island and the silhouette of the island of Basilan. 

At around 4 PM the sun was still a bit hot for a stay by the bay of Paseo, we decided to visit Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar. As it was customary, we lighted the colorful candles which according the old woman each color has its meaning, but for us it did not really matter. After we said our prayers and adoration we wanted to see the Museum of Port Pilar but it has just closed for the day.

So we went to my wife’s first mission: Knicker Bocker!

After the days, hot and humid air, the refreshing sweet concoction of milk, fresh oriental fruits, some gelatin topped with strawberry ice-cream was just fitting to cap the day's tour.

Zamboanga City did not fail. It was surprisingly a beautiful jewel waiting to be explored. 

Hi there. A selfie from the entrance of the church. 

Lighting Candles at Nuestra Señora del Pilar 

Wigwams for campers

The Port view in Paseo del Mar 

Meeting the Main Man of Albay: Gov. Joey Salceda

Candid Gov. Joey Salceda

This DavaoEye had the chance to visit, for the first time, Legazpi City in the Province of Albay.

I was there together with my workmates to undergo training and experiential exposure for climate change adaptation. Albay is said to be the only province in the country which has instituted climate change adaptation even establishing the Climate Change Academy (CCA).

Apart from the excitement of seeing Mt. Mayon for the first time ("live and in person") in all her glory, I was also hoping to meet the main man of the province, Gov. Joey Salceda.

Like Mayon, I have only seen Gov. Salceda (real name: Jose Celmente) on TV interviews and in newspapers when he became Congressman and especially during his stint as one of the cabinet members (or was it economic adviser) of the Arroyo Administration.  I admire his wealth of experience and knowledge in politics and economics. I think that his brainchild economic policies are still in effect in the present administration. 

While our itinerary included courtesy call in his office, I felt it was really impossible to meet the man because at that time, it was the first day of office of the newly elected local officials. I was pretty sure his schedule was loaded. 

But call it a warm welcome of Albay, at around 2:30 in the afternoon, in the middle of our thunderstorm topic in CCA, there was a sudden commotion outside, then the two-panel door entrance to the lecture room opened and revealed the tall, dark and umm... all-business boss of the province in a yellow with gray-striped Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt. Smiling and said some sort of greetings.

With no formal introductions and so much formalities, he welcomed us and dived to his presentation discussing economic directions of Albay and how he was able to overturn the kind of budget prioritization Albay had in the previous administration. 

Evident intelligence in his every utterance of words, the governor talks with so much ardor but not boasting.

I could not tell how we were mesmerized at him while he was talking. But when I looked around, I saw many, if not all the participants of the training were just listening with mouths opened  as if they saw an apparation of the Black Nazarene!

Bless me father! DavaoEye and the Man

 He talks candidly about politics, economics, RH bill, crisscrossing between religious and political doctrines and dogmas, business, theology then back to climate change. He killed the boredom of that unholy afternoon. 

He was right when he said, "not to serve food while I am talking because I am food enough" to which we all agreed.

More than just being enough food, he was a goldmine of fresh ideas and better economic perspective. I may fail to elucidate further the kind of the atmosphere he created during his two-hour intelligent discourse, but it was so much fun and insightful. 

I was lucky to have met one the people I looked up to. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me. 

My Albay adventure was complete. Seeing Mt. Mayon and meeting the main man of Albay. 

Salamat warm Albay. Salamat Gob!

Mt. Mayon and the marker in Brgy. Padang to commemorate the thousands of bodies, yet to be found, during the Super typhoon Reming in 2006.