Lake Maughan @ T'boli, South Cotabato
Finding My Way Home
I am not a native of Mindanao. Neither grew up most of my life in Mindanao. But one thing I'm sure --- I love Mindanao. I spent most of my years at Luzon and yet my heart still belongs to Mindanao. Well, may be because I never thought of getting married to a settler from Luzon who have the same views about Mindanao. I only spent most of my secondary years at Marbel, South Cotabato but I was deeply in love with the island. And if not because of my loving aunt (who is also married to a local of Luzon but decided to settle here), she had a good heart of sending me to school even during my college at Manila. A million thanks to Mamang and Papang! Even though I'm already married, my aunt still see to it that she helps me from time to time.
Childhood Memory
My first ever memory I remembered was when I was 2 years old. I was asking for a bottle of milk from my uncle and cousins which I know they hid on a cabinet above our sink. That time, I think they were training meto drink on a glass. It was the very first memory I remembered, and it took place in Mindanao. At a very young age, I remembered everything as clearly as possible.
Reality Bites
I was four years old then. I was so excited to pack my things and ride a ship going to Manila. What excites me that time is not only the visit to Manila (because that time Manila was like US of A where I always think all the nicest stuff are found in that place, plus I get to meet my family and relatives whom I am just able to see during summers, and holidays); but also we got to spend days sleeping and as if livingin a camp inside a ship for 3 days and 2 nights. I got to meet a lotof persons from all over places around the Philippines. All have many reasons why they travel.
It was exciting because when we always arrived Manila, my uncles wife (auntie Celia who is a mestiza Chinese) always cook the best foods ever. They would always bing us to places I have never been and give us stuff that I never had(which are more likely non-existing places in our province) like strolling on a 4 storeys mall, covered carnivals, animated parks, eating out on fancy restaurants and buying newest, trendy stuffs that my playmates in the province doesn't have yet. It was kind of enjoyable time to remember. But what was irritating that time is the in between conversations with friends and neighbors of my cousins (both of kids of my same age as well as adults living at Manila). They would brag arrogantly how Manila is progressing compared to Mindanao, and how advanced they were in technology and fashion (which I don't react violently because its kind of truth). But when education and smartness is concerned, they were kind of criticizing how native and primitive I am because I live with probinsyanos (which my cousin Jaybee tease me "Probinsyana" but I don't hate her for it because its a real lambing unlike those stupid, jerk, arrogant and ignorant neighbors and playmates of my beloved cousins, hehehe).
One thing that saddens me the careless comment of my classmates during college that we (students who were raised from Visayas and Mindanao) should always be careful from pick pockets, swindlers and scamming taxi drivers. Though I'm happy and touched with the concern but how they deliver it is some kind of insult. Its like treating us that we don't think or we're easily swindled and too dumb to think that we're already made fun of.
Another is the treatment given by our school. During organizing events and other extra-curricular activities, we are often viewed as less artistic and not aware of morn technology. We are often assigned as mere members of committees (unless you have proven yourself already. That thing I still have to ask that why we still have to prove ourselves when in fact we should all be treated equal?).
Worst is, the brand... Generalizing all Mindanaoans as war freak, violent, and rebellious that people tend to be scared and aloof from us. Hey, we don't bite. We only kill (joke!). I think people tend to think people from mindanao are horryfying and war freak because of imbalance and over-focused/over exaggeration of media. Where most reports (not all, there may have been nice reporters who still show the bright and nice sides of Mindanao) shows on tv the very chaotic, kidnapping infested land and war zone area. That's how Mindanao is presented. I just don't get it that there are narrow-minded people who assumes things like that even the report clearly states that there are only certain areas who were affected with pandemonium('naks! bigating kaguluhan talaga hehehe'). I can't blame them, we are all have the right to say what we want (even it's unfairly soemtimes). The fact that we all have the capability to think and we all think differently. That may be explains for those people who think differently, and sickly.
A Mission
There are thousands of supercalifragelisticexpialidocious (I hope I spelled it right, hehehe) ways and reasons why Mindanao is such a lovely place to visit or perhaps if you want to decide like us you can live here. That is my primary reason why I started this blog. To show the real, fine, and undiscovered beauty of Mindanao beyond wars, chaos, turmoil, government insurgency,kidnapping, and unresolvable peace process. A land of Promise.
The best peoples of the world and the best places on earth are all here at Mindanao!
"In diversity, Unity Exist"
