Rough Groove

Around Mindanao, 1 - Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

First few weeks of October and I landed in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte for the start of my Mindanao leg for my assignment on Philippine churches. It has been years since I’ve been to this place. The last time I was here was when I was still based in Davao and I visited this city while doing some work in Dipolog.
The plane landed to a rather wet Monday morning brought about by a passing typhoon that I was quite worried that my planned shoot would be ruined by bad weather. Anyway, as I was already there, I really didn’t have much choice but to hope for the best. The city is really charming and cozy. Life is kind of slow, streets are wide and clean and generally peaceful. There are a few ancestral houses near the plaza and one is constantly reminded that this is also a city steeped in history with no less than Jose Rizal, the national hero, spent 4 years as an exile here.

Left, the relief map of Mindanao in front of the century old church. This was made by Rizal when he was exiled here. Right, one of the imposing ancestral house, the Corazon de Dapitan just a stone’s throw from the plaza.

Since a typhoon just passed when I came here, the sea was rough and brown with sediment from the river. A man, left, is holding a bag with shells that he has gathered.

Series 42: Around Mindanao

Around last October, I was in Mindanao for a series of photoshoots for the ongoing book project for 4 churches there in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte; Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; Jimenez, Misamis Occidental and Caraga, Davao Oriental. Such a very long and tiresome trip as I travelled from north to south in one week. This series shows the photos that I’ve been taking now ongoing at BINARY SILVER.

In Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte

Just landed a few hours ago in this city that has much history as far as the national hero Jose Rizal is concerned. Well, weather is just bad and tricycle drivers are an opportunistic lot here (well, the one who drove me from the airport just overpriced my fare). While it was a but sunny when I left Manila, here, its just raining cats and dogs that the prospects of a sunny day is becoming nil. Hmmm, not sure what’s in store for me here if the sun would not peek. I just saw the church here and looks good but with the weather?

Its more than a few years also that I’ve been here but usually, just in passing. Just doing some telecom work before but not staying for a few days. Now, if not for the photo work, I would not have dropped here.

Anyway, even if strong and driving rain outside is kind of ruining my assignment, the lusty smell of durians and sight of marangs here is already tempting me to drop bu the market and indulge in these fruits and may still make my brief stop worthwhile.

Series 3: CDO, Bukidnon and Davao travel

I’ve already started a Series 3, at Binary Silver. These shows photographs I’ve captured during my travel at Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon and Davao starting 19 - 23 March from a family of sea gypsy waiting for some coins to be thrown to them at the pier before I disembarked the boat, the Agora bus terminal, a side trip in Bukidnon, buying pomelos and at the airport, before entering the plane at Davao City.

Davao: Fruits

Eversince I arrived last Monday, eating durian has always been on my mind. That’s why last Tuesday, with Jem and Lou, my coworkers proceeded to the fruitstand along Ponciano Street, a few meters walk from the office and bought and ate two pieces of durian of the Puyat variety. Just delicious. Very delicious.

Durians of the Puyat variety

Pomelo and marangs at the fruitstand

Carts of pomelos line Roxas Ave. near Ateneo de Davao University. These are cheaper than those found at the fruitstands