If
my sense of history serves me right, it was in Mindanao where Spain took a
beating before she tasted victory, or some form of it. Her incursions into the
island took centuries to gain ground mainly because of the feisty Moro people
whose sultanates relentlessly staved off the colonizers’ attempts to gain a
foothold of their territory. It was only during the final years of Spanish
colonization in the Philippines that a full-scale conquest was launched,
resulting to the subjugation of many parts of what used to be impenetrable
Moroland.
In
what is now modern-day Northern Mindanao, the vast lands that belonged to a
region called Misamis were among those that eventually succumb to the power of
the Cross. By the 1800s, this part of the island was organized as a province
covering Dapitan in the west up to Gingoog in the east, even to as far as
Cotabato and Lanao del Sur in the south. This, however, eventually
disintegrated with the subdivision as well as the creation of new provinces
that included Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, both of which came into
being in the 1920s.
Like
some episodic possession à la Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the history-obsessed
gadabout lurking inside me reared its ugly head on several occasions,
compelling me to mill around the two Misamis provinces. But the other
fellow—the fastidious bean-counter who accounts everything up to the last
cent—kept resisting the urge to hit the road since doing so would only
impoverish some more my already cash-strapped wallet. In the end, however, it’s
always the obsessive-compulsive history-loving bum who’d prevail! LOL! 
Of
the
two provinces, I’ve been to Misamis Oriental or MisOr quite more often
because of its relative proximity to Davao. Whenever I’m in MisOr,
there’s this
side of the province that never fails to amaze me, notably the vestiges
of
Spain’s colonization and the spread of Christianity in that part of
the island. Every time I’m in MisOr, I usually kick off my journey in
what is considered as
the regional center of Northern Mindanao—Cagayan de Oro, or CDO for
short.
If
there's one thing about Cagayan de Oro that fascinates me, it’s the unique name
that’s said to have been derived from two languages: Malay and Spanish. Legend
has it that there’s a mighty river that runs through a settlement where the
early Spanish conquistadors discovered gold nuggets. That settlement was then
known as Kagay-an, a name which was allegedly derived from the ancient word kagay, meaning “river” in Malay.
Kagay-an, therefore, means "place with a river.
When
the law creating the city was passed more than 50 years ago, former Congressman
(and later Vice-President) Emmanuel Pelaez, one of the city’s most eminent
sons, appended “de Oro” to the city’s, which means “gold” in Spanish, in
recognition of the gold mining activities in the area during the pre-Spanish
times. Cagayan de Oro—fondly called CDO by locals and tourists alike—roughly
translates to “City with a River of Gold.”
Considered
as the capital of Misamis Oriental, the city is a highly-urbanized metropolis
that now governs itself independently from the province. Like many provincial
cities in the country, life in CDO is relatively laidback here compared to
those cities in Metro Manila and Cebu, giving people the chance to enjoy a
comfortable way of life amid a rapidly changing urban setting. From real estate
to power to food, prices in CDO are relatively lower, enabling both residents
and tourists alike to get more value for their hard-earned pesos or dollars.
Unlike
other urban centers in the country, crime and criminality in CDO are at their
lowest. Next to Davao and GenSan, I’m comfy roaming the streets and arcades of
the City of Golden Friendship even in the darkest hours of night. Theft,
assaults, gang wars, if any, are largely unheard of. Also, people from various
cultures and creeds—Christians, Muslims and lumads—live
in peaceful co-existence. 
For
the nth time I’ve made it to CDO this year. Entering the city after nearly
seven hours on the road, its modernity and sophistication felt like the
ultimate antithesis to the picturesque landscapes of rolling hills swathe with
pineapple plantations, verdant fields teeming with the country’s staple food,
meandering rivers that provide power to the island. Roaming around the heart of
CDO, the bucolic sceneries of the countryside seemed distant and surreal. 
As
always, the city dazzled this frequent visitor with her numerous surprises: new
hotels, new malls, new flyovers, new residential areas, etc. Life seemed to
have taken a turn for the better following the disaster that struck CDO more
than a year ago. Many Cagayanons who have survived the wrath of Typhoon Sendong
seemed to have found the courage and the will to rebuild their shattered lives,
choosing to move on after the tragic incident that claimed lives and destroyed
properties.
I
think for many Catholics in CDO, moving on must have been less torturous
because of their deep-rooted belief and trust in the Almighty. In a modern-day
metropolis like this premier city in Northern Mindanao, it’s inspiring to see
how people have managed to cling to their spirituality amid the tragedies
they've experienced, judging from the huge throngs of devotees who were
flocking to St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral during the weekend I went
there.
I
think for many Catholics in CDO, moving on must have been less torturous
because of their deep-rooted belief and trust in the Almighty. In a modern-day
metropolis like this premier city in Northern Mindanao, it’s inspiring to see
how people have managed to cling to their spirituality amid the tragedies
they've experienced, judging from the huge throngs of devotees who were
flocking to St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral during the weekend I went
there.
As
the seat of devotion for the faithful of MisOr and other nearby places, the
Gothic-inspired cathedral was built by the Augustinian friars in 1845. The
original structure, however, was heavily destroyed during World War II but was
rebuilt in the post-war era. If time and circumstance permit me, I always
include a visit to this house of worship in my itinerary where I always feel
comforted and protected from the hazards of a long trip.
Truly,
CDO is one place I’d never get tired to visiting. Whenever the opportunity to
go on a vacay in Northern Mindanao knocks at my door, I’d quickly pack my stuff
and head for the city, meandering around town and catching up on its sights,
smells and sounds even though I’ve already experienced them many times over.
Rain or shine, the everyday scenes in CDO will always be chada to me.
Truly,
CDO is one place I’d never get tired to visiting. Whenever the opportunity to
go on a vacay in Northern Mindanao knocks at my door, I’d quickly pack my stuff
and head for the city, meandering around town and catching up on its sights,
smells and sounds even though I’ve already experienced them many times over.
Rain or shine, the everyday scenes in CDO will always be chada to me.
Not
too long ago, El Salvador, along with 15 other newly created cities in the
Philippines, hugged the national headlines when its cityhood was nullified
following a Supreme Court decision which deemed the law that converted it into
a city as unconstitutional. The petitioners, however, appealed their case
before the justices, resulting in a legal tug-of-war that lasted for a few
years, with the High Court vacillating on its own decision! After several
reversals, I heard that the justices had upheld the cityhood of El Salvador and
the 15 towns.
More
than a century after the Spanish conquistadors left the country, the seeds of
Catholicism which they had sowed in Northern Mindanao continue to bear fruit,
especially in El Salvador. That it’s being referred to as the “City of the
Savior” or the “City of Mercy” got me somewhat doubtful so during one trip up
north, I made sure that I’d get to step into this city which is just a
30-minute ride from downtown CDO.
There,
all my doubts vanished into thin air as I witnessed for myself what drives
thousands of devotees from all over the country and abroad to gravitate towards
the so-called City of Mercy, especially during the Lenten Season. It’s none
other than the 50-foot statue of Jesus Christ which is found inside the Divine
Mercy Shrine. The sculpture is considered by some as our version of Brazil’s
Christ the Redeemer which incidentally stands atop of a mountain overlooking
Rio Janeiro. 
On
a recent trip, I was able to return to El Salvador, managing to squeeze in a
second visit to the shrine, which is almost fully developed. The church, which
was a loose network of scaffoldings a few years ago, is almost complete.
Retreat houses, view decks, prayer gardens and children’s playground have also
been put up. It was a sight to behold. Here’s one perfect place where the Son
of God and his teachings are literally larger than life itself, I mused while
shooting at the image. 
Gazing at the gigantic
statue, which rises on a nearly 12-hectare hilly track of land overlooking the
blue waters of Macalajar Bay, I recalled the Gospel’s account of the Sermon on
the Mount when Jesus preached about his best known teachings like the
Beatitudes. The preaching, according to some scholars, took place not on a
mountain (since there are none in Galilee) but rather on a large hill!
Hmmm…something must have been lost in the translation somewhere.
Just like the
first time, I found myself awed by the sheer size of the Divine Mercy’s statue
as well as the symbol it represents. A "halo" made out of stained
glass serves as its crowning glory. The red and gray “rays” that represent the
flowing "blood" and "water" are actually staircases leading
up to the "heart" of Jesus. At the heart is a hidden niche with a
life-size statue of Saint Faustina, the Polish nun who had a vision which
described what is now called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Carved at the base of
the statue are the words, “JESUS I TRUST IN YOU”.
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