Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Fascinated by The Farm @ Carpenter Hill



Surfing for a hideaway somewhere in South Cotabato, I chanced upon this fascinating destination in Koronadal City. The name sounded creepy at first, calling to mind the slew of horror movies I’ve seen in the past, particularly “The Cabin in the Woods”. LOL!

The road to Koronadal
All my hesitations vanished into thin air the moment I stepped into its placid and picturesque grounds. For this gadabout, it’s the perfect hideaway he’s been looking forward to run away to for a “calm before the storm” weekend.  

Mt. Matutum as seen in Tupi, South Cotabato
In a Zen kind of place in Mindanao where peace reigns supreme, I managed to escape even for a day the sores and stresses of the rat race. There, I indulged in a pastime that has always been my favorite stress-buster: photography.

I'm no endorser but if I were one, I'd gladly recommend this resort to out-of-towners. If you’re one of those yearning for peace and quiet in some secluded corner of SOCCSKSARGEN, then this is one of those eco-friendly places worth visiting—The Farm @ Carpenter Hill.













A sprawling 12-hectare private estate located in the outskirts of the city, this one’s not your ordinary farm but a hotel complex comprising of rooms and villas, a bonsai garden, pavilions, a restobar-café, a convention hall, a butterfly sanctuary and an aviary.

The hotel staff billeted me at a spacious den in the Japanese Courtyard. All the rooms there face an indoor Zen-inspired garden and pond teeming with brightly-colored koi. Mind you, gazing at that scintillating koi pond for a few minutes had a calming effect on me.  

The resort-hotel also has well-appointed Oriental-inspired cottages whose minimalist design ooze with Zen-like appeal. Those looking for a bit more of privacy may opt to stay in one of the villas which have their own individual gates, terrace and gardens.

When darkness creeps in, there’s not much to do at the resort-hotel, except to curl up in bed with a bestseller, watch cable TV in your room, sip a beer or two at the hotel lounge, or take a leisurely stroll around the vast hotel complex. 


Night owls staying there can also hang out at the Aviary, the resort’s bar and café. The food isn’t exactly gourmet but good enough. House specialties include popular Pinoy cuisine served with a local twist as well as Asian and continental dishes.  


Food and service were generally good at the Aviary where I had dinner. The staff, however, need to brush up a little on their hospitality. Meanwhile, the buffet breakfast was free and ample but the choices they served weren’t quickly refilled and kept warm. 

By midnight, all is still at The Farm. Except for a few lights, the whole complex is engulfed in darkness. No worries though. Private security guards roam its vastness, making you feel safe and secure throughout your stay there.

All through the night, you’ll be lulled into dreamland by the tweedle of crickets. In the morning, you’ll be awakened by the chirping of birds (and in my case the rush of water from the koi pond just outside my room).

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Serenity in seclusion—this, I guess, is the selling point of the resort. And this makes it the perfect hideaway for those in search of a sanctuary offering a short but satisfying respite from the rigors of the daily grind. 

So, weekend wanderers, if you want some fascinating place far and away from the madding crowd, you have another destination to add to your list. Remember the name: “The Farm @ Carpenter Hill”. :-D

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Captivated by Cebu’s Colonial Churches (Part 5)



Oslob completes my recent tour along southern Cebu’s heritage trail. Mention the name of this place and chances are, people would most likely be thinking about the friendly whale sharks locally known as butanding, which have become the latest sensations in this quiet town south of the island province.

If you’re one of those who think that Oslob is all about those friendly gentle giants, well, think again. The quaint town has more than meets the eye! On a brief sojourn there, I discovered a number of ancient Spanish landmarks that speak so much of the richness and grandeur of the Cebuanos’ heritage.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church




Legend has it that Oslob got its name from the Visayan word, 
toslob, which means “to soak or dip”. When a group of Spanish guardia civil came to town in the 1700s, they saw two natives eating boiled bananas while soaking them in vinegar. The strangers then inquired from the locals the name of the place.


Thinking they were being asked what they were doing, the Cebuanos replied, toslob, referring to the act of soaking the bananas in vinegar, which made the Spaniards think the town was called “Toslob.” Over time, the “T” was dropped and Oslob came to be the town’s name as a result of the miscommunication.

Swimming with Oslob’s butanding seemed enticing. However, it wasn’t part of my agenda. Truth be  told, the culture vulture in me had a far less mundane intention than that, which is to pay a visit to an old and massive bastion of faith that has stood the test of events and the elements—Our   Lady of the Immaculate Conception Churc

Done in Neoclassical style, the coral stone church with a yellowish façade was built in 1830 and completed in 1848. Like most of the others I’ve visited in southern Cebu, the church, which faces Bohol Strait, is surrounded by a stone wall. Today, this church complex forms part of what is known as the Oslob Heritage Park. 

From what I’ve gathered, the Oslob Church was destroyed by fire thrice, first in 1942, then in 1955 and most recently, in 2008. Fortunately, efforts to restore the church back to its former glory were completed in 2010. To my dismay, however, it was closed at the time when I came—I failed to see its restored interior!


Belfry of Oslob Church



Standing beside the Oslob Church is its four-storey massive bell tower with a Neoclassical dome, which was built in 1859. The belfry was reportedly five-levels high but the topmost floor was destroyed by a typhoon and was never rebuilt.


A capilla posa



Across the church, I saw this stone structure that resembled a chapel—must be an old capilla posa (a processional oratory that’s rarely or never a chapel) or a capilla mortuario (mortuary chapel). Presently, it seemed like it had been converted into a bodega where a number of damaged religious stuff are being kept.


Front view of Cuartel 




A stone’s throw away from the church is the town’s heritage park. Here, you can find the remains of an unfinished immense structure that looked like a military facility. Gazing at it, I was suddenly reminded of the ruins of Fort Santiago in Intramuros. I went on the explore the landmark that’s one of Oslob’s attractions.
   
Simply known as Cuartel, the Spanish word for “barracks”, the abandoned edifice was reportedly intended to serve as a first line of defense for the Spanish naval forces against hostile invaders given the location of Oslob, which was then prone to attacks by Moros coming from the sea. 


A marker at the site mentions that the uncompleted structure was built by a certain El Gran Maestro Don Marcus Sabandal to house the Spanish armies. However, its construction never came to fruition when the Americans arrived in the Philippines in 1899 and became the new rulers of the archipelago.






 




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Baluarte





While basking in the beauty of my surroundings, I saw the ruins of the so-called baluarte, one of the seven watchtowers erected along the coastline of Oslob in 1788 as part of the fortifications against the Moro raids during those days.

Sinking into one of the benches there, I basked in the serenity of the sea and sky right in front of me. Then, I noticed this small island looming at the distant horizon—Sumilon. The island is said to have this private beach resort that boasts of high-end amenities for tourists. Who knows, I might get there someday. LOL!








Sumilon Island












Soaking up in Oslob’s heritage landmarks, particularly its church, turned out to be a one-of-a-kind last summer hurrah for me. The spiritual sortie I had there as well as in the other churches of southern Cebu have enhanced my knowledge about the history of those towns and enriched my understanding of the depth of the Cebuanos’ faith. 






Having experienced the flush of excitement that came with the pursuit of this heritage trail, I highly recommend the path to enlightenment to all those who want to go on a pilgrimage, a retreat or a soul-searching sojourn at any given time to the churches of Argao, Boljoon, Carcar, Dalaguete and Oslob.  








Add also those houses of worship found in the cities of Talisay and Naga, as well as the towns of Minghanilla, San Fernando, Sibonga, including the shrine in Simala, to the list of spiritual must-sees (which I hope to include in my forthcoming trips to Cebu).

Apart from their spiritual significance, these churches are stimulants to the creative process. So, I also encourage those who want to create their masterpieces—a painting, a poem, a photoplay or a paperback perhaps—to follow this rousing path to spiritual rejuvenation near Cebu City yet removed from the hubbub of metropolitan chaos.  :-D


In coming up with this anthology on Cebu’s heritage churches, I’ve referred to the following: