The seascape unfolding before
our eyes is spellbinding to say the least. Nearly three hours down the road, my
car, chock-full with a jolly bunch of weekend wanderers, emerges from a lush forest after passing a
number of quaint coastal villages. With quiet aplomb, it snakes its way through
the well-paved zigzag road that slithers up and down a cliff overlooking the
deep blue sea.
In minutes, we reach Badas Point, a scenic viewing deck along the highway that’s the
perfect spot for capturing the magnificent vista, where we pulled over for a
shoot before proceeding to our ultimate destination. Armed with DSLRs, digicams
and smartphones, we hop out of the vehicle, all raring to capture the view:
 |
| The road in Badas |
Stretch
out before us is breathtaking Pujada Bay—the U-shaped body of water that’s
frequented by tourists who like to go swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing and
skimboarding in its emerald waters. Looming at the horizon are the rugged
contours of enchanting Pujada Island, the largest of the three islands found in
the bay. Too bad, we couldn’t make
out Waniban and Oak Islands.
To
our right is a strip of land that resembles a humungous plesiosaur slumbering
on its belly—the Sleeping Dinosaur Island, one of the region’s fast-rising
tourist magnets; to our left is a hazy sketch of the poblacion whose immaculate coastlines are dotted with many beach
resorts. This is the picture-perfect panorama that greets motorists bound for
Mati, the capital of Davao Oriental.
Truly
a sight to behold, the picturesque scenery is one of Mother Nature’s bests that
I’ve been hankering to see for the longest time—and finally did so. Snapping
out of my trance, I start shooting here, there, and everywhere—afraid such
natural mise en scène would no longer be there during my next visit to Mati.
From
a sleepy municipality decades ago, Mati, one of the newly-created cities in the
country, has managed to transform itself into a boom town, capitalizing on its
agricultural, agro-industrial and mining activities as well as its tourist
magnets—white-sand beaches, wondrous waterfalls, pristine islands and the
like—scattered all over its entire land
area.
Now 110 years old, Mati, which
is made up of 26 barangays, became the capital town of Davao Oriental following
the splitting up of the undivided Davao into three provinces and one city in
1967. From what I’ve gathered, it got its name from “maa-ti”, the Mandayan word for the town's creek that easily dries
up even after a heavy downpour. The Mandayas of Davao Oriental are the dominant
tribal group inhabiting the ten towns and one city that make up the
southeasternmost province of Davao Region.
A few years ago, Mati, along
with fifteen other newly-created cities, got entangled in a long-drawn legal
battle when the Supreme Court granted a petition filed by the League of Cities
of the Philippines, and declared as unconstitutional the various cityhood laws,
including Republic Act 9408 which enabled it to acquire its cityhood. After a
series of reversals, however, the High Court ruled that the cityhood laws of
all the sixteen towns were valid after all. Since then, Mati has continued to
forge ahead as a full-fledged city.
 |
| Downtown Mati |
I have faint recollections
of my few visits to the new city. As a young boy, I used to accompany one of my
maternal grandmothers who’d occasionally visit Mati to see her son, a soldier
who had settled with his family there. As a newbie researcher, I came back to
town for a brief stint several years ago. But it was a brief sojourn that took
me to Mati’s outskirts, robbing me the chance to re-acquaint myself with the poblacion. Had I stayed, however, my
relatives were no longer around to show me the place since they have all moved
out of Mati.
For a long time, I’d been
harboring an intense desire to invade the city once again. Making it to Mati is
part and parcel of my protracted plan to visit and revisit the towns belonging
to Davao Oriental. There’s something about it that seems to have magnetized a
part of me. Even after the devastation that Typhoon Pablo wrought on that side of
Mindanao, I was bent on going on with my sojourns to the province. Having visited
Banaybanay, Lupon and San Isidro and even faraway Cateel and Governor Generoso,
I was determined to revisit the capital.
During a recent mini-reunion
with high school classmates, I broached the idea of going there. Right there
and then, everyone agreed to hold another gathering in Mati. I was thrilled to
the max! The group was also unanimous in choosing the pristine Dahican Beach as
our abode for an overnight weekend wandering. Facing Mayo Bay, the white-sand
beach, which is being groomed as the “Skimboarding Capital of Southern
Philippines”, is frequented by beach enthusiasts who love to surf and skimboard
in its inviting waters.
 |
| Dahican Beach |
Awkward as it may seem, I
wanted to kiss the ground the moment my feet touched the sands of that beach bum’s
paradise in the village of Dahican! Once a secret known only to locals, this sought-after
tourist magnet in Mati City is blessed with a seven-kilometer white-sand stretch that’s caressed by the turquoise waters of the country’s south seas. Geez,
Dahican’s sands have probably one of the purest and finest grains I’ve seen so far, which are comparable
to those in Boracay and Glan!
 |
| Skimboarder at Dahican |
Less than thirty minutes away from
downtown Mati, the beach, which is being groomed as one of the surfing turfs in
the country, is found along a crescent-shaped immaculate cove, with swaying coconut
trees scattered along the shores, touched by the sparkling waters that emanate
all the way from the Pacific Ocean. Only a few resorts dot the shores of
Dahican. All of us agreed to seek refuge in one of the pioneering ones in the
area, Botona Dahican Beach Resort, a privately-owned hideaway lying along the
shores of Mayo Bay facing the high seas.
 |
| Sunrise at Dahican Beach |
Well-known for its quiet and
relaxing ambiance, the resort was opened to the public sometime in 2002. It has
a number of huts replete with seats and tables where guests can bask in the
beauty of the sea. Those who prefer to spend the night there can stay at the
cottages that form part of Botona’s reasonably-priced accommo-dations. The cottages
have their own private terraces where you can savor your favorite seafood, sip
your drinks, schmooze with your companions, or spend time with your loved ones.
After billeting ourselves at the resort, we roamed around the beach before
exploring downtown Mati.
Popular among beach bums, Dahican,
which means “to come in from the sea” in the vernacular, has also become famous
because of the so-called Amihan Boys, a group of young kids engaged skimboarding
and surfing. Named after the local term for the northeast monsoon, the
skimboarders train under the tutelage of George “Botchok” Plaza, whom we
chanced upon while strolling along the beach.
Better
known as Kuya Jun among his mentees, he struck us as someone who’s amiable,
articulate and accommodating during our brief conversation with him. Not only
does this kind-hearted man teach the boys the art and science of these water
sports, he also mentors them to become disciplined and responsible community
members. Their daily chores—to be completed first before they can skim and surf
all day—include washing dishes, cooking their meals and cleaning the beach.
 |
| Amihan Boys in action |
Carrying their skimboards of
different designs and sizes, we watched the young skimboarders, who are mostly
children of families living in or near the fishing village, as they took instructions
from their mentor. One of those we met
is Jun’s 19-year old protégé, Sonny Boy Aporbo, who has tasted his first
international victory in 2012, emerging as champion (for the 18-28 years old
category) of the 6th Penang International Skimboarding Competition in Penang, Malaysia.
For more about Jun and the Amihan boys, just visit: http://www.amihanteam.com/home.php.
Aside from skimboarding and
other water sports, Dahican is also fast becoming a destination of choice among
environmental experts, researchers and advocates since it’s the home of
Guang-Guang Mangrove Park and Nursery. Spanning 21,000 hectares, this protected
mangrove forest serves as a sanctuary for about eighteen of the rarest and
endangered mangrove species in the Philippines, providing a marine habitat for various
species, including sea turtles locally known as pawikan.
 |
| Guang-Guang Mangrove Park |
Before going back to Davao,
we went to see the place where we spent half an hour exploring the dense forest
of mangroves. At that time, the marine sanctuary was full of people, young and
old, who were swimming, eating, bonding and enjoying themselves while
immersed in the brackish waters surrounding the forest. Wasting no time, my
companions and I waded in the shallow waters and went around the sanctuary,
shooting anything that fancied us while basking in the beauty of the verdant
surroundings.
During our brief stay, we
also made it a point to savor some of Mati’s mouth-watering seafood delicacies,
which, I believe, are a must-try for all tourists. One of the most popular
restos in the city offering seafood dishes is Seaside Grill and Restaurant, which
is just a stone’s throw away from the city plaza and seawall (where we also
killed time shooting the awesome seascape). The eatery offers the freshest
bounty from the sea: tuna, crabs, shrimps, mussels, clams, etc., cooked any way
you want it.
Famished,
we ordered a feast and devoured everything in minutes—shrimp sautéed in garlic
and tomato sauce, tuna belly soup, inihaw
na panga (grilled tuna jaw), and of course, kinilaw (raw tuna dipped in vinegar and soy sauce). Not only was
the food palatable, it was also priced within our reach! Truly, the hearty
lunch at Seaside was one of the best I’ve ever had in years. How I wish I could
just go there to feast on the delicious offerings every weekend!
All told, Mati’s tourist
magnets may not yet be that developed but I’d prefer it that way because that’s
precisely where the allure of this newly-created city lies—the raw, rustic and
refreshing natural attractions. Crass commercialism, which is rampant in many
of the country’s more established tourist hotspots, hasn’t reared its ugly head
in Mati—yet. I can only wish it would stay that way for a long, long time.
As my car speeds its way
back home, I threw one more glance back at the distant outlines of Davao
Oriental’s capital, whispering a prayer of thanks for all the wonderful things
that unfolded during that weekend wandering in that side of the region. A short but sweet one, the sojourn not only
offered me the chance to revisit the old Mati I used to know but also enabled
me to relish the new Mati I came to know.
Adieu for now, Mati. I’ll be
seeing you again…soon. :D
More pics:
The seascape unfolding before
our eyes is spellbinding to say the least. Nearly three hours down the road, my
car, chock-full with a jolly bunch of weekend wanderers, emerges from a lush forest after passing a
number of quaint coastal villages. With quiet aplomb, it snakes its way through
the well-paved zigzag road that slithers up and down a cliff overlooking the
deep blue sea. 
In minutes, we reach Badas Point, a scenic viewing deck along the highway that’s the
perfect spot for capturing the magnificent vista, where we pulled over for a
shoot before proceeding to our ultimate destination. Armed with DSLRs, digicams
and smartphones, we hop out of the vehicle, all raring to capture the view: 
To
our right is a strip of land that resembles a humungous plesiosaur slumbering
on its belly—the Sleeping Dinosaur Island, one of the region’s fast-rising
tourist magnets; to our left is a hazy sketch of the poblacion whose immaculate coastlines are dotted with many beach
resorts. This is the picture-perfect panorama that greets motorists bound for
Mati, the capital of Davao Oriental.
Truly
a sight to behold, the picturesque scenery is one of Mother Nature’s bests that
I’ve been hankering to see for the longest time—and finally did so. Snapping
out of my trance, I start shooting here, there, and everywhere—afraid such
natural mise en scène would no longer be there during my next visit to Mati. 
Now 110 years old, Mati, which
is made up of 26 barangays, became the capital town of Davao Oriental following
the splitting up of the undivided Davao into three provinces and one city in
1967. From what I’ve gathered, it got its name from “maa-ti”, the Mandayan word for the town's creek that easily dries
up even after a heavy downpour. The Mandayas of Davao Oriental are the dominant
tribal group inhabiting the ten towns and one city that make up the
southeasternmost province of Davao Region.
A few years ago, Mati, along
with fifteen other newly-created cities, got entangled in a long-drawn legal
battle when the Supreme Court granted a petition filed by the League of Cities
of the Philippines, and declared as unconstitutional the various cityhood laws,
including Republic Act 9408 which enabled it to acquire its cityhood. After a
series of reversals, however, the High Court ruled that the cityhood laws of
all the sixteen towns were valid after all. Since then, Mati has continued to
forge ahead as a full-fledged city. 
I have faint recollections
of my few visits to the new city. As a young boy, I used to accompany one of my
maternal grandmothers who’d occasionally visit Mati to see her son, a soldier
who had settled with his family there. As a newbie researcher, I came back to
town for a brief stint several years ago. But it was a brief sojourn that took
me to Mati’s outskirts, robbing me the chance to re-acquaint myself with the poblacion. Had I stayed, however, my
relatives were no longer around to show me the place since they have all moved
out of Mati.
For a long time, I’d been
harboring an intense desire to invade the city once again. Making it to Mati is
part and parcel of my protracted plan to visit and revisit the towns belonging
to Davao Oriental. There’s something about it that seems to have magnetized a
part of me. Even after the devastation that Typhoon Pablo wrought on that side of
Mindanao, I was bent on going on with my sojourns to the province. Having visited
Banaybanay, Lupon and San Isidro and even faraway Cateel and Governor Generoso,
I was determined to revisit the capital. 
During a recent mini-reunion
with high school classmates, I broached the idea of going there. Right there
and then, everyone agreed to hold another gathering in Mati. I was thrilled to
the max! The group was also unanimous in choosing the pristine Dahican Beach as
our abode for an overnight weekend wandering. Facing Mayo Bay, the white-sand
beach, which is being groomed as the “Skimboarding Capital of Southern
Philippines”, is frequented by beach enthusiasts who love to surf and skimboard
in its inviting waters.
Awkward as it may seem, I
wanted to kiss the ground the moment my feet touched the sands of that beach bum’s
paradise in the village of Dahican! Once a secret known only to locals, this sought-after
tourist magnet in Mati City is blessed with a seven-kilometer white-sand stretch that’s caressed by the turquoise waters of the country’s south seas. Geez,
Dahican’s sands have probably one of the purest and finest grains I’ve seen so far, which are comparable
to those in Boracay and Glan!
Less than thirty minutes away from
downtown Mati, the beach, which is being groomed as one of the surfing turfs in
the country, is found along a crescent-shaped immaculate cove, with swaying coconut
trees scattered along the shores, touched by the sparkling waters that emanate
all the way from the Pacific Ocean. Only a few resorts dot the shores of
Dahican. All of us agreed to seek refuge in one of the pioneering ones in the
area, Botona Dahican Beach Resort, a privately-owned hideaway lying along the
shores of Mayo Bay facing the high seas. 
Popular among beach bums, Dahican,
which means “to come in from the sea” in the vernacular, has also become famous
because of the so-called Amihan Boys, a group of young kids engaged skimboarding
and surfing. Named after the local term for the northeast monsoon, the
skimboarders train under the tutelage of George “Botchok” Plaza, whom we
chanced upon while strolling along the beach.
Better
known as Kuya Jun among his mentees, he struck us as someone who’s amiable,
articulate and accommodating during our brief conversation with him. Not only
does this kind-hearted man teach the boys the art and science of these water
sports, he also mentors them to become disciplined and responsible community
members. Their daily chores—to be completed first before they can skim and surf
all day—include washing dishes, cooking their meals and cleaning the beach.
Carrying their skimboards of
different designs and sizes, we watched the young skimboarders, who are mostly
children of families living in or near the fishing village, as they took instructions
from their mentor. One of those we met
is Jun’s 19-year old protégé, Sonny Boy Aporbo, who has tasted his first
international victory in 2012, emerging as champion (for the 18-28 years old
category) of the 6th Penang International Skimboarding Competition in Penang, Malaysia.
For more about Jun and the Amihan boys, just visit: http://www.amihanteam.com/home.php.
Before going back to Davao,
we went to see the place where we spent half an hour exploring the dense forest
of mangroves. At that time, the marine sanctuary was full of people, young and
old, who were swimming, eating, bonding and enjoying themselves while
immersed in the brackish waters surrounding the forest. Wasting no time, my
companions and I waded in the shallow waters and went around the sanctuary,
shooting anything that fancied us while basking in the beauty of the verdant
surroundings. 
Famished,
we ordered a feast and devoured everything in minutes—shrimp sautéed in garlic
and tomato sauce, tuna belly soup, inihaw
na panga (grilled tuna jaw), and of course, kinilaw (raw tuna dipped in vinegar and soy sauce). Not only was
the food palatable, it was also priced within our reach! Truly, the hearty
lunch at Seaside was one of the best I’ve ever had in years. How I wish I could
just go there to feast on the delicious offerings every weekend! 
All told, Mati’s tourist
magnets may not yet be that developed but I’d prefer it that way because that’s
precisely where the allure of this newly-created city lies—the raw, rustic and
refreshing natural attractions. Crass commercialism, which is rampant in many
of the country’s more established tourist hotspots, hasn’t reared its ugly head
in Mati—yet. I can only wish it would stay that way for a long, long time.
As my car speeds its way
back home, I threw one more glance back at the distant outlines of Davao
Oriental’s capital, whispering a prayer of thanks for all the wonderful things
that unfolded during that weekend wandering in that side of the region. A short but sweet one, the sojourn not only
offered me the chance to revisit the old Mati I used to know but also enabled
me to relish the new Mati I came to know. 
