#soccsksargen

Settled at 1000 meters above sea level, and is sandwiched between two mountain ranges, the municipality of Lake Sebu is unsurprisingly temperate and abundantly vegetated. This Land of the Dreamweavers  offers a unique taste of Filipino culture in its most colorful and exotic form. With its amazing vistas, beautiful people, a vibrant culture which is deeply rooted in its history and exciting adventures, Lake Sebu has claimed a famed spot as one of the must-see destination in the Philippines.

Lake Sebu, mainly used for aquaculture, covers over 354 hectares in South Cotabato. It is a paradise far from the maddening crowd. It sits at the edge of the country and is a quiet, peaceful respite for tired, weary souls. Here and there, white herons would glide over the waters and come to rest on the bamboo poles stretched out to mark the fish pens. A dugout canoe slowly glided along the placid waters, its skilled helmsman guiding the craft around patches of lotus plants. We could not have asked for a more ideal morning. 

The T'boli people all around remind us how simple life should be. 

Tranquil as it may, the lake itself and the nearby areas are host to numerous activities that easily cater to travelers of varying enthusiasm. The nearby falls—all seven of them, all varying in difficulty—are also perfect for waterfall chasers.   Crystal clear water from the edges of the hills have, over the ages, carved these unique scenic masterpieces in a brilliant display of natural colours. The most sought-after adventure in town is trekking to the seven falls, or taking a zipline ride that hovers over the most breathtaking countryside scenery at a height that is incomprehensible to acrophobes.The seven falls zipline, if not the on top of the list, is one of Asia’s highest.

We got a feel of the Tboli’s royalty when we were allowed to wear their traditional attire. The colorful traditional Tboli attires are astonishingly elegant with their elaborate accessories. You would know that a T’boli woman is approaching by the tinkling of numerous little brass bells that adorn her belt, bracelets, and anklets. While Lake Sebu’s charm is primarily due to its temperate natural beauty, tourists will surely be fascinated by the ethnic vibe of the local T’boli Tribe. 

With sweet serenity, one can get lost in an inner world filled with dance, hegalong music (traditional two-stringed, boat-shaped guitar; and intricate embroideries of the dreamweavers called t'nlak (traditional abaca fabric).T’nalak is a sacred cloth traditionally woven by women of royal blood. Thousands of patterns that reference folklore and stories are known to the T’boli women by memory. It is used for ritual purposes, as an offering to the spirits and during festival celebrations. I've only seen dreamweavers in Cinemalaya fetivals (click me to watch the trailer of K'na), but watching them make the t’nalak firsthand is without a doubt a pinnacle in this trip.

LAKE SEBU MOUNTAIN LOG RESORT:

The resort is located beside Lake Sebu with a rustic feel to it. It offers a great view of the lake.The cottages are made of bamboo and sawali which adds a feel at home touch to the resort. An accommodation for three persons comes with two beds and an attic which can accommodate another 10 – 12 persons. This comes with a spacious balcony overlooking the lake. You can request for your meals to be serve inside your room without any additional fee. Suprisingly, their rate is budget – friendly.

Kindly click the link to read my review of the resort: http://www.lakwatserongdoctor.com/2017/07/04/lake-sebu-mountain-log-resort/

Don't forget to subscribe http://www.lakwatserongdoctor.com/

عيد مبارك‎!

Like what backpackers always say, comfort and laxness are nowhere to be found in places called adventures and challenges. Admittedly, travelling to provinces further in Mindanao has made us a bit apprehensive, but the unyielding thirst for adventure and wanderlust drove our backpacking crew to take the road less traveled, and witness the beauty of SOX that may not yet be on the tourist radar.

Backpacking across Mindanao can be exhausting and confusing, but it is always affordable, challenging, and truly life changing. Mindanao gives you the chance to escape the travelling hubbub, to travel to uncharted territory, and to see some of the most isolated, spectacular, and tranquil areas in the Philippines. 

If you can keep a low profile, a backpacking trip in Mindanao will be a rewarding adventure. Hiking the countryside means encountering the uncertain and the unexpected. Some of the great pleasures of backpacking is the possibility of traveling on a shoestring and sleeping in a different place every night. Many small delights can be found for less money than you expected -- enjoying the authentic cuisine in local restaurants, talking to habal-habal drivers, or simply drinking beers in front of the many sari-sari stores. These will give you a chance to rub elbows with the locals, making the evening much more interesting and exciting. 

Indubitably, in this very spontaneous trip, we had the most meaningful and genuine interactions with our Muslim brothers and the other local tribes here in Mindanao.

Deep in the mountainous forests of Alamada in Cotabato is Asik-Asik Falls, a cascade of waters coming from a lush mountain wall. 

Getting here is no walk in the park (read: I had butt cramps thrice). We took the 4AM bus from General Santos and arrived in the jump-off point to Asik Asik Falls at around 11AM (that's 8 hours of bus, jeepney, and habal-habal. Netflx to the rescue!) From the jump-off point, be prepared to hike down a thousand steps leading down to the falls. A bottle of drinking water can also come in handy especially for the hike back up.

The road may be rough going there, but for those who brave the long journey, the reward is seeing one of the most unique and beautiful waterfalls in the country. With trekking and at times “buwis buhay” feats involved, it only makes the breathtaking view of cascading waters thundering down into a calm pool even more worth it. It is unlike anything I’ve seen in the country. It’s an unspoilt, and is an enchanting sight that will leave you mesmerized at the beauty of the region.

Considered to be a masterpiece of islamic architecture, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid or the Grand Mosque now stands as a landmark in Cotabato City. Located at Barangay Kalangan II, it was named after the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Bolkiah, who donated a huge amount for this architectural wonder and place of worship to materialize. Visitors are advised to dress conservatively. A malong or scarf, long sleeved shirts, and pants/long skirts will suffice. However, for those not in the proper attire, there’s a stall outside the mosque across the street where you can rent items for a small fee.

Nakakamiss mag-travel. Para bang hinahanap na ng katawan mo. Sa lahat ng napuntahan ko dito sa Pilipinas, ito ang favorite ko.

#SOCCSKSARGEN (Mindanao)

Nung una nagdalawang isip talaga ako. Kasi diba marining mo palang yung “Mindanao” parang nakakatakot na. Pero, totoo, iba yung vibes dun e. Sabi nila magulo, siguro. Ewan ko. Pero alam mo yung pakiramdam ko nung andun ako? Napakapayapa. Yung feeling mo, yung paligid mo.

Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos kasi every time nagtratravel ako parang laging nasa favor ko.

Lahat ng spot na pinuntahan namin dun, pag kami na, wala ng tao. Kaya perfect ang picture, bes!

Lalo na diyan sa Asik-asik falls? Gagii. Nagtrek kami, halos lahat ng turista pabalik na. Pagdating namin dun wala ng tao!! Huhu and then pagbalik namin, bumuhos yung ulan! Sakto talaga :) napa-“thank you Lord” talaga ako nun

Nakakamiss din kumain ng “Pastil”. Yunh kanin na nakabalot sa dahon ng saging na may palaman na manok flakes? Hahaha basta yun!

Napakasimple pa ng mga tao dun.

Nakakamiss mag habal-habal lalo na pag ang view mo e mga bundok na napapalibutan ng ulap. Ung feels talaga iba!! Mindanao na mindanao bes

Philippines has been an archipelago of awesome islands and natural resources. But with all the social media posts and IG-worthy pics we usually see, there's many things about out 7641 islands that you don't see yet.

If you wish to know more about this cool islands, here's a treat for you. As Department of Tourism - Region 12 (DOT-12) entitled Treasures of SOX: A Travel and Trade Expo Year 4. It aims to bring this part of Central Mindanao closer to metro manila and nearby areas. The expo run last April 25-28 2019 at the atrium of Robinson's Place Manila.

One of those wonder islands are found in Central Mindanao: SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City) or also called REGION X11.

Exhibitions by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Agricultural Training Institute, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources went to show their best booths during the event. Attendees went amazed by the learnings and cool insights like regional business and investment forums, a fashion show featuring indigenous materials, and various cultural presentations.

Aside from these, visitors were able to see the and bought different delicacies and various fresh and processed food products, wearable bags, textiles (such as T'boli t'nalak from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato), accessories, handicrafts, and other products made from indigenous materials.

For more fun travel goals, they also have the booth where visitors can purchase region 12 tour packages if you wish to visit the awesome destinations of Central Mindanao: SOCCSKSARGEN. These tour packages are consists of different tourism attraction and activities where you can experience the best of what Central Mindanao has to offer. It consist of 3 days-2 nights hotel stay, workshops and creative activities, sport adventures, and foodtrips.

On line with that, DOT-12 is also set to unveil a new tourism product at Treasures of SOX - a VIP Card that tourists can use to avail of freebies, and discounts from Regional Tourism Council-Accreditted establishments. Guests also learned more about DOT-12 newest initiative called Complete Women, a gender and development effort aimed at empowering the women workers of the tourism industry.