A Tricky Trek to the Montana Falls

Walking through winding riverside imagined road, we walked with weary soaked smile, knowingly that our destination means sweat, rugged and unpredictable way ahead.

Dramatic landscape was  the first visual exhilarating attraction, drawing strength from within to continue with our destination: The Montana Falls. The mountains are always our call to explore an adventure, but to weary minds, they offer a different unrestrained glimpse of inner peace and tranquility. Set amidst glorious foliage that ranges from timeless evergreens to the delicate blooms of the wild flora, the panorama recreates an untamed luxury, an inviting atmosphere.
                                                              

After my short stint at the Philippine Fashion Week last May 19 to 23,2013, what more refreshing to me is an escape from city life like Manila and Dubai. I need a rejuvenating escape, a sort of an idyllic holiday…that was I thought till I joined this tricky trek.

As the cliché goes, it’s an adventure once in my lifetime…or maybe twice if I succeed, at least I’ve tried. The Montana trek
 is more than just scenery, the deafening  silence of the inner sanctum radiates eeriness and mystified my physical presence….what is more-to- it- than- just- meets- the- eye?

  My adrenaline pumping and I was near exhaustion when the team photographer Marvin “Manong “ Mejorada waved his hand and started to prepare his camera. The stylist and the make up artist started doing their job on our model, my nephew Amixter Fuentes Emol, a gold national swimmer from Pagadian,

The thick foliage from the banyan tree known locally as balite was our first stop. The soft cold breeze from the thick canopy of the trees gave us the necessary boost to our tired legs.

 My up-close and personal encounter with nature came in the form of the untamed flora and fauna, my ultimate way to experience the green habitat of my farm. Whoever said, that was right, because I can’t think of anything more fun, exhilarating and personally enriching.

 There is something extraordinary about admiring the pristine beauty of the falls– an overwhelming rush of emotions takes over, as the vast expanse of swirly, turquoise green and glittering water fringed with lush greenery opens up before our very eyes. I’ve travelled the world, but Montana landscape for me is perhaps one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

Maybe for some it was so passé, so trite and so cliché, but the experience of my cranky desire to hold back again and I had given it a shot, but then if it wasn’t worked for me suddenly seemed inconsequential. I reached the location and stood grudgingly…alas I made it, I love you Montana Fuentes, au revoir! Surely I will miss you.

the team:

photographer: MARVIN MEJORADA

mauh: JONIE CALAINAN

stylist: GLEN DE LEON 

model: AMIXTER FUENTES EMOL

Being a typical PROBINSYANO

I was born and raised in Zamboanga del Sur, but for the last half of my life I have lived in Dubai. Since compulsion formed no part of my decision to work here, I am at ease in this lively cosmopolitan city. I speak few of the languages-as it is somewhat a melting spot of many nations; have a wide swathe of friends and sufficient resources to partake of Duba's many attractions.


I feel at home here, and yet it is not my home in quite the same way as Philippines. My connection to Zamboanga is visceral. It is the Eden of my childhood. It is the setting of my earliest memories and perhaps my most profound experiences. It is my home by birth. It is where my ancestors are buried, where my parents live and died. Dubai is my home by adoption. It is where my style sanctum flourished my being.


I accommodate claims of both places in my heart by describing myself as an expat, at liberty to come and go as and when I like. It is this flexibility, this freedom that underpins my happiness here.

Almost every year, in the early July, I make up an excuse to head home to my ancestral village in Zamboanga. It isn’t as if there is an anniversary or birthday to celebrate. In fact, if I had to ascribe a reason, I would say it is a matter of roots.


Although many expats love to return home, the power wielded by Gulf money, the flourishing life, Pinoys lured away the temptation to go back home. But, the acid test for the born-and-bred-in-the Philippines-but-living-elsewhere-now, coming home is more on sentimental reasons, kiss and goodbye!.

Mountains of coconuts and bananas, hills of paddy, yards of morning glory flowers, rows of glinting buffaloos herding in the gleaming sun... this is the lure of home.


I have always been fascinated by the romance of nature and faraway illusions of huge forest, trudging through meadows, before clogging parchments with dreams about drinking coffee-in-the-mist I canonised so long ago. It was this pastoral road trips and the idea of getting back to nature that thrills me. So, when I flew to Zamboanga last summer, I convinced myself that I have to leave Dubai's confines and get to my boondocks that held forth the promise of a creative
cornucopia.


I imagined my last holiday back home, arriving late on a long trip from the local domestic airport, engulfed in darkness, air thick with the chirping of crickets. Our headlights revealed a lonesome carabao and her fawn in the woodlands behind us. The roar of gushing wind was hypnotic, but I was too tired to go any further at that late hour and crawled into sleeping instead.

What sounded like the hellish roar at night turned out only to be the river by the crack of dawn. Hot coffee and a stick of C in hand, I sat on the wooden chair composing nonsense haikus and eventually ventured out towards the water. Teetering across mossy stones, I decided to plant myself on a rock and let fresh air and creativity swathe me.


As the sun rises I took some excellent trails only a few meters away from my Balinese- inspired house cum retreat. Realising rather quickly that I was all fairly out of shape, I took on the fallen branches as support, to get down on all fours to climb over rocks still moist with what I hoped was only morning dew. The path took me an exhausting 100 feet up that offered me an Edenic views of Yllana Bay and surrounding hilltops.

Gasping for air as I was near exhaustion, nature, I learned, despite my delusions, isn’t necessarily benevolent, but the rusticity had me feeling more at peace with myself and the world and did in fact give me a new lease on creativity.

i'm coming home.................!

LAKEWOOD'S HIDDEN SECRET: ALINDAHAW RESORT

“Gud morning Sir!!!” Lagring blurted out as  the 4:am rooster heralded the exciting day on this very dry summer month. I love the early smell of the coffee flowers near the kitchen. The white clusters of aromatic scents  gave me that soothing effect on my day start.

Maayong buntag pod Lagrimas, I answered back. Unya ready na tanan atong  mga  gamit og balon?

“Ako na syang gi-arrange sa jeep sir..maluto na sad ang mga puso ug pwede na pod ka mamahaw apter 30 minutes Ser”.

 Lagring was so organized that day and gave me that boost on this picnic trip of ours going to the resort near Lakewood, they called it aptly ALINDAHAW RESORT which means a dragonfly in local Bisaya. The resort amenities can be compared to classy ones in Manila, except that this resort has one of the largest lake in Mindanao…and of course my son, Baste loves this place.

“Sir, katong inun-on tulingan nga nay tuno? Tilawi daw Sir kay akong gibutangan ug sili gabii aron medyo haling-halang. Ang budbud ingon si Inse Masing agion nalang daw nato sa ilang balay inig paingon nato sa Lake wood” Lagring said.

Mmm, si Masing, I remember her mga kanding nga sige nyag buhian sa akong  manggahan. One day, gahangos si Jojo nga misumbong sa akoa, “Tiyo ,Tiyo perteng daghana sa kanding nga nag breakfast sa manggahan, gipangkitkit nila ang mga punoan sa mga mangga!”

“Ha??? Tinood ka? Hala dal-a katong pusil ug pamusila kining mga tamhangan nga kanding! Pagdali  basin mawala nay panit ang mga mangga…burles mangoes na sila!” I said in stress.

Unsay pusil tiyo? Wala man tay pusil” he said.

“ Kabanga ba intawon nimo Loloy, kato bang pusil sa langgam gani nga gigamit ni Dong Pesyong ug Arsenio para mamusil gani silag mga bagwa, tukmo, punay ug katong akong mga palangga nga mga pungak?

Tiyo, dili man to makapatay ug kanding, baga ug mga panit na sila….dili pareho sa mga birds!

Jojo, Jojo, Jojo..asa man ka noong nagtapon ng katalinuhan ang Diyos? Por dos por dos!!!!!! Tulog ka pa ano? Kinsay gaingon patyon nimo ang mga kanding….? Hadloka lang sila noh…hala adto dayon sa manggahan!

After almost three hours Jojo appeared like having a stressful day. Tiyo nanagan man ang mga kanding sa silong sa balay..guhulat nako ug manggawas , wala jud.

I said to myself, mas bright ba ang mga kanding intawon. Hay…Panginoon tagai pa kog taas kaayong pasensya maluoy ka!

“Sir, ready na tanan ang atong mga balon ug tua na sa sakyanan sama sa usa ka kalderong nilung-ag kan-on, usa ka Tupperware nga adobong manok og yobabs, usa ka kalderong nilug-ag hinog nga saging, ginagmay, inon-unang tulingan, thermos init para sa kape ug gatas, usa ka galloon Crystal Clear Mineral Water, mga isda para sugbaon, mga saging tundan hinog, spaghetti, slice bread, pancit, pritong bulad, scrambled eggs, hotdogs ug pritong bangus plus sinanglag nga pasayan”Lagring proudly said.

Pagkadaghan bas sa dala Lagrimas, unsa man diay ni swimming o kumbira!!!!!!!!ahahahahaha!!! kaulaw oi.

I remember what one foreigner who asked me so blatantly that why Filipinos that go swimming are bringing lots of foods in the beach. I told her that is our culture, swimming is just an excuse for bonding, and eating is our way of life, I said to her.

“Look at me, I just brought one liter of water…enough!” she  said.

Adah…kasamok baning kanahan oi…mag buot diay sya? While I looked into her two piece bikini, ohmygawdness she had too much wrinkles in her neck, sa tyan ug sa legs that I thought the turkeys will be put into shame…kahinawayon jud ko no? pero tinood man sad, nanghilabot man pod sya sa mga Pinoy,tse kalang!

Baste ang his friends after light breakfast jumped into the car and were into jacket kay kadlawon pa lage mi nanglarga aron dili init ug mag breakfast mi somewhere after taking a left turn sa Dumalinao.

The picnic went so smooth and I enjoyed the scenery, I had been to St. Tropez in France, the famous nude beach in the French Riviera, pero lahi jud ang Pinas, lami paminawon ang mga katawa sa mga bata while they enjoyed splashing in  little pools made for kids. Baste eat less and so the other children, they love to swim and he ordered me to buy some orange juice which I obliged. Knowingly that aside organizing this event ako pa jud ang ilang bangko central.

The oldies gathered on the pavilion and never went swimming including me. We eat breakfast and later lunch. Some strolled the area, while me was looking and making bantay to Baste though Lagring was there too in her usual pekpek shorts.

Some went kayaking on the lake and some enjoyed the zipline across the tranquil lake.

The children stopped at three ug nangasuko pa jud. Baste keep on bagutbot, ingon ko hala sige ugma adto napod ta swimming sa Tabina….while all the oldies nga wala magswimming ang uban hubog pero I can see the joy and happiness on our picnic in Alindahaw resort.

for more info and reservations: hit Alindahaw Lakewood Resort /Biswangan/Lakewood/Zamboanda del Sur

photo credits: BERNARD AGULO

A Trip to DANGGIT's Breeding Habitat

Inday Lomocso, the keeper in our local church  came to me in gasping breath but with a big smile on her face."Maayong hapon, kanang kuan ba ingon man gud si Father Finlayson nga kung pwede ba daw ugma mouban mo sa lakaw" she hastily says.

 I was puzzled on how the local priest invited me all of the sudden." Unsa diay day...naay program?"...I answered back. "Naa man gud miabot nga mga bisita si Padre, mga taga New Zealand, unya nangutana daw ug naa ba daw tay environmental organization dire sa atoa, unya kahibalo man si Padre anang Friends of Nature ninyo.

Natingala gani daw to sila kay abi nila wa tay environmental group"....she coyly utters

Asa man diay mi adto day?, kinsay kuyog ug unsang orasa ang lakaw, I say. " Sa Pisaan daw, mokuha ug pump boat si Padre, magsayo daw mo pohon ug lakaw human pamahaw" she finally says.

 After Inday left, I was in bewilderment, me? going to Pisaan? wow, it's beyond comprehension...not on this time when the situation is downright critical.

When I was in grade school, my father used to spend our weekend on our nipa plantation in Balot, so I been always looking forward for Saturdays with great anticipation ang joy. A  smile will always figure in, in my face.

 Tatay just paddled it out in our tiny wooden boat with bamboo "katig". On early morning the boat  will finds its way through the mangroves lining the fresh river going to Balot, the early mist and the morning glow of the sun gave the sunny feeling to the chirping birds that live in the habitat.

The pinkish to fuchsia little flowers that dropped from the bakhawan trees and the magnolia shaped white ones from pagatpats bedecked the placid waters.

It was mesmerizing, a picturesque splendour when the river is basically full of mangroves flowers, just simply adorable and surreal  kaleidoscopic sight to behold.

" Tay, ngano man nga hangtod karon magbugsay man ta, ngano man nga dili man ta mopalit ug pump boat aron kusog atong sakayan, abot ta dayon" was my innocent suggestion, any how I felt jealous by the roaring of those engines just passing on its way, leaving us trying to balance due to its waves effect. "Maayo kini kay walay gastos, " he said. ''Usa pa, aron dili pod nato ma estorbo ang mga langgam, kay sayo pa man, basig nanga tulog pa sila" he continued. I was thinking...nahhhh, we can't afford for sure...or maybe my father was just so frugal, so "kuripot".

I never thought of his wisdom he was trying to impart and convey to my young mind. It was this little conversations that made me realized my father and my father's father were outright environmentalists. The old folks truly respect nature, they understood the relationship between man and nature. They respect each other.

My father will always go to Pisaan for our breakfast. He and Nanay would spread out the nylon net called "PANTI" , it's like a volleyball net actually, spreading it carefully by attaching it on a bamboo pole in one side and the other side I and Nanay holding patiently in our humble sakayan.

 Minutes past and my Tatay signalled to pull the net towards us in the boat. Plenty of danggit, lambay, some alimango, gisaw and lots of other fishes made it through our fresh and fabulous breakfast in the boat.

 The rice was pre-cooked by my mother, and she brought an instant stove!!!! we had deliciously fresh tinolang danggit with just few tomatoes and onions plus the aromatic tanglad. After all my global travel from London to Paris, New York to Switzerland and tasted all the cuisine from these places...surely I CAN'T EXCAHANGE THE SIMPLE TINOLANG DANGGIT FROM DINAS.....it's heavenly for sure!

We made our way to Binuatan for our ride to Pisaan, me and Jon Px ANGON represented the Friends of Nature while a man and a woman were our guests from the New Zealander side.

 After the usual greetings we rode the sakayan ...and OMG!!!! IT LOOKS LIKE MY FATHER'S SAKAYAN!!. " Jon asa man tong giingon ni Inday nga pumpboat?, mura man nig sa akong Tatay uy!!!!, I murmured to Jon's ear." Ayaw jud ug complain , kay mao ni gerequest ining duha ka kagwang! pointing to the two foreign invironmentalists he says. Yay ...in my mind it was a dejavu moment, my father ang these people from the developed country of NZ.

Why the wooden boat?...what's the common denominator then. I WAS SILENT. I tried to recollect fast in my brain the wisdom of my father...go,go,go brain. Peacefully I was with my father face to face in my thoughts......yes, Tatay, I must not ask again for power boats...respect the birds...respect nature. I FELT
CONFIDENT AGAIN WITH OUR JOURNEY. The FEELING OF "ONENESS" with nature gave me a strong conviction.....I am a part of the habitat.

Along our tranquil ride to Pisaan, Jon felt hungry and peeled- off a ripe banana, he finished it quckly and toasted the peel into the water. The two new Zealanders did the same, I was not that hungry so I just watched them enjoying their meal. After eating the bananas they pulled out a paper bag and neatly place their waste into the bag!....wow, we supposed to be environmentalist in local version, and Jon just showed our ignorance about our waste disposal. SHAME ON US.

Our guide understood where exactly the site our guests wanted to see. In Pisaan, there is this so called Marine Protected Triangle Reserve. It is compose of coral reefs where the sweet and healthy DANGGITS dwell and breed. The water there is crystal clear, the army of fishes glistens as they glided merrily undisturbed. On low tide patches of white sands float, making it nice to step down and swim,explore and enjoy the first class amenity nature could offer. Tikala island is just near to the Pisaan coral reef....Pisaan, simply means in English -the breeding ground. And on the outskirt of the opening of the river is the natural habitat of fruit bats, thousands of them, sleeping, playing, laughing maybe...undisturbed too.

Our visitors were focused on what they wanted. So I 've heard that they are here on their marine research. They plucked some whitish seaweeds from the sides of the rock formations on the reef. Then I realized that the white seaweeds added the prestine whiteness glow of the PISAAN REEF. It looks like a sea beds of short fur-like white soft blades....it was again an amazing sight to behold.

With out hesitation that caused my curiousity I asked them why they are so interested with those white seaweeds. The white seaweeds according to them is the major food for our DINAS DANGGIT. The white seaweeds when eaten by our native DANGGIT will give that mestiza skin of the  fish. As I had observed, other danggits from neighboring peninsula are blackish in skin and having those hard texture of skin when cooked. The white seaweeds give the DANGGIT's intestine to be white and super clean, without sands, without other objects...they love ONLY EATING WHITE SEAWEEDS...they are so proud of itselves.....DIFFERENT....its their kind of WHITENING WHAT IS FOR THOSE LADIES WHO USES LOTIONS FOR WHITENING SKIN!!!........OUR DANGGIT SIMPLY DOES.


Our Danggit is the best in the world. It is our most cherished HIDDEN secret.It is our legacy,our natural gift from nature and GOD. Let us protect our DANGGIT....it's  the ONLY PRIZED nature possession for us, the people of DINAS.

We are proud people...because we love our danggit...........

We have pretty ladies and gentlemen because we eat our delicious DANGGIT.
LOVE AND PROTECT OUR ECOSYSTEM................