Tan-aw Mindanao: Bukidnon Leg

This is part of a multi-city, 6-day tour we did in Mindanao. I’ll be writing about the cities separately since I know it will be madness if I even attempt to write about all of it in one entry. Should you wish to get the itinerary or more information about the entire trip (travel cost and duration, etc), please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Bukidnon is, as expected, a relatively laid-back province with an easy-going vibe. It is the perfect destination for people who just want to get away and rest, for those who want cool weather but want to veer away from the usual Tagaytay and Baguio.

HOW WE GOT THERE:

When in Cagayan De Oro, ask for a motorela to take you to the Agora Bus Terminal. Look for the entrance to Save More grocery, where the vans bound for Camp Phillips are. We took the van to Camp Phillips, which is the jump off point for Del Monte Farms and nearby attractions such as the Dahilayan Adventure Park. To get to Malaybalay City proper, there are buses that can take you directly from the Agora bus terminal (Rural Transit is the one that’s pretty popular for this route).

WHAT TO DO THERE: 
 See the Del Monte Farm -  Pineapples as faaaaar as the eyes can see! It's just an amazing sight, seeing this many pineapples. Everyday, they plant, harvest, juice, cut, pack, feed cows and feed people pineapples and feed people the cows that are fed pineapples. Welcome to pineapple land! It's amazing that a world class facility is in our country.

Others you can check out are the Dahilayan Adventure Park home to the longest dual zipline in Asia, the Rodeo Festival some time every March, and the Mangima Canyon that offers a grand, gorgeous view.

  

WHAT TO SEE:

Monastery of Transfiguration – As someone who studied in a Benedictine school for 10 years (Alabang campus), I simply had to go and see the monastery for myself. The Transfiguration Monastery boasts of a magnificent church designed by the National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin. It has been said that the monastery is his magnum opus. I heard that you can stay in the monastery to get a feel of their lives for a small fee. Or, you can try to catch breakfast or brunch with the monks every second Sunday of the month. With the monastery and Church being a sacred place, please keep in mind to wear long bottoms, or you may borrow skirts from the guard. We hired a multicab to take us to and from the Monastery for P500. Not bad since the Monastery was a 10-15 minute drive from the city porper of Malaybalay.

If you have enought time and means, try to go to the interiors of the towns to try and see the different tribes of Bukidnon, the same ones that still practice the traditional ways of weaving.

Inside the New Chapel

WHERE AND WHAT TO EAT:

Eat at the Clubhouse of Del Monte Farm - From (Camp) Phillips, take the multicab to Cawayanon and kindly inform the driver to stop at the Clubhouse. Their steaks are wonderfully tender. We think they’re probably feeding the cows all the pineapple byproducts, thus the tender steaks. You can get the set meal for about P300 to P1,200, which comes with soup, salad, steak and a fresh fruit cocktail. You can have bottomless pineapple juice, too! The pineapples are so yellow, they almost look fake.

Amadeo’s Steak Restaurant – We didn’t have steak as we were already satisfied with our Del Monte Clubhouse steak lunch. We had steamed fish and a few other viands. It wasn’t superb, but not bad either.

WHAT TO BRING HOME:

You can buy several goodies and souvenirs from the Monastery souvenir shop. Grab some St. Benedict's medals, peanut butter, peanuts, and do not forget the famous Monk’s Blend Coffee (Really good!).

I was hoping to be able to find and bring home traditional weaving items from Bukidnon as the tribes still do weaving. However, to my dismay, I found out that these items are only showcased during the festival season. I hope the provincial government or the city government of Malaybalay could encourage local businessmen to have souvenir shops for items distinctly Bukidnon, the same way local products are showcased and sold in other tourist spots.

What welcomes visitors to the province, a diorama in the town plaza, and the abundance of fruits in side-street stalls.

WHERE TO STAY:

We stayed at Pine Hills Hotel. It’s what you’d expect from a hotel in the mountains – basic accommodation with air-conditioning, standard breakfast, pretty old beds and the usual room service stuff. Oh they have wi-fi too! The downside was that we felt the beds were either dusty or had bed mites as we were uncomfortable the entire night. It also seemed like there was a leak in the sewage system and the smell was creeping into our toilet and into the room.