Gen. Santos City is about 150 kilometers away from Davao City. It is about two and a half to three hours travel by private car or bus. It is a highly urbanized first class city. In the 1930’s General Paulino Santos led the relocation of...
From General Santos City on the way to Lake Sebu, the first town that we passed by was Polomolok. One can tell that the climate in Polomolok is cool because of the pine trees along the roadside of the highway. It is an area where...
As the sun was about to set, people started arriving at our mission house in Purok Matatag, Barangay San Isidro, Gen. Santos City. Near the registration table, a photo wall was set up, where groups can have their picture taken. There was on the spot...
It has been seven days now since the start of the armed conflict between the Moro National Liberation Front and government forces in Zamboanga City. I arrived in Zamboanga City on the evening of September 8, 2013, the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. AG...
It’s a short 45 minutes airplane trip from Davao City to Zamboanga City. It was raining when the airplane landed on Zamboanga City airport. It was the evening of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I was bound for Jolo the following morning upon...
I was teary eyed as I watched the news on television covering the “Million People March” at the Luneta, on the day that government declared a holiday because it was National Heroes’ Day. Memories flashed back in my mind as I watched on television the...
In one of my recent visits to our mission house in Davao City, there happened to be a gathering of young people. It was not the usual gathering of students and members of youth groups who would often visit our house for a group study...
In my one year stay in Davao City and also one year stay in General Santos City, I have had personal encounters with several groups of Lumads in Mindanao. When I arrived in Davao City in 2011, GMA Network aired a television documentary special entitled “REPORT...
About a year ago, I transferred to Gen. Santos City, where St. Antoninus House, our mission house in Mindanao is located. I used to sit in the editorial board meetings of Davao Catholic Herald once a month, upon the invitation of Fr. Ritsche Gamaya. Even...
About a month ago, two of my former staff from Letran Media Center paid me a visit. They were able to buy airplane tickets on a promotional sale from a budget airline, and so they decided to spend a few days vacation in Davao City....