Monthly Archives: November 2007

Davao Crocodile Park Complex (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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After our visit to the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve, Jay next drove 35 kms., via the Davao-Bukidnon Rd. and Davao City Diversion Rd/Pan-Philippine Hwy/AH26, to the 7-hectare Davao Crocodile Park Complex, a mere 15-30-min. drive from the city’s downtown area.  The park’s main attractions, naturally, are its 700 saltwater crocodiles and the park has facilities solely for the propagation of these ferocious reptiles, showcasing state-of-the-art crocodile farming in the Philippines.

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The author at Davao Crocodile Park

Owned and operated by a group of businessmen headed by Davao City resident Philip “Sonny” Dizon, this world-class park was opened on August 18, 2005 with the help of consultant Dr. Gilbert Buenviaje.  The park has 3 breeding ponds literally teeming with languid crocodiles stretching out and soaking up the sun, completely unmindful of the excited noise of spectators and their flashing cameras.  They are caged according to size and breed.  The biggest cage has a viewing deck elevated at the center of the area.

The gigantic Pangil in his own cage and pond

The most breathtaking and noteworthy of all these crocodiles is the 18-ft. long Pangil (from the native word meaning “fang”), reportedly the country’s second largest and the oldest crocodile (about 60 years old) in the park. He has a pond and a big cage all to himself and, even if he just lies still, he still amazes every curious spectator, including me, with his immense size.

The Crocodile Dancing Show

We arrived in the midst of the 4:45-5:45 PM crocodile dancing show which showcases the leaping ability of the crocodile.  A piece of meat is suspended by a rope just below the cage for the crocodile to eat and  the crocodile leaps (up to 6 ft. high), through its mighty tail, to reach it.  I also saw the skeleton of a 14-ft. long, male, Indo-Pacific crocodile named Boktot who died in 2005 at the age of 40.

The skeleton of Boktot

The park is more than just a crocodile farm as it also houses other exotic animals such as eagles, parrots, lovebirds, mynahs, turkeys, ostriches, monitor lizards (bayawak), Burmese pythons (one of the 6 biggest snakes in the world), bearcats, Oriental civet (or Malaysian civet), Philippine warty pigs, monkeys, Philippine sailfin water dragons, turtles, a male and female Siberian tiger (there are times when feeding them is open to the public), etc..  A few steps from the center of the park is the Davao Butterfly House.

A park ostrich

Davao Crocodile Farm: Riverfront Corporate City, Ma-a Diversion Rd., Davao City, Davao del Sur. Tel: (082) 286-8883 and 286-1054.  Fax: (082) 221-4671. Admission fee: PhP150 (adults) and PhP75 (children, 2-12 years old). Open daily, 8 AM-6 PM (7 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). Website: www.davaocrocodilepark.com.

Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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Pag-Asa, the first eagle to be bred

After lunch at Jay Mendoza’s residence, he drove me all the way to the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve, a natural captive breeding facility established to conserve the critically endangered and mighty Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), the country’s national bird.

Locally called haribon (short for “hari ng ibon” or “king of birds”), it is also the symbol and icon of Davao City.  Its 2-m. (6.5 ft.) wingspan also makes it the world’s second largest eagle after the Central and South American harpy.  Due to illegal logging and irresponsible cutting of trees (resulting in a loss of habitat), its uniqueness (there is a demand for it in major zoos of the world) and its very size and majestic stance (making it a very desirable target as a trophy), the Philippine eagle has become critically endangered.

Jay Mendoza

In 1987, the private, non-profit Philippine Eagle Foundation, Inc. was organized to save the eagle through captive breeding management, field research, community-based enterprise development and conservation education.   They set up the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve near Calinan, 36 kms.  northwest of the city.  This nature park, spread over a large forest preserve, is planted with different fruit-bearing trees and is now home to 14 of these Philippine eagles, out of a known population of 119 (2 others in the DENR office in Los Baños, Laguna, 96 in Mindanao, 5 in Aurora and the Sierra Madre Mountains and 2 in Samar).

Philippine Eagle Sanctuary

The Philippine Eagle was first recorded by John Whitehead on a collecting expedition in 1896.  Formerly called the monkey-eating eagle (now amended), it is called manaol by the Cebuanos and Muslims, aguila by the Tagalogs and mamboobook or malamboogook by the Bagobos, Mandayas and Tagakaolos.  It is only found in the Sierra Madre mountains in Eastern Luzon and the heavily forested area of Mindanao.

This eagle stands one meter high, weighs an average of four to seven kilograms, and has a powerful bill, strong legs and claws and eyesight eight times that of a human.    Its general body color is grayish brown on the back and wings, white at the front neck and belly and has shafts of gray brown streaked feathers on the head which, when erect, forms a crest.  Its raw meat menu includes flying lemurs (kaguang), wild cats (musang), flying squirrels (tapilak), snakes, chickens, bats and monkeys.

Brahminy Kite

Flying at speeds of 70 to 80 kms. per hour, one eagle claims and defends a wide, 60 to 100-sq. km. territory in lowland and medium elevation forest and nests (a crude platform shaped by branches and twigs) are established approximately 80 ft. atop the tallest trees in the jungle (sufficient enough for it to have a good view over its territory) or on high promontories overlooking a stream or river.

The Philippine Eagle is a faithful mate, having been observed to usually prefer a monogamous lifestyle.  At breeding time (between August and January), they usually indulge in high-soaring aerial courtship and are said to mate in mid-air, in or near the nest. The female lays one white egg every two years and both parents alternately incubate the egg for about 60 days until it hatches.  Usually the male does the hunting, sharing his catch with the female and the young, especially during breeding time. Hunting flights extend to the cleared areas as well.   The eaglet fledges within 150 days and becomes independent at 18 months, at which time the parents drive the juvenile out of their territory. It matures after 6 years.

Philippine Brown Deer

On January 15, 1992, Pag-asa (“hope”) was born in the center, the first eagle to be bred in captivity.  A second eaglet, born five years later, was named Pagkakaisa (“unity”).  On February 23, 1999, another eaglet, Pangarap (“dream”) was born through artificial insemination, followed by Maginoo (“respectful”) on December 15, 2000.

The center is also home to other indigenous birds such as Brahminy kites (Haliastur Indus), African grass owls (Tyto capensis), crested serpent eagles (Spilornis cheela), Philippine hawk-eagles (Spizaetus philippensis), grey-headed fish eagles (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus), white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaectus leucogaster) and cockatoos; and wildlife such as tarsiers (Tarsius philippensis), Philippine deer (Cervus mariannus), saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), crab-eating macaque(Macaca fascicularis) and reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus).

Sunbathing macaques
Philippine Eagle Sanctuary and Wildlife Preserve: Malagos Gardens, Baguio District, Davao City, Davao del Sur.  Tel: 224-3021.  Fax: 224-3022.  E-mail: info@philippineeagle.org and phileagl@pldtdsl.net.  Open daily, 8 AM to 5 PM.  Entrance fee: PhP50.00.  To get there, take a jeep to Calinan along C.M. Recto Ave., A. Pichon St. and  Bankerohan Market.  At Calinan Public Market, take a 30-min. (5-km.) tricycle ride to the center. You can also take a 45-min. airconditioned bus ride from Aldevinco Shopping Center.

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

After our tour of Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant, Jay and I proceeded, via Shrine Hills Rd., to the nearby (just 550 m. away) Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague, a widely popular destination for tourists seeking a meditative or relaxing experience.  Located on top of a hill, as we approached the shrine, there are Stations of the Cross on the side of the road.

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As we visited on a Sunday, the 12 noon mass (there are also masses at 7AM and 5PM) was about to finish at the main chapel when I arrived (masses are also held, every day, at 4PM). Further left are about 4 other minor chapels while at the back of the administration building is a candle offering canopy. There is also a statue of St. Joseph carrying the infant Jesus.

The figurative Holy Infant (Sto. Niño) Jesus of Prague icon, an exact replica of the Holy Infant of Prague icon in the Carmelite Monastery and Shrine of Our Lady of Victories in Prague, was said to have been spirited out of Prague by Briccio G. Santos (head of the Film Development Center of the Philippines during the second Benigno C. Aquino administration), at the prodding of his mother, Catalina Garcia, the wife of former Davao City mayor and later interior and local government secretary Luis T. Santos. Arriving in Davao on January 15, 1968, it was then installed for veneration at the sprawling Matina Shrine owned by the Santos clan.

 The image presents a crowned Child Jesus standing upright, his right hand is in a gesture of blessing while the other was holding a globus cruciger, a symbol of his Kingship.  It was done in a detallado style where the image was carved with his seamless robe and vested with numerous vestments that were given by his devotees over the centuries from different Kings and Queens, noble families and his devotees from Prague and other parts of the world.

According to church history, the piety to the icon started with St. Teresa of Avila, whose devotion to Child Jesus inspired her to bring similar images to convents she founded throughout Spain.  One of the icons was given to Doña Isabella Manrique, a Spanish noble woman when, in 1556, her daughter, Duchess Maria Maximiliana Manrique de Lara wedded Vratislav of Pernstein, a Czech nobleman.

The duchess relived the family inheritance, using the icon as a wedding gift which she brought to Prague. Later, she handed the image as wedding present to Lady Polyxena of Lobkovice when she married in 1587. And when Polyxena became a widow, she gave the icon to the Carmelites of Prague in 1623 for veneration.

On the opposite side of the shrine, with a separate entrance, is the Sta. Catalina Gardens and Restaurant. A function venue, it has a good view of the Metro Davao and the Davao Gulf.

Catalina’s Garden

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague:  Broadcast Ave., Shrine Hills, Brgy. Matina Crossing, Talomo, Davao City 8000. Open daily, 5 AM to 7 PM.  Entrance is free.  Feast of the Holy Infant of Prague: January 15.

How to Get There: Take a metered taxi to the shrine.  Ask the taxi driver to wait for you as there are no cabs available going back to the city.  If the cab does not wait, take a tricycle back to city center.

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

The St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (also referred to as the San Pedro Cathedral or Davao Cathedral), dedicated to Saint Peter, is the ecclesiastical seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao. It is located in front of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) ng Dabaw Building.

First built using nipa and bamboo in 1847 by Don Jose Oyanguren, it was later demolished subsequently rebuilt in wood in the Neo-Gothic style in the mid 1900s by the late Architect Ramon Basa.  During World War II, it was said to have been turned into a horse stable by Japanese troops. In 1964, due to its small size, it was finally remodelled in concrete, glass and metal by Architect Manuel Chiew.

Being of recent origin, it doesn’t have the weathered look of heritage churches. Still, it has a turbulent history as the cathedral has been a witness to two grenade bombing incidents.

The main altar

The first incident, on April 19, 1981 (Easter Sunday), killed 17 people and injured 157. Again, on December 28, 1993 (Holy Innocents Day), another bombing resulted in 6 deaths and 151 injured (32 seriously).

From the outside, the distinctive modern façade is a departure from the usual façade of Catholic churches, with Islamic elements incorporated into its design.  Its curved, gray roof looks like a bow of a vinta (a traditional boat made by the Badjao tribe in Southern Mindanao) sailing over waters with a Christian cross in the middle as the rudder.

The arched windows, flanking the cathedral’s main doorway, hint at traditional Gothic design. The old altar, designed by Ramon Basa, with antique images of different saints, is preserved at the cathedral’s right wing.

The old altar at the right wing of the cathedral

The separate imposing bell tower, standing by a corner in the courtyard, has a replica of the the Pieta (a statue of the sorrowful Blessed Virgin Mary with the dead body of her son, Jesus Christ, on her lap), adorning a pocket garden, and the two concrete tablets of the Ten Commandments of God.

The separate bell tower

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral: San Pedro St., Barangay Poblacion District, Davao City, Davao del Sur. Tel: (082) 227-2317, 227-2398 and 226-4740.

A Tour of Davao City (Davao del Sur)

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View Metro Davao and Davao Gulf from Jack Ridge Resort and Restaurant

Come morning, after breakfast at Pearl Farm Resort, I joined other tourists on a boat going back to the mainland. At the Pearl Farm Marina, I met up with Jose “Jay” Mendoza, a fellow architect and former Mas Othman and Associates officemate at the lobby.

Check out “Resort Review: Pearl Farm Resort,” “Resort Feature: Pearl Farm Marina” and “The Flavors of Spain in Davao”

The author at Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant

Jay and I met up at last night’s Flavors of Spain at the Pearl Farm Marina. Jay, married a Davaoeña and now based and practicing in Davao City, offered to tour me around the city in his car and I gladly accepted his offer.

Downtown Davao

This was my first visit to this sprawling urban metropolis which is the fastest-growing city in the country after Manila.  The undisputed center for trade, convention and tourism in Mindanao, Davao City is a prime destination for tourism and investments in the Philippines, the BIMP-Eaga (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area) and the Asia-Pacific region.

NCCC Mall

This 2,443.61 sq. km. (943.48 sq. mi.) city, 7.8 times the size of Metro Cebu and three times that of the entire Metro Manila, making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area and is said to be the second largest in the world (after Mexico City).

Victoria Plaza

Gaisano Mall of Davao

Davao is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province (though it is usually grouped with Davao del Sur for statistical purposes). It is divided into three congressional districts, which are further divided into 11 administrative districts containing a total of 184 barangays.

Ateneo de Davao

Big as it is in size as well as in hype, it was still recently acclaimed by Asiaweek Magazine as one of Asia’s most livable cities. Why? There are many compelling reasons people chose Davao over any other place in the country, as well as in Southeast Asia. As varied as the reasons and factors may be, they still all sum up to one thing: quality of life.

Grand Regal Hotel

Davao City is home to many high rise buildings and, outside Metro Manila, Metro Davao is one of the three metropolitan areas in the Philippines having numerous skyscrapers.

The Marco Polo Hotel

They include the 73 m. (240 ft.) high, 18 storey Marco Polo Davao Hotel and the 49 m. (161 ft.) high, 12 storey Grand Regal Hotel, both built in 1998.  The city’s oldest hotel is the Apo View Hotel, built in 1948.

The Apo View Hotel

Jay showed me the Ateneo de Davao University (a premiere Filipino, Catholic and Jesuit University founded by the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus in 1948), Victoria Plaza, New City Commercial Center (NCCC) Mall and the Gaisano Mall of Davao (a well-known mall with numerous stores and a cinema, plus a large roof deck with eateries and a view).

Old City Hall

We first made a stopover at the old City Hall (formerly the Municipal Building) which was constructed in 1926, some ten years before Davao finally became a city.

Legislative Building

Also within the grounds are the Legislative Building (Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Dabaw) and the Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity, unveiled during the celebration of the Philippine Centennial in 1998.

Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity. In the background is the bell tower of the St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

The monument depicts the peaceful relationship of the migrant and indigenous inhabitants of Davao in the last 100 years. In front of the Legislative Building is the St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (also called San Pedro Cathedral or Davao Cathedral).

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St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

We then proceeded on the 20-min. (5.6 km.) drive to Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant via the Davao City-Junction Digos Section Rd., Davao-Cotabato Rd. and Gen. Douglas MacArthur Highway. Along the way, we made a short stopover at the 4-hectare (9.9-acre) People’s Park which was created through the ₱71 million  conversion of the old PTA Grounds (or the Palaruang Panlunsod or “City Playground”), a sporting and events venue of the city, into a cultural theme park.

The Durian Dome at People’s Park

It features a mini-forest, man-made falls, a dancing fountain at night, fish ponds, children’s playground and the 425 sq. m. (4,570 sq. ft.) Durian Dome, the visitors’ center whose design was inspired by the durian fruit.  The park project, which commenced in July 2006, had a soft opening just last August 2007 during the Kadayawan Festival.

Check out “Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant” and “Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague”

Jay Mendoza at Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant

At Jack’s Ridge, we admired the view of Metro Davao and the Davao Gulf from its restaurant then moved on the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague.  That done, we returned to Jay’s house where we had a late lunch.

Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

Apo View Hotel: Camus Ext., Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 221-6430.

Ateneo de Davao University: E. Jacinto St., Davao City 8016

Gaisano Mall of Davao: J.P. Laurel Ave, Bajada, Davao City 8000.  Tel: (082) 222-1411 150

Grand Regal Hotel: J.P. Laurel Ave, Lanang, Buhangin, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 235-0888.

Jack’s Ridge Resort and Restaurant: 117 Shrine Hills Rd, Talomo, Davao City, 8000

Marco Polo Davao Hotel: C. M. Recto, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000. Tel: (082) 221-0888.

NCCC Mall: MacArthur Highway corner Ma-a, Davao City, 8000.

People’s Park: Uy Building, 49 Jln Palma Gil St, Davao City, 8000

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral: San Pedro St, Poblacion District, Davao City.  Tel: (082) 226-4740.

Shrine of Holy Infant Jesus of Prague: Shrine Hills, Talomo, Davao City, 8000

Victoria Plaza: J.P. Laurel Ave., Bajada, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000.  Tel: (082) 221-4991.

Davao International Airport (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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Davao International Airport (Francisco Bangoy International Airport)

Our gateway to Samal Island and its Pearl Farm Resort was the Francisco Bangoy International Airport, the main airport serving Davao City and the entire Davao Region in the Philippines,  also commonly known as Davao International Airport (IATA: DVO, ICAO: RPMD).

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Here are some interesting trivia regarding the airport:

Here is the historical timeline of the airport:

  • In the 1940s, Don Francisco Bangoy donated the land where the airport sits on. At the time it began operation, the airport merely consisted of a 1,200 m. long unpaved grass runway with quonset huts serving as terminal buildings.
  • Throughout much of the 1940s and 1950s, Philippine Airlines and the Philippine Air Force provided air service to the city.
  • By 1959, the complex consisted of a small control tower and several low-rise buildings.
  • During the latter stages of Paciano Bangoy’s gubernatorial term, right of way and access to the terminal buildings and the airport was improved through further donation of land by Bangoy.
  • In 1980, a new terminal, designed by Filipino architect Leandro Locsin, with a capacity of one million passengers, was constructed and the runway was progressively extended from its original length of 1,200 m. to its current 3,000 m.. Then-Congressman Manuel Garcia, whose congressional district covers the airport perimeter, funded both projects.
  • In 2000, construction began on a new, larger Php2.7 billion (US$128 million) terminal building which would consolidate the Php15 million interim international terminal and the airport’s then-existing terminal.
  • In 2001, the new 3,000 m. long runway (extended from its previous length of 2,500 m. to accommodate future international flights) was completed.
  • On December 2, 2003, the new terminal was inaugurated.
  • On November 12, 2007, Cebu Pacific announced the airport as its third hub.
  • On March 26, 2018, Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, announced the airport as its third hub.

One of four jet bridges

The two-level Malay architecture-inspired passenger terminal, with double the capacity of the old terminal, has an approximate area of 17,500 sq. m. (188,000 sq. ft), four times larger than the old terminal. It is fully computerized, more secure and has more commercial spaces for concessionaires (approximately 9,000 sq. m. or 97,000 sq. ft.) of gross leasable area.

Interior of terminal

For passenger boarding, it has four jet bridges plus a Flight Information Display System and closed-circuit television system that complements the terminal’s security system. The latest navigational, security and baggage handling equipment also complements the added capacity.

To handle a steady flow of passenger traffic, the terminal has 14 domestic and 14 international check-in counters equipped with electronic weighing scales and conveyors and a computerized its baggage handling system. It also has 2 arrival areas (domestic and international), with 2 baggage conveyors each. The cargo terminal building, covering almost 5,580 sq. m. (60,100 sq. ft.), can handle up to 84,600 metric tons (83,300 long tons; 93,300 short tons) of cargo annually.

Besides the main terminal building, there are also new support facilities like the Administration Building, Airfield Maintenance Building, Central Plant Building, Hangar for Military and Training aircraft and Fire/Crash/Rescue Building. It has an 800-slot car parking area and 4 slots for shuttle buses. It has a 3-megawatt (4,000 hp) standby power generator.

The airport has a single 3,000-m. (9,800 ft.) long by 45-m. (148 ft.) wide precision runway that can handle basically all passenger wide-bodied aircraft (including the Airbus A380).  Two turning pads at each end of it, which help aircraft make a back track, complement the runway.

The installation of a new instrument landing system (ILS), for both Runways 05 and 23, upgraded its compliance to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) operating category-Precision Approach Category 1. Depending on size, it can accommodate 8 to 10 aircraft landings per hour and has the equivalent 9 gate holding areas for those aircraft.

The airport has also 2 dual access taxiways. Taxiways A3 and A4 are used to access the new ramp and terminal while taxiways B and C are used for access to the old airport ramp.

Today, Philippine Airlines, All Nippon, Cebu Pacific Air and South East Asian Airlines operate more frequently here. The most popular sectors from Davao are Davao to Manila, Davao to Cebu with 375, 152 weekly flights respectively.

Francisco Bangoy International Airport: Daan Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Sasa, Buhangin District, Davao City 8000.  Tel: (082) 234-0418.