Travels 164: Blue Telephone Booths

In a replica of what London’s version of a Red Telephone booth, Cagayan de Oro City has its own telephone booth but colored light blue. Journeys and Travels was on a backpacking trip to the City of Golden Friendship over the weekend and found out that it is one of the few cities that has booth patterned after that of the famous English landmark.

While taking photo at the Vicente de Lara Park, I have noticed a familiar landmark. At first, I ignored it since there were monoblock chairs besides it. I passed by one and then the second booth caught my attention again. It is located at the park’s premises fronting the Provincial Capitol of Misamis Oriental.

The blue telephone booth can only be seen in Cagayan de Oro City and no city has even had one. I was wondering why it is designed that way and the colored the same way when they could have copied those that can be found in British cities and suburbs.

As my friends in Cagayan de Oro City always say, there are surprises in smaller details of life in unusually odd parts of the city. They have never left me unimpressed. The Blue Telephone Booths are now becoming landmarks in the city.

Travels 163: Early Morn at the Vicente de Lara Park

On a weekend backpacking trip to Cagayan de Oro City, dubbed as the City of Golden Friendship, I chanced to have passed by an imposing monument right at the heart of the City. I asked the cab driver to wait for me as I took my time taking photos of the park. My university buddy Jai Santos prodded me to take time and immersed myself in the scenery as it is early morning.

The Vicente de Lara Park is where I have seen the meaning of the Provincial Government’s commitment towards its own heritage and to include, freedom of the press. Journeys and Travels have just seen it for the first time and I was rather impressed.

The Heritage Monument was designed by National Artist Eduardo Castrillo. National Artist Castrillo has been in the era and in the world of art for the past 40 years. As the only national artist who have professed immense cultural influence outside of the Philippines, Castrillo is the best man for the historic Heritage Monument, which until now, remains to be the most photographed landmark in the City of Golden Friendship.

What impresses me much about the Vicente de Lara Park, formerly the McArthur Park, is its own manicured landscape. The Park however was renamed to its former Provincial Governor though historically, the park was first named after General Douglas McArthur who also landed in Cagayan de Oro after escaping from Corregidor en route to Australia. Governor Vicente de Lara is the political lineage of now Senator Teofisto De Lara Guingona III and of course, his illustrious father, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr.

The Vicente de Lara Park is situated in front of the Provincial Capitol of the Province of Misamis Oriental and has long been under historical transformations as the moniker has once illustriously graced its City Plaza.

Travels 134: Journeying Shrine of the Divine Mercy

One of the tourist and devotees attractions in El Salvador in Misamis Oriental is the gigantic statue of Jesus Christ standing over the blessed hills of the Divine Mercy overlooking the bay. As we journeyed back home from Surigao City, I am excited to try the Dahilayan Zipline however, due to our rather short travels and tiring one too, I have to decide to go home instead. Our EVP Troy offered to go to the Shrine of the Divine Mercy to me as he knew I am into travel blogging.

Not a Catholic myself, I am interested to see the Shrine and feel its purifying energy and peace. I admired the Shrine for it provides me the opportunity to pray and offer my humble supplication to Jesus Christ whom I considered to be my best companion, friend, comforter and Savior.

The Shrine of the Divine Mercy is one that devotees flock from all places in the country and overseas. One will have to climb up steps to be where the statue’s center is and its manifold presence will be felt.

I offered my prayer for the significant person in my life, Michelle who is overseas. I offer my life as a humble gift and a contrite spirit that seeks nothing but peace, forgiveness, holy presence and an enveloping God’s love.

One’s journey to the Divine Mercy Shrine will give you varied experiences. One of ours today was that my friend Allan June Molde was bringing his DSLR and tried to shot a focused facial shoot of the face of Jesus Christ however, even with so many attempts, he just cannot get a facial shoot and his SLR just going berserk every time he manually focuses the lens. I told him to just stop attempting as it sends him a message: privacy that is and a surrendering attitude.

I went home refreshed, renewed, and reborn as I had always been under my faith in Jesus Christ.