Travels 222: Off-the-beaten tracks in Pagadian City, the sunrise bliss

Early morning, my alarm strikes 4.30 and I carried on, strapped my Travey and walk for a relaxing Saturday sunrise photoshoot with no less than an ace photographer and web developer, Ard Catalino. Ard, whose passion for on-line world and website development is instrumental in my procurement of my own domain name Journeys and Travels. We share the same passion for photography and this is our first morning photowalk together.

We met at Dunkin Pagadian and by 5.00am, we went directly to the Pagadian City Fishport where a good vantage point for sunrise shoots is. I saw fisherfolks and their children patiently waiting for the arrival of fishes from those caught off-shore. The fishport is located at Barangay San Pedro, a progressive coastal barangay in the City.

We chatted about our passion for photos when the sunrises and we were caught with our cameras (we are both Nikonistas). He brought his tripod, poor me, I did not brought mine but my strategy is to just walk a little while towards every direction, getting the pulse of the place, getting through the scene and shoot.

Afterwards, Ard showed me one secret I have to discover myself for the first time. There is an off-the-beaten tracks that connected the fishport to the airport and run parallel to the runway. I was excited to see it for myself since it will mean more chances to see great vistas and of course, share what I gained through which the lens of Travey captured. I was not disappointed because I am enthralled.

Both side of the track are fishponds and variety of mangroves that is perfect for early morning walk. It is not paved yet but that contributes to the excitement and thrill. The sound of the motorcycle wheels skidding on small stones made this photo opportunity more rural than what I perceived to be. In the edge of urbananism in the city, there is a rural oasis where one finds peaceful respite and walk. The bliss in the experience is in the makings of greatness out of ordinariness.

The great morning when we shared the same passion was capped with a hearty breakfast prepared by Ard’s wife who is a friend too. My first time to come and visited their humble home, my first time for a shared photowalk and my grateful SMS message to him was: this is just the beginning of something BIG! I am most proud of what my city, my life has for those who explored her.

Travels 221: Youthfulness at sea to bursting sunset, the Tukuran jaunt

One of the best subjects of photography are ordinary people, much more, children who loved their mundane world, where a day spent on the sea and by the boat, as long as it is spent with friends and neighbours evoke memories so strong. I felt it when I saw children paddling a Bangka towards me asking for me to take a photo when they saw me standing over a concrete installation intended to catch sands from the seas.

Just standing on the concrete structure, I felt amazed at how the horizon is widely captured through my eyes and how I felt looking at them. I was partially interrupted when children were waving at me asking me to take a good photograph of them in their happiest moments together.

Tukuran beach is not white sand but black, it is not high-end but affordable! I was staying at the LGU Beach Resort where the shore fronting the resort is farthest and when in a low tide, the shore is far. It is where most residents of Pagadian City swim on weekends. It is the same beach where mostly, family reunions, class parties and other activities are usually held.

Prodding myself to pursue a sunset photowalk, I came back to the beachfront of the LGU Beach Resort at 30 minutes past 5:00PM and was able to capture the most romantic sunset by the sea. I have captured something of a bursting celebration on the capping a heavy and tiresome day.

I have just also noticed that sunsets are different with sunrise when you took it from the vantage point of a sea level. Sunsets are characterized with bursting clouds heading through where the sunsets and the sky is slowly becomes clearer. The waves noticeably are stronger, more disorganized and not tranquil during sunsets. I have just observed it and I may be wrong but as what I saw at the photos I took, sunsets and sunrises are two different events and phenomena that is hard to distinguished on photo unless one is a professional not a novice like me.

At the end of the day, I was captivated at what I saw combined. The youthfulness at sea to the greatest and most calm sunset. As it was observed, we have had focused too much on ourselves and what we do that we stop at what nature can also do. Day in and day out, sunsets remind us of our vulnerability while sunrises promises us agility, vitality and hope.

Travels 220: Fuerte de Alfonso XIII, The Tukuran heritage

One of the earliest imprints of Spaniards in Mindanao are mostly felt in forts and courtyards, among them is the still-standing Fort Militar, originally named Fuerte de Alfonso XIII. It stands as a garrison, watchtower, infirmary, and stockage which originally cover an expanse of more than 100 hectares overlooking both Yllana Bay and the Tukuran River.

I am first fascinated with the idea of this fort when chancing upon tourism clips and photographs years ago. Now was just the right time since a teambuilding require me to stay overnight in Tukuran. Whiling away time, I would rather check the sites myself and learn about its history and origins.

There are three existing structures in the Fuerte de Alfonso XIII. One is the garrison that faced the Tukuran River in barangay Militar in the Municipality of Tukuran. Accessing it is easy because it is very near the national highway connecting the municipality to Sultan Naga Dimaporo en route to Cotabato City. The second structure is located in Sitio Bomba, overlooking Yllana Bay.

Because it is a trade route histories back, many merchants pass by Tukuran from Yllana Bay up to Pangil Bay which connects Tukuran to the greater Misamis where another Spanish colony is thriving. As a result, Iranun pirates usually attack the locale coming from Yllana Bay thus the reason why the one in Militar has cannon fodder while in Sitio Bomba does not have one.

The route from Tukuran to Misamis is very important to the Spaniards that they name it Trocha de Tukuran a Misamis, one that values so much to Spain since traders freely come and go.

The unfortunate state of the fort is fast becoming footnote to history. It was not given full attention both by the National government through respective agencies like NHI, the National Museum or the National Parks Development Authority and even the Department of Tourism who just perfunctorily featured the fort in one of the destinations to Zamboanga del Sur, and particularly in Tukuran.

The one in Sitio Bomba was already scavenged for gold treasures and already, the structure was dug up and left to rot. The one in Barangay Militar is also not being protected whereby the structure is surrounded by houses and residents. It has already been shun of its historic importance and perhaps, its place in modern society.

If one wishes to reconnect to the past, one must go through the challenges of piecing together what remains at the present. This is my reconnection to what has been in 1888 until its completion in 1890 when it was all glorious and failure to protect residents from marauders is an ignoble duty of a soldier. These structures stand as a testament of how elaborate forts are made by Spaniards and how efficient their communication is at those times where mobile phones and even simpler communication gadgets are not available at their disposal.

Fuerte Alfonso XIII is one great foundation of what is present Tukuran which means to “construct” from the root-word of “Tukud”. It’s rich historical significance and legacy by both the Iranun’s attempt to take on the fortress in Ozamis through attacking the traders in the Trocha de Rukuran a Misamis and finally, through the ingenious efforts of the Spaniards to repel them. In both events, they formed part of how the history of Tukuran has on the greater part of the Spanish hold in the island of Mindanao.

How to get there: By public transport from Pagadian City, Tukuran may be reached by a jeepney which is around 30 minutes. From the poblacion, one can take a tricycle for Php 10.00 to get to these sites.