Singing Taxi Driver of Cagayan de Oro City

During our Cagyan de Oro City-Bukidnon-Camiguin Tour, we got disappointed right away with the driver of the taxi, who drove us to the downtown of Cagayan de Oro city. First his meter reader, which was covered by the shift gear, ran too fast. Second he doesn’t know the hotel. He was not polite or customer friendly at all, that made us decide to just look for another taxi or local transportation. Paging the attention of the local tourism, what really make the tourists come back to a place is the locals themselves. Make the tourists feel safe and be fair to them.

Eventually we found ways to go to the St. Nicolas Inn, where we were booked. The irony of all was the street where we lighted off is the same street where the hotel is. The staffs were friendly to let us leave our things so that we can go to Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon.

We went to the Market City to look for a van or car to transport us to Bukidnon. Manong Bernie was the driver of the taxi that we hired. We learned that he is the president of the taxi driver organization in the city. His contact number is +639421670028. He seemed know what tourism is all about. He knows the problem of their tourism, and he said they are improving it. We exchanged ideas. Hope the locals will know and appreciate the importance of promoting their tourism. Eventually they will be, by educating them rightly.

After a tiring but fun day in Bukidnon we went back to Cagayan de Oro City. While we were on our way, Manong Bernie played his music thru a portable dvd player with monitor. He was singing and was encouraging us to join him. That’s part of the culture of the Filipinos, wherever in the Philippines, mostly love to sing. We joined him in some songs lol although we are not really good singers just for fun we did. It added to make our day more enjoyable meeting people who are sensible to talk with.

Thank you Manong Bernie, hope more Kagayanons will be like you! Till then. 

St. Augustine Church of Cagayan de Oro City

Touring the Philippines is incomplete without visiting the Churches. Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for more than 300 years. Yes more than three centuries. Catholicism is one of the things that they brought to the Philippines. That’s why Philippines is the predominantly Catholics. Cagayan de Oro is not an exemption of that.

St. Augistine Church is an archdiocese. It was originally built in 1845 by the Augustinian Friars but during the American bombardment in 1945, it was destroyed. The wooden cross in front of the church the only thing survived from that bombardment. American missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes S.J., who later became the city's archbishop, rebuilt the church inspired by Gothic architecture. The stained glass windows are stunning. I learned that they are centuries old stained glass windows, which were donated by American Catholics from New York, USA.

We notice there were buried inside the cathedral and they were priests. At the back of the altar are still seats that can be used during the mass. The altar is in the center of the cross like arrangement of the seats.

Beside the cathedral is the Archbishop Mansion where the Archbishop lives. Some flower shops are on the alley going to the church.

Gaston Park,. Cagayan de Oro City

 

Since we couldn’t visit the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro, we decided to see what Gaston Park is all about. From this Park we could see the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro, St. Augustine Church and City Hall of Cagayan de Oro. This park is named after a former Mayor of Cagayan de Oro. It was an execution ground for criminals during the Spanish regime. During the Philippine-American war, Gaston Park was the training ground for Local soldiers but after World War II the Japanese government planted cherry blossom trees around the park and they are still there even up to now. Wish these trees had flower so we could have experience the shower of cherry blossoms under the tree.

We noticed many students were hanging out, some merely chatting; some were practicing their school activities like dancing. The one that caught our attention was a group of teenagers talking to a guy who had a guitar and singing along with his instrument while dancing. They were enjoying it and even the musician the same thing. 

On the side of the Gaston Park there is a Memorial Wall in memory of all those who perished during the tropical storm Sendong on December  17,2011. And on the other side, the fountain was under construction.