Showing posts with label Mt. Apo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mt. Apo. Show all posts

Monday, August 13, 2018

New Hiyas ng Kadayawan crown inspired by Waling-waling


photo courtesy of CIO


The beautiful women representing Davao City’s 11 tribes in the Hiyas ng Kadayawan this year have their eyes not only on winning the crown, but in getting the crown, literally.

A lot of work is invested from the conceptualization up to the actual creation of the crowns since they have become symbolic of the pageants they represent.

City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Head Gene Rose Tecson said the Hiyas ng Kadayawan crown has indeed come a long from years way back when the crowns were heavier and bigger. 

“This time, the crown is simpler but more elegant,” Tecson said.

“This year’s Hiyas ng Kadayawan crown is grander and more functional,” said Dan Salvaña, Jr. who is Hiyas ng Kadayawan events director for the second consecutive year.

The crown for this year’s Hiyas ng Kadayawan is a befitting representation of the Waling-Waling or vanda sanderiana, one of the icons of Davao City and of the Kadayawan Festival. The Festival used to be called Apo Duwaling which is a play on the three icons of the city namely Mt. Apo, Durian and the Waling-Waling.

photo courtesy of CIO
Waling-Waling, which is endemic in Mindanao, is the queen of Philippine orchids.

Salvana said the design of the Hiyas ng Kadayawan crown is changed every year since there is actually no permanent design for the Hiyas crown.

“When I talked to the designer I told him to use the same inspiration for the event logo which is the waling waling, but to make it more colorful,” he said.

Tres Roldan Cartera of Nabunturan designed the Hiyas ng Kadayawan crown using lighter materials such as rhinestones. These crystals are lighter but shinier especially under the night lights during the pageant. The Hiyas ng Kadayawan Grand Winner will get the biggest crown while the runners-up will get almost identical but smaller versions of the crown.


Saldana said the CTOO will safe keep the crown for the Hiyas ng Kadayawan winner. The crowns will be used by the winners during official events. But when their terms end, then they get to keep the crown.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Coffee for peace, and business too

What started out as an effort to promote peace in Mindanao eventually turned into a lucrative business both for the peace builders but also for the thousands of indigenous people in the island as they strive to meet the increasing demand for Arabica coffee in the world market.



“We went to the insurgency areas with the intention of teaching them about peace but we found it difficult to teach them about peace without first addressing the basic needs of the people,” Coffee for Peace, Inc. Marketing Manager Dawn Albert Pates told BusinessWorld.

Since 2008, Coffee for Peace has been providing training to the tribal communities at Mt. Matutum in Polomolok, South Cotabato, Mt. Apo in Kidapawanm North Cotabato and Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon.

Almost all of the coffee trees in the said areas have been wiped out by the Coffee Leaf Rust in the 1800s but to their surprise, the peacebuilders saw coffee trees still growing in the mountains of Mt. Matutum in 2008. They got some samples and sent it for cupping to one of Canada’s biggest coffee companies.

“They were not even aware we had Arabica Coffee in the Philippines but they liked the sample so much as it was of high quality,” Ms. Pates said. She added there is actually no coffee variety native to the Philippines although “we can create our own flavor depending on the soil where it is grown.’

There are four major varieties of coffee including Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa. The Kapeng Barako from Batangas falls under Liberica variety. Mindanaoans however refer to any coffee produced in the mountains as “native” regardless of the variety.

Majority or 80% of the coffee being produced in Davao and in the country is Robusta since this is the variety being bought by companies like Robina and Nestle for their 3in1 coffee products. While Robusta is good for blending, she said, we are encouraging farmers to plant more Arabica since it is premium quality coffee that has less caffeine, less acidic and has a high 70% demand in the global market.

“We have an estimated 1,300 hectares of Arabica coffee from our trained farmers,” she said. Coffee for Peace now has trained a total of 27 tribal communities mostly from the B’laan tribe and 972 farmers.

“But we do not buy coffee from the farmers unless they have undergone peacebuilding training because we do not want development to cause disintegration.” The training includes coffee plantation management, peace and reconciliation and financial management. The trainees are not allowed to graduate unless they can produce quality coffee, preferably following the wet process as it is cleaner and more flavorful.

She said the country has not been exporting Arabica Coffee for the past 27 years but they had a breakthrough last 2011 when they exported Arabica from Mt. Matutum to Canada. “But Level Ground (importer) from Canada wanted 50 tons a month and we could only deliver 600 kilos,” she said.

Ms. Pates admitted that they could not even supply the local demand, much more the huge demand from the international market. They also have inquiries from Japan and Europe but they could not commit as of now until they see the first harvests beginning this year.

Coffee for Peace started training the communities in 2008 and they started planting only in 2009. With a gestation period of three years, she added, we hope to see their harvest by 2013 and 2014. She said there are existing coffee areas already so what they do is just rejuvenate the areas so that they produce better quality and yield. Following the correct process, each tree can produce 3 to 5 kilos; otherwise, it would only produce less than a kilo of coffee.

“The good thing about Arabica is that it can be intercropped with strawberry and carrots so the farmers have other sources of income while waiting for the coffee trees to bear fruit,” she said. And since the Arabica variety requires only 25% of sunlight, they also encourage the farmers to plant more trees and contribute to reforestation.

She said the crops planted alongside the coffee trees will influence the taste of coffee. They have buyers who ask them if their coffee was planted next to strawberries since they had a fruity taste, she added.

Ms. Pates said research and development is very crucial for the development of the coffee industry. As of now, the government has no model farm for coffee intercropped with other fruit trees. However, Dr. Rafael T. Mercado of the Department of Agriculture said coffee now has the government’s full attention due to recent developments. It is now considered one of the sunrise industries because of the emergence of coffee shops and the increasing demand in the local and world market.

She said since most of our coffee farms are in the mountainous areas we can easily match Ethiopia which is the top producer of coffee and the top producer of coffee for Starbucks. However, she said, we have to start right and teach our farmers to plant coffee the right way.

What makes Coffee for Peace unique is that it uses the business of coffee to promote peace in the communities. More importantly, it buys coffee at fair trade prices which means the farmers are actually paid the price of coffee that is prevailing in the market.

“As of 2012 the market price of Arabica was only P80-P90 per kilo but we were already buying from our farmers at P150 per kilo which is the fair trade price,” she said. We also train them how to sort their produce since it gets a higher market price. If they know how to price their products “hindi sila maloloko nga mga traders and middlemen.”

Coffee for Peace teach the coffee farmers to become businessmen and they do not give dole outs. Instead, they help tap government and other support when it comes to the provision of seedlings for the farmers.

She said that since the trainings, the communities are more motivated but they do not impose on them. Their houses have improved a lot, from light to heavy materials and they now have more initiative in seeking ways to develop the community, she said.

“Through our trainings the coffee farmers learn how to negotiate, mediate and solve problems,” Ms. Pates said. Our peace is profound—we do not seek to convert them but we do not hide the fact we carry the cross, she added.

The company’s aim is to make coffee an iconic product of peace so that when people drink coffee they are conscious where it came from and how the coffee was grown. Coffee for Peace has been operating a showroom for five years now and aside from its popularity as a source of organic coffee, the shop has also become a gathering place for missionaries and development workers. After all, Coffee for Peace is a product of the peacebuilding efforts of two Filipino missionaries from Canada who has since relocated to the Philippines.

The next time you drink your next cup of coffee, ask yourself if this coffee was bought following the fair trade concept. But if it came from Coffee for Peace, then you are assured that your coffee was grown not only for business but to establish peace in Mindanao as well.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Mt. Apo trail map now available for free

Climbers and tourists should not be disappointed with the temporary closure of Mt. Apo to tourists during the Holy Week because there are other things to see and do as shown by the new Mt. Apo Trail Map.

“The closure of Mt. Apo need not mean you can’t enjoy its other attractions,” Department of Tourism XI director Sonia Garcia said. The DOT, which is in the forefront of the Mt. Apo clean-up, discovered that Lake Venado was in dire need of a major clean-up, thus the decision to close the mountain to climbers temporarily.

Garcia said Mt. Apo is not only the highest peak in the Philippines at 9,692 feet but it is also a destination that is truly Holy. She said visitors can get more information about the mountain and its attractions by getting the free Mt. Apo Trail map from their office.

You can reach Davao City, where Mt. Apo is located, by land through the Philtranco Bus from Pasay City in Manila, by sea through SuperFerry or by air through any of the airlines which can charge from P2,000 to P7,000 for a one way ticket. Proceed to Kapatagan in Davao del Sure by bus or private car, and register at the site for P500 per climber.

Those who simply want to spend some quiet time during the Holy Week can visit Forest Springs, a mountain resort located in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur which is one of the jump-off point when climbing Mt. Apo. The resort offers mountain cabins good for up to five persons, with bathing facilities and kitchen. The resort has a campsite and picnic area.

Kapatagan is also the location of Bahay ni Kublai which overlooks the mountain. This is another masterpiece from Kublai, a Davao-based sculptor and artists who designed the very notable giant sculptures at the Davao International Airport and the Davao City People’s Park.

And while you’re in Kapatagan, you can also visit Camp Sabros which does not only provide a breath-taking view of the mountain, but also offers one of the longest zip lines in the country at 400 meters.

Garcia said those who are interested to know more about culture can visit the Kalimudan Bagobo Cultural Village in barangay Tibolo, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, just at the foot of Mt. Apo. The Cultural Village provides a majestic view with an elevation of 2,000 meters above sea level.

“We are also proud of the Boulders of Mt. Apo which is another exhilarating feature of the mountain,” she said.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Power crisis in Mindanao now a reality-DOE

The Department of Energy confirmed that the supposedly looming power crisis in Mindanao is already happening.

This was the revelation made by DOE undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, who said the power crisis everyone is talking about already exists and will get worse if the agencies and companies concerned are not able to provide a solution by end of the year.

“Indeed there is a shortage.” Ampatuan said the critical period has been known to the government, especially from the DOE’s point of view, as early as 2007. But for Mindanao, he added the critical period has already started this 2009 but the solution is still unclear.

He said the immediate solution identified by the government includes the putting up of new power plants. However, he said, only three power plants are actually committed but it will take about three years to get all of them done.

Among the three projects are the Sibulan Hydro which is currently being done, the Mindanao 3 at the peak of Mt. Apo which is on the way to completion and the Kabulig Hydro which is experiencing some problems

“And even if these guaranteed power plants are completed they will still be short of the projected shortage of around 400MW,” Ampatuan said.

The Conal Holdings Corporation of the Alcantaras has unveiled a $450 million coal-fired power plant in Sarangani Province, which can generate up to 200MW of power but Ampatuan said this would be up by 2013 and would probably be enough to sustain the requirement to be subsistent.

The DOE projected a peak demand of at least 1,525MW for the Mindanao power grid and that projection does not even include the increase in demand when the big malls like Robinsons and SM City start to operate in General Santos City.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Gensan manager Manuel Jamoy earlier said that they are projecting a required capacity of 2,556MW for the Mindanao Grid by 2014.

He said Mindanao needs new power plants by December but even the DOE is at a lost as to where this power requirement can be sourced from. “By December we are not expecting any new power plant to be up,” he said.

The projected operation of the Sibulan plant will be a little solution, he said, but it will not address the whole problem that we will face by December.
“The challenge of putting up something quick is very serious,” he said. While the country is faced with another political exercise in 2010, there is only one thing that will address the problem of a power crisis in Mindanao and the whole country and that is to be more efficient in terms of power usage.

A DOE program is eyeing to save between 400 to 500MW of power, which is equal to one power plant, through the used of incandescent bulbs. Also included in the solution is the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

“These are quick solutions that are immediately doable; everybody can be a participant from the poorest to the richest,” he said. If all of these are adopted, he added, we can save as much as 2000MW of power in one year.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Mt. Apo, Mt. Hamiguitan Nominated As World Heritage Sites

Mindanao might yet have two of its natural attractions listed in the World Heritage Site if it meets the criteria set by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union.

The said mountains are located in the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, the city of Davao and North Cotabato.

Aside from being Mindanao's highest peek, it is also a sanctuary of endangered and threatened biological species including the Philippine Eagle or Pithecophaga jefferyl which is known as the World's second largest eagle; the Almaciga or Agathis philippinensis and the Lauan or Shorea palita. Mt. Apo is also home to three indigenous communities namely the Bagobos, Manobos and the Klatas.

Mt. Hamiguitan, on the other hand, is situated in a biogeographic region in Mindanao with high units of flora and fauna including the remaining blocks of Philippine dipterocarp forests where the Philippine Eagle nests and where over 878 species of plans mostly angiosperms exist.

Only sites that have been included in the country's Tentative List can be nominated to the World Heritage List and only those that meet at least one of the 10 selection criteria can be included in the list.

Among the sites included in the World Heritage List are the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Tubbataha Reef Marine ark, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Historic Town of Vigan and Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park.

"This will be an opportunity for Mindanao to be identified as a Heritage Site," said Councilor Leo Avila. He said they have been given until December this year to provide the necessary information to UNESCO to support the nomination of Mt. Apo and Mt. Hamiguitan.

Avila, who solicited the support of Mindanaoans who can contribute any significant information that can help the bid to include the sites in the World Heritage List, said it is imperative to curb the uncontrolled trekking of tourists in Mt. Apo because it endangers the site.(thanks to Tacurong Mountaineers for the Mt. Apo photo)

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