DAY FIVE (5) POOR CLARE MONASTERY

With our misadventure the night before and arriving @ Polomolok @ 12:30 am. I was really exhausted not only with the walking but with what I saw in Davao ( the other side of Davao- a crippled young man because of a motor accident, the story of my companions and the double flat tire we encountered, and the uncertainty of waiting in a place I am not familiar with.)

Anyway I was made to go to church by my host Tita Malou the following morning, she woke me at 5:30 A.M. and told me to get dressed for we are going to church. Half awake, I said okay. She said they'll go ahead but Tito Boy would be coming back for me 'coz we could not fit in the motorcycle. I dressed up after I wash my face, I don't even have time to comb my hair, ha ha ha anyway I went with Tito Boy who said that I would like it there in the monastery.

The monastery was uphill, they have plenty of pine trees in the vicinity. The Poor Clare celebrate the Feast in honor of St. Clare every 11th of August. 

Poor Clare Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Purok Vicente Fin, Brgy. Magsaysay, Polomolok, South Cotabato Tel. (083) 225-5522.

the nuns 

I will take always care of you

When I saw this words, I felt God was re-assuring me that everything will be alright. That I should not be afraid. Even if everything was so new to me.

Poor Clare

Monastery from the gate

After the mass Tita Malou, told me to just wait for Fr. Bobby 'coz we could not fit in the motorcycle, she said they'll just fetch me in the church @ Polomolok proper. 

Tito Boy wanted to fetch me after he bring Tita Malou to the house. But tita Malou told tito Boy that they still have to attend a very important meeting.


I waited outside the church because the assistants closed the doors of the church after the mass.

I was a bit scared for Fr. Bobby was not aware that I was waiting for him. 

And I don't know if there are any means of transportation going downtown so I  could go ahead.

road going down

Oh no! They left me here and to think I don't know anyone :-( and I think they only use horses to go downtown

 I saw a man in a horse going down.  I wanted to asked him if I could ride with him going down the hill, but I hesitated since I don't know them and they don't know me. So I waited and waited for Fr. Bobby to come out. 

I then went inside the monastery yard again and  saw a nun.  I ran to her side and asked her if Fr. Bobby was still inside. She told me that he was having his breakfast with the nuns.  I said okay thanks then ask her if she could tell Fr. Bobby that I would hitch for a ride downtown when he's finish. I thanked her and I begun to walk towards the gate, she stopped me and asked me if I had my breakfast already.  I hesitated, but I am hungry already so I told her the truth that I did not even had a time to combed my hair and I've not eaten my breakfast yet. She instructed me to go the the nearby visiting area and wait for Fr. Bobby there than to stand by the gate under the heat of the sun.

After a few minutes I heard a voice from one of the nuns, She told me to went to a nearby window with turntable, and instructed me to turn the wood, there appeared my breakfast, wowow! 

2 eggs, pandesal, breads, marmalade and hot water with coffee sachet. Wow the most delicious breakfast ever out of the goodness of the poor clare monastery nuns!!!

My sincerest thank you to the sisters of Poor Clare Monastery in Polomolok, South Cotabato Philippines.

SAMAL ISLAND AND DAVAO CITY: Day Four in Mindanao

SAMAL ISLAND AND DAVAO CITY: Day Four in Mindanao

"It is the journey not the destination that matters."

We went on a road trip to Davao on my fourth day in Mindanao. The Ladaran family from Polomolok fetched me at 4 o'clock in the morning from Tito Boy and Tita Malou's house in Polomolok then we traveled by land to Davao. 

The main purpose of our Davao sojourn is to visit the son of Tito William and Tita Nelly Ladaran who had an accident a few months back. He got hit by a vehicle owned by a certain Melanie Tan of Davao City while aboard his motorcycle. Both of his legs were injured and also one of his arms. 

The driver of the vehicle at that time bought him to the hospital. They were paid a total of P150,000.  Tito William was made to sign a paper stating that it would be the total money that the owner of the vehicle would pay, no more, no less. Unless he signs the waiver his son would not be operated on. In a situation like that na gipit na nga lalo pang ginigipit, what would a poor father do? To ensure the safety of his son, he had to sign the waiver so the operation would be done. "Pikit mata kong pinirmahan ang papel para maoperahan na ang aking anak," said Tito William. 

Anyway, the total bill at the hospital amounted to more than P180,000. He was still crippled up to this writing. He need to undergo physical theraphy but due to budget constraint they had to resort to a quack doctor in Samal Island, a certain Kapitan Bale for their son's therapy.

After visiting their son in a Davao shanty we then went to Davao Port. In order to go to Samal Island, private cars and public utility vehicles has to avail of the roll-on roll-off (Roro) ferries in Sasa Wharf. 

It was my first time to try the roll-on, roll-off (Roro) facilities in the Philippines. ( I first tried it in Malaysia. ) The ride took only 15 minutes. 

These happy bunch became my instant family. They may not have all the riches in the world but I love how they take things lightly despite not having a tons of money.  They were always laughing.  The genuine smile and happiness was contagious.

 

They were all smiling despite the fact that we had walked for almost half an hour on a very muddy road to be able to reach Kapitan Bale's abode.

Muddy ground 

 

Finally! After waiting for Kapitan Bale for almost half an hour at the Cabana ( Bahay Kubo). The quack doctor began treating his patients. 

 

 The healer in action.

He don't ask for money but his patients brought coffee, sugar and bread.

Kapitan Bale's altar.

Posterity pose with the Ladaran family at Kapitan Bale's bahay kubo.

 

All smile again despite the illnesses they suffer.  The old woman has fungus in her lungs, the old man her husband, suffers from hypertension, rheumatism (rayuma) and gout, the little girl has sepsis and the guy had a motor accident and had stainless on his arms

While in Kapitan Bale's place in Samal Island we tried this super cool drink. When in Samal you must try this pure cow's milk!

 

You can buy a bottle of fresh cow's milk for Php35 a bottle. They have different flavors such as:

• melon
• durian
• mango 
• chocolate 

 

Kapitan Bale posed like a bale. Lols 

This time around, I saw and experience the other side of Davao and Samal Island. A far cry from my first visit to Davao and Samal Island wherein I experienced and saw only the rich lifestyle of Davaoenos and its wonderful sites..

 

Walking back to the main road

 

We met a cow along the road on our way back to our service...mooooooooooo

A pose with the cow under the noon time heat

 

The little girl in our group is the one who spotted the cow first mooooooooo...

 

Finally our vehicle by the road side.