Tuesday Travels#17 Bukidnon's Overview Park

Overview Park's helipad

The Overview Park is located Brgy. Palacapao, Quezon, Bukidnon. A project of Department of Public Works & Highways, it features several statues done by Davao sculptor, Kublai Millan. The statues of the tribal people of Bukidnon were scattered all over the park. The park itself is has a very good view of the municipality of Quezon and its surrounding areas.


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Litratong Pinoy#134 Alikabok (Dust)

We were forced to stop by the town of Malaybalay, Bukidnon when one of our car tires went flat. It was a good thing that we were able to find a store nearby that was able to vulcanize the busted tire and helped us put in the replacement tires. While we waited, I took photos of the passers by and the vehicles to pass time. Since Bukidnon is a province primarily geared to agricultural produce, it was not surprising to see farm trucks like this.

Farm trucks carrying farm produce was a common sight in the streets/highways of Bukidnon. This almost limping truck was overladen with sugar cane belched smoke and dust as it passed by the store where we waited for our car tires to get fixed.

PhotoHunt#109 Stripes

I don't know the plant's name but its stripes made me stop and take its picture. On its background is the Transfiguration Chapel of Bukidnon. It was designed by the Philippine National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin.



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PhotoHunt#97 Triangle

The Church of the Monastery of Transfiguration is located at Brgy. San Jose, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. It was the last work of the National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture, Leandro V. Locsin. His works include the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine International Convention Center, the church of Holy Sacrifice and the official residence of Sultan of Brunei, Istana Nurul Iman.




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Ruby Tuesday#26 More Reds in Overview Park, Bukidnon

More statues from Overview Park, Bukidnon. These are two ladies wearing their traditional costumes while pounding rice the traditional way.

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Ruby Tuesday#25 Reds in Overview Park, Bukidnon

Some of the statues found in Overview Park, Quezon, Bukidnon. The statues of indigenous people was made by Davao artist, Kublai Millan. The park is located along the highway in the town of Quezon and commands a breathtaking view of the Bukidnon province.

More pictures of the Overview Park statues here.

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Litratong Pinoy#55 Imposible Ba Ito?

These are the kids who were tailing us around when we visited Overview Park, Bukidnon last month. Most of them were selling snacks and candies. Their common words to convince us to buy were "Please buy so we can buy paper and pencil." I was taken aback by what they said because of their little sizes and young ages, I thought that those things should not have been their problems. They should only focus on their lessons or because it was vacation time when we were there, they should have been playing.

Pilipino:
Eto iyong mga batang sunud nang sunod sa amin nang namasyal kami ng Overview Park, Bukidnon nitong nakaraang buwan. Karamiha'y nagtitinda ng mga kakanin at kendi. Ang lagi nilang pangumbinsi na salita, "Bili na kayo, pambili lang ng lapis at papel!". Nabigla ako sa sinabi nila dahil sa ganuung kaliliit at murang isipan, naisip kong hindi dapat nila problemahin ang mga ganung bagay. Dapat leksiyon lang ang problema nila o di kaya, paglalaro lang ang dapat nilang problemahin dahil panahon ng bakasyon nang andoon kami.


The government has a program called "Education For All" but due to poverty, these kids will have a hard time finishing even their elementary schooling if they do not have their paper, pencils and other school needs. They will need the help not only of the government but also from their countrymen.

See, they requested to have their pictures taken and post it on the internet.

Pilipino:
May programa ang gobyerno na "Edukasyon para sa lahat" pero dahil na rin sa kahirapan, kahit libre pa ang edukasyon kung wala namang pambili na lapis, papel at kakailanganin sa pag-aaral mahihirapan pa rin ang mga batang ito na tumapos maski lang man sa elementarya. Kakailanganin nila ang tulong hindi man lang ng gobyerno pati na rin ng kanilang mga kababayan.

O ayan! humingi pa na magpapiktyur sa amin at ilagay daw sa internet.

We were on our way home when this cute kid went after us. She was not selling anything but asked for something to buy for her paper and pencil. I asked her, "Where are your parents?" Her answer: "They are by the street doing some selling."

I asked myself: Is it impossible to eradicate poverty from this country? Is it impossible to help these kids so that the free education program will include free school supplies? Is it impossible to stop greed of people with powerful positions so that we can help give these kids a better future?

Pilipino:
Pauwi na kami nang humabol itong kyut na bata. Wala siyang tinda pero humihingi ng pambili ng lapis at papel. Natanong ko tuloy, "Asan ang mga magulang mo?" Ang sagot niya: "Ayun sila, nagtitinda sa may kalsada."

Tanong ko sa sarili: Imposible bang matanggal ang kahirapan sa bansang ito? Imposible bang tulungan ang mga batang ito para kahit paano iyong libreng edukasyon may kasaling libreng pambili ng kakailanganin sa pag-aaral? Imposible bang tumigil ang kasuwapangan nang mga nasa katungkulan para mabigyan ng mabuting kinabukasan ang mga batang ito?

Litratong Pinoy#51 Lahat Ay Payak (Everything Is Simple)

Everything is simple. No matter how we live our lives, no matter how we accummulate all we want. We all end up to something simple; back to the ground and back to where we came from.

This thought came to me a few days ago after visiting a colleague-friend. He had cancer and a few days after our visit, he died. He was young, full of plans and dreams and yet, something like death came. All his struggles, plans, hopes, and dreams ended with his death. In the end, everything is really simple.

Pilipino:
Lahat ay payak. Paano man tayo mabuhay, kahit anumang paraan natin kinuha ang ating mga gusto. Nagtatapos tayong lahat sa isang simpleng bagay, balik sa lupa at balik sa ating pinanggalingan.

Napag-isip ko ito nitong nakaraang mga araw pagkatapos kong bisitahin ang isang katrabaho-kaibigan. May kanser siya at makalipas ang ilang araw mula sa aming bisita sa kanya, siya ay namatay. Bata pa siya, punung-puno ng mga plano at pangarap subali't dumating ang kamatayan. Lahat ng kanyang pakikipaglaban, plano, at pag-asa ay nawala sa kanyang pagkamatay. Sa bandang huli, lahat ay payak o simple.

Sunken Cemetery, Catarman, Camiguin Island

Overview Park, Palacapao, Bukidnon

When we visited Bukidnon a few weeks ago, I saw that everything is simple and people there live simpler lives while tending to their farms and spending more time with their families. We even saw women doing their laundries by the river while the kids were taking their baths nearby. I thought, a lot of us do not have have time to smell the flowers, enjoy the scenery and appreciate everything we are given while we are still alive. We better start doing it now.

Pilipino:

Nang bumisita kami sa Bukidnon noong mga nakaraang linggo, nakita kong lahat ay payak at namumuhay nang mas simple ang mga tao habang nagtatrabaho sa bukid at kasa-kasama ang kanilang mga pamilya. May nakita pa kaming mga babaeng naglalaba sa sapa habang may mga batang naliligo sa malapit. Naisip kong marami sa atin ang walang panahon para umamoy ng bulaklak, ang magpakasaya sa tanawin at malugod sa lahat nang natanggap habang nabubuhay. Mas makakabuting mag-umpisa na ngayon.

PhotoHunt#30 Painted

The Bukidnon ladies with the little girl at the Overview Park. These painted sculptures stand by the cliffside overlooking the municipality of Manolo Fortich and its surrounding areas. Each sculpture which is garbed in traditional clothes have different facial features.




More pictures of the Overview Park here.
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PhotoHunt#29 In Memory Of

In memory of a day of so much fun and laughter I am featuring the pictures I took during our Bukidnon-Epol trip the other week.

In honor of the indigenous people of Bukidnon province, this park has about 50 sculptures of the people of Bukidnon all in varied carefree and happy poses. All of them were done by the well-known Davao-based sculptor Kublai Millan. The park is called Overview Park and is situated along the highway of Palacapao, Bukidnon and is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Overlooking the municipality of Manolo Fortich and its surrounding areas, the view from the park is really spectacular.



More pictures of the Overview Park here.
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PhotoHunt#28 Walking

Walking is fine if you do it leisurely and you have the option to ride; but if you have to walk with a heavy sack on your head without promise of any ride, it's another story. I saw this lady and child on a mountain pass yesterday while we stopped by to take some pictures. I was amazed and felt bad for them as the sack on the lady's head looked heavy and it looked like it would be a long walk home.

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PhotoHunt#25 Triangle

This is the chapel of the Benedictine Monastery of the Transfiguration located in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. It was designed by the National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin. The monastery is situated atop a hill overlooking the mountains and valleys of Bukidnon Province.

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