DAVAO

The Place Beyond The High Grounds

There’s much to learn about the roots of this city of abundance while indulging in the array of treats it has to offer.

words by Chris Cruz
images by Magsy Magbanua

he ancient aboriginal Obos people used the word “davah” to describe the mouth of what would eventually be known as the Davao River. They also used that word to describe their settlements around the mouth of the river, surrounded by high, rolling hills. As our little car bobbed and weaved through the stretch of highway lining Davao City’s environs, it wasn’t hard to see why Davao earned its dramatic-sounding moniker. I could almost picture the awe with which the tribesfolk of yore would say in hushed tones, “The great warrior, he comes from ‘the place beyond the high grounds’…”

The land of the Obos and indigenous Bagobos is a fertile one, rich in diverse and exotic flora and fauna. Davao is endowed with beautiful beaches, stunning vistas, riotous jungles and abundant seas. It is also abundant in creative, hard-working, fiercely independent people with a strong sense of cultural identity. On this trip, I had the opportunity to check out some of this city’s more interesting and colorful features and experience them firsthand.

THE BIRDS AND THE BEANS

The area’s climate is especially ideal for cacao beans, and I was making my way to a place that had made quite a reputation as an excellent local chocolatier who made confections from bean to bar. I soon found myself in the Malagos Garden Resort, a wildly eclectic but refreshingly wonderful place for kids of all ages, foodies and animal lovers. Initially founded by Roberto and Charita Puentespina in the 1960s, the Malagos Chocolate Farms have since grown into a fantastic hodgepodge of zoos, art galleries, orchidariums, chocolatiers and cheese makers, all rolled into one big package that somehow makes sense, with the Garden Resort as the place where it all comes together.

I found myself making some new friends at the Malagos House of Birds and Bird Feeding Dome. A caretaker gave me a pinch of birdseed in each palm and bade me keep my arms outstretched. As if on cue, more than a half-a-dozen fat African Lovebirds came down from their perches and landed on my shoulders, arms and hat. They made short work of the morsels in no time, and were gone in a myriad burst of lime, autumn and banana-honey feathers. Greedy little pigs. I loved every moment of their company.

There were a variety of other birds in the park as well – guaiaberos, sunbirds, peafowl, hornbills, parrots and ducks – but none were as friendly (well, user-friendly…) although there was a caged parrot who was trained to greet visitors ‘good morning’ if they stood in front of its cage and begged it long enough. Sadly the Malagos Petting Zoo animals were not as smart or welcoming, but then again, I had heard that Dr. Bo Puentespina’s trained bird show was more of the main attraction among the different residents here. Still, it was delightful to see the goats, rabbits, horses and other animals in the area. I found out that the goats in particular supplied the milk that comprised the major component of Malagos’ scrumptious chevre cheeses, most notably their mango and pineapple-flavored ones.

Afterwards, I made my way to Malagos’ heart – the chocolate-themed areas. Their Chocolate Park is a very Willy Wonka-esque place filled with confectionary décor and is a popular wedding and events destination. For a more informative take on chocolate, no place in Davao is more apt than the Malagos Chocolate Museum. I found the place especially educational, with cleverly interactive exhibits clearly devised by someone with a background in museum organization and education. It is not an exaggeration to state that this museum is of international caliber.

For many, education requires a more hands-on approach, and I got to experience what it’s like to be a chocolatier myself at the Malagos Chocolate Laboratory. From picking the condiments myself (I chose dried mango, pistachio and dried cranberries) to sprinkling them into whimsically-shaped silicon molds and finally, pouring rich dark chocolate syrup into the molds, I was essentially allowed to let loose and get my hands dirty, figuratively and literally. The sum of my efforts was then refrigerated for half an hour, and afterwards brought to me in a smartly packed cherry-red box. This was while I was at the Viewdeck Café, sampling their signature dish Chocolate Humba (Visayan-style braised pork) with Malagos Chocolate as a main ingredient. It’s no surprise that Malagos has been winning awards for its chocolate for the last few years now.

A few blocks away lies the Philippine Eagle Center, an 8.4 hectare NGO conservation center devoted to preserving pithecophaga jefferyi, known as the monkey-eating eagle, the country’s national bird. Over 20 of these majestic creatures call the center home, as well as other fowls and animals. The area serves as a breeding ground as well as a carefully managed environment to preserve their species. Many of the birds were rescued from the wild – one in particular named Fighter, narrowly escaped a hunter’s shotgun, losing most of his wing in the process. Thankfully, he was adopted by the Philippine Air Force (most of the birds have corporate sponsors for their upkeep) and has made an excellent recovery. Fitting name. Many of the other birds have similar tales.

THE FRUIT MARKET SCENES

Magsaysay Fruit Market is one of the best places to get ahold of Davao’s native fruits such as pomelo, durian and mangosteen. Unfortunately, this is also one of the few places where you can eat said fruits, as many hotels make a big stink (pun intended) of bringing and storing those fruits within their premises (the exception is pomelo, as that fruit has a clean, citrusy scent). It was in one such canvass-covered tent, sitting on a plastic stool next to a linoleum-covered table, that I got my first taste of actual durian fruit. I can say this – it’s truly an acquired taste, for the creamy, fleshy texture has a sharp flavor akin to superglue. Some people actually love the stuff. But I’d rather have my juicy, ruby-red pomelo, thank you.

Aldevinco Shopping Center is a rabbit’s warren of shops and kiosks boasting lots of local handicrafts from tribesfolk in the Visayan and Mindanao regions, from dresses to bags, to shawls to woodcarvings. We found humongous brass urns called gador which Mindanaoans use as symbols of good luck, usually placed outside the threshold of their homes (my brow broke out into a sweat when I heard how much they were worth).

Roxas Market right across the Ateneo de Davao University is a literal tent city of shops that line the street as the sun goes down. Crazy-savory scents waft from sizzling grills offering meat skewers of a variety of pork, chicken parts, fish and other exotic seafood, each with bottles of various sauces and condiments. While snacking, you can casually browse the other wares on sale, from backpacks to cellphone accessories, from clothes to toys, from shoes to makeup. There’s a cornucopia of bargain items available here, provided you’re willing to subject yourself to the routine if somewhat perfunctory security checks in the area – they don’t allow backpacks, duffel bags or worn jackets within the premises. Despite that mild inconvenience, Roxas Market is full of local character and is definitely worth a visit.

Once you’ve worked yourself up an appetite, you have to try Lyndon’s World’s Worst Ribs and Awful Chicken because they absolutely do not live up to their name. I had the good fortune of having tried their food before and they do not disappoint – or maybe they do, if you were really expecting their fare to be bad. Either way, make sure you have room for dessert, because the local street ice cream varieties in the neighborhood are surprisingly delectable for cheap. Look for my favorite, a little place called Fried Ice Cream that makes ice cream from scratch on a teppanyaki-style cold plate. You can tell you found the right place, because the kilometer-long line outside will make you think you stumbled into an off-track betting station.

MORE ABOUT DAVAO

Revisiting Davao City, writer-cum-photographer John Patrick Allanegui discovers that his hometown can be a haven of culinary delights. He guides us through this filling (and fulfilling) journey.