Roadtrip to Wao, Lanao del Sur
Last week we had a visitor here at the house, my old friend Bobby Timonera. Bobby has been a friend for about 12 years now, and it’s always a pleasure to see him! In many ways, Bobby has been a mentor to me (mostly on photography), and also he is a trusted adviser when it comes to travel around Mindanao
So, yesterday (Sunday) Feyma and I packed up the car and went for a little adventure. We didn’t head out alone, though, for the trip we brought along Glenda (our niece and employee in our business) and Gladys (our business Manager). Both Gladys and Glenda have not traveled widely, so I wanted to take them along so they could see some new parts of Mindanao where they had not been before.
Going to Wao from Davao is not too far a trip, about 3 1/2 hours or so. The route is through the Marilog District of Davao, on to Maramag, Bukidnon, and you turn left in Maramag to head to the Lanao del Sur border. It’s an interesting trip, the scenery is much different than other parts of Mindanao that I’ve visited. After passing Maramag, and going about 10 to 15 Kilometers, you enter an area that looks very different! It’s no longer jungle type terrain with thick foliage and such, but rather it’s farm land. It looks a lot like you are in the Midwest of the USA or somewhere like that!
The rolling agricultural fields near Maramag, Bukidnon
When we crossed the Provincial Boundary from Bukidnon to Lanao del Sur, the change was immediately obvious! In Lanao del Sur there were Political Campaign posters (there is an election coming up in May) plastered everywhere! We had not seen this in Bukidnon, at least not to the degree of Lanao del Sur. But, even the campaign posters were kind of entertaining and different. Also, just maybe a half kilometer past the border there was a big Mosque, something you don’t see in Bukidnon, at least not often.
Upon reaching the town of Wao, we looked around a bit, saw the scenery there, and shot a few photos. Wao is a small town, but it seemed like a nice and friendly place. As far as religion goes, based on my observation, I would guess it to be about 50% Muslim and 50% Christian. I saw both Mosques and Churches there, and based upon the clothing, the mix of people seemed to be around 50/50. The people seemed friendly, when I got out of the car to shoot photos, each time people would wave and shout “hello” and such. It was a nice place to visit.
After leaving Wao, we took a short trip to Valencia to have lunch at the Roadhouse Cafe (soon to open in Davao!), then headed back to Davao. Feyma and I enjoyed the trip, and I am pretty certain that Gladys and Glenda did too! If you have a chance to visit Wao, don’t pass it up! Especially if you are scared to visit other parts of Lanao del Sur, like Marawi, Wao is a safe place where you can go and at least see part of Lanao del Sur!
Hi there to all Waonians anywhere and everywhere in the world (and to everyone reading this website and the contributions….)
It is a lovely day today and yesterday. The sun is out. Pity I have to be inside today. Yesterday, I pulled some weeds and planted some flowers and trees. It was very serene and peaceful. After two hours though kurog na ang mga tuhod sang sige squat kag gabot sang hilamon ayhan. Mal am na ta. Sige lang, at least spring is nearly here..:-).
For Jim Moore
Hope you’ll enjoy your trip to Wao. There will be lots of greens on the way as it is harvest time for rice and corn and some may have started planting new corn crops. The annual feast is December 8, Foundation Day in mid January and I think they have Araw Nang Wao some time in February? Not sure about this latest celebration. Just read about it in this blog actually.
All for now guys. Work’s hectic at the moment. Nagdurorongan balhin kontrata ning iban ko nga kliyente ang iban naman gapangita istaran, etc. Hala, huna-huna ta ka solusyon sini, hehe…
Zai Jian ( goodbye in Mandarin)….for now.. and take care everyone…Until next time…
.
Hi Jim – Enjoy your trip! The drive between Davao and Wao is very scenic!
Hi Bob,
I was planning a trip to wao,and had some questions about the peace and order there.Thanks to your article it answered my questions.I can travel now with peace of mind.
I recently moved to Davao from General Santos City.
Thanks,Jim Moore
bikidnon is so very wonderful.
i like bukidnon.
I LOVE WAO CTY
ii luuuuvvvvv very much wao,lanao del sur
Hello to all Waonians; wherever you are in this part of the world.
. Gotta have lunch.
It is raining heavily as I write this. Wonder whether I need to cancel that home visit in 4 hours time?
Francis
Thank you for another beautifully written piece regarding Desty. You are a true friend. Anyone is lucky to have you as a friend. Thank you also for some of the “inside” information in relation to what Desty’s father had done for Wao. Freedom and peace, as well as life, can be fragile and can be taken for granted; sometimes……
On a happier note…the rain had stopped, the sun is out..for now. Life goes on…
Day Vangie,
I have emailed you my friend’s email details. She’s in my facebook although I am not very good navigating around FB yet. Pirme ako gatalang kun diin nga suok ako kapangabot. Hope that’s not indicative of my state of mind at the present time?Just kidding
Have you received my photos? Pwede na mabaylo manok? What’s BTW?
Take care everyone….
Excellent article. Really took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! Its always good when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! Many thanks for sharing this valuable information about Wao.
REMEMBERING “DESTY”
(Part 5)- of Francis’ Letter
I am fully aware of what happened, later, on Desty’s professional, personal and family life. Whatever and however others perceived Desty, and notwithstanding his own imperfection and human frailty, I shall always remember him as a good friend, respectful (to me), kind, generous, compassionate and always with a soft heart to help those who are in need. I know; I’ve seen him doing all these. When my father died in December 1993, Desty and his father-in-law, Tay Kario Concemino, attended the wake. On several more nights, Desty came back alone, his car always laden with bags of freshly-baked bread, refreshments and coffee for those attending the vigil. One night, during the wake, a major brown out hit PN Roa Subdivision. Desty ordered his driver to go quickly to his house in the city and bring a portable generator, illuminating us with electricity, while the rest of the subdivision was in pitch darkness. Desty’s act of humanity, compassion and care will remain engraved in my heart and mind always- and forever. I last saw him and Nancy during the house-warming of my retirement house at Xavier Estates in October 2003.
(to be continued)-
Hi Francis – Hmm… I don’t know what this problem could be. But, this does not seem to be the same problem you had before, because before you said that the screen goes white. This time everything is on the screen, except for the comment that you made.
Let me do some research into this and see what I can come up with. It might take a couple of days.
Thank you for letting me know.
Hi, Bob,
The problem pops up again-
Sorry to bother you. The website comes to a halt after I submitted “Part 4″. The following appears in one column: “Your comments had been submitted”. But my letter/message remains on the screen. When I checked on the column above, there was nothing there. I guess the site is no longer capable in storing this heavy mass and magnitude of write-ups from us.
Francis
REMEMBERING “DESTY”
(Part 3)-
Mayor Eleazar told us he was on a special mission in Manila: to request then Secretary of National Defense, Enrile (his “lakay”/”kababayan” from northern Luzon) firearms to protect Wao and its barangays from the looming threat and rumored attacks by the “Black Shirt” and “Barracuda” Muslim fighters from Lanao del Sur and Cotabato. Desty told me his father was able to get about 400 assorted firearms ( Armalites, Carbines and Garands) which were distributed to the members of “Civilian Home Defense Force-CHDF”, making Wao a formidable and potent force against perceived Muslim attacks. Other Waonians who joined the feared and dreaded group of Christian fighters, known as “Ilaga”, emboldened the fierce image of the town.
(to be continued)-
REMEMBERING “DESTY”
(Part 2)-
One afternoon, summer of 1975, while conducting a lecture at the NBI Academy, I noticed a silhouette of someone standing near the door wearing a pilot’s cover-all. I stepped out and checked. It was Desty. He said, “Franz, niabot si Daddy gikan sa Wao. Tua siya sa Timberland Hotel”. He wanted me to join the dinner with his father. We went to Timberland, located along Roxas Boulevard (that hotel was razed by fire in later years. The hotel owner was, allegedly, also the owner of “Timber Industries of the Philippines, Inc.” (TIPI), the logging concession that cut all those massive trees, timbers and logs, resulting in the denudation of those blue-capped mountain ranges from as far away as Barandias, Tikalaan, Duminurog, Kalilangan, Bumbaran, Wao, and near the boundary of Cotabato). Eleazar’s men provided TIPI that needed security in their mountain operation thus he was close to the hotel owner/concessioner.
(to be continued)-
Hello ALL-
On the occasion of Desty’s burial this morning in Cagayan de Oro, I take the liberty to print the remaining parts of the letter I wrote about Desty which Bebing shared with us three days ago. Due to the website’s technical problem in printing big chunks of message, I’ll try to “chop” the letter in different parts.
Frank
Hi Bebing and Francis – Thank you for your kind words. Please do let me know if any problems persist!
Hello there, Bob,
Thanks for your prompt response. I echo Bebing’s comments that your website means SO MUCH to us, especially for Waonians living/working overseas. It’s our most reliable (and fastest) way of getting connected. You and your website has been, inextricably, become part of us now…Bebing seemed to have preempted my plan to look for and meet you in Davao next year as she planned to do hers in October/November this year… Last June when I visited Wao, someone talked to me about you and planned to invite you as a VIP and “special guest” during Wao’s “Foundation Day”/”Araw ng Wao” in January. See how you have now been affectionately “adopted” as one of the sons of Wao?
Francis
Hi, Bebing-
Go ahead, submit Part 2, since you already have submitted Part 1 of my letter. I dont see anything sensitive about its “overall tone” while paying tribute and respect to Desty’s memory. Additionally, the younger generations of Waonians/readers should have some insight and knowledge about the town’s history and those “Strong Pillars of Wao” who played crucial roles during those precarious years and the town’s trying moments in the 70′s.
Francis
Bob, please ignore my last message. Kindly not publish part 2 of Francis’ message, please, unless he does it himself. I feel that the message could be sensitive so please, don’t publish it any more.
I just got carried away with Desty’s death… but please, please, let’s wait for Francis to say whatever he wants… that email to us (incl myself) may not be appropriate for everyone. Apologies to all concerned. Many thanks, Evelyn
Thank you very much for doing something about it, Bob.
I also think that the large volume of notes/messages could be the reason for the problem hence I tried to “chop” Francis’ letter into 2.
This guy called “DESTY ELEAZAR” who died last Sunday is a well known figure in WAO. He was the ONLY son of the former Mayor Silverio Eleazar, who was the very first Christian Mayor of Wao. Most of us have fond memories of Desty. He married Nancy, one of my favourite first cousins (un-arguably my fave cousin) and has been a “part” of our family for about/at least 30 years till his passing away a few days ago. It’s a shock and sad event esp as he was “temporarily separated” from Nancy since about 2005 and we all hoped for a reconciliation one of these days.
Anyway, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH for your website. It means so much to us, WAONIANS.
I hope to see you in October/November this year – if we could visit Davao, I will certainly look out for you.
Kind regards,
Evelyn
I have done two things to try to fix the comment problem that some of you are reporting:
1. I reinstalled WordPress software, hopefully this might fix any problem.
2. I have instituted paginated comments, since the number of comments on this post is so large. The large number of comments may contribute to the problem, I am not sure.
Please continue to report to me if the problem persists, and I will continue to troubleshoot it.
Thank you for letting me know of the problem.
I’ll try again, shall I?
I’d like to share with all of you this letter from Francis Banaynal, dated Aug 18, 2010, timed at 12:44pm UK time
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:44:39 -0700
Subject: REMEMBERING “DESTY”
Dear ALL,
I came to know about Desty’s untimely death thru Inday Vangie Emborgo-Fernandez’ blog in “Road Trip To Wao, Lanao del Sur”. It hits me with disbelief and stinging reality how fragile, ephemeral and fleeting life is (just like it hits and stunned me when my younger and favorite brother, Toto Alberto, died in San Francisco five years ago, at a prime age of 50).
Toto and Desty were good friends for some years during their school grades when Mayor Silverio Eleazar transferred his family from Kilikili after winning that election in late 60’s. Desty and I became close friends when I joined the NBI Headquarters in mid-70’s and he pursued his college education in Manila. He visited me from time to time in my old boarding house, 617-Cabral St., Ermita, few hundred meters from where Minda Alvarez, also a Waonian, lived. He would, at times, asked me to accompany him to various industrial auction yards in Quezon City to scout and buy second-hand bulldozers for their potato farms in Bukidnon (they supplied Mc Donald chains in Metro Manila which converted it into potato chips/“French fries”) and would ask me to sit by his side as he drove to the pier to ensure those heavy equipment are properly loaded on a ship bound for Cagayan de Oro- with an UZI sub-machine gun lying on the vehicle’s carpet !
(to be continued)
Hi Francis,
I have experienced the same, just now.
I wanted to share with ALL WAONIANS all over the world that letter you sent about Desty, but when I hit the “submit” button” all I got was a blank screen too.
Regards,
Bebing
Hello there, Bob,
I need your help !
I’ve been experiencing technical problem with the website for two days. Thrice, I sent my latest comments. Each time I hit “Submit Comment” , I ended up with a blank screen. It happened with my PC at home and in the office. Then, just now, I typed and sent that one-liner above, it went through. I typed and sent again a long comment, I got the same result: blank screen. I wonder what’s the problem?
Francis
Hello there, Waonians- wherever you are!
Xin Chiao ( hello in Vietnamese) to all Waonians out there. ( It is fulfilling having colleagues from different cultures and languages). I now regret that I actually celebrated when Spanish was abolished as a prerequisite subject at Xavier U. One of the follies of my youth….It would be nice to have a follow on conversation to that como esta bits….Or follow on from bon jour!
Just a quick note to say thank you to John Banaynal for a very insightful writing about a part of the life of the late Desty Eleazar. My sincere condolences to his family and friends as well as the significant others in these sad times. May his soul rest in peace.
Take care everyone. Wherever you are in this part of the world!
Hi to all Waonians out there!
Bebing, thank you for wanting to catch up with me while in the Philippines. It might not happen this year but it will happen- one day ( like the Pantene ad?). If we can synchronise our trip one day we can catch up in Wao or CDO. I am happy life is good to you. I also admire your husband for still wanting to visit Wao all these years since he first set foot there. 1983 wow!
Day Vangie,
I pray for the repose of Desty’s soul. I don’t know him personally but I heard of him. I know his father is instrumental in facilitating the piped water for the people of Wao. I also remembered those cosmos flowers blooming by the side of the road during Mayor Eleazar’s tenure.
I will send you Marianne’s email address via email.
My job is not that well paid. I love it though. Lots of autonomy and I am ecstatic every time I get funding for my clients. At the moment ako lang isa nga Pinay dire sa amon nga department. I have to go back to university here kag nangutang sa gobyerno. I have to read all those books for my essays, haha… I was initially apprehensive going to people’s homes kay I might be the first Asian they have met but I found that if you are good to people, they will take you in no matter the colour of your skin, the shape of your face or eyes, etc…Siempre may mga maldita/maldito man but it is the same everywhere eh?
It is wonderful that Bob opened this website for us Waonians. We are forever grateful Bob. It has changed our lives as we can now connect and reconnect with our kababayans and able to plan or contribute to the welfare of Wao and its people.
Yiasou ( hello and goodbye in Greek- same as Hawaii’s ALOHA?)
To all Waonians,
It is a sad Sunday for us all who have come to know and become connected /friends with Desty Eleazar, in one way or another (he became my first cousin-in-law, when he and Nancy Concemino got married so many years ago). He has been a very good friend/cousin to us all, very kind, courteous, friendly, accomodating and generous, despite his faults. He will be greatly missed….
I got the news when I woke up this morning; he has passed on at 2am Sunday, Philippine time, and will be buried on Wednesday at Oro Gardens.
Please say a PRAYER for the repose of his soul….
Deolinda,
It will be a pleasure to meet your friend. BTW, what do you do in Australia?Your job sounds exciting!
Take care, everyone…
Vangie
Hello to every Waonians out there….
Bebing, I can understand why you are hooked to this website. I feel the same. I check it almost every working day when I have the time in between phone calls, meetings, work notes and needs assessments, hehe…But then again I only discovered this website over a month ago. Most of the contributors are probably connecting privately via emails, phone calls and personal catch ups by now.
Hmmm…England sounds lovely this time of the year. One day I might be staring at Big Ben! Then that Eiffel Tower! One day…..Those apples and apples trees sound good too. Ang bakintol ko halin sa Australia dire pakadto a Pilipinas tsokolate! Halin sa Pilipinas pakadto dire, karaoke kag likas papaya, hahaha..
So you had been living in England all this time? Wow! If I remember right, I saw you briefly in NIA, Valencia in 1981? You were probably preparing for you rtrip by then? How time flies!!!I was working in Manila in 1983 when I attended that fiesta in Wao where your stepchildren stole the show!!!!!
I don’t think I will be able to go home this October. We were in Vietnam last February but had to go to the Philippines straight away because I had to attend my brother’s funeral. My mother was also in intensive care in May- so buslot bulsa ko. I will be having a holiday in the sunny and tropical Gold Coast in October instead. Someone else is paying for it.
Daw kanami lang sa inyo nga pamilya ba kay very successful tanan- doctors, dentists, optometrists, nurse, etc.Your parents would be so proud of all your achievements. Amo gani nga ginaagwanta ko na lang paeskwela ka mga hinablos kay ang kinaaram nga ginatawag mas importante nga manggad. Kun kwarta lang ihatag mo, ubos dayon no?
Day Vangie, I have a friend in New Jersey. If you are interested I can give her email address to you and vice versa.
Uppss…have to go to this meeting…Take care everyone….Until next time…People from Wao call me Deolyns, Jojo while in Musuan and Jo while in Manila..same here in OZland…Chao!
Hi! to all Waonians, Ok kaayo ni nga websibe daghan man diay ko ug kauban diri sa Qatar nga taga wao.
Regards,
Nonoy Ferds
Wow! It’s been a year exactly today since I accidentally discovered this website and I have been “hooked” to it till now… it’s lovely to “connect” to all Waonians in different places – all over the world. Pls keep writing, everyone.
Goodnight,
Bebing
To Deolinda, Inday, Francis and ALL Waonians,
11 August 2010
Here I am again…
It is summertime and August is a lovely month in England… the grass is green, the flowers are in bloom, the vegetables in the garden are at their best, the weather is hot and always (well, almost) sunny. Lots of friends have barbeques and parties and you’d enjoy each and every gathering you attend. It’s one of the BEST months to be here in England.
Next month, in September, when summer is gone (ouch… it’s like the song), the apples trees will be laden with fruits, ready for the harvest season. I am hoping I could bring some Golden Delicious and Cox Pippin Orange apples from our trees all the way to Cagayan de Oro (and WAO?) in October.
Yes, we will be back in the Philippines in time for the All Souls’ Day. Join us at Greenhils Memorial Park, CDO where Nanay & Tatay are “resting” in peace. (Inday, please come home…) I would also like to visit WAO if I get a chance… and hopefully, meet “old friends” and lots of Waonians again. Deolinda, will you be there? That incident with Epin’s Johnsons’ baby powder sound funny!
Francis, I am pleased that your children loved the experience of white-water rafting. We probably will not go this time coz Nick’s legs were badly burnt last March. It was our 4th time to go white-water rafting……. But we all learn from experience and if the weather’s good …who knows????
Inday, would you believe that Mark will be 32 yrs old tomorrow? He was just over 3 yrs old when I became his step-mother and I’ve had a go nga “mag-uli sa iya buli! He used to hate having shampoo on his eyes so didto ko siya ligo-an sa kitchen sink. We celebrated his 30th birthday at “Melo’s Steak House” in Manila 2 years ago – with Nene & Gingging’s families and 7 of us from UK. Yes, my age has more than doubled since I first arrived here but I still feel just as young as ever. Heheyyy!!!! I feel lucky. Life has been kind to me. I love England and I love WAO too! … and I love you, of course.
All the best,
Bebing
Hi there Day Vangie, Francis and other Waonians out there reading this.
. Seriously, nami lang maghanduraw sang aton kaagi sa aton kabatan on sa Wao no? So simple yet so memorable. Good, clean fun!
Ang bata ko ginbakasyon ko sa uma tong 13 years old sya kay daw gasugod maldita. Gusto masakay sa karbaw kag excited magsakay sa jeep. Ginpaupod ko sa pakaisa kay graduation sa Pagalongan. Abaw nagkabit kuno sa jeep kag waay tanda kaatend ka ceremony kay na excited si Maryruth introduce sa mga kilala na. Pay mission accomplished kay naghutik gid bata ko nga ang experience daw nya sa school sa Australia paled in comparison sa experience nya sa uma kag Pilipinas. Kun bahin naman sa troso nga tulay, baw mapiritan ka gid kun taga uma ka kay waay lain nga aragyan! Think about it now, ensakto sa exercise kami kay lakat back and forth sa uma kag Wao. Karon baw drive drive na lang ano pa dalagko na ya waistline ta. (What waistline)?
Nalipay man ko basa sang inyo kaagi ba. At least you smiled and laughed at my jokes, hehehe…Kun kaisa abi mag jokes ko dire ako lang gakadlaw?..So sad
Francis- Inang parte kun mag ihaw manok maka relate gid ko sina. Bal an mo damu man kami magburogto ( 6 boys and one girl) ti kundi kada isa may parte para indi mag away. Waay gawa sugot sa bul o ka manok kay basi isolan kuno. Ti pakpak ang akon nga parte. Amo na siling ka isa ka barkada ko sa Manila sa kakakain ko daw nang manok ano pa na Fewings ko, hehe…But that’s another story….
Ay abi ko ako lang nagtilap ka lata ka tinapa o salmon? Glad to know I shared that experience with you and other people. Tong pahu/mangga daw tong green man lang ya akon nga kunsumo kato. Inang maaslom gid bala nga guba gid nawong mo pagkagat kag pag usap mo haw. Karon at least makabakal na ko tong yellow nga matam is. Dire may mangga man kun summer pero lain gid ang damil ka mangga sa aton.
As for the santirmo, aswang, maligno, etc…hay hadlok pa gid ko basta madulom. Ti kun magbisita ko sa lubong ni Tatay da kag iban nga paryente sa patyo sa Wao it’s not so bad: basta adlaw kag may upod. I say a little prayer for them. Pay kun makabati ko tiktik sa gab i, kinhanglan may upod pa gid ko ah. I can watch the tv shows NCIS, CSI and the like but that’s about it!
Day Vangie- Baw naham ot man ako sang imo nga excitement sang karosa kag panginabuhi sa uma. Namian timo manghilamon? Ako nga taga uma gapalagyo gid sini nga obra kay hadlok magpainit kag mag itom.
Mahilig man ko sa una langoy langoy sa busay upod mga karbaw. May alimatok don garing ya mga sapa karon. Ang San Juan daw waay na gina celebrate? And if they do didto na sa resort sa Kalilangan kag Maramag?
Bebing, if you are wondering about that Johnson’s baby powder thingy it goes like this….One time Epin (Joy) came out of the CR sa recess pagkatapos pamulbos sang Johnson. Nasobrahan guro ka butang kay ginmunohan ka magurang nga daw pinasugba kuno sa abo? I thought it was hilarious!!!!
Anyway, I am off for now. Until next time and looking forward to all those “feel good” memories of Wao and our youth.
Hello, Deolinda!
Kasadya gid sa imo mag-istorya! Abaw, inang troso nga ginbutang nila para latayan sa ibabaw sang suba, it gave me nightmares! Kun kahibalo pa lang ako amo gali to ang amon tabukon, waay na lang ko nag-upod kanday Auntie Rita sa Kabatangan! Pwerte ko pa abi nga hibi para lang tugutan ni Alud kag Sofing! Kay excited man abi katama nga makasakay sa karosa kami ni Toto paadto didto sa Kabatangan ! I must be around 8 , and Toto 6 years old…We took the other route on our way from Wao to their house, but coming back to Wao after several days of “vacationing” in their farm, ginbaklay na lang namon (huhu…indi gali round trip ang karosa)….ti, waay man kami ni Toto naanad hike…pag-abot namon sa Wao, daw makamang na lang ako pasaka sa hagdan….
But we had such a happy time in the farm, bulig kami hilamon sa humay/mais , may sweldo pa! back-ride sa karbaw sa kaagahon, praktis mama kag tabako (kami pa naga-roll sang tobacco leaves nga ginbulad (?) , para indi kadton sang hamlok while naga-paharab…hahaha…it wasso much fun! waking up before the sun was up, I would ride with my cousin Boy Doroy, while Toto rode with Lando, gapa-aso-aso tabako, and race the carabaos around their property! waay lang kabalo sanday Auntie, enjoy kami katama! Paligo dayon sa sapa nga may bobon sa tupad! That was one of my most unforgettable and enjoyable summer vacations, kulba-hinam lang kay first (and last!) time nga naglatay ako sa troso, indi na gid ko magliwat! I’m just glad i made it to the other side! That’s why I’m still here….
Hi, Deolinda,
I blurted with a big laughter when I read these lines, “… sang una, ginadilapan pa gid ya lata (ka salmon) para sipot gid”. I could relate to that for I have done it myself… And I guess, almost all of us, in our childhood days, seemed to have experienced that…
I remember those occasions kon may maihaw nga manok si Mama, ang batikolon kag atay, didto guid tanan makadto kay tatay, and, we, siblings, have to squabble kon sin-o makakuha sang pecho kag hita sang manok. And each time my mom served sliced mangoes after meal, we all raced out in getting the “liso” of the fibrous fruit because it gives the lucky taker that BIG psychological advantage. How? Well, while all the rest have swallowed and consumed their share, you still keep lapping and sucking the slimy, sweet and hairy fibers of the fruit.. Sigi pa guid tana imo dilap-dilap..Ang gatan-aw, ga laway na lang..He he he… At times, while driving, these childhood memories suddenly flashed in my mind and I cant help but react with sweet smile. How simple and so uncomplicated life seemed to be, then. Right?
Naka harakhak gid ko when you related your experiences of running scared and frightened as you approached the spooky town cemetery, imagining those ghosts standing amongst the graves!!!! He he he. You reminded me of my own experiences too. You see, in late 60′s and mid-70′s, we have our farm in the “Middle Village” (the farm we have now beside the municipal cemetery was bought in 1981). In those days, during vacation, my brothers and I helped in the farm. We normally finished farm chores at 5PM then started walking our way home to town, about 3-4 kilometers away. By the time we reached the cemetery, it was already pitch dark. You only hear the whizzing sounds of the swaying cogon grasses and the sounds of the crickets in the background. Many times, my elder brothers walked past ahead of me, leaving me virtually alone in the dark. Approaching the cemetery, I started to “emboldened” myself by whistling favorite tunes while my eyes kept looking sharply and on “alert status” at any sign or indication of “ghosts” blocking the path and then conditioning/preparing my adrenalin for a 100-meter dash and galloop like a Mustang horse if I see one… Kay siling nila, may ga panglambat kuno nga dako nga ido, o may santermo kuno, ukon may kalayo kuno nga nagaligid sa dalan nga daw karito. Teh, kaluoy sa Dios wala man ako sang nakita. Those were the days of ignorance and “fear of the unknown” and fearing your own shadow as the inseparable ghost…
Nowadays, each time I spend my vacation and stayed in our farm cottage/rest house beside the cemetery, I would wake up early in the morning, walked amongst the rows of graveyards and names of departed Waonians I knew. Then I talked to them, as though they are alive…Sometimes, I walked amongst the graveyards late in the afternoon and checked how old most of those Waonians died. It was curiosity now that occupies my mind, rather than the fear of the dead (in my profession, I used to take fingerprints of the dead/victims at the hospital morgue or scenes of crimes)…
Well, those childhood memories and experiences seem fleeting and ephemeral when you look back at them in your adulthood. But the sweetness of reminiscing them remains perpetual and stays forever…
Francis
Hi there again fellow Waonians. It is cold Down Under. Would be nice to be in the tropics this time of the year. That vision of white sand beaches, frangipanis and coconuts make me long for that next holiday. At the moment, I am trying to find funding and support for my vulnerable clients….
. You have a very good memory, a beautiful writing style and compassion for our less fortunate kababayans. Most of us reading this blog share your compassion but not all of us have your memory skills. I have them once, I think, in my younger days- when Mrs. Parcon or Ronnie Villalba would ask me to memorise a 3-page-(single -spaced) declamation piece. I delivered them word for word but I can’t remember them now. Something about love ?:-).
Thank you Francis for liking some of my writings. Yours is one of the standouts. Even my ihada says so
The old Mi Ultimo Adios!!! Gee!!! We had a deal with Mr. Padon then so we can deliver them paragraph by paragraph each week. After awhile, we informed him that we have delivered them all. We haven’t : but really, we only fooled ourselves, not him. This would not have happened under Mother Concepcion- that’s for sure. I think the sisters were replaced by lay teachers in 1969-70? If you graduated in March /April 1968, I would have been in a class underneath the convent then- 1F – together with Elizabeth Gorgonio, Miriam Tanan and a few others. Si Miriam ang ga check kung gasimba kada adlaw otherwise bagsak sa religion under Sr. Magdalene. Kag indi pwede ang magbayle. Isa sa silot would be to half squat with flower pots in both hands. Batian ko lang kay bal an mo daw waay pa ko buot sadto. Nagatungtong pa gani ko sa kun ano da sa boarding house para makab ot ko lang banggirahan kun manghugas pinggan. ( I was in grade 1 a few months before I turned 6).
Baw huo ining mga siki kag tuhod mabaskog ni sa lakat pauli sa uma kag balik naman sa Wao para maedukar. Maayo pa gid ang balanse para indi mahulog sa troso/tulay sa kapigis o sa gamot sa Kanipisan bag o magtabok sa Kabatangan. Ti kundi daku grado sa balance beam sa College PE kay praktisado ayhan? Pero pwerte amon kugbot, paspas dalagan kun gaagi kami sa patyo, lapit sa uma nyo karon bal an mo hadlok man ta ka mga kalag.
Tuod masadya man ya mga kaagi sang kaimolon ta kag kinabuhi sa baryo. Amo nga nakapaenrol man takon sa Xavier sa una hay para makakita man takon ka siyudad kag dagat nga ginatawag. Ahay gingastohan gid ako ka ginikanan ko para maedukar man kay sa huna huna ko amo lang gid ini nga paagi nga maluwas kami sa kaimolon nga ginatawag. Indi man ako it manggaranon pay waay do man ako ga recycle ka bubblegum ( tarzan) kag mabakal ko doman maskin pila ka karton nga salmon. Indi parehas sa una nga ginadilapan pa gid ya lata para sipot gid.
Hala kamo doman istorya sa sunod para ma share nyo man inyo nga mga kaagi sang mga bata pa kita sa Wao kag ya mga plano ta para makabulig sa aton mga kababayan. Kun kaisa mamingaw man ya kinabuhi ta sa abroad nga ginatawag no? My sense of humour is keeping me sane. Also the good old karaoke.
God bless everyone!
Hello there, again fellow Waonians-
I can never seem able to find time pounding these computer keys the past two weeks, although I visited the blog every other two days and read new updates from Waonians out there. I was engrossed reading (and rereading) the latest recollections on, or about, Wao, by Deolinda.
Deolinda-
Welcome aboard! You do write beautifully and I must say you caused me to reread those lines (just as I do each time I read Bebing, Ida, Bert, Inday, Tagoy and Toto Benigno’s blogs). I visualized your own share of memories and recollections about your childhood, your high school days in Lapur , the influences of the Carmelite sisters/mentors/teachers and those vibrant, dynamic, colorful social events in town…
I like your memories of “those struggling days” when you and many others, living in far-flung farms outside Wao town, have to trudge and walk home on weekends and walked back again several kilometers of farm-road each Sunday afternoon, just to make it to the first day of school, the next day. I still remember many of my own classmates ( and still vividly remember their names) walking eighteen (18) kilometers from as far away as Banisilan, Malinao, Paradise and Gastav just to quench their thirst for “education”. Even so, we were all fortunate (and lucky, I think) that there, in the middle of desolated, isolated mountain farm, flowed an “abundant spring of knowledge” provided by those Jesuit Missionaries (Fr. James Cawley, Fr. James Fowlam, Fr. Cerutti and the secular priests, in latter years) and the many talented teachers.
Of course, each one of us had his own favorite(s) from amongst the long queue of teachers who influenced our upbringing, our personality and molded our character beyond those years and portals of La Purisima. In a personal note, Sister Loretto has always been my favorite teacher and would, forever, has a lasting influence on my personal, social and spiritual outlook/attitude in life. To Sr. Theresa, I would always be grateful for imparting her profound knowledge and mastery of the English language… And remembering Sir “Onie (Ronie) Villalba, his forte was choreographing/directing those Shakespearean stage plays. He picked me as one of those casts for “Macbeth” and had me memorized my lines in that play. Others who portrayed various stage-characters were Fr. Danilo Bacallan, my compadre in New York, Bert Palencia, the future seminarista, Feliciano Caamic, etc.
You said you were on the tail-end of the “reign” of the Carmelite Sisters (was it still Mother Asuncion Mendiola or “Mother Concepcion” in your days?). She was a martinet disciplinarian and “compelled” all her Spanish students to memorize that fourteen-stanza of “Ultimo Adios” por Doctor Jose Rizal. To my graphic recollection these days, apat lang guid kami ang naka memorized sadto: Fr. Bacallan, Lamberto Palencia, Liberato Gelilang ( who I heard is now a school principal in Gaztav(?) ) kag ako. But looking back, those were the types of “stringent” and spartan-like academic training and discipline that played crucial roles in a more competitive classroom environment in college. We owe them all to our deeply committed, dedicated and talented teachers.
Bebing/Inday-
You were both right and correct: it wasnt as scary as any first-timer would initially think. Of course am talking about that much-advertised white-rafting adventure, cascading down that 12-kilometer long Cagayan de Oro river, over 14 rapids, in approximately 3 hours of adrenalin-pumping thrills, funs and excitements. At least, that’ s how Evelyn, Johara and AJ summed the whole episode when I asked them at the end of the trip, “So, how did you feel about it?” They all beamed with pride and boasted self-esteemed having “conquered” the rapids (as if they have conquered the Himalayas) and promised, “Let’s do it one more time, next year, Papa”. Johara and AJ jumped boldly and non-chalantly with me on the deep portion of the river and enjoyed the cool water with their life-vest making them float . They kept shouting with excitement, “This is cool, Papa!!”.
Tagoy-
I hope you are safely back and tucked once more in the softness and comfort of your air-conditioned sofa and living room dira sa Germany. How was your sea-travel from Cagayan to Manila that night? Abi mo, ginhatagan mo ko bag-o nga idea. Next time, makuha man ako sang cabin kag mag barko man agod mas maka enjoy sang mga scenic views sang mga isla on the way back to Manila. Wala man gid kita sang ginadalian kon ga bakasyon ta, indi bala? So like you, I will also take my own sweet time mientras ga viaje sa dagat next time.
Tagz, salamat gid gali sadtong pamahaw ta. Abaw, magalaway gid siguro si Ida kag Pareng Bert if I tell them what we had for breakfast sadto nga aga: ibos, suman, puto, paho, kag chokolate!!! Traditional gid nga Pinoy Breakfast bala haw! Liwaton ta to next year kon maka upod sa imo si Inday Nelida.
O, teh, diri lang anay ako kutob. Sugpuni na ni sang imo mga estorya kon may panahon ka. I think you have now rested long enough to come back and pound the computer at night….
Francis
I am on duty for the team so I can’t go “walk about”. I am stuck near the phone and computer, so here I am again.
.
Kumusta na kamo dira mga Waonians: those residing in the Philippines and overseas? Ayu ayo lang. Waay ko pa gid naubos basa ang mga contributions ah.
Baw nagawaswas si bagyong Basyang mostly sa Luzon. Looy ang mga nawad- an mga balay. Maayo na lang may bukid lapit sa Wao nga nagasagang sang bagyo? Tree planting is also an excellent project para ma minimise ang incidence sang baha? Kada uli ko sa uma kun ano makaon ko nga prutas ginatisok ko inang mga liso sa lupa. Ti damo na gapamunga nga mangka, avocado, etc. sa uma. May nagalibod man kun kaisa nga mga seedlings sang rambutan, lanzones, durian, etc. sa Wao kag sa uma pay nami gid daad kun may local nurseries sa Wao nga nagabaligya sang barato nga mga seedlings no?
I wonder if Toto Benigno Tutor still read this? If and when you do To, can you please give me your mom’s contact details? Thank you in advance. Si Deolinda Castor ni tong dalaga pa. Nang Nellie will remember me, I hope
I sent Bert and Bebing my photos- para may idea man kun ano na hitsura ta compared to the good old days sang aton kabatan-on. Sir Ronnie Villalba was a big influence sa akon high school days. Daw beer pa tong gingamit nya sa una as hair spray para ma “tiss” ang buhok kay masalida sa stage. Maskin hinuraman ang costume banat lang gihapon. Ang kaimolon lang nga ginatawag.
Nearly lunch time. Looking forward to Nono Oliver’s update about activities/projects in Wao. (Hi to your good looking sister Mae too). I have informed my ihada sa London about this site and she has started reading the contributions too.
Francis, Bebing, Vangie, Tagoy, Bert , Ida, Mae and others- do share us your thoughts soon. Saw Joel Banza’s piece in the “Lady Behind….” but hasn’t seen any recent ones- as yet.
Take care everyone.
Hi Bebing- Thank you for remembering me. I am still enjoying the singing and karaoke but that’s about it, hehe. I did enjoy my time while with NIA Central office Choral Group and my 7 years in Manila were some of the best years of my life and I met some very good people who are still my friends up to this day. There is a friend in Glasgow and I have an open invitation to stay with them anytime. Malapit sa inyo no? At the moment though, Asia kag Pilipinas lang anay ya bakasyon ko kay damu pa ginagastohan kag gina paeskwela.
. Also caught up with Merlyn Allado Tan and had a brief chat with Mila Ricablanca-Parcon.
So that “coronation” night was in 1983? Did we have electricity in Wao then? I know we had piped water then through the good work of the late Mayor Eleazar.
Flashback late 60s- Your older brother Boy was my classmate ( say hi for me) along with Helen Dinglasan Cruz, Joel Banza and cousin Thor . I still remember you and Joy ( we use to fondly call her Epin) and the JEMELE and the Johnson’s baby powder aka face powder?. Heard Joy has retired with Nestle but still doing some consultancy with them? Communicating with Norming, Elsie and Cora most times.
Flashforward August 2009- Saw Neneng and Connie at Mary Ruth’s son’s wedding in Wao. Sorry I stuffed up my digital camera so I don’t have the photos
My email address is: deolindafewings@yahoo.com if you want to write to me privately. I can give you my work email later.
Flashback mid 1970s-when I was teaching at LPHS. Every students in my Elective English has to go to the platform and sing. I assured everyone of a passing grade if they do it and more. Someone belted up Eddie Perigrina’s “Mardy”; he was so out of tune that I nearly fell off my chair. I pretended to have lost something underneath my table. I thought the way we present ourselves to others is as important as our academic achievements.
I am at this stage in my life when I am thinking retirement in 5 or 10 years time. A house and business in Wao or CDO? Hmmmm..Waay garing sing libre nga hospital sa Pilipinas kun masakiton don ta kag mal am don. Agwantahon ko dlang guro ya nursing home di sa Australia. Madara lang ko karaoke ko.
Good to recall the good old days in Wao and the old Lapur. It is great that its graduates- especially those based overseas are helping Wao and its people in whatever way they can. More power!
Back to work….Until next time. Take care Waonians and thank you Bob. Are you based in Davao? I might drop by your office when I am in the area. Not for the next few months yet, I think.
Hi Deolinda!
I know only one person by the name “Deolinda” and I knew it’s you as soon as I saw your first message… and I remember you very well esp your lovely singing voice.
Yes, I remember that day in Wao, in December 7 (or 8?), 1983 when Nick & I, along with my baby and 3 stepchildren Dawn (16), Tracey (15) & Mark (5) and their cousin Liza (16) attended the coronation of Miss Wao during the town fiesta. Nick was desperate for a wee, but when he tried to find somewhere private to pee, people followed him so we decided to quietly leave the auditorium before the program ended and we were surprised when the MC announced that the Mills family were going home and when we looked back, we saw lots of people – both children and adults, all following us home. We told the children to talk and be friends to those who followed us all the way home. It was an experience that we still fondly remember.
That was the 1st time that I took Nicola home. She was just 7 weeks old – barely 2 months, and Nanay was horrified to learn that we travelled all that way from England to Wao and Nicola has not been baptized yet so she organized a Christening in Wao before we went back to the UK. Her Godparents included Inday (my sister), Nancy & Meriam (my 1st cousins) and Romeo Banaynal (my childhood friend and classmate in elementary & high school), among others.
Anyway, back to you. You have been a part of my early high school life – along with Josephine, etc. I am happy to have “found” you again after all those years and am pleased that you have managed to get back to Wao every now and then. Yes, it’s only money which can be earned again and again…and time and memory of Wao is precious and cannot be measured. I do hope our paths will cross again someday.
Francis,
Keep up the good work you’re doing for Wao – the land that we ALLL love.
All the best.
Bebing
How’s this? I am in front of a computer on a Sunday! I don’t normally want to look at it since I am on the phone and computer most weekdays while at work! This is addictive! I’ll slow down in time….
Feasted on kinilaw malasugui kag pinamarhan nga bilong bilong, yum! Wondered before why the chickens in the farm tasted so yum compared to the ones I ate while in Manila? I now know about free range and organic chickens!
I’ve been to Wao and in the farm almost every year since 2004 mainly to try and spend quality time with my elderly parents. ( My father passed away in 2006). The trips and the expenses are eating on my savings but hey it is only money. I am seeing the gradual changes like the kilometer by kilometer of sealed road to Buot. then to Banisilan? Milaya? then continue on to Bukidnon? -hopefully in time. If all these roads are sealed then I believe that we can really see the economic benefit for every one-especially the farmers.
The last few years that I had been home, I spent time with family and friends and planted fruit trees and flowers! I never thought this would happen. When I was a teenager I wanted to go to university so I can escape the farm! I was young and restless. Now I can’t even stand the queue at Manila airport. I’d rather arrive via Cebu or Davao. ( Missing out on catching up with friends in Manila though). It would be great if we have an international airport at CDO. Coming soon apparently. Love CDO as well.
I still love shopping so Wao’s “tabo” every Wednesday is great! Off to Kalilangan on Fridays for another “tabo”
So to all who have lived or are still living in Wao may we all join to pray for continued peace and prosperity of this small town we called ( or are calling) home!
I am off for now to do some domestic tasks. Until next time…
Dear ALL,
A giant UNIFRUTI corporation packing fresh banana and pineapples from Wao for worldwide distribution; a local FM/Radio Station, a Western Union, LBC, Cebuana LHuillier, M Huillier, a branch of giant Jerry’s Store, Land Bank, Lodging Houses, two Colleges, eight (!) high schools, Air conditioned buses from Wao-Cagayan-Wao route, concrete road from Maramag to Wao to Banisilan, a municipal hospital soon to be elevated as a secondary hospital, elegant houses with swimming pools built by overseas Waonians, etc. etc.
Is this the kind of Wao I left 42 years ago after graduating from high school, where travel to Cagayan de Oro, in those days, took two, or at times, three days, and where the road was horrible, if not impassable?
My latest visit to my beloved town (and my four days of stay in the farm) was too overwhelming for me. Like a caterpillar larvae “metamorphosizing” itself from a cocoon to a beautiful, gently- floating butterfly, so is the new WAO I see and feel and touch lately. Indeed, there is no place like home. And it always feels good to come back to your roots in life every once in a while. Somehow, there is a truism in the saying that ” Somehow, someone has to leave behind his hometown, his loved ones, once in a while, to be able to miss them and appreciate them better. And so, do I…
Francis M. Banaynal
I’m happy to host the “wonerful Waoans” on the site, Deolinda!
Thanks Bob for this space. Go Waonians! Take care everyone.
Greetings from Down Under!!!!!
and no one cared about the coronation because they were all mesmerised by teenagers with blue eyes and blond hair?
I was browsing when I happened to see this. Wow! I feel nostalgic all of a sudden. Baw enjoy gid ko sa mga maragumo nga Inilonggo/Karay -a ba kag mga sinauna nga mga experiences; harana, amateur singing contest, ligo sa Kapigis and the “yellow gold” and the very big log as the bridge. I walked to Pagalongan with the other students when I was in high school on Friday afternoons and back on Sundays. Ti ang nagahatod mabalik pa pagkalukdo ka bugas balon kag mga latoy, takway, tarong kag bulad, etc… Sakripisyo para lang maedukar man.
Francis, no joke you should compile your memories of Wao and put them in writing. It’s riveting reading. Put them in a local library somewhere. I am only a few years younger than you but we arrived in Wao in 1966 during the big drought. I read your recollection and I can picture in my mind what happened that fateful day a few years before.
I graduated from LPHS in 1971 and I experienced the tail end of the sisters and Mother Concepcion. I remembered that we have to sort of bow so our skirts were 3 inches below the knee during the “Bayang magiliw/Panatang Makabayan and prayer sessions. We used to be so shy with the boys until we have mixed classes and then we started fighting with them, haha…
I taught briefly at LPHS under Father Cerutti. I see some of my ex students when I visit Wao and they still recognise me? Surprise, surprise…In regular contact with the Carumba family- Nong Umay and Nang Nora and their children and Mary Ruth. Also keeping in contact with Inday Mayak and Teray and a few others.
Remember Bebing when you have your husband’s children during the coronation one time ( December
Amo lang anay ni ang ma share ko nga memories ah although I think it was Nong Hardie Palencia who shared a house with us in Nazareth when he was enlisting in the army? Year? 1971 I think.
I am so proud reading about my kababayans doing very well indeed. And yes, Sister Theresa was very good with her grammar thing. Hope I learn a thing or two? I can still remember the beautiful Sister Loretto and this poem : “Life is What We Make It”. Can’t remember anything else
Eddie Laoc, I remember you. Classmate mi ni Charito T. and his sister Meriam was in the same class as Boy, my older brother. I also remember Esperidion – their older brother.
Nida Hadcan is now Mrs Homer and she’s in Germany.
Your batchmates include Emerita Lizada, Cecilia Fabiana, Merlyn Estores, Ruben Ocana, … among others.
I last saw Charito in Wao on the 9th Nov 2004. That’s a day that I’ll never forget. My husband & I left Wao early that morning (@6am) and stopped by to see Lolo Pascual & Lola Elen Sumbillo on the way out to Cagayan de Oro… and Charito’s house was not far from there. I got a VERY SAD news as we reached Gusa – nr CDO… that my Father died in Manila. We were meant to fly to Manila the next day then off to UK the day after… sadly, my Father didn’t wait for me to reach Manila… or was it a blessing that he passed away before we left for the UK?
Whatever… we miss him so…
Make the most of your holiday in WAO.
It’s the land of my birth and I love it.
Please give my warm regards to your cousin, Charito.
Regards,
Bebing
hi florimay its me your igso pamangkin ni mrs tañan still remember? kumusta naman ka ,Me im onboard on international vessel as master mariner presently i’m on vacation pero ga plano ko di na mag sakay sa barko kapoy na malayo sa atong pamilya.Ang ako asawa taga kilikili wao mga godoy ang apelyedo. Sa Cebu City na kami nag reside karon Ga plano mi mag bakasyon sa wao pohon .REgards toNida Hadcan my classmate during hi school days
Francis,
Have a lovely time in Wao and Cagayan de Oro. Don’t miss out on the white-water rafting. You’ll truly enjoy it, I am sure.
Nono Oliver,
‘Thank you for acknowledging the receipt of the medical goods. Two more boxes are on the way to Wao again – hopefully they will be there by early September. They were donated by Maggie Chungtuyco of Eden House Nursing Home (Oxford) and kindly shipped by FOREX Cargo UK Ltd. Nick & I packed them.
Yes, I like the “Adopt A Ward” program and I am interested to have one “In Memory of my parents – ALUDIO & SOFIA EMBORGO”.
I hope more Waonians will also “adopt a ward” and help improve the hospital facilities, thereby saving MORE lives.
All the best,
Bebing
Bebing, nick and Nicola
I don’t how to thank you… once again the Wao district Hospital management and staff would like to thank you for the another package of meds and medical Supplies an augmentation for our health services for the people of Wao… your donations can save life…and really a great help specially to the marginalized citizen… May God Bless you Bing and your Family,,,,,,,,
One of our rural health nurse is suffering from kidney malfunction and undergo twice a week kidney dialysis. some of your donated tubes can be a great help to her not only saving her life but you extend her existence to serve the waonians… she is extending her gratitude to you.. hope God will makes you an instrument to send more tubes for dialysis and blood transplant…
We have a new hospital program of ADOPT A WARD..if you want to donate a room or a ward and furnished it then the ward will name upon you. the Ward will be name EVELYN EMBORGO MILLS WARD. this will be your legacy to the hospital and to the people of Wao… I challenge then Waonians who are interested to own a ward in our hospital….feel free to contact me….
Thank you bing and your family.. God bless you always..
Nono Oliver
Hi, ALL!
Am in CDo after 5 days in Hongkong and 2 days in Manila with my family. I’ll proceed to Wao tomorrow (Wednesday) and attend the meeting/discussion about Maridugao project (and other agenda) with the rest of the officers and Board Members of the “Sons and Daughters of Wao” and the UMWAD-BANWA.
I’ll keep in touch again with you guys….
Francis
More very interesting facts about the transmitters of Dengue Fever:
Mosquitoes are annoying, but when you really start to study them, you can find out some surprisingly interesting things about them. The following is a round up of some of the most uncommon bits of knowledge about a very common pest.
In the United States, you can find 176 different species of mosquitoes. Texas has the unhappy distinction of having the most different varieties for one single state, while West Virginia has the fewest.
What do mosquitoes have in common with honeybees? The main food source for mosquitoes is also plant nectar.
Male mosquitoes don’t bite people – only the females do.
When a female mosquito needs blood to produce her eggs, humans aren’t her first choice for what is gruesomely called a “blood meal” – most female mosquitoes would rather bite a cow, horse, or a small mammal such as a dog or squirrel. In addition, some mosquitoes only bite birds, reptiles or amphibians for their blood meal.
Mosquitoes can fly at a speed of one mile per hour.
Most mosquitoes live only about two to three weeks, although some species can live as long as six months. Males of the species generally live a shorter period of time than the females.
Mosquitoes from salt marshes have been known to fly up to 40 miles from their breeding location in search of food.
Mosquitoes and Disease
Diseases carried by mosquitoes include malaria, the West Nile Virus, dog heart worm, equine encephalitis, dengue and yellow fever.
There’s no evidence that mosquitoes can transmit the HIV virus or AIDS.
More than one million people die each year from mosquito-borne diseases.
That itchy, red mosquito bite is actually a localized allergic reaction to mosquito saliva.
Why Me?
While researchers have some clues as to what attracts mosquitoes to humans, they still haven’t figured out exactly why mosquitoes seem to target some people more than others.
The more carbon dioxide and lactic acid you produce, the more likely you are to attract a mosquito. Who produces more carbon dioxide and lactic acid? Overweight people and very active or fidgety people.
Mosquitoes usually prefer to bite women over men.
They may not be gentlemen, but even mosquitoes prefer blondes, biting them more frequently than brunettes.
Mosquitoes are very attracted to the smell of stinky feet and Limburger cheese.
One study found that mosquitoes were more active during a full moon than during other parts of the lunar cycle.
Dark clothing seems to attract mosquitoes more than light colored clothing.
Pest Control
The most effective mosquito repellent is still DEET, which was developed more than 50 years ago.
Yellow light bulbs don’t repel mosquitoes – they just don’t attract mosquitoes like brighter, hotter incandescent light does.
Mosquitoes seldom bite when there’s a light breeze blowing. That means that if you keep the air moving on your outside porch or deck, you might get fewer mosquito bites.
Electronic bug zapper lights do not do a good job of killing mosquitoes, but they do an excellent job of killing the bugs that songbirds like to eat.
Neither bats nor birds are especially effective at reducing mosquito populations, though both will eat mosquitoes from time to time if they come across them.