Intramurals at Ateneo de Davao

Intramurals at Ateneo de Davao. These are the Elementary School Students in their Dance Presentation.

Target: London

Remember a few weeks ago, there was a car bomb that was found and defused in Surallah, South Cotabato?  It was really a serious matter, one that caught my attention for sure!  Well, yesterday, as you have surely heard by now, London was targeted with not one, but two car bombs.  From everything I’ve heard, these two car bombs found in London were more powerful and high tech than the one found in Surallah earlier this month.  Over the past decade or more, so many Western Governments (US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc.) have issued travel warnings advising their citizens not to come to Mindanao.  After any kind of event, averted or not, the travel warnings increase in their frequency and their strength as well.  It’s just a fact of life for us here in Mindanao.  Not only do foreign governments advise against coming here, even Filipinos from outside Mindanao advise people not to come here.   Why?

I wonder, how many of these Western Governments do you think will be issuing travel warnings against going to London?  For me, it’s really no different.  Now, some of you will say that there are known terrorists (Abu Sayyaf, Jemah Islamiyah) hiding out and living in Mindanao.  Sure, there are some, but only a limited number.  In the UK, the Government there readily admits that there are thousands of British Citizens living in the UK who are involved in terrorism (sleeper cells, etc.).  So, what makes the situation in the UK different from the situation in Mindanao?

It just seems to me that there is really an uneven playing field.  Look at the 9/11 attack in the USA in 2001.  How many were killed, around 3,000 or 4,000 people lost their lives, right?  Have there been travel advisories against visiting New York or Washington D.C.?  No, I don’t think so.  But, everybody should stay out of Mindanao, right?  Well, I don’t think so.  Of course, maybe I’m wrong.

Don’t take me wrong.  I feel really bad about what happened in London, and I hope that they caught the entire plot.  I hope that terrorism ends all over the world.

Just my rambling thoughts on a rainy afternoon in Davao City.

What do you think?

Ivan Wilson visits Davao!

I got an e-mail yesterday from Mindanao Blog reader Ivan Wilson.  Ivan is from Florida, and currently visiting Davao City.  We got together for coffee this morning at the Five One Coffee Shop at Victoria Plaza in Davao City.  It was great to meet Ivan, although unfortunately I didn’t have as much time available as I would have liked!  As it happens, Ivan is an avid reader of a number of my blogs, so I was really glad to meet him in person!  He told me that he was quite apprehensive about coming to Mindanao, but after reading my Mindanao Blog, he was quite comfortable in coming!

Hello!

Here is an Ostrich that greeted me when I was visiting the Crocodile Park in Maa, Davao City. What a great place!

Sr. San Roque Chapel

This is the Sr. San Roque Chapel, just off the highway between Buhangin and Indangan. The sunlight being just at the edge of the photo makes for an interesting effect.