Mindanao Roundup (Lake Sebu, South Cotabato): T'nalak Weaving and Lang Dulay's Legacy

It was a day before her 89th birthday, but the mood in that sunlit and simple hut where we met her was far from festive. There were only faint conversations in the vernacular T'boli being translated to us by her granddaughters because she could not speak Tagalog. Sitting comfortably in that old rattan chair, she looked every inch a master. Donned in a beautiful T'boli costume, which is by the way her usual attire with or without visitors, I felt very honored to be in the presence of this amazing woman, the legendary dream weaver, Lang Dulay.

Me with Lang Dulay at her weaving school in Lake Sebu

A recipient of Gawad sa Manlilikha sa Bayan Award and declared a National Living Treasure by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in 1998, Lang Dulay was recognized for her excellent craftsmanship in weaving the prized T'nalak or the traditional T'boli cloth.

Mindanao Roundup (South Cotabato): Placid and Picturesque Lake Sebu

The wisp of the cold breeze did not escape me the moment the non-airconditioned van trailed the well-paved and uphill road dotted with nipa houses, corn plantation and  forested hills. I was enjoying the green scenery outside my window, and as soon as the sight of the lake came to view, my excitement started to swell. I instantly knew we have finally reached our destination -- the dreamy town of Lake Sebu.

The verdant mountains mirrored in the calm waters of Lake Sebu

We were dropped off at the poblacion where a number of habal-habal drivers wait for passengers. In that early Friday morning of August, it seemed like Anchi and I were the only tourists amidst the busy mass of people going about with their daily grind-- children in their school uniform, brimming commuters and some busy vendors.

As we were taking the roads from the town proper to Punta Isla Lake Resort, we passed by some stands selling tilapia, a common agricultural product from the lake. There are also a number of guesthouses and resorts near the lake and most serve food, mainly fried fish.

Mindanao Roundup (Surigao del Sur): Hinatuan Enchanted River and Bislig City’s Tinuy-an Falls

I keep a list of "Must-Visit Places in Mindanao" since I started my 80 before 30 challenge, but I decided to put off exploring this region until Luzon and Visayas provinces are all done. Now that I'm on my final leg of the backpacking challenge, it's such an amazing feeling to be finally ticking off some of my dream destinations in Mindanao, one beautiful place at a time.

The province of Surigao del Sur has recently been included in the tourist trail because of the natural wonders that are lying still and almost hidden in its off-the-beaten mountains. Two remarkable sights that Anchi and I have seen lately are Hinatuan's Enchanted River and Bislig City's Tinuy-an Falls.

Stunning hues of Enchanted River

When a Facebook friend posted a picture of a "river" with a disclaimer that he didn't photoshop or post-process the result, I was like "Are you kidding me?! The colors are so vibrant to be true!" I did my own research, and found the results all the same. Indeed, the hues are stunning. Then I decided that I should see that place myself, at all cost!

And we finally met last June. It was a short, but still a magical encounter. I was literally river-struck. :)

We arrived at Enchanted River after an agonizing five hour ride from Davao City to Surigao del Sur ( The depressing van ride deserves another blog post, but I'll not get into details here to not spoil anything).

From Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, we hired a habal-habal (good for 3) to take us to Enchanted River and Tinuy-an falls. The driver asked for P1,000, which I thought at first was a rip off but not up until I realized how far the destinations were. It was already late in the afternoon so we decided to cave in. Later I realized the fare was fair enough.

Our first stop was Enchanted River.

Definitely not post-processed