Trees in Davao City
This weekend I drove to Davao City, 197.3 km from Koronadal, according to Google Maps. I felt like it was time. I had accumulated enough driving experience to undertake what seemed to me a daunting project. In my younger years, when South Cotabato was part of Region 11 (then called the Southern Mindanao Region), I would often head to Davao City for regional contests. Those trips were torture, even with Bonamine. I did not help that the Yellow Buses we took smelled of stale air fresheners. The roads right after Malungon and before Sulop were always under construction. It came as a relief when South Cotabato eventually became part of Region 12, and Koronadal City had been made the regional center. I had missed Davao in a way. My aunt and cousin had lived there for many years before they relocated to Polomolok for convenience; my aunt now has severe dementia and needs round-the-clock care. Some friends live and work there. I could have taken the faster route—the Davao to Cotaba...