The
destination for our second day was Lake Sebu.
The shortest route to Lake Sebu from Glan and Gensan was by way of
Koronadal to Surallah and Lake Sebu. That would be about 150 kilometers. We arrived in Koronadal just after one in the
afternoon. Koronadal, popularly known as
Marbel is the capital of the province of South Cotabato and also the
administrative center for Region 12 which composes the SOCSKSARGEN region.
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The welcome arch to the city of Koronadal |
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The new City Hall of Koronadal |
We passed by the new city hall of Koronadal for some photo ops. Then we paid a visit to the Christ the King Cathedral of the Diocese of Marbel in Koronadal.
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The Christ the King Cathedral of the Diocese of Marbel in Koronadal |
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Stained glass of Christ the King at the facade of the Cathedral |
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The altar of the Christ the King Cathedral
Since it was still early, Bobby decided instead of going straight to Lake Sebu by way of Surallah, that we go up north first to the city of Tacurong, a component city of the province of Sultan Kudarat. From Tacurong we passed by the capital town of Sultan Kudarat in Isulan. We visited the Provincial Capitol where we were met by some provincial employees who were very much eager to tour us around their beautiful capitol.
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The Provincial Capitol of Sultan Kudarat in the capital town of Isulan. The statue of Sultan Kudarat majestically stands at the grounds fronting the Capitol |
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The Provincial Capitol of Sultan Kudarat |
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The lobby of the Provincial Capitol |
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Office of the Vice Governor |
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Sultan Pax Hall |
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The beautiful furniture at the Sultan Pax Hall. |
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The Sultan Hall |
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The official residence of the Governor at the back of the Capitol |
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View from the top of the Capitol |
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The statue of Sultan Kudarat fronting the Capitol |
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The gymnasium at the side of the Capitol is still unfinished |
After the short tour of the provincial capitol of Sultan Kudarat we right away proceeded to Lake Sebu. I thought all along that Lake Sebu was just that, a lake. I was surprised when still no lake in sight there was already this large welcome arch to Lake Sebu. It was only then that I realized that Lake Sebu is also a town bearing the same name.
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Lake Sebu is famous for its tilapia. There, one can eat all kinds of dishes made from tilapia. |
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A group pose at the welcome arch |
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Lake Sebu as viewed from Monte Cielo |
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Lake Sebu with its lotus garden |
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Fish pens of tilapia at the Lake Sebu |
We were lodged at the Monte Cielo Resort which was overlooking the lake itself. This resort is being operated by the owners themselves William and Mayette Sy. Both have retired from their jobs, he being an airline pilot and she, a stewardess. Taking care of the resort is for them more like a hobby. They said they have not advertised their place and just depend on word of mouth as they would not like to make it a 24/7 job, so that they could leave anytime they would like to. They give personalized service to their guests so that one feels that he is just visiting some long lost friends. Food is already included in the rates of the resort.
Monte Cielo Resort in Lake Sebu - 0917-9230957 (Mayette); 0920-4600690 (William)
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Entrance to the Monte Cielo Resort |
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The gardens of the Monte Cielo Resort overlooks the lake |
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This fruit tree is a combination of a guyabano and an apple. |
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Breakfast was served at the garden. |
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A souvenir shot with Mayette Sy, the owner.. |
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With Mayette and William, owners of Monte Cielo
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Since we wanted to buy some souvenir items, although it was already getting dark, Mayette herself volunteered to bring us to the local shops. She also brought us to the Cowhed, a shop owned by a women’s cooperative the shop itself featuring an authentic Tboli (the indigenous tribe living in the area) house.
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Souvenir Shop of the Cooperative of Women in Health and Development (COWHED) |
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The souvenir shop of the Cowhed features a typical Tboli house. |
1 comment:
Very nice shots, wanted to see this, Im a solo traveler, what can you recommend as far as safety is concerned when travelling to these areas...
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