Lakwatsarah

A few days before I leave for Manila, my uncle invited me  I asked my uncle if I could go with him at our clan's farm in San Antonio in Tacurong. It's harvest season and I'm so interested to see how farmers work in the field. I know my uncle would agree, in fact he's the one who constantly reminds us (the next generation) to start learning more about managing a farm. I always love being in a farm and those 2 days of observing is also a great opportunity to practice photography. Harvest season in Tacurong From Poblacion, we drove down the highway passing by a couple of tractors, a familiar sight during the month of September. Check out some photos I took during 2 days of observing these hardworking farmers.

September 18, 2013. Under the scorching heat of the morning sun, I patiently walk the streets of Tacurong as I struggle to find a decent spot to take photos and witness for the very first time the Talakudong Street Dancing and Field Demonstration . My burnt skin due to previous festivals and farm visits screams for some time out, but I just couldn't let the unforgiving sun ruin my excitement. It's another day to explore the city, my birthplace and my family's home province on this one festive day. Plus, this is after all, the fourth and last festival of my almost 3 month long Mindanao itinerary.   performers swaying their vibrant kudongs

Provincial Capitol of Sultan Kudarat The capitol carries a design that is a combination of Muslim and Christian symbols with a commanding gold painted dome. The exterior is magnificent, a far cry from the country’s usual capitols. This landmark, more so, is said to be Southeast Asia’s biggest. 

Black Crowned Night Heron It’s been sunny for the past 2 days in Tacurong so I decided to push through with an afternoon visit to Baras. The day is good and the roads are dry, it's a perfect time to see those migratory birds. This simple barangay located west of poblacion, houses one of Sultan Kudarat’s most sought after tourist spot, giving visitors a one of a kind bird watching experience.

It has been 4 years since I left the kapamilya network. Since then, I never had a regular day job, never looked back and started to enjoy the freedom of TIME I dearly missed. I'm not rich and I'm still on the process of working hard to achieve the financial freedom I yearn to have. But somehow, surprisingly, as much as I hate Math, I realized the knack for money matters comes easy for me, and that somehow helps me fund this wanderlust. So how do I do it? Let me share one in particular... I'm proud to have come from a really big clan in Southern Mindanao, with both Ilonggo parents together with their siblings owning hectares of farm lots in Sultan Kudarat which I often visit every time I travel back in the province. I love farms as much as I enjoy lakes, falls and mountains, so when offered by a trusted uncle to invest with mom in the clan's farm two years ago, I immediately said yes. Dad has personally planted fruit seeds in his farm lot. I've ta...

" Talakudong " is a neo-ethnic festival that blends Maguindanaon Muslims and Illongo Christian culture into a colorful and exotic exhibition of headgears indigenously made out of local materials. Schedule of Activities August 18 - September 10, 2010      1st Toda Basketball Tournament at City Gym September 4- 5, 2010      Inter-school Table Tennis Tournament at City Gym September 6 - 20, 2010      Trade Fair at Quezon Avenue September 11, 2010      Region 12 Taekwondo Championships at 1pm in City Gym September 12, 2010      Mutya ng Lungsod ng Tacurong 2010 (Talent Night) at 7pm  in NDTC Gym September 11 - 12, 2010      Mobile Passport Service for e-passport at City Hall September 13 -18, 2010      DTI Diskwento Fair, Producers Fair Industrial Tour at City Hall Compound September 13, 2010      Inter-Faith Mass Opening Program at 7am in C...

Located at Purok Yellow Bell, New Isabela stands the biggest medical facility found in Tacurong City - the St. Louis Hospital . St. Louis Hospital's facade I was able to go inside the hospital just 2 days after it opened together with my uncle who's a doctor and his assistants. The exterior had truly blown me away! Geez, this is not a hospital... it looks like a Resort! It's undeniably charming for a hospital, way different from others around. The hospital is owned by the Valdez Family, prominent individuals in the medical and political field in the city of Tacurong. Here are some of the photos taken: charming exteriors entrance inside St. Louis Hospital For inquiry you can contact St. Louis Hospital at (064) 3841669

My parents would always make sure to bring me and my siblings to their respective farms whenever we get a chance to spend some long vacations at the province. I will never forget my very first farm trip experience – my first ride on top of a carabao, when we ate our lunch placed in banana leaves, the thrill I felt walking in the rice field, how I was amazed by the way the locals pick their fruits, my first taste of a sugar cane…and I was so young back then! These memories that retained in my young mind inspire me to know more about how life in a farm is. Yes, it always excites me to see new sites but what I love the most about travelling is visiting the familiar places that bring back some good old memories – like a Farm ! rice field

Location: Somewhere in Sultan Kudarat

My dad would always bring home sticks of delicious chicken BBQs every time he arrives from General Santos City. Later, I found out the name of this delectable dish me and my family truly enjoy - Nadies Chicken House. Nadies famous Chicken BBQ

Remembering Christmas in Tacurong City One of the best memories I had in Tacurong City would be the way its locals celebrate Christmas - warm yet festive, simple yet fancy, inexpensive yet grand. Christmas lights in Tacurong City

Near mom's farm Taken at Purok Amboy in Gansing, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat. I will never forget that moment when I stepped out of the car to run after these cute guys. It was like a gust of energy and the extreme wanting to take a video of this amazing scene. Farm life is so simple yet refreshing...always living with nature at its best.

My Herons! My very first trip to one of the most visited site in my province in Tacurong, the Baras Bird Sanctuary is truly a humbling experience. The road trip on the way itself is an adventure, the simplicity of the kubo houses and vast farmlands is truly a feast in the eyes. Can't wait to see those "large birds" as locals call it.