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Buhay
Mindanaw (Life in Mindanao)
Text and images by Ronald de Jong
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Mindanao's island's natural beauty, it's cultural diversity, various ethnic festivals, a pristine stretch of white,
unspoiled, sand beaches, many diving opportunities teeming with rich marine life, panoramic volcanoes, scenic lakes and rivers
and hospitable people make this island one of Asia's favored holiday destinations, a perfect getaway for tourists and an ideal
place for foreigners seeking retirement. A popular proverb says; "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side", it is a
truism that living in this tropical paradise is totally different than living in Europe, the United States or even in any
other country in Asia. Life itself appears to go at a much slower pace and tends to be more easily going; people seem to have
a more relaxed attitude towards daily life.
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Mindanao has a pleasant, tropical climate, ideal for outdoor enjoyment almost every day of the year. There are several
popular scuba diving sites and world-class beaches; the island offers a great number of luxury hotels, resorts with top of
the line amenities, trendy restaurants and cosy bars. Agriculture is the sparking plug behind this natural resources-rich
island's economy, because of the stable climate conditions and fertile soil it is well known as the untapped breadbasket of
the Philippines. There is an abundance of fruits, crops and rice paddies. Aside from its productive fields is this oriental
islet endowed with considerable rich mineral resources and the fishing industry is playing an important role in boosting the
islands export business.
But the Philippines is also prone to various climate and weather-related hazards because of its location in the tropics,
along the path of typhoons and monsoons. Mindanao is situated virtually outside the typhoon belt and enjoys a generally fair
equatorial climate, which gives the region an all-year round predictability of its weather. Nevertheless, Mindanao is no stranger
to natural disasters. Volcanic activity and frequent earthquakes are common in the Moro Gulf, because the Philippine archipelago
is precariously located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, fortunately most of them are located far too deep to pose a serious threat
to the Island. The more heavy tremors and the difficulties emerging from these tragedies have affected thousands of people
already. Tropical storms and heavy rainfall are triggering mudslides and flooding rivers, wreaking havoc on hillsides and
in valleys, whipping out entire villages. Natural disasters cause famine, hunger and poverty; the poor are always the worst
hit for they have the least resources to rebuild.
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Mindanao has many rural areas with the highest poverty levels in the Philippines. Numerous families are forced to live
below the poverty threshold, caused by the continuing, internal conflicts and natural disasters. Mass media portrayal and
unfair reporting of Mindanao by the national and international media, with images of people picking through garbage, living
in slums and shanty towns near polluted rivers, has promoted an unfavourable image of the island. The negative travel advisories
issued by some Western countries, do not have a sound basis. It is a fact that this region has enormous contrasts and multiple
contradictions, but that does not mean that the entire isle is a war zone, that everyone is living in impoverished conditions,
that all children suffer from malnutrition and that news from Mindanao is always bad news.
In spite of this, Mindanaoans are contantly ready and able to cope with wrongly given impressions, prejudices, conflicts,
poorness, rainstorms and earthquakes, their unshakable faith, their adaptability, resilience and strength amid adversity has
been tested may times under all kinds of calamities and trials. It seems almost impossible to break the Filipino spirit, for
them "home is home' despite all the hardship they have to suffer, they always wear warm, spontaneous smiles and are in high
spirits most of the time.
Living in this South East Asian Garden of Eden is living and getting along with natural catastrophes, poverty, local
conflicts and religious differences. Life in this part of the Philippines is living in a region where the rich and poor live
side-by-side, where people from all religions are finding common ground and work together for lasting peace, stability and
sustainable development. Living in Mindanao is living with wonderful, heartwarming people in a rich, mixed culture with ancient
traditions and customs amid a modern society, although always amazing and challenging, it is a life worth living.
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