There’s a lot to discover! Traveling Mindanao’s Unexplored Highways

To catch up with a 2 p.m. engagement in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley leaving Cagayan de Oro City at 8 a.m. today, I decided to take the newly opened Highway 912 which links Bukidnon to Davao del Norte.

The highway connects the town of San Fernando in Bukidnon to Talaingod in Davao del Norte.

The concrete road winds through mountain sides and very few vehicles pass through it.

They say it is not very safe yet because of the presence of rebels in the area.

I had no choice though because the only other routes which would lead me to Nabunturan would be through Agusan or down to Davao City via the BU-DA Road and up again to ComVal.

Both routes, however, would entail a travel time of about 9 to 10 hours and it was simply impossible for me to catch up with the Coconut Congress in ComVal.

I did not regret the decision because not only did I cut my travel time by about 3 to 4 hours, it also gave me the opportunity to see the isolated areas of the countryside.

Here, life is simple with vast land still unused.

This scene makes me appreciate two realities, the first of which is the vast potential of Mindanao to contribute to the economic growth of the country.

There is still so much land which could be used in agricultural production.

The other is the sad reality of government neglect of the countryside.

While those in Metro Manila are enjoying the comforts of the skyways, people in this part of Mindanao are having their concrete highway for the first time in their lives.

And this is 2019!

Now, do you still wonder why the enemies of government succeeded in convincing the rural folks to join their cause?

There is no need to rue over the lost years.

With a President, Rody Duterte, who has the political will, a lot of things could still be done in the last three years.

But people in government must move fast and now!

They could start by leaving their airconditioned offices and travel the unexplored roads in the countryside.

Then they will understand what the people really need.

#TravelUnexploredRoads!

#TouchListenFeelThePulse!

#GiveRealGovernance!

(Photos by Diane Faith Garcia, MinDA OC)