BUKIDNON | Meeting the Manobo Tribe Kids at Pangantucan

So far it has been nearly four weeks after my 12 day jaunt at Palawan. What I thought would be my last travel before doing a travel haitus for the rest of the year was jinxed by a message from a travel buddy I’ve also just come to befriended on the road. Before, in the middle, and right before my Palawan trip ended, I got several messages for a standing invite for — GIVE Project to Manobo Tribe children at Pigtauranan, Pangantucan, Bukidnon. Travel was a bonus, delivering gifts was the highlight.

There is more traveling than just seeing new places, and making new friends. For some, traveling has become so rewarding that they give back. The GIVE Project started at Ifugao initiated by Heiz Ramos [Journeying Pinay] with the efforts to deliver school supplies, slippers, and treats to schools at far flung communities. The success of the GIVE Ifugao led to another project took nearly a year to realize. So in a heart beat, only after two nights of comfortable sleep in my familiar sheets, I set out to Cagayan de Oro to meet with H for GIVE Bukidnon with two other travel bloggers Tupe [Trekero], and Bon [Con Tour Blog].

Lake Napalit, Pigtauranan, Pangantucan, Bukidnon

It was nearly lunch, and the threat of grey, and heavy looking clouds did not stop us. After 2 hours travel from Iligan to Cagayan de Oro City, 3 hours of sleep at a hotel, another 3 hours travel to Valencia, Bukidnon, ~2 hours of last minute shopping for the kids, and (yes we are still not at location) 2 hours by van, and another ~1 of rough road ride, we finally saw Lake Napalit where the community we were visiting was situated at. Soon enough we found ourselves frenzy packing, and arranging the items at a single room school, without chairs, and a broken blackboard that would break anybody’s heart.

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I think I left my mojo somewhere. Somehow I got stuck on August, and never got pass it. So I rudely interrupt my train of thought on this post just to let this nagging other thought out, and get back to the topic in photos.

I hope you do not mind.

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You know the feeling of trying to brave up a front, and swallowing the forming feeling of bursting into tears. The rest of the day was of that. So I am a crybaby.

With these faces, and their beautiful eyes of innocence, who wouldn’t be?

Kuya Bon was patient letting the kids try out the slippers that would fit them.

Tupe had this spot to himself as he watches a few times when we handed the kids the school supplies, foods, and slippers.

By mid-afternoon we were nearly out of stocks on slippers, and it broke our hearts to find that we could not fit a new pair of slippers on some of the children’s  feet. But we were comforted by the school teacher that burst into tears with overwhelming happiness in knowing that they were not forgotten no matter how far-flung their community is.

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 “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged

to find how you yourself have altered.” –  Nelson Mandela

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