by Jims Vincent Capuno
Davao City evokes in one’s mind delectable fruits (the pungent durian, antioxidants-laden mangosteen, sweet seedless pomelo, and tasty banana), fine beaches (Samal Island is just five minutes away by boat), and religious sites (historic San Pedro Cathedral and the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague).
Unknown to most “outsiders”, Davao City is also one of the top eco-tourism destinations in the Philippines. The Ecotourism Society defines eco-tourism as “purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.”
In a workshop conducted at Los Baños, Laguna a few years back, eco-tourism was defined as “an environmentally sound tourism activity in a given ecosystem yielding socio-economic benefits and enhancing natural and cultural diversity conservation.”
Actually, eco-tourism refers to the business of nature travel. Its main focus is environmental awareness, and activities range from purely educational (such as studying ecosystems), hobby-oriented (like photo expeditions into exotic habitats), or thrill-seeking (mountain climbing comes to mind).
Davao has four eco-tourism attractions and most of them are for educational purposes. These are: the Philippine Eagle Center (the only one in the country), Malagos Garden Resort, Eden Nature Park, and Davao Crocodile Park. Each has unique ecosystems and different come-ons.
Let’s discover each of them. Some 30 kilometers northwest and about an hour’s ride from downtown Davao, the Philippine Eagle Center is the transient home of the country’s national -bird. Here, visitors will see several male and female eagles being induced to breed in captivity.
Don’t fail to see the first tropical eagle conceived through artificial insemination. The bird was given the name Pag-asa (the Tagalog word for hope). “Pag-asa connotes hope for the continued survival of the Philippine eagle, hope that if people get together for the cause of the eagle, it shall not be doomed to die,” said Dennis Salvador, the executive director of Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).
PEF manages the eagle center. A private, non-stock organization, it is dedicated to saving the endangered bird. “By using the Philippine eagle as the focal point of conservation, we are, in the process, saving wildlife and their habitat,” said Salvador.
The eagle center has been doing its best to educate the Filipino people on the importance of the bird and its habitat. Its facility was actually opened to the public in 1988 to raise awareness among those who visit the center. Majority of its visitors are children on school-sponsored field trips.
“Many of these children come from all over Mindanao,” Salvador said. “We use the opportunity to tell them the importance of wildlife conservation. Our mode of dissemination ranges from providing lectures, slide and film presentations, to guided tours.”
Foreigners also visit the center. “Knowing what they are doing and how the birds are faring is one of the highlights of my visit to Davao,” said Melvin O. Uy Matiao, an information technology specialist from Dumaguete City, after his visit to the eagle center.
Not far from the Philippine Eagle Center is the Malagos Garden Resort. Travel time from downtown is about 30 minutes. Originally part of an orchid farm that grows the world renowned waling-waling orchid and other exotic plants, the site was later redeveloped to become an ecological center as well as a getaway place for city dwellers.
Today, Malagos Garden Resort offers visitors a myriad of orchid varieties, exotic plants and tropical fruit trees which may be available for picking, and a bird park that houses several endemic species. An environmental conservation center is also located in the vicinity where the Amazing Bird show is held every afternoon for the purpose of entertaining as well as educating visitors to the park.
There’s more. At the Petting Zoo, you get a glimpse of donkeys, a breed of small, stocky, hardy horses (ponies), goats, sheep and other farm animals. All these will surely give both children and adults lots of educational fun. Not to be missed is the colorful butterfly sanctuary which houses more than 70 different kinds of butterflies. Once you enter the place, you will have the opportunity of watching butterflies fluttering about, if not wrapping themselves around, you.
Eco-trailing, horseback riding, biking, swimming and other adventure games are also some of the available amenities within the premises of the Malagos Garden Resort. I had been to the place twice and it was worth each trip.
You can find the real Eden only in the Holy Bible. But in Davao City, there is a place called Eden Nature Park, a beautiful man-made resort nestled in the the foothills of Mount Talomo in Toril. Its brochure boasts: “It is truly a testament to how man’s ingenuity and concern for the environment can create a paradise on earth, making Eden a must-visit ecological tourist destination in the Philippines.”
At 2,650 feet above sea level, Eden Nature Park offers a breath-taking bird’s-eye view of Davao City and the Davao Gulf in the distance. “This place was used to be logging concessions in the 1970s which was covered only by a blanket of wild grass,” our guide said during our tour.
Lawyer-industriualist Jesus V. Ayala, who owns and developed the area, saw the potential of the place in 1971. So, he instructed his people to make terraces carved out of the mountain slope. As this developed, thousands of pine tree seedlings were planted to revitalize the area. Bamboo clumps, which are native to the place, were left to flourish all by themselves.
Years later, fully-grown pine trees formed natural canopies overhead, allowing other trees and plants to grow and become a secondary forest.
Today, there are over 100,000 pine trees spread all over about 80 hectares, making the resort 95-percent man-made. Today, the once-barren piece of land provides a relaxing alternative to the hustle-and-bustle of city life thanks to the cool and pristine mountain air. Visitors who have been to the place suggest bringing along a jacket if you plan to remain there way past five in the afternoon.
If you enjoy hiking, you can follow the mand-made mountain trails. Carved among towering trees, creeks and boulders, it makes for a real adventure in itself as well as a test of one’s endurance and determination to finish the entire course. “Be in touch with the sights and sounds of nature as you walk along the four-kilometer trail,” the brochure entices you.
On returning to downtown, proceed to Maa Diversion Road and drop in on the Davao Crocodile Park. With about 700 (you better believe it) crocodiles, the park is making waves as among Davao’s popular tourist spots. “The park is an establishment that showcases a state-of-the-art crocodile farming system in the Philippines,” says Philip ‘Sonny’ Dizon, the owner of the park. “It has the most recent crocodile farm design equipped with modern facilities and equipment.”
Actually, the park is more than just a crocodile farm; it is also home to other kinds of animals and plants. As one visitor observed, “Although the park is not a full-fledged zoo, it is one of the few places in the city where children and adults can learn more about the rich flora and fauna of the region and the rest of the Philippines.”
As soon as you enter the park, you will be greeted by the sight of colorful birds of all kinds in their huge cages and birdhouses: eagles, parrots, and lovebirds. If you are a bird-lover, you will not soon forget the experience. Not the least, you’ll also find there snakes, monkeys, and freaky lizards, too.
Just like at the Malagos Garden Resort, the Davao Crocodile Park has also its own version of a butterfly haven. Upon entering the Butterfly House, you will see inside the huge enclosure butterflies silently flitting about or crawling on the floor, drinking water from festive plates—and even mating! The brochure says it all: “Learn the notable and unusual life cycle of a butterfly—from the larval and caterpillar stages to the spectacular metamorphosis into the familiar and colorful winged adult form.”
If eco-tourism is your thing, you haven’t seen anything yet unless you have been to these afore-mentioned places, another reason for you to visit Davao City. Better still, bring along a friend or two. Or, why not the whole family?
