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Quick trip to Cagayan de Oro for the My City, My SM launch. Indigenous trips performed a ritual dance.

Photo by Wayne Lim.

Since CDO is an eco-tourism and adventure tourism destination, some of the featured performers rappelled into the venue from the upper floors.

Tribal handicrafts were on display, including these soil paintings.

The different tribes live at the Eco-Tourism Village in the Gardens of Malasag. There they can practice their traditions in peace. Admirable idea; we have to do something for our indigenous tribes. I wanted to ask a bunch of questions but we were in a hurry. Questions like, How do they live? Does the government pay for their upkeep? Aren’t they entitled to some compensation for their ancestral land?

Or do the tribes make enough money off their traditional activities (Hunting and fishing? Farming? Weaving?) to support themselves? Do the children go to school?

How do they feel about being a tourist attraction?

We visited the agricultural fair at the Capitol. The towns and cities of Misamis Oriental displayed their produce and crafts.

Afterwards we had a snack at Vandep, makers of the famous pasalubong Pastel that originated in Camiguin.

Pastel is a soft roll with a delicious yema filling. There are new flavors—ube, strawberry, cheese, but yema is still the bestseller. Pastel keeps for a week, but if you chill it, it can last up to 45 days. The owners were adamant: Do not microwave! To heat, steam the pastry by putting it on top of newly-cooked rice.

The factory in Cagayan de Oro produces 2,000 pieces of pastel a day; a few of them make it to Manila, where they are sold at places like Market Market.

The Vandep store also carries Cagayan delicacies and Bukidnon coffee.

We had lunch at Tabing-Dagat, which is like Harborview except that the water is clean so you can see the rocks below.