...Leaving for Cebu province this weekend on good eyesight is a blessing in itself. Though I have a difficulty reading things up close, that I have to move away at a distance, I am able to manage. It's great to see a macro-view of the beauty of my beloved island. I am deeply blessed and grateful.
And when I thought I knew everything there is to know about my father's province, I am amazed at the things I have discovered.
The highlight of the trip for me was going to Olango Island to see the migratory birds who have come all the way from the North Pole on their way to breeding grounds in Australia and New Zealand. They have made Olango Island, a 30-minute boat ride off the coast of Mactan, a refilling station where they eat the abundance of marine life and replenish themselves to fuel them for 3 days of non-stop flying.
I guess what amazed me most was talking to one of the caretakers of Olango Wildlife and Sanctuary who had so much to share, informing us that the birds come there from September to December and February to May. He had a name for each bird (which reminded me of Adam in Eden who was tasked by God to name each of his creation).
Olango was indeed like paradise to me. We waited for the low tide to see the birds feeding, walking on sea shells so as not to scare the birds- careful not to go too near as they will fly away. I realized that birds of the same feather do flock together literally... was blessed to see a red shank, and the cattle egret. And then the clouds at nearby island let out a crisp lightning bolt, and we had to hurry back to land as the rains came.
I will never forget the peace in that protected sanctuary. And I pray it will always be such. I hope to visit it again when some 8,000 birds who have circumnavigated the world come there in the peak season. What an amazing site that should be. But seeing even a handful of them was fascinating enough for me.
What amazed me more was realizing the great wisdom God has incorporated in his creation. "Each bird is assigned by God its own fish to eat," relates our guide. This means that each bird will never have to go hungry nor fight with other birds for food because they were wired to eat only a certain kind of fish and their physical structure was lovingly designed for its hunting and feeding.
Reminded me so clearly of the truth:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-34)
The truth was affirmed to me again when we visited the Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary at Basak, Pardo, Cebu city. I was blessed to talk with Mang Osmon Jumalon, the son of the pioneer who began the butterfly haven in the country which has since been followed by Marinduque and Palawan. In Cebu, however, the butterflies are safe and not propagated for business. He related that each butterfly species is drawn to the scent and color of specific plants. A butterfly will be drawn to his specific plant.
"To attract butterflies, have flowers, but if you want them to stay and sleep in your garden, have plants," according to Mang Osmon. He said that flowers serve like restaurants to butterflies, they feed on them, but they stay and breed on their preferred plants and trees. What the Jumalons did, while stumbling on the discovery by accident and mere observation, was to plant specific plants in order to attract different kinds of butterflies, some of them flying all the way from forests of nearby provinces. Amazing what God has done to "assign" butterflies their specific food as if the plants were calling to them. I know, so much like man, how God equipped us with specific yearnings (things that we are passionate about) and assigned us for his specific purposes...
I was blessed to release a caterpillar turned butterfly fresh from its cage. I hope it is safe and will continue on its journey...
A proper thank you to God is only fitting from me and my butterfly... What a journey it has been, Lea Salonga sings, and the end is not in sight. But the stars are out tonight and I'm bound to find my way...
Thank you Father.
***
Other highlights of the trip:
1. Sponsored and billeted at the one and only Hilton Mactan Resort and Spa for a three-night stay (yes, thank God, we were not to pay for it as it would have caused an arm and a leg :)
Enjoyed sleeping-in so much that we got left by our flight and had to wait at Mactan airport for 15 hours to catch the latest and cheapest flight to Manila, arrived 12 midnight, exhausted but happy)
2. Ate the most expensive burger in the Philippines at a whopping P1800 ++. Again, thankful that it was sponsored for a photo shoot. The Wagyu Burger was made from the premium Wagyu beef raised in Australia. Wagyu, is actually a Japanese breed of cattle that produces highly marbled beef that gives astounding flavor and tenderness. It's fat melts at room temperature and throughout its lifetime is said to be fed a special diet of beer, sake (Japanese rice wine) and special grains.The Wagyu breed is genetically predisposed to intense marbling, and produces a higher percentage of unsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle known in the world. Some say (though unconfirmed) that the cow is not allowed to walk and are hanged on the wall and massaged so as to have tender meat.
The beef was really tender although by itself it has bland taste, that is why perhaps the burger had prosciotto (like bacon) to add saltiness. In general, I enjoyed the once-in-a lifetime experience of eating the aristocratic beef...but honestly I feel sad for the cow :(
3. Eating at Laguna Garden Cafe in the Cebu Business Park and talking to the chef. Eating Tagalog food in the Cebu province, seemed to taste even better especially the melt-in-your mouth puto-bungbong and baked oysters.
Yes, I feel truly blessed. Thank God! :)
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