The calm side of CDO

When I think of Cagayan de Oro, I have a passed-down idea from my father’s story about the city being chaotic and noisier than Butuan. I held this true even during my visit sometime in 2019 when interviewing for my undergraduate thesis. But the other week, I was privileged to visit the highly urbanized city for work-related training. Now, I have a different perspective.

My workmate and I stayed for five days at the Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village (GMETV) at Brgy. Cugman, a 30-minute ride from the city proper. I was captivated by the place even before we dropped off our service vehicle because of its exclusivity and rare trees of various descents.

On day one, right after the first lecture session, we made sure to tour the place. By then, I understood it was designed for seclusion and contemplation.

There is a mystery to the place; the big trees standing as though kapres hugging the entire village are a source of mystery. There is also an abandoned greenhouse wrapped by vines from the ground to its roofing. A bridge is required to get there, but a caretaker said it was damaged sometime during the pandemic.

There is also an amphitheater, with visible floor cracks, that can host hundreds of people. I cannot imagine an event requiring such space demand these days. But I think the inspiration back then was for mass presentations or tribe events.

GMETV gives off this training camp vibe that makes it a separate world. At dusk, you could lie to your kid about the world being flat because the sea blends well with the color of the sky. At night, it is a different beauty but equally remarkable because of the city lights and busy ships. You can sleep before midnight because after thinking about what-have-yous on the balcony, you have nothing to do but leave your fears on the floor to lie down with a light heart.

I bet it had been months since the place was booked for big events. It takes a separate, 10-minute drive from the highway to get here, which could discourage customers if some options in the city proper are cheaper. But that is the trade. For those who want to think a lot with some crickets and hideous birds in the background, it is the place.

I gained more healing and self-understanding from such an escapism-in-actual-form kind of place. I was already as far as thinking about senility and how it would limit me physically. But maybe I would still have the guts to know more because I have some more years before I turn 60. And that maybe I can still do more beyond that age?

I know now that I have such fears because I am so rooted in the idea that I am young and people regard me the same way. But what about the idea that age is non-existent? I am who I am now, not because of my age, but because of the load of experiences I braved. And the same reasons for what I will become. GMETV imprinted me that.