The Philippine Online Chronicles

My last night in Cagayan de Oro City last December 10 was a memorable one – and not only because it was raining furiously.

I arrived in CDO, as it is sometimes called, five days before to fair weather. The friendly cab driver, who took me from Lumbia airport to my hotel, however, said it had been raining intermittently all week. He also complained about the pre-holiday traffic, especially in the part of town where I was bound for – near Gaisano Mall.

I spent the next days talking with entrepreneurs in the city, carefully selected for their innovative ways of doing business. I was doing field research for a book on “Product Strategies of Micro and Small Enterprises” to be published by my office, the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation. A wonderful excuse for visiting Cagayan de Oro again, if you ask me.

I haven’t told you yet Cagayan de Oro is my favorite city in the South, have I? I have been there thrice before and my experience left no doubt its tagline as “The City of Golden Friendship” is not just empty sloganeering to promote tourism. Its people are gentle and genteel, warm and hospitable, and yes … always smiling. When they say “kamusta ka,” they actually wait for you to answer! Most of the people I talked with during that trip would pick me up at my hotel and take me back or, if I was going someplace else, bring me to my next destination. I always came away  with gifts of their products in spite of my lame protests “I don’t want any freebies, just discounts.”

One of my best and most admirable friends is from CDO. Her name is Loreta Rafisura , a handmade paper maker, social entrepreneur, Fair Trade champion, poet and writer I met on my first visit there some 12 years ago. She is a survivor of two episodes of cancer, the reason, I surmise, she is always in a joyful and thankful mode, constantly looking for ways to reach out to the poor, like putting up a library and computer center for them. We call each other kindred spirits, which flatters me no end. Loreta is why a trip to Cagayan de Oro is to me always something devoutly to be wished for. In this last visit, she coordinated all my meetings with other business women -- Vivian Libao, abaca bag maker of Puyo fame;  Esmer Gabutina who has wonderful ways with sinamay; and Litlit Mejia who parlayed her mom's home-based ham making venture into a modern, globally-competitive manufacturing industry-cum-restaurant chain known as SLERS,

There are other reasons I love Cagayan de Oro and nurture the secret wish to retire there someday. It is  climatically well situated, being outside the typhoon belt. The temperature is almost never harsh, but fairly cool, at an average of 28 degrees centigrade.

It is also one of the most progressive cities in Mindanao, with a thriving industry and trade community. Easily the most famous is Cagayan de Oro’s ham-making and meat processing industry, with 40 producers as of last count. No visitor hardly ever leaves Cagayan de Oro without a package or two of jamon de Cagayan, the most popular of which are Oro, Pines, and SLERS brands.

On my third day in the golden city during that recent visit, I took a bus to Iligan City for more interviews and meetings with entrepreneurs. An hour and half’s ride from CDO, Iligan is another beautiful , prosperous and pleasant place – but that is another story. Let me just say that there, again, I was blessed with sunshine plus a gracious host by the name of Danny Capin, a fortunate combination that allowed me, at last, a glimpse at majestic Maria Cristina Falls, which eluded me on my previous visit to Lanao del Norte.

From meeting the grand dame of Iligan, I was driven straight to the bus terminal to go back to Cagayan de Oro, where I would spend a last night before flying back to Manila the following day.

That final evening in CDO was unforgettable – not so much for what happened as for what took place after.

Up to that time, I was having amazingly good luck with the weather. But when it rained, it poured -- torrentially.

From the bus terminal, I took a cab to the Fair Trade store, along Velez Street, where I had deposited the bulk of my luggage for safekeeping. The rain started as I was having a merienda of jamon de cagayan sandwiches with the young ladies manning the store. After shopping there for more items for my Christmas gift-giving, I was ready to go to my new hotel a block away. As the rain didn’t show any sign of relenting, I accepted one of the girls’ offer to accompany me to the hotel with a big umbrella.

I must have been beat – though I didn’t feel it – for as soon as I hit the bed in my hotel room, I fell into deep sleep. It was dark when I woke up and I could hear it was still pouring, but more gently now.  

Thinking I might as well begin to work on my notes or at least answer my long-neglected mail, I slipped my laptop from out of its case. But of course, the wifi wouldn’t work – I wasn’t having much luck with wifi connections– although I tried many times to enter the password the front desk clerk earlier scribbled for me.

I went down and took the laptop to the clerk hoping he might be able to help me connect. No such luck. “The IT man has left,” he said. He must have sensed I was desperate, for he added: “Maam, you can try the Internet café next door.”

I braved the rain and ran next door to find not only was there no room at the shop, there was a queue of people waiting for their turn to be seated.

Just then a young man – his name is Orlyns and he is 19, he later told me -- approached me. “You need help, Maam?” as he eyed my laptop.

I explained my predicament – that I couldn’t connect with the wifi facility in my hotel, notwithstanding I had the password.

The next minute,  I was back in the hotel with Orlyns. A few clicks here and there and the laptop was connected.

I thanked the young man profusely and pressed a couple of bills on his palm, which he promptly gave back. Non-plussed – for I am not used to being turned down with my offers of money – I said: “Then have dinner with me. I am hungry.”

Ducking the downpour, he led the way to a Chinese restaurant, where he said they serve the best lomi in town. We had the piping hot noodles plus some dimsum while he told me about himself.  That is how I knew his name was Orlyns and that he was 19 and a senior at Xavier University studying marketing. He should have graduated a year ago, he said, but he had to work to support his studies.

During the hour we ate and talked, I knew I had met an extraordinary young man who had dreams not only of helping his family but also the less fortunate people of Cagayan de Oro. He told me of outreach projects he and his friends had organized and plan to organize in the future.  Somehow, he reminded me of my friend Loreta Rafisura. We promised to keep in touch via Facebook.

He walked me back to my hotel after dinner. The rain had intensified, but I didn’t mind.

How could I have known it was a prelude to the greatest disaster that has ever struck my beloved Cagayan de Oro?

I can see them now, my old friend Loreta and my new friend Orlyns (both safe, as they say they are), working in evacuation centers, feeding the hungry, reaching out to fellow Cagay-anons who have lost their homes and their loved ones.

With the Loretas and the Orlyns in  CDO and you and me outside it, Cagayan de Oro will rise again.

Note:

Here are two of several ways we can send help to the people of Cagayan de Oro. (1) Through GMA 7 by depositing our cash donation to any Banco de Oro branch or (2) through LBC Foundation by bringing our donation in kind to the LBC outlet nearest us.

Photo: “Bagyong Sendong photos” from otepsblogs .blogspot.com