You're Living In The Other Side of Davao City a.k.a. South/West Davao If:
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| The South/West side of Davao City Photo from: JohnCarlo2012 |
May 19, 2015 - Living in Davao City since birth is somehow a milestone and something to be proud of. Of course, there are many reasons why I should be proud with my city! But there are things that I've loved in this side of the city a.k.a the South/West part of Davao and signs that you're also on my side! Here are the things/signs that you're living in this side of the city.
Take note: The division of Davao City is the Davao River connected with three bridges: Bolton, Bankerohan and Ma-a bridges.
1.) SM Lanang is just too far for you - Yes! I dread this one especially when your friends are inviting you to join them in SM Lanang. Hearing the place itself is a nightmare which means, several minutes to an hour of commute is needed. I also happen to have events in SM Lanang which gives me no choice but to attend even though I have to endure the hot weather and an hour being inside the jeepney! Ready to take a bath for the second time with sweat! Phew!
2.) Diversion Road to Davao International Airport is the fastest way - There are times that when you're in a hurry to the airport, there are choices either you pass by boulevard or the diversion road which is the fastest way to the airport. The ending is always the latter one since you can travel from your side to the other side of the city in minutes unless, you've encountered a traffic on Diversion Road. It's the time that you have to pray to God that it'll be fast! :D
3.) Downtown is the perfect place to meet up - Even the North/East people can relate to this. If the meeting place is in downtown, there'll be no refusal since it's the perfect location for those who live far from downtown. Even Gaisano Mall is already a great spot! :D
4.) Air is much cleaner in South/West of Davao - We know very much that Davao has clean air but please, admit that the air in our side is much cleaner and breathable! Staying in downtown can be dreadful with traffic and unbearable air. Our side of the city can be much better!
5.) No tall buildings in sight but lots of condominiums and houses - Yes, we do admit that we don't have much tall buildings but the condominiums and houses dominated which means, more residents living in our side!
6.) We're more laid-back - Yes, we can be busy at times but there are like a pocket of busy section in our side. But overall, the laid-back atmosphere is present at all times!
7.) Toril jeeps are like Fast and Furious - C'mon! You haven't experienced living in the South/West if you haven't rode in one of the Toril jeeps specifically the fast ones. The large ones are like the ones who'll make your soul be left behind and fend for itself as these jeepneys can go really fast like you're in a car chase. :D
8.) Toril, Mintal, Calinan and Tugbok peeps are always in the 'Amazing Race' mode - These peeps every early morning line up in designated areas where jeeps make their stop for the passengers. But if the jeepneys are just so scarce, they'll treat these jeepneys like gold mine as they have to race with all their gusto and please admit that some of the passengers would find a good spot for them to sit comfortably! :D
9.) North/East side of Davao can be considered as another city - Since studying in PWC, I've considered the other side of Davao as a city since they can be too far from where I am. Even the popular malls and most of the restaurants in the other side of the city is a foreign land to me! :D
10.) Malls nearby are considered second home - It's either you want to buy something, eat or just stroll, just admit that you considered these nearby malls your second home! Whether it's NCCC or SM City Davao (Even G-Mall Toril!), there will be a day that you have the urge to roam around and eat at these malls! :D
11.) MTS or Matina Town Square is the ultimate hangout! - Hanging out with your friends and family is a must. It can be on weekly basis or once in a while but if there's a place to have fun, eat and listen to the cool music, don't miss out MTS! It has everything from a hearty meal at Keepsakes, to delectable yet affordable pasta at Taste of Home, to humongous pizzas at Calda, to the well-known pick your own ingredients at Aling Foping's Halo-halo, everything is in there!
12.) Matina Crossing traffic is HELL! - Especially if during rush hours where everyone wants to go home and rest but please, please not in 5 to 7 PM! As much as possible, find a shortcut that can lead to your destination BUT, if your plan is to eat at Jollibee in Matina Crossing or you want to workout at Matina South Health Studio, better cross your fingers!
13.) Tourist Attractions and Resorts are on this side of the city! - Crocodile Park, Butterfly Garden, Ziplines, Philippine Eagle, Malagos Garden Resort, Eden Nature Resort, Loleng's Mountain Spring Resort, Mt. Haven Resort, Deca Wakeboard Park, Forest Hill Resort, Mergrande Ocean Resort, Emar's Wavepool Resort.. Just tons of them! Eco-tourism thrives in South/West of Davao City! Need to say more? :D
14.) Going to Pink Sisters and St. Francis Xavier Seminary is considered an uphill climbing: How can I miss out this one? If you're a newbie driver and want some challenge, this might fit for you! But seriously, this road leading to these destinations are just so steep that you'll end up praying that all of you on board can get through easily. :D
Well, did I miss something? If I do, just write a comment and share something! Let's just have fun South/West Davao peeps! :D
CIAO!
Thanks for reading!
I see a lot of beautiful pictures of Davao. I would love to visit it someday.
ReplyDeleteVisit during August 2nd to 3rd week. It is Kadayawan Festival :) seafoods especially tuna are cheap here in our City :)
DeleteI've never been to Davao but I know one of the famous beach there Dakak. I always wanted to got there. But with all this Muslims and war and I was having a second thought. Reading your post enlighten my mind that maybe Davao is a safe place to go .
ReplyDeleteDakak is not in Davao. Lol
DeleteBetter check your map buddy, DAKAK is not in DAVAO,maybe u'r referring to Pearl Farm which is actually in Samal Island..Muslims,Christians,Lumads live peacefully here..In case you haven't read davao hit the 9th spot on the safest cities in the WORLD.. :)
DeleteSorry to disappoint you, but I think Dakak is in Dapitan. :D
DeleteIf you go to Davao, you will see that Muslims and non-Muslims actually live together in peace and harmony, and there's no war going on here in Davao. You can stroll around Davao without being harmed -- even late at night.
DeleteMaybe Davao is a safe place to go? Excuse me, but Davao IS the safest place to go. It is a city monitored 24/7 by hundreds of state-of-the-art CCTV's and the most modern Emergency Response and Counter Terrorism System - the Central 911 (the only one after US and Canada). Trust me, if you see how modern their Public Safety Office is, you will not believe it's in Mindanao. The Integrated Operations Center is operated by US-Based IBM and their equipment are cutting edge that can predict typhoons and earthquakes 5 days before it will hit the city. Go ahead and search for "Smart City Davao" and see for yourself how advanced this city is in terms of peace and order and emergency response. Davao has the best police office and the lowest crime rate in the Philippines. Yes, you need to go out more often and do a little research because you are associating Mindanao and Muslims with war. (How stupid is that comment?) And by the way, Dakak is in Zamboanga, not Davao.
Deleteisn't dakak in dapitan? lol perhaps you we're referring to an island just across the city, Island Garden City of Samal or commonly referred to as Samal
DeleteDakak isn't in Davao. It's in Zamboanga del Norte. But there are a lot more to see in Davao than beachess.... 😁 And there aren't any wars in Davao (the "wars" you so call are happening in a minor and secluded part of Mindanao which isn't really accessible to people unless you want to really go there). And Davao is one of the safest cities in the WORLD! Don't let prejudice and lack of research stop you. Davao is a wonderful city. 😌😌👍🏼
Deletethere's no war in davao. muslims and christians live here quietly so you dont have to worry and besides the people here are friendly but you might be taken aback because of our dialect that sometimes sound rough or unwelcoming. just follow the rules such as the speed limit to avoid getting caught.
DeleteYou might not be talking about Davao. Dakak is not in Davao and for my over two decades of existing here in this city, never did I encounter or witness any war..
DeleteDakak is not in Davao
DeleteDakak is not in Davao
DeleteGood day
DeleteDakak is located at zamboanga. They only have a satellite office here in davao. As well as in cebu. But the resort is situated at dipolog, zamboanga.
Dakak is not in Davao.
DeleteSomehow you have given as a glimpse on what to expect when in Davao. I guess, hindi pa masyadong polluted ang air dyan unlike dito sa Metro Manila.
ReplyDeleteI went to metromanila before and since i was not used to the air i got sick. There are parts in davao that can be air polluted but its less polluted than what i have experienced in metromanila. one of the differences between metro and davao is that davao still have a lot of trees surrounding the area.
DeleteYour post gave me more insights about Davao. I got more from you than my class in geography.
ReplyDeleteI've been to some part of Davao and if you were not from there and not knowing where to go because the city is really big, you'll end up being lost in any place, this is a nice picture to see how big Davao is
ReplyDeleteThis is really informative. The details you provided gave me an idea of how it is to be living on your side of the city.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this information about Davao City. Traffic and distance are usually the enemy of city's development.
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing to us the other side of Davao. I'd rather stay in this side than the city life.
ReplyDeleteOh wow I didn't know that there's heavy traffic even in Davao, but I guess it's nowhere to close to traffic in Manila. :)
ReplyDeleteahhaha so true, my husband and I lived in davao for a short period and sm lanang feels very far for us
ReplyDeletegood to know more about Davao. Just thinking, how come isa lang ang SM , pero Davao is divided into 2.
ReplyDeleteThere are 2 SM's: SM Lanang Premiere and SM Ecoland. Davao isn't divided into two, but basically sa laki ng Davao, pwede mo na nga sya lagyan ng label (North and South).
Deleteas far as i know, they have two SM. SM Ecoland and SM Lanang
Deletethere is sm lanang in the north and sm ecoland in the south
DeleteWe have 2. SM Lanang and SM Ecoland.
DeleteThere are two SM Malls in Davao (SM Lanang and SM City which is located in Ecoland). The two malls are located quite afar from each other. Hope it helps. :D
DeleteThere are actually two SM Malls in Davao (SM Lanang and SM City which is located in Ecoland). The two malls are quite afar from each other. Hope it helps. :D
DeleteMay dalawang SM po sa Davao. SM City Davao which came in first, is located in Ecoland, on the Southern part of the city while the new one is SM Lanang Premier located in Lanang, which is the one for us, people in the North.
DeleteThere are 2 SM‘s in Davao City, SM Lanang and the SM located near Ecoland.
DeleteDalawa po sm dto sm ecoland and sm lanang.. Sm ecoland is in our side (south) and sm lanang is in the other side
DeleteHahahahaha.....I absolutely agree with all of these! Just experience #14 and I love going there...hahahahaha....love the climate so cool iba talaga compared to downtown area.
ReplyDeletei've visited davao many times and id been fascinated by this ginourmous yet peace and clean city ... it's just that i am having a hard time familiarizing my self with landmarks here...
ReplyDeleteI think I would love the more laid back atmosphere at this side of Davao. I like an area with not much tall buildings as it gives you a better view of the surroundings.
ReplyDeleteVery good insights from a resident of Davao City, now I can take note of what place to go and what place to skip when I visit the progressive and one of the world's peaceful cities.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone would post about the northern part of Davao those living in Sasa to Bunawan. Lol
ReplyDeleteI really do hope there would be someone on the other side will post about their North/East Davao.. :D
DeleteI wish I could write Living in Center Davao too. Best of both worlds, haha.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Start one.. :D
DeleteYou forgot the golf courses, "indie" restaurants (like tatangs halo halo near sm, wild garlic near snr, phat five near sm, food strips near ecoland to matina as well as the "by te sea" resto, resto bars, and ktv place and many many more), the holy grail of pizzas SNR, the always visiting Mary Rose Carnival or also known as "enchanted maa", the ever beautiful scenery of the city of davao could offer can be found in "shrine" and "the view". Aaaamd tats all i could recall atm haha!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, golf courses! Dammit! Haha! And yes, SNR! To think our golf course is our backyard. :D
DeleteYou forgot the golf courses, "indie" restaurants (like tatangs halo halo near sm, wild garlic near snr, phat five near sm, food strips near ecoland to matina as well as the "by te sea" resto, resto bars, and ktv place and many many more), the holy grail of pizzas SNR, the always visiting Mary Rose Carnival or also known as "enchanted maa", the ever beautiful scenery of the city of davao could offer can be found in "shrine" and "the view". Aaaand thats all I could recall atm hahaha!
ReplyDeletePls include AirCon PUVs(Toril, Calinan and Deca Homes Mintal) - I don't think they have one on the other side :)
ReplyDeleteThis one too! I remember riding one when I was in high school.. Thanks for this! :D
DeleteTrue, as for most of the points, yet you should not really compare the north to south having fresher air and being more laid back. Also the government have a fixed location for residential, commercial and industrial establishments. Given that the commercial areas are found in the center of the city, residential areas are found close to it, the southern part have the tourist spots while the northern have those huge industrial infrastructures. Author, you should give it a visit then write about it. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI am from the south side as well of Davao and I love the fact that I can still experience the "bukid" feel of this side of Durian City.Great post, btw.
ReplyDeleteExperienced all of these! Hahaha so much laughs with the "amazing race". Haha! Proud to call Calinan, Davao city my hometown. Davaoenos are without bias, one of the nicest people in the Phils. Such awesome post! Kudos to you!=]
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I've been thinking about posting an article like this and glad that you like this one.. :D
DeleteNice post! It's nice to know more about south/west side of Davao. I'm from the north/east btw. Maybe I can write about what its like living in the north/east when I'm not busy. :)
ReplyDeleteSure! I would love to read your article too! :D
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