Dinosaurs invade Lanao del Norte

CEBU, Philippines - Littlefoot. Cera. Petrie. Ducky. Spike.

You sure are familiar with these lovable characters from the 1988 cartoon film "The Land Before Time." These apatosaurus, triceratops, pteranodon, saurolophus, and stegosaurus, respectively, are very familiar to you because aside from the movie, you must have discussed them in your Science class --- their migration, finding the Death Valley, how they survived droughts and cold snaps, their diet, and how they reproduce.

Like them, you have also embarked upon adventures, learning lessons about life and friendship along the way. You must have enjoyed this global adventure of science and discovery.

But imagine a land that for quite a time was more known for being a war zone, rather than for the beauty and promise of its children. Imagine over 50,000 students - in grade school and high school from private and public schools - trooping to the Mindanao Civic Center Gym in Barangay Sagandan, Tubod, Lanao del Norte weeks ago to see for the first time how Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie, Ducky and Spike look upclose and personal.

Lanao del Norte Gov. Khalid Dimaporo with the help of promoters Romulo "Jun" Manapsal Jr. and better half Betsy Liao-Manapsal of Moira Events made it possible that kids, especially from the upland, would have a whole week of fun and discovery through the staging of "Dinosaurs Alive." Moira Events is the franchisee of this Australian initiative that seeks to tour around the world bringing to life these creatures of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods.

Via animatronics, ten life-size robots of dinosaurs wowed (and some scared) the children, this was learned from the Manapsal couple recently after the show wrapped up in Tubod.

"It was very, very successful since the provincial goverment of Lanao del Norte is very supportive of the educational show, and it is endorsed as well by the Department of Education," Ms. Betsy said.

Minimal fee was collected, but in the real sense it was up for free as the LGU chartered 10 commercial buses to ferry the children to the venue. "Just so they would be able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience because Dinosaurs Alive will not be here to stay. To date, it is in Butuan, next stop would be General Santos with the special request of Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and wife Jinkee. But after that, it will travel to Germany, so it was a rare opportunity for the kids to know more. It was for them very memorable," Ms. Betsy added.

Corporate sponsors provided free doughnuts, hotdogs, juice drinks, sandwiches, and bread to the children, so even though they paid P100 for the tickets, the show was actually up for free, considering the cost of public transport.

And as droves of spectators kept pouring in after the opening day, the couple decided to borrow a playground setup from the LGU supposed to be given to a school. So while a group was entertained inside the gym, the others were ushered to the playground where they could wile away time on seesaws, swings, and slides.

In fact, to entertain the crowd more, Moira Events bought inflatable dinosaurs and set up a Planet Hollywood-type of photo board where parents can snap photographs of their children to seal precious moments.