Walang tulugan in Davao

(First of two parts)

GMA 7 is fast turning its talents into travel bugs. Thanks to its GMA Grand Kapuso Day projects (the network’s way of reaching out and thanking its supporters in the provinces), I’ve traveled a lot this year (on my own, I’ve also been doing a lot of traveling lately).

In late April this year, right after I got back from the freezing Arctic Circle, GMA 7 sent us to Cebu, which – as everyone knows – is stifling hot especially in summer.

Then just last month I was still unpacking from a Southeast Asian tour I took with relatives when I was told I had to leave for Iloilo to do another GMA Grand Kapuso Day – plus live segments of Startalk.

Last weekend’s GMA Grand Kapuso Day in Davao, however, was the one that filled me with so much excitement because that was my very first trip to Davao – my first ever. I’ve been to Zamboanga and even Tawi-Tawi , but I’ve never visited that part of Mindanao – and I had long been wanting to because I’ve heard so many good things about the place.

Usually, we leave for our destination right after Startalk. This time, however, we had to catch Cebu Pacific’s first flight in the morning of Sunday and that was torture for a late riser like me. (For early morning appointments, I don’t sleep anymore the night before.)

At around 9 p.m. of Saturday, I was still in touch with my Startalk executive producer Reylie Manalo who told me that our ever-reliable staff member Oswald Go was going to pick me up at my house at 3 a.m. the following day and that should leave us with plenty of time to catch the 4:30 a.m. Cebu Pacific flight to Davao.

Our associate producer Agnes Suriaga, however, can be so edgy at times, she instructed Oswald to pick me up the soonest possible time – and so at 2 a.m. there was already a van waiting for me outside my house.

Since I had just returned from watching a late-night screening of The Corpse Bride, I was caught unprepared. Grabbing my gym bag, I stuffed a handful of clothes in it and rushed to the waiting vehicle outside. That was early morning (with very few vehicles in the street) and so we got to the old Domestic Airport in 15 minutes. (I never thought Greenhills is actually that close to the airport – but only when there is no traffic.)

At the departure lounge, I met up with the other Startalk people (plus Kai Brosas and my beloved Tess Bomb of Sis and Mel & Joey) and we could have formed a band of Walang Tulugan among ourselves. (No, German Moreno and John Nite were not with us – they took Philippine Airlines the day before and were already fast asleep by that time in Davao.)

No one among us had the chance to sleep the night before because the Startalk people still had to edit Showbiz Stripped, which is pieced together only hours before airing to make sure it is always piping-hot and oven-fresh when it is shown on television every Saturday evening.

We tried to sleep during the flight and I looked around and checked on two other Startalk people – MJ Santos and Barbara Dimapilis – who were both fast asleep. (Barbie must have been dreaming of her Portuguese boyfriend). My seatmate Richard Arollado and I, however, found it difficult to get even just a wink and we ended up swapping stories during the entire flight.

When we got to the very impressive Davao Airport (it’s like a smaller version of NAIA II), we were told that we were going to be given a special welcome. What – with the way we look? But our eyebags are as big as our luggage – we wanted to tell the welcome committee.

Previously in our Cebu and Iloilo trips, when we looked more presentable (thanks to a good night’s rest), we just got off the plane and jumped straight into our waiting vehicles.

In Davao, however, they put orchid leis around my neck and right outside the airport were two groups of young people in tribal costumes waiting for us – some were dancing, while the rest played music to the beat of their drums. Initially, I didn’t know how to react. My head was heavy because I haven’t had any sleep and the last thing I needed was to hear the beating of drums. (It felt like they were pounding my head.)

But I saw the enthusiasm and the sincerity on every young person’s face. I never had a welcome this warm in my whole life and I ended up shaking hands with each one of the kids. Oh how eagerly they responded – and yet remained courteous and polite.

I had just been on Davao soil for only a matter of minutes then, but already I was beginning to fall in love with the place and its wonderful people.

(To be concluded)