Seagull Inland Resort and Spa - A Pleasant Surprise

The great road that runs between Digos City in Davao del Sur and the municipality of Padada is broken by the closure of Guihing Bridge, which has been closed to the public for repairs. Those coming from southern Davao del Sur (Padada, Sulop, Malita, and even General Santos City) had to detour to a 2 km road of god-forsaken, arid, dusty rough roads that has practically cut off the southern folks from Davao City. In the midst of all these government-neglected infrastructure lies a relatively new resort called Seagull Inland Resort and Spa. As an update, the national highway is already passable it won't take you 5 minutes to get to the resort from the highway)

The resort started as a firing range in 2002, then the swimming pool was constructed. From then on, the place grew into a resort that officially opened last 2005.

The establishment is a rather big surprise as not a lot of folks know about it. I have heard about this resort as far back as 2002 when a big signage was installed along the highway, but no one really believes there could be a decent resort to open around this dusty area. When I finally decided to visit it, I was pleasantly surprised to find a well placed and decent resort in the middle of nowhere. Spanning 5 hectares, the resort houses a main building that contains the reception area, a small, congested gym, a spa with Jacuzzi, and – upstairs – several dorm –type accommodations for 4 and 8 persons. Facing the main building is a park that has gazebos. It leads to the big swimming pool and a small chapel. Just a block away from the entrance is a mini-zoo, which is basically a sanctuary of few creatures which includes ostriches, horses and 3 pythons.

Owned by Elizabeth Dureza, wife of the former congressman Jesus Dureza, now Presidential Adviser on Muslim Affairs, the resort is a welcome treat to locals who wish to have a respectable place to show guests around Davao del Sur. They don’t have to go as far as the Davao City just to entertain themselves or their guests. The entrance fee of PhP110 already includes a guided tour around the whole span via a gasoline-run cart or a battery-charged tram-like service. It also includes use of thegym, and the swimming pool (which is just 5 feet deep but has the width of an Olympic-sized pool), which has a sprawling tent at the middle, and a miniature area for the kids, as well as a Jacuzzi area. Three cottage structures stand nearby, which can be rented by overnighters. The good thing about these accommodations is that they are being rented per room, instead of per person. For those who are budget conscious, the dorm-type rooms are a treat.

Each 5-hectare land also houses firing ranges. In fact, the mini-zoo area has about 7 enclosures for firing competitions. A cozy restaurant is located near the smaller firing range at the back of the main building. Those who love their facials, massages, and foot spas can avail of theeir well-equipped amenities (Swedish and Shiatsu priced at P350 only). Personalities who have graced the location include former President Fidel V. Ramos, a Malaysian Prince and some politicians. I was surprised to have found a place in-conveniently hidden in the bowels of Davao del Sur. Who would have thought!

For further inquiries, please DO NOT ASK FOR QUOTES in this blogsite. Visit their website for Pete's sake. If you read through the article, it's a no-brainer that I was just a guest and is not associated at all with the establishment: www.davaoseagullresorts.com, or call their booking office: +63927-275-6121, (082)2960303, or (082)3009382 (resort office).

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Tour carts

Firing range

Chapel

Cottages

Ostriches

Restaurant

Second floor, dorm rooms.

Gym

Jacuzzi at the male room.

Facials and massage room.

Spa main room

8-bed dormitory room.

The detour road. These days you don't have to go through this punishment. The resort is very near the national highway.

Davao Beguiles

Davao City is a beguiling place to visit or live in. Situated at the southern island of Mindanao, and about 1 hour and 15 minutes of plane ride from the capital, Manila, the city is a temperate region of moderation, humid but not as it is in Manila. This is probably the reason why a variety of “exotic” fruits grow in abundance this side of paradise. If you love your dose of “Fear Factor” (I do!), then you cannot be unfamiliar with this solid crown of thorns of a fruit that’s intermittently being served as a fear bait in Joe Rogan’s compelling freak show – the Durian!

Break it like you do with a coconut, only harder because of the thorns surrounding the husk. Once “broken” into its compartments, a fleshy, milky meat of what is otherwise described by the unlearned as “olfactorily revolting” comes into being. Once you take a bite and gradually swallow its meaty flesh, you will discover one gastronomic delight that’s nothing less than “heavenly”! Ok! That statement is debatable. Haha. I once remember taking a taxi (in Manila) just an hour after eating durian. When I silently belched, the driver threw a fit… rolled down his window and started gagging!!! That’s when I realized how bad it smells for other people – so I won’t impose! As for me, I am addicted – for life! Other funny comparisons have been made with the civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs. It’s unusual smell must have some form of pharmacologic effect. I can personally vouch for 2: “a generalized warm sensation” (thus others refer to it as an aphrodisiac) and, after 6-8 hours, a potent gastrocolic effect, i.e. you can be sure of a satisfying bowel movement. Haha.


Davao is home of the most delectable durian in Asia, although it is said to have originated from Brunei and/or Malaysia. I have tasted their varieties in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, but nothing comes close to Davao’s durians, regardless of the different hybrids that’s been coming out of late (the Puyat almost always never disappoints; lately though, in Davao del Sur, there have been Malaysian breeds which were renamed “Cojuangco” in honor of the millionaire-owner cultivating them). The price differs depending on the day you purchase it. There used to be a season for it, but its popularity has made it an all-year-round delicacy. These days, a regular sized durian would fetch between PhP50-80/kilo, roughly Php 160 per piece. Some fruits can be bought already-extracted and frozen in a plastic box, but then where’s the fun when you won’t see the thorny exterior crack? And it doesn’t taste as fresh as it should!

Other fruits thrive in Davao – the pomelo, mangosteen, lansones (which is already being sold these days), marang, mangoes, watermelon, etc. Another tourist come-on of this city is the relatively inexpensive standard of living. If you live in Manila and you get to visit Davao, you will notice how, except for the plane fare, everything comes cheap in the city. Seafood and local delicacies abound. In fact, you can stay for 2 weeks in the city and try a different “buffet” restaurant every day. I can mention “Kuya Ed’s” which boasts of a PhP99 buffet every meal. It gets too congested though especially during the weekend, but then there are a myriad of buffet places dotting the city!

Davao City is an amalgam of things cosmopolitan and basic, urban and rural, and one of the safest cities in Asia. There are probably about a dozen malls – including SM Shoemart, NCCC, Gaisano, and the new and sophisticated but sedate, Chimes. Though most taxis are rundown Kia cars, the city government has started to plan for its phaseout. The taxi drivers are relatively polite and honest (although this doesn’t mean there are no “monsters” – there’s always one anywhere in the world). There’s no Starbucks yet, but there are several alternatives including Blugre, which even serves durian coffee. These days, with just PhP2,600 ($62), you can fly to Davao from Manila and enjoy the laidback atmosphere that makes this city truly a haven for the weary!

A Reminder

Davao is a smoke-free city, and its stern yet revered mayor has made sure you won't have a pleasant stay if you break this city ordinance - so beware!

Trivia on durian:

It is genetically related to the following: hibiscus (gumamela), cotton and okra!

Chimes has a glam atmosphere and doesn't have the zany crowd of SM. Its front row of restaurants offers cafes and restaurants like Figaro, Red Ribbon, and Banana Leaf (a Thai restaurant).

Puto ( a rice cake), pineapple and watermelon - from the dessert table of Kuya Ed's.

A vision of poetry - and serenity - in the bowels of Davao del Sur - 1 1/2 hours from the city!

Sun-kissed and picture perfect!

Piles of sugarcanes. It's harvest time!

This is a favorite area when plying the road from SM Davao to San Pedro Street. This view from the bridge is where the river meets the sea.


The durian!

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Short Film: “Bulong” (Whisper) by Pedro Valdes - plus the new face of Greenbelt

Film Commentary:

In the undisclosed future, the world has been reduced into a utopian society of conformity and passivity. A good majority of the population works at a “center” that somehow voyeuristically scrutinizes the movement of its minions. There is a blatant rutfest of humanity’s aggressive soul. Set among monitor-congested offices, 2 souls (Julio and Grace) are spotlighted as they live their robotic existence amidst a society that suppresses all forms of active cognition and participation. Into this impersonal community, a seemingly ordinary “worker”Julio (Sid Lucero) starts hearing voices that commands actions that would otherwise risk his job and his well-being. Soon thereafter, he starts to abide by the voice’s commands. He is immediately set at odds with his girlfriend (Maita Ponce) who senses the former’s distracted demeanor. Is he spiraling down a bottomless pit that may cost him everything - his job, his relationship with Grace and his sanity?

Intended as a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of a Dante Alegheiri tale, this briskly and meticulously edited work boasts of haunting imagery and an inspired black-and-white photography, rendering a perfect atmosphere to its dark theme of indifference, paranoia and man’s internal capacity to breakout from any form of constraint! With its myopic philosophical musings, one can’t help but be transported to a world that we sure hope we don’t fall into! Sid Lucero is intense, sympathetic and succeeds with aplomb. The director’s vision that started with a sense of grave serenity soon unravels into a frenetic fight for self. This was expertly handled, without the awkwardness that’s usually evident among new directors. Though it may be too early to hail director Pedro Valdes (aka theater’s new wunderkind Joaqui Valdez after his stint as Jack in NVC’s “Into the Woods”) as an emerging filmmaker to reckon with, he sure is a promising find. He knows his media well, and he is comfortable with his narrative as well as his directions. His cinematic vision packs a wallop! No wonder this work was produced by Butch Jimenez (who graced the screening that night)!

If you are tired of your usual weekend soiree, try visiting Serendra’s Fully Booked (Bonifacio High Street - The Fort) and catch Valdes’ short film, “Bulong” (Whisper) for free! It screens this Saturday - April 19th - at 8 PM. If you can’t make it, call Fully Booked and “insist” for another screening! This ouvre deserves to be seen by more people. You will be amazed how a complicated subject is expertly and compellingly tackled in less than 30 minutes! And did I say it was for “free”?







Since you are there already, go check out the 5 levels of Fully Booked. I have to warn you, you just might lose yourself there. And I found myself going home with 4 more novels to read! Darn! LOL

From there, I found myself roaming the new wing of Greenbelt, the fifth! Compared to the opulence of Greenbelt 2 and 3, Greenbelt 5 is a study of understated elegance – intimate, a little less spacious, yet posh! Had dessert at Fely’s Restaurant (at the 2nd floor – which has horrible serving practices – it took them 20 minutes just to get my order, considering they didn’t have other customers!). Saw that BeBench runner-up John, with his mom – who acted as his personal photographer. Awww!


Greenbelt 5 - Are those teak wood?