When Nature Redirects: Finding Adventure in the Unexpected. Stumbling Upon Don Victoriano, Misamis Occidental

I had my 5-day training on SPED in Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte, when on the last day, the weather turned inclement. The hard rain began to pour, and the wind became harsh.

After the closing program, my partner came to fetch me, and I was ready to go. I had already packed my things the night before. I was excited to go home. We were on our way, taking the main road from Piñan, passing through a spillway way going to Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte, that would lead us back home to Zamboanga del Sur. But surprisingly, when we were very near that spillway, numerous motorcycles were parked along the way, and we saw people stop. We came nearer to the spillway and only to find out that a heavy flood had made the road unpassable. My partner turned away from that spillway filled with chocolate-colored water and decided to take the route the GPS suggested.

The route we took was totally new to us. We haven’t had any idea what that route would have for us. At first, it was just a normal road, with trees along and a few small houses that we passed by. Until we noticed that the road we took was gradually going up. The houses became fewer, and the trees and bushes became heavier.

An hour passed we found ourselves on the top of a very high mountain, with the Malindang Peak on the other side just a bit higher than where we were. The air became colder, and the wind became harsher.

The road became more foggy, and the cliff on both sides made me have a rambled stomach. My eyes wanted to look down below, but my fear was stronger than what I wanted. At some point, Zero Visibility was real! We wanted to remove our helmets, but the cold rain never permitted us.

At some point, I saw how beautiful that place was. The lush greens, the visible Mount Malindang peak crowned with fog, and the chill of cold air. I think that place has below 10 degrees Celsius in temperature. The cold chill felt deeper into our bones, though we wore our jackets, pants, and closed shoes.

The Google Map told us that we were exactly at Don Victoriano, Misamis Occidental in where we were on the ranges of Mount Malindang. If I am not mistaken, we were almost 2,000 meters high above sea level, since Mt. Malindang is 2,400 plus meters high above sea level. I couldn't imagine how we made it through the rain and terrain. We stumbled on the mountain ranges and cliffs. There were parts of the road when my partner told me, "Ipiyong imong mata, ayaw lantaw! Gunit lang!", which when translated to English means, "Close your eyes, don't look at the road! Just hold tight!". These were long, winding, slippery, and very steep.

Please allow me to use the Screenshots of Google Maps to give a clearer idea of the location of the place.

Until today, I appreciate how the government made roads on top of our mountains, hahahha. I understand that it is for the benefit of our farmers to bring their products to the market more easily and faster, but for me, it gives me short breaths. Hahahaha.

One of the best things that highlighted the wrong turn that we had was that I discovered how rich and fertile the land of Don Victoriano was. It is one of the places in Mindanao that produces cabbage, sayote, and strawberries. They also had plantations of spring onions and tomatoes, and all other vegetables that thrive best in cold areas. It is also this place where rare species of ornamental and flowering plants are found. During the pandemic times, when almost every Filipino became a plantito or plantita, Don Victoriano was one of the famous homes of these plant varieties.

That experience was unforgettable, and I want to visit the place again, but not on a rainy day. One day, when the sun is high up in the sky and I can clearly see the beauty of Don Victoriano, Misamis Occidental.

Sometimes, the roads that stop us lead us to places we didn’t even know we wanted to see. Getting stuck on our way home brought us to Don Victoriano, and it showed me that nature has its own way of giving us surprises. It made me slow down, look around, and find adventure in a place I never planned to go. I may have gone home wet and freezing, but I brought back a story I’ll never forget. One day, I’ll come back when the sun is out and the sky is clear, but I’ll always be thankful for the rainy day that took me there first.