Incognito Man on the Cotabato run
Filipinos riding motorbikes often wrap a t-shirt around their heads to keep out the road grit, smoke, and intense sun – especially on long runs.
I surely look like a goon, but this get up rarely attracts a second look when traveling long distance in the Philippines. I felt it also gave me a bit of cover to hide the fact that a tourist was coming through town. With cell phones being so common here, it would only take a text to someone up the road to set up an ambush or a kidnapping, and it happens all the time on the roads north and south of Cotobato City.
General Santos to Zamboanga via Cotabato City and back
This was indeed the freakiest road trip that I have taken my Honda 155TMX on. The journey began in General Santos in southern Mindanao where I chose, against well informed advice, to drive alone across Cotobato and Lanao del Sur provinces on the way to Zamboanga.
Most of Mindanao is very safe to travel, in spite of what many tell you.
This trip was different. Cotobato City and surrounding areas really are hot with random kidnappings, murders and bombings becoming the norm lately. Kidnapping is especially common. There is religious and political tension and there has been a wave of immigrants (refugees) moving in to flee violence further inland. A heavy military presence puts pressure on the bad guys, but they are well entrenched and organized and seem to be holding their own.
The lonely feeling begins on the road from Cotabato City up through Sultan Kudarat towards Marawi and Pagadian. No buses run this route and most people in this 50 to 100 kilometer stretch walk or ride horses.
Fanatics do well here, in fact they thrive.
ARMM checkpoints are alternated with military checkpoints. There is plenty of room for trouble on the long winding roads through the banana and coconut trees. Convoys of troops do patrols and set up checkpoints but they are basically just holding their positions in case they have to clamp down. It would just take a message from command to choke off what little traffic there was in the area.
A tourist could find himself to be a target here, but there are none. It is very difficult to get around and I don’t think the rare v-hire would be interested in having a foreigner in their vehicle anyway. I have beat up bike that looks like a local rig and often travel with a t-shirt wrapped around my face. It helps to keep out the grime and grit, belching smoke, and protects from the intense sun on long rides. I also wear the sleeves and gloves that make me look like a colorful monkey indeed,
…but it worked.
On the return trip from Zamboanga I took the southern highway across to Isulan where the tension let up. I believe the “Husky Liner” is the only bus to make this run into Cotabato City. It was surprising the amount of soldiers keeping the peace on the southern road which also goes past the airport. They don’t even bother with checkpoints because there are soldiers positioned at every bridge, side street and shade tree. There was also 4 Hummers with 50 cals.
There is a big push right now to end the violence in this area. City leaders have banners hung up in several places in Cotobato City demanding an end to the kidnappings and bombings.
Most Muslims want a political resolution to the struggle, but there are enough fanatics in the area to keep things stirred up.
side note: I just finished the 600 kilometer run from General Santos to Surigao two days ago, and it was one of the the most fun bike rides I ever did. Most of Mindanao is absolutely wonderful but I have no plans to do the Cotobato City run again. Filipinos familiar with Mindanao will realize the gravity of that trip.
There were some amazing photo opportunities on the run but I did not want to risk drawing attention to myself so there are none.
Maguindanao
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
Hi dp
Well mate you have bigger balls than I or my brother. Neither of us would attempt that Cotobato trip, even if we did have a habble-habble each and were dressed like an Abu Sayef squadron leader. Juvee was very surprised when I showed her this page and immediately banned me from Mindanao.
Well done dp, you clearly put a bit of planning into that but I bet I’m not wrong in saying that you would have spent some hours riding with a rather clenched lubot….
Mate here it is +2deg in the daytime, rising to a positively tropical +6deg at high noon. Nights below zero. How I miss sitting in the Baseline in Cebu plotting the next trip!
Text from Bruce just before, he is doing his best… Oh. Your tubes. I am off into the city next week to buy some better brakepads and will get tubes as well. Send to Bruce and he can LBC them to you.
Cheers
Lindsay
hi dp,
sorry im in a lurking mode here. but your post above have so much more information re the “mindanoa situation” than what i will read or watch in the regular media. :)
take care and more power.
by the way, if you have any chance of coming back here to manila, please email me and i hope to meet you.
or if plans push through, i might be in pagadian 2 months from now, anf if you’re still in mindanao, i hope i can meet you.
best regards.
steve sagun
Thanks for the replies Lindsay and Steve,
I took the ferry from Surigao in Mindanao up to Liloan in Leyte and am back at my place updating the website!
Lindsay, thanks for thinking about me with the tubes!
cheers
dp
Well DP. i can only say it was good to have you turn up for a coffee and chat today. And like they say ‘ you got bigger balls than me amigo’. you must walk around behind a wheel barrow ahahah. Great hearing all about the trip straight from the horses mouth so to speak. Man you are my hero. ahaha. Cy soon.
PS looking forward to an adventure with u sometime soon. But not Cotabato. OK. I got little balls :+(
Cheers Mate,
You have some pretty cool stories about the Philippines yourself!
Feel free to jot a few down, if you like!
…especially some of the NPA ones. They would make a great read.
dp
DP,
I am looking at coming to the Phillipines in Dec 09 or Jan 2010 to rent a bike and ride round for 2 weeks. Is it safe enough to ride on my own through most of the islands – obviously apart from Western Mindanao. I was thinking of riding from Daveo to Surigao City. My other option is to go on one of the 7 or 8 day organised tours there. Tony
Hi Tony,
It’s hard to find a place that is better suited for motorcycle touring than the Philippines.
The Davao to Suirgao City run is very easy and enjoyable. You can do it in a day if you start in the morning and don’t mind riding a bit after dark.
Why not add a trip to Camiguin Island and Cagayan de Oro to your itinerary. Camiguin is a relaxing place to hang for a bit and Cagayan has white water rafting nearby.
Another option would be to take the pumpboat over to Surigao Island and check that out too.
Davao is a big city with a few malls, but it might get boring hanging out there for 2 weeks.
If you don’t have a special interest in Mindanao – you might want to consider renting a motorbike in Angeles and riding out to Banaue, Batad, and Sagada in northern Luzon. (Bontoc, Malagkong, Tinglayan – wow! follow the Chico River Canyon and see some stunning country.)
With 2 weeks on your hands, that would be my first choice. It will also be easier to find a place to rent a bike.
dp
Hi Tony,
Please check motorcycle philippines.com website or you can search SOLO RIDER TO NORTHERN LUZON WITH MY HONDA WAVE 100CC or you can follow the thread of some comments.
Thanks and enjoy your trip in the Philippines.
Regards,
Chito
Hi Chito,
Sounds great!
Can you post the link here?
cheers
dp
DP,
This is such an informational post! :) I’m a resident here in Cagayan de Oro and I am planning to go along the road to Davao, Iligan and Butuan. Now thinking that you passed this road safely, your trip really made my planned routes just a piece of pie. :)
I’m glad to have read your posts because there’s no other place easy for me to know the real safety of the roads for motorcycles outside the city knowing that motorcycle theft is was rampant 3 months ago…
I will be reading more of your posts about the localities to prepare myself for some trip. :)