Photo Essay: Rain in Bukidnon

Water makes me happy. And I am not alone. In the drier regions of India, rain lifts people’s moods. In Botswana, the word for rain, pula, is also their currency’s name, a tribute to pula‘s economic impact.

I like taking a bus ride in the countryside while it rains. In some of these photos, I have a better deal. One of my closest friends, Fr. Ogie Cabayao SJ, drives me through Cabanglasan. The photos below have been taken on my way to the Jesuit mission areas of Bukidnon where rain has its primary impact on agriculture.

In an effort to protect the rainforests of this region in Mindanao, the Jesuits have taken upon themselves the protection of these forests within its mission territories. Illegal loggers and unrestrained planting practices such as the kaingin (slash and burn) system have greatly diminished primary growths. The impact of these practices is a greater degree of soil erosion. You can see erosion when the Pulangi River that snakes into the depths of Bukidnon readily turns brown, carrying the rich topsoil into Macajalar Bay.

Pope Francis said in his recent encyclical, Laudato Si,

“A great challenge: Stop ruining the garden which God has entrusted to us so that all may enjoy it.”

Let’s go back to this ride. When it rains while on a journey, I love listening to Original Pilipino Music (OPM) like Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka (Regine Velasquez and San Miguel Master Chorale), Pumapatak Na Naman ang Ulan (Apo Hiking Society), and the contemporary Ulan (Cueshé), Rain Rain (Nyoy Volante). Check MYX’s OPM Tag-Ulan Playlist here. It’s a pa-senti kind of thing.

Enjoy the photos.