Discovering Davao Oriental – Subangan Museum
Coming from the Sleeping Dinosaur, we arrived a little bit early at the Subangan Museum.
From the entrance, the skeletal remains of Davor, the Sperm Whale graces the central portion of the building. Also, the area’s adored by blue hues as if it is still swimming in the olden days.
Davor the Sperm Whale
Davor, short for DAVao ORiental, is at 53 feet long and weighing 20 metric tons (live weight), it’s the 7th largest in world exhibits. To add, Davor’s remains was found washed out in the shores of Governor Generoso, testifying how rich the marine biodiversity of the province is.
It is also the museum’s focal point and everything about the province revolves around it – as it is the concept of Subangan.
We were then ushered to the second floor where the first part of the exhibit lies – Mt. Hamiguitan. Being the newest UNESCO Heritage Site of the Philippines, it contains the world’s largest pygmy forest and series of unique and endemic flora and fauna.
Coming out of the faux forest exhibits filled with photos and videos of eagles and species found in the region, we passed through a cave that leads to the marine section.
At the coastal environment section, different marine animal photos found in Davao Oriental is displayed. Hues in blue and green makes you feel you are under the sea. Going down, the sections dedicated to the indigenous tribes of Mandaya and Kalagan is displayed. From their tools, way of living, textile, agriculture, their form of government and their culture – one will know about them more here.
Pablo, and what remains
The present day section recounts the horrible catastrophe that is Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) of 2012. The devastation brought about by the super typhoon, being the strongest typhoon to ever hit Mindanao. Moreover, Pablo was regarded as a Category 5 Typhoon, it left widespread destruction and left some 1901 people dead on its wake.
Subangan, in the local tongue, means “where the sun rises”. Since Pusan Point in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental is where the sun rises first in the whole country.
We then headed to Pangyan Falls to spend the rest of the morning.
Read here: Mati’s Ice Cold Cascades – Pangyan Falls
How To Get There:
- There are no direct flights going to Mati City. The nearest airport hub is in Davao City.
- Francisco Bangoy International Airport is serviced by Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia. They have several flights daily from Manila, Clark, Iloilo, Cagayan De Oro and Cebu.
- From the airport, charter a taxi to take you to Ecoland Terminal. Fare is around 250-300php, travel time is around 20-30mins.
- Ride a bus with the signage Mati or Cateel, fare starts at 220php and travel time is around 4-5hrs. Another option, is to take the commuter vans outside the terminal, fare is around 250php, travel time is 3-4hrs depending on traffic conditions.
- Mati City is around 147 kilometers from Davao City’s Ecoland Terminal. Usually it takes 5-6 hours by bus, or around 4-5 hours by van. Leave early in the morning in Davao to maximize your time in Mati.
- Charter a tuk-tuk or habal-habal to take you to the Subangan Museum. 50php per way.
Admission Rates:
- Students and Children – 10php
- Adults: 20php (Davao Oriental Residents), 50php (Non-Davao Oriental Residents)
- Foreigners: 100php
Operating Hours: Mondays to Saturdays 09:00am to 08:00pm
