- Graduations in Bukidnon

On March 29^th we flew from Dumaguete to Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao. From there we traveled to southern Bukidnon in central Mindanao to spend some time with Lyn’s family and attend her sister Wendie’s graduation.

This area of Bukidnon is known for growing sugarcane and pineapples

It was good to see her family again: her kuya (oldest brother) Lorenzo and his wife Lolit and kids Kaye and Liam, her younger brother Along with his wife Roan and son Justine, and her younger sister Wendie, as well as her Uncle Gabriel and Auntie Alona and cousins Mary Grace and Marvin Ryan.

Monday was a parents day celebration at Wendie’s school. Wendie asked me to sit with her as her representative “parent.” At the end I was extremely touched when Wendie presented me with a beautiful bouquet of roses she had made for me!

On Tuesday morning we went to Kaye’s kindergarten graduation. It was held in a 100 foot long open air pavilion beside a sugar cane field where a tractor was plowing 30 feet away during the ceremony. When we arrive, to make sure everyone knew I was her uncle Kaye immediately grabs my hand and parades me in my best Sunday faded yellow tee shirt and threadbare shorts from the front of the pavilion where the kids were sitting to the back where the adults were conversing. (I did not see any other foreigner the whole time I was in central Mindanao.) Anyway during the ceremony, Kaye got a boatload of awards including the Star Pupil Award. She also was assigned to make a special welcoming speech to the parents.

Mama Lolit is making sure Kaye looks great

Before the ceremony

The Processional--Mother and daughter

Kaye giving her welcoming speech

After the ceremony we went home and had another celebration. That day was also Kaye’s 6^th birthday.

On Wednesday the four siblings and I took a trip through the mountains down to Davao on the southern coast, a place most of us had never been. We went to a Philippine Eagle sanctuary and to a mall there and had a great time.

At the Philippine Eagle Center

We stopped at Mountain Viewpoint on the way home

Thursday was Wendie’s graduation. It was held in a large gymnasium in Maramag, but it was not large enough. Some of the nearly 2000 people had to stand for the whole ceremony, and there was no air conditioning. Temperatures were in the upper nineties, and some people fainted from the heat including one graduating senior right behind us. The processional took 2 ½ hours during which they played the same two songs over and over and over on the PA. After the processional they continued to play the same two songs and doing nothing else for an additional 45 minutes waiting for the high school principal who was late. The whole graduation took over 6 hours. There were 650 graduating seniors from 7 different curricula.

Before the ceremony

Wendie is a STEM honor graduate

a few of the graduates and parents

Wendie and her friend Rose Marie

Wendie once again honored me by asking me to walk with her as her “parent” during the processional. We walked under a long “sword canopy” of the National Guard. Then during the awards segment I accompanied her on stage to receive three academic awards, to hang the medals around her neck, and to shake hands with all the dignitaries on stage.

Wendie and I as we start the processional

After the graduation we had a feast at home prepared by Aunt Alona with a huge cake and a large welcoming banner celebrating Wendie's achievements. (Can you tell I'm proud of her?)

With the immediate family
(notice the camera caught me trying to steal a piece of cake)

The Graduates--both Honor Students

The next morning we got up at 3am to start what would be a 27 hour trip going home to Dumaguete. Lyn and I, Wendie, Lolit, Kaye, Liam, Lorenzo, Gabriel, and Gabriel’s boss (from whom we rented a van, and who was our driver) took off about 4am. The day involved 16 hours in the van, two ferries for 4 ½ hours, waiting--just waiting for 6 hours, and almost no sleep.