I’ve always wanted to climb Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. However, since it’s located in Mindanao and I live in the island of Luzon, traveling there would entail proper organization and coordination once I decide to climb it. There’s the need to book a plane ticket, book an accommodation, and coordinate with the local tourism to secure a permit to climb, among others. These are the reasons why when I was planning to visit the Davao Region recently, I just decided to make Mt. Apo still a part of the itinerary, even though only going to a place where I could take a glimpse of it. But of course, not just really having a glimpse, but having a glorious view of the mighty mountain. And that is possible in Digos of Davao del Sur.

Where is Digos and what else can be done in this city? Let’s try to find that out here!

DIGOS

Digos City is the capital of Davao del Sur. Considered part of the Metropolitan Davao, it is at the center of three major cities: Davao City in the north, General Santos City in the south and Cotabato City in the west. As it lies at the shores of the Davao Gulf and the foothills of Mt. Apo, staying here provides a great view of both.

The city has 26 barangays all over its area of 287.10 square km, and it has a population of 188,376 as of 2020. Cebuano (Bisaya), Tagalog and English are the languages used in the city.

Traveling around Digos is possible because of pedicabs or tricycles, while going in and out of the city is possible with car, van or bus.

ATTRACTIONS IN DIGOS

I’ll only focus on the activities we were able to do and places we were able to visit when we went here in Digos City. I’ll start with the resort where we stayed because staying here is the best decision we’ve made during our time here in Davao del Sur.

DHEN YHOS FAMILY RESORT

Really, this resort provided us a perfect view of Mt. Apo!

Located in Kinambolan, Kapatagan, Digos, Davao del Sur, this resort is probably the best place to stay in while in Digos because of its location. Not only has it the perfect view of Mt. Apo, it is also near the Kublai Art Garden!

They have rooms for two and for groups of four or more. They also have a restaurant that serves meals from morning to nighttime, and a store where you can buy food, drinks and other necessities during your travel. They have friendly and accommodating staff, which makes the place really ideal for tourists and travelers alike!

MT. APO

With an elevation of 2,954 m or 9,629 feet above sea level, Apo Sandawa (or Mt. Apo) is the highest mountain in the Philippines! Located at the central south of Mindanao, it borders Davao City in the northeast, the province of Cotabato in the west, and the province of Davao del Sur in the southeast.

Mt. Apo has been declared a national park by President Manuel Quezon in 1936. It is the home of our national bird, the rare Philippine Eagle. The mountain is covered by a forest of tall, tropical hardwood, and is a place of beautiful travel destinations like the Malasita Falls, Sibulao Lake and the Kisinte Hot Springs.

Many adventure seekers from different parts of the country venture to Davao to try and attempt to climb Mt. Apo at its peak. Some of my friends were already able to climb it, which is also the reason why I’d like to try it myself. I hope to trek the country’s highest mountain very soon!

The indigenous groups of Mindanao consider Mt. Apo as a sacred ground and a place of worship. These include the Manobos, the Bagobo, the Ubos, the Atas, the K’Iagans and the Tagacaolo who live in the vicinity of the mountain itself. For these indigenous groups, the term Apo was taken from their great grandparent Apo Sandawa (source).

During the time of our Davao trip, I intended to see Mt. Apo in all its glory. It is, after all, a childhood dream of mine to see it in person. After three trips to Davao (in three separate years), I was able to finally realize this dream! Being able to see it with my own eyes and not just in the books felt so good! We woke up early that morning to see the mighty mountain being covered by a blanket of white clouds. With the chirping of the birds and the shrilling of the cicadas, viewing Mt. Apo at that time was such a delightful experience! Then when the sun finally rose up, the colors of the clouds surrounding the mountain made for such a wonderful visual experience even from afar!

KUBLAI ART GARDEN

I was delighted upon visiting this remarkable sculpture park in Digos. Located in the green hills of Bgy. Kapatagan in Digos, the capital city of Davao del Sur, this art garden features various creations and art installations by the prolific Davaoeño artist Kublai Millan, or Ray Mudjahid Ponce Millan (his real name).

Sculptures depicting people doing mundane activities in different forms fill up the art garden, with some very interesting art pieces. It also has the Agong House, which has such remarkable colors and so trippy in size! Going here in Kublai Art Garden is a must when you’re visiting Digos. And guess what, the entrance here is free!

Other attractions in Digos:

We tried to squeeze in other attractions in Digos in our itinerary but we were not able to. Our flight is in the early afternoon, and we won’t risk missing it! Anyway, if you still have time, you may ask your tricycle driver to visit Mirror Lake and Virgin Falls.

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I hope I got to inspire you to plan your travel here in Digos! There are definitely a lot more things to discover in this city, so if I have the chance to go back in the future, I would. For now, I’ll linger for a while with the shots of Mt. Apo that I took.