Molave

I was in Molave last week. Molave is a first class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur. It has 45,082 people in 8,470 households, according to the 2000 Census with 25 barangays under its umbrella. The name Molave was coined from a hardwood that used to abound there.

You can reach Molave via Ozamiz City or Pagadian City when you are coming from Cagayan de Oro City. I always take the Ozamiz Route for reason of convenience and security. But it doesn’t mean there is a security risk in taking the Pagadian City route. It is only a one and half hour bus ride from Ozamiz City.

This was already my second visit to the municipality. I stayed for two nights (P600.00/night) at RJYM Pension House when I went there last March. The place was nestled just a few meters from the national highway and is nearest to the municipal hall and church.

I, however, stayed at Molave Guest House last week. It was more convenient for it’s located along the highway. The facilities were superb; it was at par with best hotels in the cities. I wasn’t expecting such facility in this part of Zamboanga del Sur. My room has twin large beds, a large cabinet and hot & cold shower at P600.00 per night only. Breakfast is not included

They don’t have a restaurant or canteen but a five-minute ride on a trisikad to the public market is not bad. Trisikad is their primary mode of transport around the poblacion. Their public market is also a host of gastronomic wonders. I do take my breakfast and dinner there, particularly at Boholana which has offering of hot soups and various lutong-bahay foods that will surely satisfying your cravings. i don’t mind my lunch coz i’m being treated by my client. You could also try BBQ for dinner. Makeshift BBQ stalls are line the national highway in front of the municipal hall every night. You can also find balot vendors at the site.

Why I was in Molave?

I had to conduct sub-borrower validation of our partner institution, Paglaum MPC, who holds a branch office there. But the borrowers to be validated were not all from Molave. I still have to travel to as far as the municipality of Dumingag which is known for its stricter implementation of no-smoking around the municipality. People there that disciplined similar to Davao City. We have to visit also borrowers in the farthest barangays of the municipalities of Mahayag and Tambulig, all in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.

It was in these travels that I discovered and envied people there. They have a working irrigation system, which my own barangay doesn’t have. With there vast area of fertile lands, I noticed that they have to improvised. They have introduced to the people the concept of mobile mill, a moving gilingan of palay place atop a big farm cart.