One flew East, one flew West...

... and one flew over the cuckoo's nest. Destination? Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines. The Philippines consist of some 7000 islands (7.107 to be precise), most of which too small to even be located on maps. Being the biggest island but one, Mindanao holds the largest city in the Philippines as far as land area is concerned, Davao City, and that's where I am heading towards. Kapwa Upliftment Foundation has its head quarters in the city centre, but as their main activity lies in agricultural development, I will be spending most of my time in rural areas near Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines. Due to political unrest, Mindanao earned itself an unfavourable reputation as a hotbed of rebellion and opposition to president Arroyo's rule in Manila. Being the furthest removed from the leading island Luzon, Mindanao has always been somewhat seperate territory. It even features an autonomous Muslim region and harbours considerable communities of Japanese and Chinese migrants. It makes Mindanao a culturally diverse, but also conflictuous part of the Philippines. On the bright side, the island holds a fair share of the Philippines' natural resources and has great potential for economic development. Unfortunately, due to far-reaching liberalisation measures from the central government, the region is heavily exploited by foreign investors and international entrepeneurs who are little concerned with the ecological impact of their activities.