The road trip I took from Polomolok, South Cotabato to Cagayan de Oro City end of May was a first for me. I thought I would be going to Davao and take the BUDA route to CdO. I realized, and the confirmation from my parents and some friends, that the Polomolok to CdO route via Cotabato could be a shorter trip. It took me through six provinces for a total of 11 hours from the time I took the Harly bus from Polomolok, to switching to Rural Tours bus in Tacurong, and eventually setting foot in Cagayan de Oro City.
The only regret is that I could have done the road trip in a span of many more days, instead of having a go at it for half a day only. Work beckoned, you see.
I have taken that route to Kabacan years ago, during martial law days, whenever we would go to Cotabato City for vacation. Most of the roads were unpaved. Those trips to Cotabato would take half a day also, until the concreting of the western route was completed and travel time was cut to about three hours.
Over the years though, the old route was developed and the roads now are very good.
Kabacan is a major stopover point. Buses from Davao Sur and Kidapawan on their way to Cotabato City, and vice versa; and people who wish to go to Bukidnon, Northern Mindanao, and Western Mindanao from Cotabato and the SOCSARKGEN area stop at Kabacan to catch another bus. In fact, my seatmate from Kabacan to CdO, got on the Rural Tours bus after getting off a Cotabato-Davao bus earlier.
I saw a lot of rice fields so I do not understand why people in the area were complaining of the high cost of rice. There was corn, lots of them, and some even being dried on the highways. Mindanao is rich.
Only once did military personnel board the bus for inspection -- when entering Carmen town.
There are many school buildings constructed through the help of USAID, as well as the Japanese and Spanish aid agencies.