Philippines – Manila Davao Borocay – Travel Food Entertainment

· Although it is sometimes tagged as the “smallest monkey in the world” and considered as one of the smallest primates in the world, the Philippine tarsier is not a monkey.

· This small nocturnal primate with enormous round eyes is nearly related to lemurs and monkeys, but they belong to another suborder, the haplorrhini. Thus, the claim that the Philippine tarsier is the “smallest monkey” is considered dubious.

· The size of a typical Philippine tarsier is as big as, or even smaller than, an adult man’s fist. They eat insects and small lizards, and they usually use their mouth in catching their preys but sometimes use their elongated fingers (and also by jumping) to prey on larger items.

Above: Small and adorable, a Philippine tarsier is typically not larger than a man’s hand.

· The name “tarsier” is derived from the “tarsus” bone found in the animal’s feet; the tarsus bones of the tarsier are exceptionally elongated, helpful in the animal’s locomotion as it is known to be a vertical clinger.

· The Bohol province, located in the central part of the Philippines, is known for its tarsier sanctuaries located near the world-renowned Chocolate Hills, and also in the hills of Corella (a town ten kilometers away from Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol).

· In the Philippines, the tarsiers are also found in the islands of Mindanao, Samar, and Leyte. Furthermore, the country does not allow the capturing of these animals to have them as domestic pets.

· Tarsiers are also found in different islands in some Southeast Asia Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia where the pygmy tarsier, which is even smaller than the Philippine tarsier, can be found.

Above: Also called the “eighth wonder of the world”, the Chocolate Hills is one of the famous homes of the Philippine tarsier

1. The durian fruit has been well known for its strong thorn-covered husk, uncommon taste, and strange odor, which made others describe it as the fruit that “tastes like heaven, but smells like hell”.
2. Unique to Southeast Asia, the durian tree, Durio zibethinus L., is a powerful and grandiose tree that could stand still for centuries, not unless damaged by natural calamities, humans, severe soil erosion, or diseases as a result of these natural events.
3. The tree is also regarded as the “tree of abundant life”. Its delicious fruit provides health benefits as it is a good source of carbohydrates and proteins (27.09 and 1.47 grams/100 grams of the edible part, respectively) and contains a high amount of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and potassium (19.7 and 436 mg/100 grams of the edible part, respectively). Above: Durian, “Tastes like heaven, smells like hell”
4. It is still debatable whether the durian is a native to the Philippines, but it surely originated in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Furthermore, Thailand, although not an origin of the durian, is one of its major exporters.
5. In Thailand, more than 300 varieties of this fruit were named, but few were being cultivated commercially. Moreover, in the region of Davao in the Philippines, at least 16 varieties of durian were being produced.
6. Southeast Asians in prehistory have already discovered and consumed durian, whereas the people from the western world have only discovered it for about six hundred years.
7. Due to its disagreeable smell, some hotels ban it by posting ‘No Durian’ signs in the hotel lobby and lift areas and even to the extent of giving warnings that you will have to pay a ‘fumigation’ fine if you give off such extremely unpleasant smell to one of their rooms.Above: Some hotels in Kuala Lumpur are very strict with their “No Durian” policy
8. Typically, the tree bears fruit in 4 to 5 years, and the fruit matures after 3 months following pollination. Five- to six-year-old durian trees may already have 10 to 20 fruits, whereas 10-year-old durian trees may bear 80 to 100 fruits.
9. To choose a good durian, experts say that you should not base it on the size, as when it is too big, it is prone to abnormalities. A durian fruit’s maturity is characterized by exuding of a strong ‘perfume’ by the fruit’s middle part.
10. There are several Durian Festivals held in different parts of Southeast Asia, and these include the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, the center of Durian production in the Philippines, and the World Durian Festival in Rayong and Chanthaburi provinces in East Thailand.

Above: An image of the “King Durian” (as the Thai letters below say) made of Durian spikes