I have been driving through this island many times over the last decade from the north to the southern coasts and back through various routes, seeing the sun set and rise amid various backdrops.

Recent road trips reveal much about what has changed and stayed the same over the last years.

The Davao Bukidnon (BUDA) road from Calinan in Davao City passing through the Lorega point towards Quezon Bukidnon is one popular highland route. The daylong cool weather and foggy afternoons creating a mystique and a relaxing feel.

Those seeking al fresco dining experiences or overnight lodge accommodations will be happy to find many new haunts along this route with quaint inns, coffee shops and restaurants offering Mexican, italian fare and native delicacies, as their lights and new impressive decor beckoning me to try a new dish or beverage featured in social media posts.

Along the same route, the Marahan and Baganihan areas of the highland Marilog District of Davao City you will see vegetable vendors offering highland vegetables such as lettuce and carrots, even locally grown strawberries.

This is something for everyone seeking to recharge amid the cool and fresh highland air, and the quiet coziness that creeps slowly as the sun sets on the mountain. Come early and you will witness how clouds form over the valleys below these roads - a virtual sea of clouds.

As you reach Quezon the drop of the southern Bukidnon valley begins, with wide views as the valley that hosts sugarcane and rice fields and the small Mt. Musuan gently rises up the Bukidnon Lanao plateau leading you towards the pine – lined city of Malaybalay. At the foot of this impressive geologic feature is the Bukidnon Dairy selling milk and cheese products and the Central Mindanao University’s vast campus.

Over the last ten years, these twin cities of Valencia and Malaybalay have hosted new developments such as malls, hotels and car dealerships, including trip delaying traffic jams at key intersections.

Thankfully, road widening and by pass roads have mediated the effects of this urbanization, with their own roadside snack bars rising to cater to groups of travelers and bikers taking an afternoon ride and admiring the cool weather, the sunset through the trees and the views and visual textures they bring.

From here it is on to Manolo Fortich and its wide pineapple fields and the imposing Kitanglad range, after which you enter Cagayan de Oro’s highland Barangays that welcome you to the bustling northern Mindanao city.

Driving through this newly-widened highways I reflect on two things: For one, the recent recovery and growth in the third quarter that beat many forecasts, lower unemployment as we recover from the pandemic and related disruptions will expand especially in areas such as these outside major urban centers, providing opportunities and choice for locals.

The upgraded forecasts of 2021 growth may yet expand opportunity further, and new legislation to open up the economy to more investors also bodes well for new growth in Mindanao.

Secondly, I see how trade and commerce has grown in the central Mindanao highlands, as new commercial areas and subdivisions host a rising middle class.

These images of growth challenge those who portray Mindanao as a blighted, conflict drenched land of broken promises and eternal return of conflict cycles.

The drive assures me that this is not the case, and helps me nurture the hope that the fruits of peace and development will be harvested well into the future.

For videos and pics of my highland drive go to www.facebook.com/johntriapage