No, this is not a comparison. But in some ways, yes. When you see Filipinos everywhere in California, you'd think you're here in the Philippines.
Let's take aside first the "war" that Mindanao is known for. There is really no war in Mindanao except for some particular places infested with terrorism. These are only a speck of what constitutes the whole island.
The island of Mindanao has major cities such as Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, General Santos, Butuan. Other booming cities are adorned such as Tagum, Kidapawan, Malaybalay, Cotabato, Koronadal, Mati, and others.
The State of California is known for its major cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim. The other cities are known too for their distinct features.
The two are so unique in terms of culture and landscape but they both offer every person tons of beautiful memories.
Mindanao is basically an agricultural land where you see bountiful produce everywhere. The famous products include banana, palay, pineapple, coconut, pomelo, among others.
California is also known for its agricultural products such as almonds, grapes, berries and strawberries, walnuts, among others.
Mindanao and California are both major suppliers of their country's food production constituting over 40 percent.
California accounts for 46 percent of the US fruit and nut production while Mindanao supplies over 40 percent of the country's food requirements and contributes over 30 percent to national food trade.
In terms of landscape, they have many sceneries in common except for the desert and redwood forests of California.
When you travel from one city to another, you'd see farms and mountain ranges. They are the evidence of God's beautiful creation of the world.
Mindanao has its own architectural design with a touch of Filipino culture. You know when you're in the Philippines. You know when you're in Mindanao.
We see nipa huts made of hardwood or bamboo but we cannot get away with modern houses patterned by Western influences.
California has different architectural style but mostly Mediterranean where there is an open floor plan, for example, which allows for easy flow between the dining, kitchen, and living room.
You can see familiar bungalow style and manicured gardens for both.
The Filipino community is so strong in California. They have one area where Filipino stores and products are alive such as Jollibee, Chowking, Seafood City, and others. So, when you are in California and crave Filipino food, they are available.
You can see Filipinos in California sending money and goods to their families in the Philippines. This trait is always present among Filipinos.
It is always family first. Whether they work hard for a living or establish themselves in a foreign land, Filipinos always go back to their roots.
The values embedded among Filipinos are the kinds of values every human being in the world would look for.