When we heard about the local government’s Garantisado Serbisyo project, we decided to take part in it by running our own program alongside theirs. The Garantisado Serbisyo includes medical checkup, mass circumcision, turnover of medicines to the barangay nutrition scholar, tax mapping, distribution of voter’s ID, among others. We planned to conduct a fun day with the kids in the barrio, teach them personal hygiene, and serve them nutritious porridge.

With the help of our friends, we were able to raise fund for our project. My co-teachers, Team Bundol Mountaineers aspirants, and my family contributed cash and material donations for our activity.

Everything was set. We were going to ride the cargo truck (Saddam) of the LGU to Datal Anggas. Unfortunately, I received a message that we were going to have a faculty meeting on the same day as our scheduled trip. So, we had to make an arrangement — my fellow Team Bundol Mountaineers had to go with the group while I had to find a way to get to Datal Anggas on my own the following day.

The Road to Datal Anggas

The next day, I had no choice but to ride a motorcycle. A one-way trip to Datal Anggas costs six hundred pesos. Not only is it expensive, it is also perilous. I began my two-hour ordeal at 1:00 PM. It rained in the morning, so the road was all muddy and the ride was a mix of bumps, skids, and occasional walks on a winding and landslide-prone road.

Riding was so difficult that after we reached the last community before Datal Anggas, I asked the driver to head back to town while I went on in my journey on foot.

I had no idea how far Datal Anggas was from where I started walking. I just walked with the goal in mind that I have to reach the area before dark.

Barren Slopes

Trekking allowed me to take a look at the surroundings. The most part of the area was virtually barren and idle. All I saw was a vast field of cogon grass and sporadic trees, which were mostly leafless. I felt sad about it.

At the far end of the horizon, I saw a thicket. It was probably the last forested land in the area and there is a threat that in a few more years, it will be barren, too. I don’t wonder why it often floods in the town when it rains in Datal Anggas. The soil there is also soft, so there is always the danger of landslides.

See that the clearing in the middle of the forest?

More Teachers and a Dorm

I reached Datal Anggas half past 5PM. Fog was slowly creeping into the community when I arrived.

The team from the municipal government were housed at the Integrated School and at the Barangay Hall.

While preparing our dinner, the school principal joined us. I learned from him that there are only 8 teachers in the school and they are going to offer complete elementary and high school next year. So, there will be 10 classes. How could eight teachers handle these classes? We discussed about multigrade teaching but the principal said that it will be difficult since the classes are big. I also learned that other pupils and students come from far places and yet, the classdorm project there is still unimplemented. Students have to walk for hours to go to school.

The Fun Day

We woke up to bright morning in Datal Anggas.

Mac2x, Jhan2x, and I started preparing the food for the kids. A little later, I started to gather some kids for some games. Many of them were shy. They prefred to stay outside the school’s fence and watch. Others were interested and excited. I started playing with a few kids until they started to grow in number.

Barangay Captain Salimama joined us during the feeding program. I also asked some kids to sing songs in their local dialect. The people of Datal Anggas are a mix of Tagakaolo, Kalagan, and B’laan tribes. I just hope that there is a program that aims to preserve their cultural heritage. I wanted to hear an original traditional song but theirs were translations of a popular and a religious song.

Abacafe Festival

We were not able to stay long to join the people of Datal Anggas in their Abacafe Festival because the truck had to leave before the rain comes.

Abacafe festival is a celebration highlighting the products of the baranggay, which are abaca fiber and coffee. There is also civet coffee in the area. The locals were able to take part in education tour in Barangay Kinilis,  Polomolok, South Cotabato, which produces quality civet coffee and in Tagum City as well.

However, the abaca and coffee industies in Datal Anggas need more support. They need help in increasing their production and improving the quality of their products. Furthermore, derivative products from coffee and abaca can generate even more income for the locals, and most importantly, improving the farm-to-market road from Datal Anggas to Barangay Alegria will greatly help the trade. I’ve heard that some people in farther sitios choose to deliver their goods to Davao del Sur because they have better roads.

My trip to Datal Anggas had been a great learning experience for me. I saw with my own eyes the needs of the community there. I hope they will be given help other than just a day of delivery of social services. The area is rich; the people needs to be taught about using the natural resources properly and protecting their natural and cultural wealth.

On our way home, we got stuck several times and were stranded for over five hours. It was like fate wanted us to experience how difficult it is for people to live there and for government employees and teachers to deliver service to the people in the area.

When I heard about Lake Holon, it never occurred to me that it is the same lake that I used to know as Lake Maughan. Even some of my friends wondered where that place could be. I learned later that the reason for the confusion is the name.

What’s in a name?

Lake Holon, popularly known as Lake Maughan, is the crater lake of Mt. Parker. By the way, Mt. Parker is really Mt. Melibengoy. Here’s the story.

The T’boli people, the indigenous tribe in the area, used to call the stratovolcano, Melibengoy and its crater lake, Holon. Sometime in 1934, an American General, Gen. Frank Parker, who claimed to have discovered the lake, crashed in the site, with another American, known only by his last name, Maughan. From then on the volcano was called Mt. Parker and its crater lake, Lake Maughan.

Recently, local officials moved to restore the local names of the volcano and the lake. They now prefer the names Mt. Melibengoy and Lake Holon.

According to some sources, Melibengoy is the T’boli term for volcano, while Holon is for “portal to heaven,” from a local legend about a T’boli witch who led a pack of followers to the lake, thinking that they were going to earn eternal life. No one has seen than since. They are believed to have gone straight to heaven after diving into the water.

The Trek to the Philippines’ Cleanest Lake

Lake Holon is accessible via Barangay Salacafe in the municipality of T’boli. To get to T’boli from General Santos City, you can take a bus to the City of Koronadal. From there, you can take a bus or a van to Surallah Integrated Terminal, where you can ride a jeepney or hire motorcycle to T’boli. It is encouraged that you drop by the municipal tourism office of T’boli before going to Salacafe and sign your name in the logbook.

In our case, the organizers of the 9th EcoTrek and Fun Climb hired a vehicle that took straight from GenSan to Salacafe.

The trekking begins at Salacafe. It took me about 3 hours to reach the highest point of the trail. The trail is lined with trees for the most part. we were just lucky that it was not very hot when when we traversed the open path. The next 45 minutes was pent going down to the lake.

As we were nearing the camp site, I began to catch a glimpse of the lake through the branches of the tress that surround the lake. By merely looking at the bluish green body of water my weary soul began to revivify.

Other campers were already pitching their tents when we arrived but I couldn’t wait to gaze at such a wonderful creation. I ran to the lake shore and gaped in awe of the beauty that was Lake Holon.

I saw some campers scooping water from the lake. The water of Lake Holon is crystal clear and mountaineers use it for cooking and, yes, drinking. Why not? Lake Holon was adjudged as the cleanest inland body of water in 2003 and 2004. I don’t know what happened in the years that followed. To me, it is the cleanest lake I have ever seen. I had to wait for the next day, though, before I was finally able to wallow in the cool and clean water of Lake Holon.

It was my first time to swim in a lake and I couldn’t forget it. It was so refreshingly cool that I didn’t want to stop swimming.

Reportedly, the lake covers an area of over 300 hectares. There are floating cottages there and some dugouts for those who would want to go boating around the lake. It’s depth, however, remains unknown. There were attempts but they were not able to measure it. Given the right equipment, I’m sure, we can finally get the correct data about its depth.

Leave no Trace

While we, mountaineers, show concern for the conservation and protection of natural resources, there are people who don’t. Mountaineers abide by mountaineering ethics that we leave no trace in the places we visit. There are some people (locals) who visit the lake and just leave their trash anywhere. I even had to ask a group of teenagers to pick up the empty cans, plastic, and other litter they left near the lake. I hope that local government can act effectively act on this if they want Lake Holon to still be the cleanest lake in the country.

There is an even bigger problem. Along trail, I saw some trees felled by a certain company. I think, that part of the forest is being converted into a plantation. It seems that the plantations are crawling towards the lake. It is so sad that things like this continue to happen despite the warnings the place has received from nature when the walls of the lake collapsed in 1995 that led to the death of 24 people and left hundreds of families homeless and when heavy rains caused the lake to overflow in 2006. There seemed to be no trace of learning left in the minds of the people living in the area.

I did not regret that I decided to change my mind and went with my friends to Lake Holon. It was an experience of discovery, learning, and strengthening of the bond of friendship and connection with nature. Lake Holon is a destination I would always want to go back to.

It wasn’t part of the plan. We only talked about dipping in the cold water of Kalaja waterfall, but our guide, Dodong Garcia, suggested that before going home we pass by a cave to take a look at the nests of balinsasayaw. The idea sounded exciting but I worried. I hadn’t been inside a cave. The closest experience I have had about caves was during our educational trip to the Japanese tunnel in Davao City several years ago. I know, it wasn’t even a cave.

Not many people knew about the cave in GenSan. Most of the people who visit the place know only about the waterfall. Another group of teens heard us talk about it and they decided to go with us.

We trekked to the other side of the hill to reach the opening of the cave. When we reached the area, some birds were already alarmed by our presence, they started flying out of the cave. A few even flew past me that I could feel wind on my face due to their swift movement. The balinsasayaw are small and didn’t look spooky unlike the bats.

In the back of my head I wanted to tell the group that I will wait for them outside. I was hesitated to get inside the cave. I realized that I was there for adventure, so I fought back my fear and decided to get in. I was the last one to enter the cave.

It was dark inside the cave, given to its small opening. It was a good thing that I brought my headlamp with me. I also wished I was wearing a hard hat as there were stalactites hanging on the cave’s interior. It was cavernous inside the cave. On the walls, I was able to spot a few swiftlet nests.

The nest of the balinsasayaw is made out of the bird’s saliva. The nest could be made into a soup, for which El Nido, Palawan is known. The balinsasayaw in the cave we explored is probably the Black-nest swiftlet  (Collocalia Maxima). I have heard, their population is dwindling.

The teens were noisy at first but they were told to keep their mouth shut. The silence that followed, however, elevated my fear as I could hear the footsteps of the people inside the cave and how they cause the walls of the cave to vibrate.  Someone yelled to watch out for a hole on the floor. When that reached that point in the cave, I realized that I had to go jump down the hole into a smaller tunnel.

I had to stoop down to get inside. I wished the tunnel would only be very short, but it wasn’t. It was about 30 meters long.  After a few minutes of agonizing in fear, I was relieved to see the other end of the cave.

On our way out, I spotted a bird curling up in its nest.

I believe that the cave is part of a private land but I don’t know if the owner of the land regularly harvests the nests. Before we entered the property there was a signage by a certain Atty. Flores warning the people not to take any nest. Dodong also reminded us about it. Well, being respectful to nature, I had no plans of taking home a nest. I am curious about the taste of an authentic balinsasayaw soup, of course, but I can put off that curiosity for the sake the continuity of the birds’s population.

I feel very lucky to be here in this part of the planet, where opportunities for adventure are limitless. I also thank God that he allows me to enjoy the wonderful gift of nature.

A week after our Mt. Matutum adventure, my team, Team Bundol Mountaineers, together with our friends from other mountaineering groups, once again embarked on a journey, where we explored the cascades of Kalaja Waterfall and entered a cave in the boundaries of General Santos City and the municipality of Polomolok , South Cotabato. It is one surprise-filled adventure I would always treasure.

Macky and I drove to Cassava, Polomolok on my motorcycle last Saturday. From there, we started trekking through the Dole pineapple plantation and then through hills that were beautifully carpeted with yellow-green cogon grass and sporadically adorned by trees whose trunks and branches have been shaped by the wind and looked as if they were in an act of worship.

The trek to the waterfalls traverses a private property. Although the owner doesn’t require payment, trekkers must have their names listed in a logbook at the trail’s entrance.

We started trekking at about half past 11 o’clock. The early part of the trail was easy. It was just a long walk – uphill at first, followed by a flat path, and then downhill. What made it a little hard was the heat. There weren’t many trees along the trail. We took some rest at a hut along the way and had some chat with the farmers. Their son, Dodong, later joined us in our Kalaja adventure.

We reached the campsite at about half past 1 o’clock in the afternoon. It was a perfect spot. It was under the shade of trees and there was a spring nearby.

We did not pitch our tents yet.  Instead, we headed to the waterfalls to cool our bodies down. We started river trekking from the campsite.

The trail was refreshing, except for the part where there was a boulder sandwiched between the walls of that lined the river. It made the trail difficult because you have to do some rock climbing. Beginners will need a rope to get through. I was not prepared for it. I expected the trail to be just so easy as described by others who had been there. I had butterflies in my stomach when I took my turn because I was the one who took the ropes off, but I was so glad to have succeeded.

Kalaja waterfall looks like a large cauldron, hence the name. Kalaja is the vernacular for cooking pan. It looks like it was really designed for swimming. A pool of clear water is perfect for those who want to relax. According to Dodong, the water is 16 feet deep at the deepest part.

The next day, we went back to the waterfall for another dip. We also went further downstream to Amsikong waterfall, the tallest of the series of cascades. A steel ladder was attached to the rock wall, where we descended to catch a better view of the falling water.

We met Gensan Mountaineering Club (GeMoC) at Amsicong. They were also headed to the Kalaja waterfall. They took the Conel trail from Sanchez Peak to reach the area.

For those in SoCCSKSarGen, who are seeking for adventure and relaxation, you need not go far. Kalaja is waiting for you.

Next: Our Spelunking Adventure after the Kalaja Escapade

From as far as Davao and North Cotabato and from the neighboring cities of General Santos and Koronadal and the province of South Cotabato, mountaineering enthusiasts participated in the 1st MunaTo EcoTrek to Atnayan Waterfalls in Sitio New Canaan, Barangay Pag-asa, Alabel, Sarangani Province.

The sun shone brightly as we rode three dump trucks from the capitol compound. Looks like God answered our prayer, I told myself. Our biggest fear is for heavy rain to pour down because, as per experience, when it rains, the water level in the river can rise in no time and begin to inundate the riverbanks. So it was a blessing that the sky was clear that morning.

The mountaineers couldn’t hide their excitement as we started rolling. They got even more spirited as we were nearing Barangay Pag-asa, where their eyes feasted on a panoramic view of the valley. They even enjoyed it when the trucks started to cross the river, thus the ride became all bumpy.

After more than an hour of balancing stunts, we reached our jump off point for the trek. The books and seedlings were distributed to each participant. The books were wrapped in plastic to prevent them from getting wet.

God had been very good to send us low-lying clouds when we started the trek. All through the trek, it did not get very hot for the trekkers.
The participants crossed the river 23 times and traversed hills to reach Sitio New Canaan. Not only did they have to endure the distance and the difficult trail, each of them carried additional weight due to the books and the seedlings.

Three-and-a-half hours later, we were already at Sitio New Canaan, where the mountaineers built a tent city at our camp site. After which, we started planting the seedlings we brought. There were acacia, mahogany, and Spanish cedar. We did not want our efforts to go to waste; we chose an area where the locals can take care of the newly-planted trees. Barangay Kagawad Diansing Sampayon of Pag-asa assured us that he will see to it that the trees we planted will survive.

During the welcome night, representatives from each participating mountaineering group were very thankful to have been given the chance not only to visit a new place but to also serve others by delivering books to the school and by planting trees. They said that they found the activity very meaningful.

When I and my fellow Team Bundol Mountaineers conceptualized the activity, we emphasized that it should not just be a trekking to see the Atnayan Waterfalls. My team wanted to do a sort of an outreach activity. So, we set our objectives that included promoting tourism, supporting the National Greening Program, and the Karunungan Kontra Kahirapan program of the local government of Sarangani, and eventually, facilitating progress in the area.

The 1st MunaTo EcoTrek was hosted by Team Bundol Mountaineers, in cooperation with Madyaw Alabel Mountaineers Association (MAMA), and Magu Sarangani Mountaineers.

It was almost an impossible dream for Team Bundol Mountaineers to organize such an activity given our limited resources, skills, and connection. We are thankful to MAMA, under the leadership of Narciso Grafilo IV, for rendering service by setting up the trail, acting as marshalls, and providing security and safety for the participants, and to Magu Sarangani Mountaineers, led by Alma Corazon Gabuat, for linking us to the MunaTo Festival organizers and for helping provide transportation and logistical support. The activity turned out to be an overwhelming success.

Furthermore, we owe a lot from Quality Education for Sarangani Today (QuEST) for providing the books. We are also indebted to the provincial government of Sarangani, tourism office, office of the provincial engineer, environment and natural resources office, and the municipal government of Alabel, especially to Vice Mayor Vic Paul Salarda.

If there is only one way to measure the success of the activity, it would be the mountaineers shaking hands with you and personally telling you how grateful they are to have been involved in the activity. For me, there is not greater success than to inspire others to also start doing good things for the Earth and for other people.

When we realized that we were headed nowhere and when we saw the water turn slowly into the color of chocolate, our pathfinders Jun2x and Batman resolved to climb up the cliff, hoping that once we have successfully hurdled it, we would be able to figure out the direction.

We were very lucky to have climbed up the rocks before the flood came rushing down the creek. Had our leaders not been quick to resolve to change our direction, we would have been swallowed by the flood.

Wading through tall grasses, with mud thickening under our sandals and shoes, and the heavy rain decreasing the visibility of the surroundings, we were in a dire situation. Fortunately, we saw an abandoned shed not very far from where we were. We decided to stay there until the rain stops and to discuss how we could find our way to Atnayan from there.

STRANDED. We were able to escape the flood and food refuge from the rain in this abandoned shed on the hillside.

We were also worrying about two of our companions, Mickey and Ading, who went ahead of us. Did they go home with the members of Magu? Did they stay in Atnayan? We had no idea, and there is terror in not knowing.

It was only half past one o’clock in the afternoon but it looked like the sun has already set. Dark clouds filled the sky  and it seemed like rain fell in buckets and not droplets. There was no sign that the rain would stop anytime soon, so we decided to proceed after a quick lunch.

We spent just a few minutes in the shed. Jun2x and Batman did not waste a second. They went on finding a way out of the area. When they came back, they told us that they have found a way, and we started walking again. The path is steeper this time, and we had better be sure of our footing, else, we would fall off the ravine.

A ray of hope shone on our faces when, at a distance, we found a hut and several men protecting a cornfield from flood by creating a canal to divert the water.

We asked them for directions and they were more than willing to help us. In fact, one of the men accompanied us to the Sitio of Pinagturan, where we met the Purok Chairman. From Pinagturan, we then walked for one more hour to Canaan.

Like a series of unfortunate events, we had to cross one river in order to reach New Canaan, and it was flooding when we reached its bank. We spent a few more minutes there before Mardy found out that it was safe to cross the river.

CROSSING THE FLOOD. We waited for the water to subside a little before deciding to cross it.

After crossing the river, we passed by a village. We decided to ask the locals for directions. Before we were able to utter a word, an old woman spoke to us, “Your companions are here.”

It was a relief to hear it. There were fourteen people who went ahead of us.

“There are two of them here, ” the woman said. I was sure they were Mickey and Ading. “The others already took their way home,” she added. But by the looks of it, we were sure, it would be impossible for the members of Magu to reach home that afternoon.

We asked what the name of the village was and we learned that we were already in Atnayan. The Purok Chairman  of Atnayan, Romeo Yatot, offered his home to us but we said, we were leaving for Canaan as per instruction of the Barangay Captain. We thanked the village for their hospitality and walked to New Canaan.

LOCAL HOSPITALITY. We shared hot coffee with the locals when we arrived in New Canaan.

It was already dark when we reached New Canaan. It was not hard to find the home of Pedro Salway, our host there, as everybody knows everyone in the village. They prepared coffee for us and someone gave a chicken and a duck. The hospitality of B’laans, the local tribe, is admirable.

Hot chicken stew filled our stomachs and stories from the local men satiated our curiosity of the place.

We spent the night in New Canaan Integrated High School. The PTA president of the school, Romeo Domato, offered that we sleep in the class-dorm, but we insisted that we would just build a camp, so we pitched our tents there and saved our energy for another trekking the next day.

We woke up the next morning filled with excitement to see what we went there for. We left after breakfast, which Ading prepared. Jun2x prepared a dish from the the duck, which we packed for our lunch at Atnayan Falls.

We bid farewell and said thank you to our gracious hosts in New Canaan. Before heading to Atnayan falls, we passed by Atnayan village to notify the Purok Chairman. His son served as our guide to the waterfall.

Thirty minutes from the village, we trekked the river that originates from the Atnayan Falls. Similar to Malbato, there were several cascades to cross before reaching the waterfalls.

FRONT ACT. Like in a concert, you will see smaller waterfalls before the main attraction.

PRELUDE TO ATNAYAN. Feast you eyes on beautiful sites even before reaching Atnayan Falls.

As went deeper into the jungle, the wind became cooler. My excitement peaked when I started to hear the sound of a large volume of water falling from a height. “Finally, we’ve reached Atnayan,” I sighed.

FINAL CLIMB. Some rock climbing skills is required before you can see the majestic Atnayan Falls.

MAJESTIC. Atnayan Falls stood proudly when we visited it. It is such a delight to bathe in its cool water.

I have learned from one of the locals that there are plans of building a mini-hydroelectic power plant that will harness the potential energy of the falling water in producing electricity.

I imagined, a dam has to be built in the area in order to realize the plan of building the power plant. In other words, the natural beauty of Atnayan falls will no longer be seen. I am glad that before it happens, I was able to gaze at its majestic grandeur and bath in its pool of cool waters.

We walked with our hearts filled with joy and our memories with meaningful encounters with culture and nature.

Horseback Riding and a Journey to My Childhood Days

With my co-teachers, we headed to a farm in Sinawal and spent an afternoon with hearty laughter while recalling fond memories of yesteryears and anecdotes from work, which made me forget for a while stressful thoughts.

Not only did my horseback riding activity in Sinawal, General Santos City make me forget my troubles, it also reminded me of cheerful childhood memories.

When I was a kid, I used to spend the summer of every year in our farm. We had a carabao that I would usually ride to where the grass was greener and I would watch it nibble the grass. I used to laugh at the sight of the carabao rhythmically sticking its tongue into its nose.

The carabo is a slow walker. You can make it run a bit faster but a horse is different. Once, a friend brought horse and let me ride it. It was my first time so he gave me instructions. I had to climb up a lanzones tree to be able to ride the ride the horse because it was too high for me. Filled with excitement, I rode the horse, grabbed a branch of an ipil tree, and whipped the horse hard that had it galloping away. I had so much fun riding the horse and it was one of my happiest days in our farm.

Horseback riding and thinking of happy thoughts – it’s a perfect combination

Total Relaxation at The Horizon Spa

After a short informal meeting with Sir Avel for our Free Blogging Seminar, I had the chance to get pampered at The Horizon Spa, which is probably the best spa in GenSan.

I tried the sauna and I felt all the toxins all flushed out of my body through my sweat. According to research, the benefits of sauna include:

• Improved blood circulation
•  Weight loss
•  Skin cleansing
•  Body relaxation
•  Mind relaxation

Wow! Those are just perfect reasons why I would want to go back there soon!

After the sauna, Jane gave me a very excellent Swedish massage. I really soothing effect of touch therapy. I asked Jane what other services they offer; I want to try the body massage with lava stone. I also want to try one of their package promos.

I went home trying to scan my memory of when I last felt this light. It was an attempt in vain.

The Horizon Spa is located at JB Aparente Ave., Purok Malakas, General Santos City.

Phone Numbers: (083) 303-5086 / 09228637437

Facebook: The Horizon Spa