Mt. Manunggal Adventure Trek

If you don’t know Mt. Manunggal and the history behind it, chances are, you slept through your history class or you are from another galaxy. As a refresher, in 1957, Mt. Manunggal welcomed with open greenery to its bosom the plane carrying then President Ramon Magsaysay.

In commemoration of Pres. Magsaysay’s 52nd death anniversary, come weekend of March 14-15 the annual Paghandum ni Magsaysay Adventure Trek will be staged. The purpose of this event is to make the public aware of the raw beauty of nature through camping and trekking and likewise promote eco-tourism in the area. The activity also aims to promote consciousness on environmental matters not only for the eco-tourists but for the locals as well as they would be encouraged to take care of their surroundings to keep the weekend warriors coming.

No one can tell exactly when this mountain trek started but through the years, unselfish efforts of individuals and entities have made the annual tradition a must for nature and adventure lovers. It took the death of Pres. Magsaysay to bring life to the residents of Baranggay Gaas and Manunggal in the form of economic activity.

Near the crash site and monument is a well laid-out campsite complete with toilet and showers so if you’re not the hardcore mountaineer type, this one’s for you. You won’t go hungry up there as barbecue stalls are aplenty, but a good camp-out is not complete if you don’t cook pork and beans, corned beef and sardines at the same time in a single cooking pan. Who needs barbecue?

The campsite can be accessed via Tabunan where depending on your uphill trekking skills, will take you from two to four hours. You can also take the Magsaysay access road where there is ample parking, but you have to be early to find a good spot to park. From there, it’s a 15-minute downhill trek. JY Square is the pick up point from 6 to 7 in the morning where you can either be dropped off at Tabunan or at the access road.

You can feel safe up there as the area will be secured by Army Scout Rangers of the 78th Infantry Battalion. If you still don’t feel secured, there’s always the tried and tested tanods to calm your shivering nerves.

Partyphiles among campers would be happy to know that San Miguel Beer will sponsor a concert at night. Be sure to have something to keep you warm and comfortable as temperatures are in the low 20’s to 10C.

March 14, a Saturday, will have an on-the-spot painting contest and a climbathon. March 15, Sunday, there will be a mountain bike challenge. Organizers have been doing this for the past 15 years so you can be assured that everything has been addressed. For more details, do call Dave Karamihan (0918)960-0600 or Nigel Wenceslao (0920)953-6895.

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