One of my favorite past times while trekking is chatting with our guide. Mostly, we will be talking about the trail, their experiences as a guide, and so on. One of my favorite topics is all about the origin of the name, myths and folklore of the location. Here are some of the stories, told to us by our guides while on the move.
DISCLAIMER: Almost all the stories in this list were told personally by our guides in some of our climbs. These stories were passed down from one person to another. There can be multiple versions of each story but it is still interesting to put these into writing since all of them may be considered as part of our rich oral literature.
Now if you ask them who witnessed the actual events in the story, we will probably never know the exact answer.
1. Ang Mag-inang Kalabaw sa Hulugan Falls
| Hulugan Falls |
Let's start with this story. Hulugan falls is a 70-meter tall falls located at Luisiana, Laguna. Why was it called the Hulugan falls? According to the legend, the falls used to be a gentle river. Farmers from nearby towns used to bring their carabaos in that "river" to clean them. One day, a farmer brought his carabao and its calf (baby carabao) to the river for a dip. Unfortunately, while wading, the calf was carried by the current to the deeper part of the river. The mother carabao immediately came to rescue its calf. However, both of them were not able to return to the bank and drowned.
Starting from that day, the gentle river gradually turned into cascade and into a waterfall that we all know today. Hence, the waterfalls was named Hulugan, meaning "where they fell" as a remembrance of the mother and baby carabao.
2. Mt. Manalmon at ang Ibong Huwangko
| Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola |
Mt. Manalmon's name orginated from the term lumamon meaning the one that swallowed. According to the legend, there was once a couple who lived in the then unnamed Mt. Manalmon. The husband, Juan, made a living by hunting animals in the Mountain. While hunting, he shot an arrow to a deer which killed the animal. Unknowingly, the deer was a pet of a Diwata "fairy". The fairy was angered by his deed. She held Juan hostage by burying half of his body on the summit.
When his husband did not return, his waiting wife came to search for him. She found her husband half-buried at the summit of the mountain. The fairy appeared and told her what happened. The wife pleaded forgiveness for the deed of his husband and his release. The fairy agreed to release him on one condition. She must fill nine large "tapayan" or clay jars with fruit nectar within three days. Only then will she release Juan.
The wife travelled around Bulacan, collecting fruit nectar for the release of her beloved. However, on the third day, she was only able to fill eight and a half jars. There are no more fruit bearing trees left in Bulacan to fill the remaining. In desperation, she diluted the last jar with water to fill it and presented it to the fairy.
The fairy soon discovered the deception and was angered. Juan was swallowed by the mountain and was never seen again. While for the wife, she was cursed to be a bird for all eternity. Despite her transformation into a bird, the wife continues to call on her beloved husband, "Juan ko!". Eventually, the unknown bird was known the ibon ng huwangko because of the sound it makes.
According to the guides, if you're lucky enough (or unlucky), you can still hear the bird beckoning for her long lost husband to this day.
3. Ang Mag-asawang Lawa ng San Pablo
Bunot, Mohicap, Kalibato, Yambo, Pandin, Palakpakin and Sampaloc, these are the names of the Famous Seven Lakes of San Pablo. If you've been here, you'll know that the most popular among the seven are the Lake Yambo and Pandin because of the various activities that you can do here. Bamboo rafting, lunch in the middle of the lake, swim in the cold water, and a mini-trek to visit both lakes. Lake Yambo and Pandin was such in close proximity, separated only with a thin strip of land, that they are dubbed as the "Mag-asawang Lawa ng San Pablo" (Couple Lake of San Pablo).
According to the legend, there was once an old childless, couple. The couple prayed to have a child which was heard by a diwata (fairy). The diwata appeared in front of the old couple and told them that she will grant their wish on one condition: the child must never set foot on the land. The couple accepted the condition, and nine months later, their wish was granted. The child, named Andin, grew up to be a very fair lady but ignorant of the outside world. Her parents were both traders, so they can be out of the house in few days. Before leaving, they always tell Andin to stay inside the house and do not let her feet on the ground. The young lady always heeded the words of her parents to the letter. On her lonely days, she will sit by the window and look outside, wondering what's out there.
One day, a young man named Ambo passed by the town on one of his travels. The fair lady looking out of the window immediately caught his attention and fell in love. He introduced himself to the young lady which also fell in love with the young man. The young man visited and serenaded his beloved lady. The love was perfect except for one thing - he cannot see Andin completely as he can only see her through the window. One night, Andin was busy knitting while Ambo watched her from outside. Andin was using a knife he borrowed from Ambo to cut loose threads. She accidentally dropped the knife on the floor which fell to the gaps of the bamboo floor and into the dirt. Andin told Ambo to get the knife on the ground. Finding the chance to finally see her beloved lady, Ambo convinced Andin to get the knife instead since he cannot fit under the silong (crawlspace). Andin reluctantly agreed, thinking her parents are just being too protective of her. Both lovers were oblivious of the condition set by the diwata years before. The moment one foot of the lady touched the dirt, the ground begun to tremble, the stars hid behind the dark clouds. Starting from her feet, Andin slowly turned into water. Ambo immediately came to her rescue and held her hand. Upon touching, he also slowly turned into water but he held on. The two held on to each other until both of them and the surrounding area turned into bodies of water. The two resulting bodies of water were later on called Yambo and Pandin to remember the two unfortunate lovers.
4. Ang Nagpatong at Buntis sa Bahay na Bato
| Mt. Buntis Silyang Bato ng Mt. Marami |
Mt. Nagpatong (100+masl), Mt. Buntis (280+masl) and Mt. Marami (405+masl a.k.a Bahay na Bato) are just few of the many mountains within the Maragondon Mountain Range in Cavite. The story of these mountains follows.
There was once a couple living in Bahay na Bato (Mt. Marami). Both of them did the deed atop the Silyang Bato (iconic picture taking spot in Mt. Marami). So literally, Nagpatong sila sa ibabaw ng silyang bato thus the name Mt. Nagpatong. Dahil sa pagpapatong nila, nabuntis ang babae which resulted to the Mt. Buntis.
Short story made shorter. (Mt.) Nagpatong ang mag-asawa sa (Mt. Marami) Bahay na Bato kaya may (Mt.) Buntis.
5. Mt. Manunggal at ang Makulit na Unggoy
| taken by: Sebastian Voortman, pexels.com |
March 17, 1957 was a sad day for the Filipino people. President Ramon Magsaysay, along with other government officials, mediamen and cabin crews were killed when their plane crashed on the slopes of Mt. Manunggal in Cebu. A total of 25 people died in the unfortunate accident.
As sad as the story is, we Filipinos have a way of turning any tragic story into comedy. According to the official statement, Pres. Ramon Magsaysay was immediately killed in the plane crash. But another version can be also heard among the folks in Cebu. According to this version, Ramon Magsaysay actually survived the initial impact of the crash and was thrown out of the plane. He only avoided instant death when he grabbed on a branch. While hanging on waiting for rescue, a monkey landed on the same branch with the president. The president shooed away the animal repeatedly to no avail. The monkey was irritated because of the constant shooing. The monkey then moved closer to the hanging president and tickled him. The president laughed and laughed while the naughty monkey continued to tickle him. While laughing, the president lost his grip and fell to his death. And that's the end of the story of the naughty monkeys in Mt. Manunggal.
What are you waiting for? Go out there and find your own story! There are still more stories you can find out there.
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