IT ALL STARTED IN MOUNT MAKILING

Mount Makiling is one of Southeast Asia’s sacred/mystical mountains. It belongs to the league of Mt. Agung in Bali, Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, to name a few. It is located in the province of Laguna in the Philippines.

Legend has it that Maria Makiling was a goddess. FilipinaSoul better describes her here and who could tell the legend better than the great Rizal himself here.

Mount Makiling is a volcano – an inactive one, that is *whew! now I think y'know why I'm here*. Parts of the area are supplied with electricity produced from geothermal heat from this mountain. And it made Laguna the hot springs, mud springs, mineral baths centre and a very popular hiking treks of the country.

I would like to commend the efforts of those responsible for preserving the eco-system of this mountain -- UPLB. Lush forests, fresh air, ancient trees dotted the area and I can still hear the sounds of its’ abundant animals living in it. Considering Laguna is just an hour or so away from overly crowded Manila.

At the foot of Makiling is the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) – where the country’s future environmentalists, agro professionals and livestock moguls come from. The IRRI and Philippine Rice Research Institute are also nearby.

Mount Makiling isn’t just all these...

Mount Makiling is a heritage icon of the Tagalogs (the dominant ethnic group of the Philippines) – this mountain provided them legends and beliefs that made their distinct culture that eventually became the basis of all other cultures of the Philippines.

--Pisanu in Los Baños, Laguna
06 Feb 2009

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THE ENIGMATIC LAGUNA (A Prelude)

Laguna is a mysterious place that holds unknown legends and unwritten history yet to be revealed. This province of the Philippines in Luzon Island has intrigued me for some time now –

An ancient volcanic caldera? Was this the area where a Spanish priest burned the written annals of pre-Spanish Philippines? Who was the culprit? Are there any records of him?

Is this, where legend says, lies a Muslim city that was annihilated and totally erased on the map and history? Was Rizal a Muslim royalty? – So many questions on my book, really.

This is how I see Laguna on Luzon Island. It has so many secrets the Filipinos do not know or choose not to know. This area is one of the Philippines' cradles of civilization and holds the secrets of the true history of the Filipinos.

I know that my readers are expecting a tongue-in-cheek travelogue and a couple of misadventures on this 7-day trip. After all, this is how Laguna is to most Filipinos – a tourist destination. Don’t worry; I’ll feature some of ‘em.

Here’s Pisanu, on a trip to the mysterious and enchanting place called Laguna.

--Pisanu in San Pablo City, Laguna
04 Feb 2009