For hikers, the mountain peaks of Maragondon in Cavite offer both adventure and a touch of history. The iconic monolith of Mt. Pico de Loro and the fortress-like summit of Mt. Marami are the favorite destinations among novice and veteran hikers alike. However, many don’t know what the kinky stories of the Maragondon mountains have to offer.
“May kuwento ito. At lahat ng babanggitin ko, pangalan siya ng mga bundok,” said Ronnie Unas, the town’s tour coordinator.
“Nagsimula ito sa Mt. Bahay na Bato (stone house). Sa Bahay na Bato, may Mt. Hagdan (staircase). Pagkatapos umakyat ng hagdan, makikita ang Mt. Silyang Bato (stone chair),” he said.
As he continued, this is where the stories of mountains begin to get unusual, which some may even consider kinky.
“Sa Silyang Bato, may Mt. Nagkandong. Pagkatapos magkandong, may Mt. Nagpatong. Pagkatapos magpatong, siyempre may Mt. Nagputok,” he said.
“Pagkatapos pumutok, syempre makakakita ka ng mga tala. Kaya ang sumunod diyan ay ang Mt. Tala,” he said, drawing laughter.
“Pagkatapos pumutok, syempre Mt. Buntis (pregnant). Pagkatapos magbuntis, nag Mt. Bunga (fruit) nang Mt. Marami (plenty), kasi maraming naging bunga.” he added.
According to Unas, he’s told these stories for many years but most tourists did not actually believe they are true.
“Akala nila nagbibiro lang. Matanda na ako at bago pa ipanganak ang tatay ko ay nandiyan na ang kwentong iyan. Kahit tanungin mo ang mga magkakawayan diyan sa mga bundok, ayan din ang ikukwento nila sa inyo.”
They also have a barrio and its waterfalls called Pantihan, which is pronounced like female’s underwear.
Meanwhile, there is also Bundok ng Niyog and Mt. Lagundi. Since the town’s primary product is kawayan or bamboo, Mt. Kaykawayan also sounds close to nature.
Photo courtesy by Lakwatsero Caviteno
Aside from their unusual names, the tourism coordinator added some of these mountains such are also regarded as historical trails. Mt. Buntis and Mt. Nagpatong, for instance, are witnesses to Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio’s final hours. A shrine marks the spot where the most famous leader of the Philippine Revolution was executed on May 10, 1897.
The old folks also believed that the Katipuneros camped out in the woods with their families to hide during the Spanish revolution.
Currently, Maragondon has more than 40 peaks and there are still more they haven’t explored. The local government estimated that there are more than 60 mountains in the town and they are inviting hikers to discover more of them.