Amadis Ma. Guerrero
THERE'S more to Albay
than Mt. Mayon. For
one thing, for trekkers,
there are other peaks to
conquer, like Masaraga,
Malinao and
Catbuwaran. The
province also has an
extensive network of
caves, black-sand
beaches, waterfalls, dive spots off the islands of San Miguel
and Rapu-Rapu, festivals (Magayon in May and Ibalong in
October, among other festivities), and underground rivers which
are not yet developed.
The Department of Tourism in Legazpi City, the regional capital,
headed by Joselito S. Arcilla, recommends the caves of Hoyop-
hoyopan, Calabidongan, Pototan, and Cagraray to spelunkers.
In the Bicol language, hoyop-hoyopan means ''eternal
whispering breeze,'' and this is what spelunkers hear when they
explore the cave. The Calabidongan Caves, also in Kamalig, can
be reached through brooks and narrow passageways, or by
swimming in a small lagoon. Pototan and Cagraray, in Liguan
Island, have large chambers and stalactites.
Santo Domingo and Bacacay, among other coastal towns, are
resort country. And some of the beach resorts, like the Mayon
Spring Resort, fly the blue flag, indicating that the waters are
safe for swimming and coliform-free.
For picnickers and swimmers, the popular falls are the
Karangahan Falls in Banquerohan, Legazpi; Busay Falls in
Malilipot, with its seven-tier cascade; and Binugsukan Falls in
Tiwi.
The Magayon Festival, held throughout the month of May, was
focused in Legazpi but celebrated province-wide. It featured
processions (the Santacruzan), street presentations, and special
events.
On the other hand, an historical motif is present in the parades
and street dancing of the Katalingkasan Festival, held during
the second week of July in the town of Libon, near Camarines
Sur, which is one of the earliest settlements in Albay.
And in October, in Legazpi, the week-long Ibalong Festival
honors the heroes of Ibalon or old Bicolandia.
These are just three of the events in a region which holds
festivals year-round.
Outside the city proper of Legazpi, and in town after town,
unfold scenes from an Amorsolo painting: verdant fields,
waving coconut-palm trees, mountain peaks, farmers plowing
the fields, rice stacks., carabaos wallowing in their mud bath, a
long sun-drenched coastline, and the blue waters of Albay Gulf.
The premier attraction in Albay, a clich? destination though it
may be, is still Mayon Volcano: majestic, beautiful from any
angle but volatile, and often with the clouds playing around its
peak, hiding it from view.
Mayon, proclaimed a National Park way back in 1938, rises to a
height of 7,200 feet above sea level and covers an area of 465.65
hectares. ''Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines,'',
declares Isaias R. Serrano, protected areas superintendent of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources. ''And it
erupts every eight to 10 years.''
This makes me rather apprehensive. Wasn't it about 10 years
ago that Mayon last blew her top? But the assistant
superintendent, Bernardo M. Alano, hastens to add that,
''according to the Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology), it is easy to detect seismological activity
within the volcano.'' So there is ample time to warn the people
about an impending eruption.
Because of man-made reforestation, the mountain's ecosystem
has become diverse. There are agoho, narra and pine trees along
with rare flora--pitcher plants, giant ferns (now a threatened
species), and tiger-maya orchids.
There are many reptiles slinking along, and butterflies fluttering
around, Mayon, plus Bleeding Heart pigeons (so called because
they have red breasts), wild boar, labuyo or wild flying
chickens, masked-palm civet cats (alamid), singalong (Oriental
civet cats with leopard-like skin), mayas, owls and monkeys.
''Even before humans, these fauna know when the volcano is
going to erupt,'' says Serrano. ''And they start flying around or
going down.''
The place to stay overnight right in the middle of the volcano,
near the middle portion of the cone, on the side not yet marred
by lava flow, is the Mayon Skyline Hotel, formerly the Mayon
Resthouse, owned by the provincial government.
It takes only about 20 minutes by car to negotiate the
9-kilometer route from the junction at Barangay Buang, Tabaco,
to the hotel, which lies 2,500 feet above sea level. It is a winding,
man-made national road which is part dirt, part pock-marked
concrete, with simple Stations of the Cross. There are tricycles
for hire at the junction.
Along the way, children scamper out of their homes to wave at
passing vehicles. ''They think everyone is a tourist,'' observes
DENR driver Arnold.
The hotel has been around for some two decades now. Millions
of pesos have been poured into it, but the consensus among
the agencies is that it can be better maintained or maximized.
Water, for instance, is a precious commodity here. And the
source of water is rain water filtered from the rooftop, which
looks like a shallow swimming pool.
Skyline has 18 rooms, each good for four persons, a convention
hall where 200 persons can be accommodated, a dining hall with
a mountain-log-cabin ambience, and outdoor, cone-shaped
picnic tables with a view deck. Spread out before you are the
surrounding mountains, trees, the lowlands, fields, and the bay.
It is pleasant and cool here. And hanging over the premises, like
a benediction, are giant rosary beads which garland a huge
cross on a slope right above the hotel. This is the Holy Rosary
Mountain, a project of the Cursillo movement established years
ago with financial assistance from a Quiapo businesswoman.
Well-paved steps, decorated with flowers, lead to an elevated
chapel which is devoted to the mysteries of the rosary.
There is a little problem, however. After some 20 years, neither
hotel nor shrine has an Environmental Compliance Certificate,
and the DENR is concerned about the possibility of erosion at
the site.
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