At the summit of Pinagbanderahan, Gulugod Baboy’s highest peakThe province of Batangas is a huge area subdivided into 31 municipalities and three cities. Loads of interesting tourist sites abound here, such as Taal Volcano, the heritage town of Taal and beaches in Nasugbu, Calatagan and San Juan.

In southern Batangas, one can find the so-called birthplace of Philippine diving—Anilao, Mabini.

Even though Anilao prides itself on this water-related hobby, a mountain called Gulugod Baboy can also be found in the area.

Gulugod Baboy, which literally means “pig’s spine,” is a range of minor peaks.

We arrived at 10 a.m. at Philpan Dive Resort, which was the jump-off point going to Mt. Gulugod Baboy.

We began our trudge via a long uphill cemented road and stopped to take photos beside a sign that said “This way to Gulogod Baboy” [sic], which we be lieved would be the start of the summit assault.

After 30 minutes of continuous uphill trekking, we arrived at a resting station. Halo-halo,buko juice and soft drinks were sold nearby.

According to some trekkers, Mt. Gulugod Baboy has three peaks: Gulugod Baboy, Gitna and Pinagbanderahan.

At 12:15 p.m., I reached the first peak (460 meters above sea level). From here, you could see the islands of Maricaban and Sombrero in the distance.

The next peak (485 MASL) was summited at 12:35 p.m., while the highest peak (520 MASL) was finally conquered at 1 p.m.

Pinagbanderahan can be translated as “where the flag was hoisted.” In World War II, Japanese airmen had a mishap and crash-landed on the slopes of Gulugod Baboy. To celebrate their survival, they planted a flag at the summit. Since then, locals called it “Pinagbanderahan.”

As I descended, I once more dropped by a resting station. At 2:45 p.m., we arrived at Balayan View restaurant near the jumpoff point for lunch.

To conclude our trip, we refreshed ourselves in the “atmosphere” of Sombrero Island. We proceeded to our next destination on two rented 10-seater boats.

At 4:05 p.m., we reached the island and were amazed by the white sand surrounding the area. The view and the water were great except for instances when some of us were stung by jellyfish.

Before we said our good-byes, we paid the island caretaker and alighted from our boats at the jump-off area.

Undoubtedly, this trip was one of the best I ever had. (Excerpted from http://larga-bista.blogspot.com) (Story/Photos by: Gerbs de Castro)

Natural benches on Sombrero Island