I remembered being envious of my then-girlfriend years ago when she went on a solo backpacking trip to Tawi-Tawi and hiked Bud Bongao. Not only was the mountain located in the southernmost province of the Philippines, it was also considered a sacred peak. Two preachers mentored by Karim ul-Makhdum—the Arab missionary who brought Islam to the Philippines in 1380—were said to be buried on Mount Bud Bongao in a location called the Tampat Rocks.
A Purposeful Trek to the Sacred Bud Bongao Mountain | Tawi-Tawi
Since I loved a hike to the mountains, especially sacred and historic ones such as Mount Sinai in Egypt, imagine my delight upon learning that our party of travel writers who covered the Agal-Agal festival would have a side trip to Bud Bongao.
A Bud Wiser
The name of the mountain was derived from the Tausug word Bud, meaning mountain, and Bongao—the name of the island where it was located. A pilgrimage site for both Muslims and Christians, Bud Bongao towered 1,030 feet above sea level, overlooking the 250-hectare tropical forest inside the Bongao Peak Eco-Tourism Park—a protected biodiversity site.
"This nature park was one of the chosen model sites of the New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project or NEWCAPP—which was a five-year project implemented by the Biodiversity Management Bureau in 2012," said Ayesha Dilangalen, the former ARMM DOT Secretary.
Characterized by six limestone pillars that made up Bud Bongao's ragged six crests, the summit summoned breathtaking scenery of several islands and small towns of Tawi-Tawi.
As someone who loved the great outdoors, the relaxed hike to the top of Bud Bongao afforded me a front-row seat to view one of the few remaining moist forests in the country. Capping it off with learning additional tidbits about the mountain—its connection to the history of Islam in the Philippines—the afternoon hike we had also made me a little bit wiser.
The Long-Tailed Guardians
On the way to the top, you would get amused or frightened by countless playful long-tailed macaques. Fortunately for us, we all had a blast being entertained by these adorable creatures moonlighting as the guardians of the sacred Bud Bongao.
Similarly mischievous as the ones I encountered during my hike in Dambulla, the macaques on this mountain seemed to study us with deadpan stares, as if judging our characters to see if we were worthy of hiking the mountain. Fortuitously, none from our party were barred for rambling, and they let us on our way, albeit after an inducement in the form of bananas.
Their presence made the hike under the torrid sheen of the sun a lot bearable. Along the trail, I would sit under the shade of a tree for a brief rest, and as if on cue, dozens of them would show off their vine gymnastics skills.
A Hallowed Highland
Our guide told us that as recently as a couple of years prior, tying plastic strips on tree branches was widely practiced by both Muslim and Christian pilgrims as an offering to the sacred Bud Bongao. This tradition had then been prohibited in order to safeguard the natural appeal of the mountain.
As we approached the final assault to the peak, we passed by the two sacred tombs of Muslim Imams who were the disciples of Karim ul-Makhdum. Even as a non-Muslim and a non-practicing Catholic, I stopped by and paid my respects by offering a short prayer. I expressed my gratitude to God for showering me with another burst of good karma that made it possible for me to finally set foot in Tawi-Tawi.
As I alighted out of the forest and my vision revealed the blue waters of the Celebes Sea and the green ridges of its neighboring peaks, I felt elated at the culmination of an hour-and-a-half trek. After years of having that wanderlust desire, I finally understood why my then-girlfriend waxed romantically and poetically about her encounter with Bud Bongao, the blessed mountain.
