Finding Meaning in the Mountains - Part 2

There's this much-raved about arts and music festival happening soon in a much-visited mountain up in the Cordilleras.  

It would have easily caught my interest knowing the arts and music enthusiast and nature lover that I both am but instead, I saw it in a bad light. Because I believe that the featured mountain does not need any publicity at the moment, neither droves of people going up there all at once. What said mountain needs is to actually "heal" from all the negative impacts it has received since hiking started trending among Filipinos a few years back. (Although upon research, I discovered that festival in question is organized in partnership with a foundation that supports communities through sports, arts and music. So I do hope that a big part of the profit goes to the advocacy of this foundation. Organizers have yet to divulge details about this aspect.)

On another instance, I advised a cousin to make sure that the mountain tours she had been joining observe proper hiking manners, like not leaving garbage and being considerate of the communities. The most recent climb she joined had as much as 63 tourists. That's a lot of people. 

Awareness on these matters I have developed after recently joining Random Act of Kindness (RAK), a group of mountain-loving people from different backgrounds and professions. Lead by professional mountaineers, RAK imparts mountaineering courses and ethics. More importantly, it organizes climbs for a cause. 

RAK actually gives back to the locals and indigenous peoples residing in remote communities at the foot or sometimes, even deep in the mountains. 

Take for example our annual Give Light and Pasko Fiesta program that took place last December 17, 2016 at Sitio Manggahan in Barangay Daraitan at Tanay, Rizal. It provided eight solar lamps to eight Dumagat families from Purok Paydas which remains without access to electricity, a basic need, as well as donated toys, clothing, school supplies and food to hundreds of locals both young and old from the sitio. 

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." -- Desmond Tutu

To know more about the successful community outreach, you can read the article I wrote for Business Mirror. Also in the story, Dumagat Chieftain Eufemia Enciso of Sitio Manggahan expressed her gratitude. 

Dumagat Chieftain Eufemia Enciso of Sitio Manggahan

"Nagpapasalamat ako at nagpatuloy pa rin ang Random Act Kindness sa pag-aabot ng mga donasyon, damit, pagkain, laruan para sa mga bata. At higit sa lahat, ang solar lamps dahil hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin kaming kuryente [I am grateful because RAK continued its donation of clothes, food and toys for the kids. Most important, the solar lamps,  because we still don’t have electricity]."

Hearing these words, I sincerely felt that I was finally in the right place and time doing the right thing. 

Now, time to see photos from the 2016 Give Light and Pasko Fiesta: 


Let there be light! Three of the eight Dumagat beneficiaries of the lamps made by SolarSolutions Inc., a solar enterprise that promotes use of sustainable and clean energy. 

Little girls of Sitio Manggahan show off their plush toys from Jollibee, which sponsored our outreach through its Maaga ang Pasko campaign.

And of course, young boys too! Besides toys, children of the sitio and the Dumagat kids of Purok Paydas were also gifted with clothes, school supplies and snacks. 

 His cuteness caught me. And he caught me in act!

Well, he likes me! :) Kilig! 

And here's us wishing all our donors and sponsors our gratitude for making our Give Light and Pasko Fiesta 2016 possible. 

(ALL PHOTOS ARE MINE.)

Finding Meaning in the Mountains - Part 1

Exhausted, I went to bed, closed my eyes, and tried to sleep. Half-conscious, half dreaming, the memories of the day that just transpired flashed in my mind. It was a blur of browns and greens, the colors of the earth and trees, of the mountain I just hiked. 

Normally, this only happened to me after movies that I took by heart. It could only mean that said mountain made the same impact, perhaps even greater.  

At the summit of Mt. Daraitan

It was Tanay, Rizal's Mt. Daraitan, standing at approximately 739 meters above sea level. Supposedly, it was categorized as a minor climb but totally did not felt that way to me. It was my first serious hike and it was also the toughest. 

Nevertheless, I was not one to complain because despite feeling dead from the physical pain, I felt so much more alive from the unforgettable gain. 

Because unlike most of the commercial climbs I bet you have joined to "get away from the city" and instead "get close to Mother Earth while"--and all other similar cliches--this particular journey to Mt. Daraitan was mainly for a good cause. 

The colors of the mountain

Held last December 11, Sunday, it was one the last fund-raising climb of Random Act of Kindness, or RAK, for the year 2016. RAK is a group of mountaineers slash volunteers hailing from different sectors of the society. 

Only on my second adventure with the group, I had been enlightened ten-fold about "mountaineering" and all the responsibilities it entailed. It was never just about reaching the summit, taking selfies, and saying "I conquered Mt. Daraitan (or any other mountain)." 

Sir Rick of RAK lives and breathes mountains

Because as RAK co-founder and leader Frederick "Rick" Laping said with conviction, "You can't conquer a mountain because the mountains had been there before you. And you can't conquer a mountain because the mountains will outlast you." 

What you are allowed to say is you conquered your fears, or you conquered yourself in reaching the summit and returning safe. Sir Rick further imparted to the hike's participants. 

There were over 10 of us plus three more RAK members Tupe, Alex, Paul and Daiana, who were savoring the steaming lomi after the tiring hike, while taking by heart valuable lessons from a man who had courted and loved the mountains for two decades already. 

The group at the summit

From this immersion came the awareness that many mountains in the Philippines served as ancestral domains of indigenous peoples, the rightful dwellers who most often lacked access to basic needs like shelter, clothing, food and light. 

Thus, RAK was born from the desire to do one random act of kindness at a time. Whether to extend a helping hand to remote, mountainous communities, or to protect and preserve the environment through clean-up drives, or promoting clean, renewable energy, among others. 

Sir Rick points to where the last outreach program of RAK for 2016 is to be held

So how to does RAK do all this? We go back to the non-profit organization's fundraising climbs which are open to all who wish to follow and support RAK's above-mentioned outreach programs. Of which, the culmination for 2016 was recently held on December 17 at Sitio Manggahan in Brgy. Daraitan (yes where the mountain was). 

I also took part in the said event and for two consecutive weekends, found new meaning in the mountains. 

To be continued in Part 2. 

***
For now let's take a look at photos from the Mt. Daraitan fund-raising climb with RAK. 

Don't be fooled by the seriousness of this entry because RAK is composed of a bunch of goofies and bullies, led by this trio, Rick, Alex and Kris (or RAK). Genius! 

Had to stop on my track just to capture this tiny beauties. 

There was also grotto deep in the mountain.

Sir Rick with the local tour guides in the background

Happy and funny faces at Station 2. 

My best friend and travel buddy Xerlyn and I at the summit, the very spot that confirmed my fear of heights. 

She, on the other hand, had no problem whatsoever and kept bugging me to take her photos. 

But truly, such a scenic view. 

Is this a challenge? Yak hane!

(ALL PHOTOS ARE MINE)