Finding Love: Breaking Curiosity

Did you ever dream of finding Maria in the mountain of Mount Makiling? Did you ever wonder how beautiful Maria would be? Is she still living in the beautiful paradise in Laguna?

               

These were the questions that I needed to answer when I accepted the challenge of representing the Boy Scout of the Philippines Biliran Council in joining the prestigious event in scouting- the 26^th Asia Pacific Regional Jamboree last December 28, 2010- January 3, 2011.

           

It was just a once in a life-time opportunity to me, to be with the scouts all over the Asia Pacific regions and to meet different scoutmasters in different countries. But above all, it was a dream come true moment to witness the legendary mountain in the country and to find the love of the legendary fairy.

            I was one of the best scouts in our province who were travelling in the cold-breeze wind in our place at dawn to be in our 7 am flight in Manila. Our van was silent and everybody just fell asleep in our way. I only heard the blowing of horns, the crashing of the winds in our van and the chitchatting of the trees while thinking about our romance between Maria. When I was still a child, I often heard the folk story about Maria Makiling and her mysterious acts in the beautiful mountain paradise. The widely known ‘diwata’ of Philippine Mythology has a light olive skin, long shining black hair, and twinkling eyes in my dreams.

Our national hero, the great Jose Rizal himself, published an article in La Solidaridad about Maria Makiling:

"According to eyewitness, she was a young woman, tall and graceful with big black eyes and long and abundant hair. Her color was a clear pure brown, the kayumangging kaligatan, as the Tagalogs say. Her hands and feet were small and delicate and the expression of her countenance always grave and serious. According to general belief, and contrary to the reputation imputed to the nymphs and goddesses, Mariang Makiling always remained pure, simple, and mysterious as the genius of the mountain.” ("Maria Makiling" by Dr. Jose Rizal published in La solidaridad, Dec 31, 1890.)

After arriving in Tacloban, we are bound to travel to Manila and after in Laguna. I am under the weather at that time. I feel like having the fire in my body but I kept myself to be strong just to find my love Maria. When we arrived in the University of the Philippines Los Banos Campus, I saw the beauty of the whole mountain. The abundance and serenity of the enchanted mountain complements Maria's own persona in my dreams.

Mount Makiling is a dormant volcano in Laguna province. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) classify the volcano as potentially active. Mount Makiling is a state-owned forest reserve administered by the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. The mountain was the first national park of the Philippines that was used in forestry education and information. The Makiling Forest Reserve was declared an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2013.

The smiles of my fellow scouts, the warm greetings of “Good Morning”, their colourful Council shirts, their creative and unique camps welcomed us with joy and excitement to unite the spirit of scouting within us as Sir Baden Powell, the founder of the scouting movement said: “A scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens”.

I was surprised because it has roads in the mountain and well-developed. Scouts was often put their thick jackets on because of the winter weather. In addition, the water was also made by ice that would make you realize that it is nice to be warm.

The challenges, the drills and the obstacle trainings in the Jamboree were indeed challenging. I also saw different talented, hardworking and service oriented scouts around the world. My life in the week event was worthy to be reminisced every now and then. But wait, after finishing our test as a scout, I have yet a mission to be fulfilled and questions to be answered – that was to meet my one true love for Maria.

            I enjoyed hiking, camping, trekking, mountain biking, and bird watching in the legendary mountain but I was never lost. I did it because I think that it was the only way to find Maria. In my journey around the mountain, I observed that approximately 2,048 species of plants can also be found there. Mt Makiling hosts man-made attractions such as the Makiling Botanical Garden and The National Arts Center; its natural attractions include the mountain's highest peak (the Peak II), the Flat Rocks, and the Mud Springs and the Boy Scout of the Philippines facade.

In the end of the event, I felt hopeless while watching the wonderful art of God- the Laguna Bay because I did not met Maria. I just saw her beautiful monument in the middle of the forest but I still not able to talk to her.

            When we were packing our things to leave Mount Makiling, I had come to realize that Maria Makiling was the mount Makiling itself. The beauty, the mystery and the legendary of Maria in the folktales was the mountain itself. I just smiled with the feeling of being in loved and say, thank you for giving me a worthwhile experience Maria. Till we meet again!