Labour and nature of Mt. Amuyao

Mt. Amuyao not only offers the richness of the nature's beauty and spirit but it has continued to offer the requisite of technology to provide the height for TV receptions in the province. It has been a base station for the ABS CBN TV network. For about 4 decades now local people of Barlig laboured to climb the mountain to bring gas and equipments to sustain the station at the top. This is a 4 hour hike to reach the top but some locals could hike it much easily. In 2009, the rival TV network GMA-7 decided to put up their own building and satelite. This provided jobs for locals who competetively took the offers of carrying heavy equipments to build the building and station at the top. The locals were of different age, young and old, men and women. Certainly the pay must have been good atleast! On that same year me and my family decided to climb the mountain just for the pleasure of doing and get connected to nature's spirit. Throughout the hike we've met our local townmates who were doing the "Akiachor", this means work for a pay. I met my old classmates in elementary and highschool and it was a delight to see them at a different point of experience. I do rarely climb this mountain and although most of the natural beauty still very much exists I have noticed new electric posts and wires hanging all throughout the pathways. I heard they are going to cement the pathways soon as well. This would be easier for workers but will become less adventurous to people who admire nature's challenge.

This particular hike was extremely dangerous as it was heavily raining with thunderstorms and those electric posts could easily be caught by ligthning. Upon reaching the top at early evening, we were warm by a nice dinner with rice, pork, cabbage and beans. We could not see the sunset as it was too dark and wet. The morning was a glorious sun, the sky filled with life allowing us to see the magnificent view of a small villages of Natonin and some part of Banaue and Sagada (I guess). There was also the standing Knights of Columbus plaque that seems raised by the clouds. A lovely day as we set down back to the village.

Photos of this climb, here.