The Hidden Treasures of Kabahian Woodlands
by: Genesis Gregorious Genelza
I was looking for a place where I
could take an adventure, for I am an adventurous one. A place where I can do
crazy things and enjoy my life so that I will cherish that wonderful event that
will happen in my life, because it is just once in a lifetime. Thank God, I’ve
found one! A perfect place where I could take a chance to travel.
My cousin invited me to go to their
place in the mountain. At last, another exciting mountain climbing experience!
I can’t wait to go there.
By the way, the name of the mountain
is Kabahian. The legend says the mountain was named after the abundance of the
“Bahi” woods but later changed into ‘Kabahian’. This ‘Bahi’ woods are long
columnar trees like of those coco trees. It has bunches of orange fruits like
beetle nuts which shows that this tree somehow belongs to the family of palm.
And you know that ‘Bahi’ woods were also known to be useful in making handles
for bolos, plows, and spears.
Where this mountain can be found?
This is situated more or less 15
kilometers away from Bongabong, PantukanComVal Province. We can find this place
in between the mountain boundaries of Pindasan, Mabini and Pantukan. The
mountain shows the richness of fauna and flora. Numerous trees of softwood and
hardwood species now had established including of those unknown kinds like Red
and Lauans, Apitong, Narra, Falcatta, Bunol, Molave, Magkuno, Angelo, African
Tulip, and more. Attractive huge exhibit of wild colorful flowers hanging and
growing on trees and cliffs, like wild orchids, African Tulips, climbing petty
buds, long tendrils of Cadena de Amor, trellises of unknown varieties large and
small in size and other unfamiliar blooms feeds your eyes. Along with are fruit
bearing trees scattered around the vicinity, ripe fruits are ready for the
picking like Rambutans, Lanzones, Bananas, Pilinuts, Guavas and other unnamed but
tasty wild fruits. Endangered species of animals are rampantly roaming around
free like monkeys, green frogs, snakes of different species, lizards,
baboyramo, deer, and lots of undistinguished types. Different kinds of local
and migrant birds occupy branches of trees.
The terrains are potential for
mountain climbing and zip lines better than those of Luzon, Cebu, and the newly
established one in Matina, Davao City. Other adventures if you want to travel
is you could enjoy through hiking, camping, picnicking, and the overlooking of
the amazing wide glittering panorama below during at nights, where everyone
could see the whole Davao City, Samal Island, and Pantukan, which are seemingly
within your grasp.
My experience when I went there was
extremely exciting and I’m so tongue-tied of the beauty of nature that I saw
there. It was like a paradise that everything you wanted in your life was
there. No wonder why the inhabitants living there did not migrated to the other
place and leave the mountain for the natural resources and everything they want
is there. The nature’s bounty of the mountain is truly a treasure for them, a
God’s gift that need to be protected and preserved for the next generation to
relish.
Beautiful
scenery of Kabahian woodlands.
How
to get there: you may take a ride in a motor climbing in Tibagon,
PantukanComVal Province for about 1 and a half hour. Then, to get the center,
real destination of the mountain where the beautiful scenery can be found, you
may take a walk or do mountain climbing for about 15 minutes climbing to the
top of the mountain to see the views of the mountain. And I’m sure you may like
it to see the hidden treasures of Kabahian woodlands.
The children enjoying picking fruits and climbing a tree.
MY EXPERIENCED
WHEN I WENT THERE:
In this picture: Me and the children who live in Kabahian.
