Mount Banahaw: The Power Mountain From Ritualism to Spirituality

Author(s): Vitaliano R. Gorospe

Source: Philippine Studies , Second Quarter 1992, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Second Quarter 1992),
pp. 204-218
Published by: Ateneo de Manila University

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42633309

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 Mount Banahaw: The Power Mountain
From Ritualism to Spirituality

Vitaliano R. Gorospe, S J.
A
¿fita»
■ ■■■■

Nagtalik ang hangin at ilog sa dilim

Nagpugay ang mga dahon
Nanawan ang kayumangging lupa
Umaalingawngaw ang tinig sa bundok Banahaw

These poetic lines from a Banahaw folk song describe very well the
magical lure of Mt. Banahaw which echoes a mysterious voice that
invites and haunts travelers and entices visitors. In the tradition of
Egypt, Jerusalem, and Tibet, a mountain of spiritual power is emerg-
ing in the Philippines. It originally gained popularity through reports
of miraculous cures. But Mt. Banahaw continues to expand its in-
fluence beyond the rituals of structured religions and religious cults
and has attracted psychics and mystics, thousands of pilgrims, and
in growing numbers those who seek to develop and enrich their
prayer life and spirituality. Unlike enchanted Mt. Makiling, Mt.
Banahaw is not only a sacred place of prayer and worship but it has
become the center of religious pilgrimages, of physical and spiritual
healing, and of Filipino popular religion and spirituality. In short, it
has become a 'Tower Mountain."

The Place and the People

Located in the province of Quezon close to the eastern borders

of Laguna province, Mt. Banahaw rises 7,350 feet or 2,100 meter
above sea level. It was once an active volcano but now is believed
to be the "holy land" (Santa Tierra, Santong Lugar). It is the high-
est of many peaks in the area like Mt. San Kristobal, Mt. Masalacot,
and Mt. Kalbaryo, and is surrounded by San Pablo City, Tiaong,
Candelaria, Sariaya, Lucena City, Tayabas, Lucban, Majayjay, Liliw
and Nagcarlan. It is known as the "rain mountain" for no dry sea-

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 MOUNT BANAHAW

son touches it throughout the year; also "water mountain" b

it is blessed with many natural springs, waterfalls, running str
that are even bottled and sold. It is also the one mountain that has
not been ravaged by legal or illegal logging, although small areas
at the lower levels have been burned by "kaingeros." The ambiance
of Banahaw is a combination of mountain slopes and peaks lush with
vegetation in a dazzling variety of patterns and colors, ancient giant
trees bearded with moss and hairy vines, waterfalls and volcanic
caves, gurgling brooks and crystal clear pools, waters that tumble
down over huge boulders, rain clouds that cover the peak and even
an early morning haze that hovers now and then to this mountain
an enchanting place for people from all walks of life to come and
pray and rest. Even the way to the remote barrio Kinabuhayan
blooms with the healthiest and reddest bougainvillas and poinset-
tias. Banahaw's amihan breeze serves as a cool respite for Manila pil-
grims and other visitors.
The most popular starting points for a religious pilgrimage
(pamumuwesto) are Dolores, 1300 feet above sea level, 100 kilometers
from Manila and 15 kilometers southeast of San Pablo City, and its
barrio Kinabuhayan, Quezon. During Holy Week Mt. Banahaw at-
tracts thousands of people including dozens of religious sects who
flock to Dolores or Kinabuhayan. The Holy Week pilgrims either
begin at Sta. Lucia River and Falls and culminate at Mt. Kalbaryo.
At Kinabuhayan pilgrims pray at the Yapak ni Kristo (a clear pool
with a rock supposedly bearing the footprint of Jesus) or Pinag-
gapusan (a massive rock where Jesus was supposedly bound before
crucifixion) or Santos Koleyos (grotto of different saints). One can also
follow a scenic route along Sta. Lucia River through puwestos (places
of ritualized prayer) to Kinabuhayan and from there climb to Kris-
talina Falls and Suplina Falls and end up at Kuweba ng Diyos Ama
("cathedral" cave which is the ultimate goal and dream of every
pilgrim). The more energetic climbers can continue a three- to four-
hour trek to the summit Durungawan to view the ilalim or extinct
volcano crater.

Historically the legend of Mt. Banahaw apparently started with a

few historical mystics among whom was a man named Agripino
Lontok, from Taal, Batangas, an "insurrecto" or rebel who in 1886
went to the mountain to hide from the Guardia Civil and to acquire
secret powers ( anting-anting ) from the mountain. The story goes that
every time he would try to leave the mountain, he would go blind.
This phenomenon made Agripino stay in Mt. Banahaw to become

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

its first hermit and caretaker. From 1886 to his death in 1930, Ag
ino Lontok developed an intimacy with Mt. Banahaw and be
its conduit to the human race. The spirits of the mountain, thro
a voice now popularly known as "Santong Boses," revealed it
cret and special natural places to Agripino, identified the holy b
or patrons of each special spot or puwesto, and dispensed po
prayers ( tigilpo ) mostly for healing and protection. The secret
guage dictated by the spirits or "Santong Boces" was Bornay, an
vernacular which is colloquially unintelligible today. A few o
individuals also found their way to Mt. Banahaw, linked up
Agripino Lontok and became co-disciples of the mountain. Howev
these disciples went back to their places of residence after their
grimage and became largely responsible for introducing the m
tain to their communities. The best example of these co-discip
Inang Goring, whose husband was a contemporary of Lontok
whose religious community now resides in Cardona, Rizal. Althou
their Sentral and Dasalan are located in Cardona they are
Banahaw devotees and make regular pilgrimages to the sa
mountain.
Other followers of the Banahaw legend settled in Banahaw either
in Sta. Lucia, Dolores or Kinabuhayan. This explains the origin of
the hundreds of religious sects and cults that made the sacred moun-
tain their place of residence and worship. Fr. Vicente Marasigan, S.J.
(1982, 552-62) wrote an essay about his own spiritual experience of
the dream of whispering spirits in Kinabuhayan which he incorpo-
rated into his book entitled A Banahaw Guru (1985) which is about
the life, teaching, and symbolic deeds of Agapito Illustrisimo, founder
and father of the religious community of Samohan ng Tatlong Persona
Solo Diyos (ST PSD). (See also "Dreams" [1986]: 20-23). A Banahaw
Guru (1985) is about the symbolic deeds of Agapito Illustrisimo. More
than half of this book is a translation of the MDKAI Document which
is a pioneer contribution. However, Fr. Marasigan's writings about
Mt. Banahaw are limited to the Samahan Tatlong Persona Solo Dios
of Kinabuhayan. He uses Bernard Lonergan's theological insights to
understand Banahaw religiosity. Based on the history of STPSD as
found in "Mga Dakilang Kasaysayan ng Amang Illustrisimo"
(MDKAI), Agapito Illustrisimo was first a pulahan rebel in Limutan,
Cebu, then was converted into a man of peace, and became an itin-
erant preacher in Luzon, and finally founded the STPSD. Miss
Teresita B. Obusan, in analyzing the STPSD's oft repeated prayer for
peace, Amang Makapangyarihan, notes the two themes of God's per-

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 MOUNT BANAHAW

sonai and intimate love (iunay na nagmamahal sa amin) and peace

our country ais God's gift (pakamtan ang kapayapaan). Moreover
study shows that their beliefs in the Trinity and the Virgin Mar
orthodox Christian beliefs (Obusan 1989, 71-80). This prayer
peace is translated into the culture of the group which can b
scribed as mahinahon, defined as being "calm in one's speech, act
and conduct." The present leader of the STPSD is Jose Illustr
son of the founder.
Today the disciples who guard the secret revelation of Agripino
Lontok are his daughter, Lola Titay, and his grandson, Ka Esing. The
granddaughter of Lontok is Inang Justay who heads the Anak, Ina
at Ama ng Santissima Trinidad. Mention has already been made of
Inang Goring of Cardona. Long before the arrival of Lontok, Mt.
Banahaw was already the mountain refuge of revolutionaries (for
instance, the eighteenth century Apolinário de la Cruz who revolted
against the Spaniards) and colorums, the place of different religious
leaders and cults and the center of forms of Filipino popular reli-
gion and spirituality. Most of the numberless religious sects at pres-
ent believe that Mt. Banahaw is the altar of brave Filipino heroes
like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Gregorio del
Pilar, Agapito illustrisimo, and Bernardo Carpio. Hence their nation-
alistic character. Because of their autonomy and self-sufficiency they
are independent or isolated from the official Catholic faith or Church.
Suffice to mention just a few of these religious sects. On the Ki-
nabuhayan side, besides the STPSD, there is the Watawat ng Lahi
(Rizalistas) who believe that Jose Rizal is the Holy Spirit of the
Trinity; Iglesia ng Diyos na Buhay inspired by Titong Banal. On the
Parang, Dolores side, there are Cinco Vocales , Siete Virtudes and Dolo-
rosa headed by Rogelio Alinea. The Suprema of De la Iglesia Mistica
Filipina is Isabel Suarez; Maria Bernadez Balitaan is the saint of
Mystica. The cult of the Ten Commandments (concrete tablets at the
entrances of barrio Parang and Santong Lugar) was introduced by
Litos Baleros of La Union. These are some of the more important
religious people who inherited the legacy of Lontok and who pass
on the secret of Mt. Banahaw.

The people living at the foot of Mt. Banahaw believe that the Holy
Land (Santa Tierra) was transferred by Dios Makapangyarihan sa lahat
to Mt. Banahaw and the Santong Lugar , the Ciudad Mystica de Dios ,
was finally established atop the holy mountain. Tradition says that
four angels transported Calvary from Jerusalem to Mt. Banahaw,
which for some believers is Mt. Ararat where the ark of the right-

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

eous will survive the last floods on earth, or the new Mt. Sinai w
the Covenant and the Ten Commandments are renewed for sinful
mankind. In the meantime, while awaiting the Ciudad Mystica de Dios ,
the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is relived and
ritualized by the devotees and pilgrims as a form of sacrifice and
prayer in the context of nature. Hence, the Dolores side of
Mt.Banahaw signifies the Passion of Christ while the Kinabuhayan
side signifies His Resurrection.

The Puwestos

According to U.P. Professor Prospero Covar (1986, 24-30) the ritu-

alized pilgrimage to Mt. Banahaw is called pamumuwesto and it is
this religious pilgrimage that has made the sacred mountain very
popular all year round but especially during Holy week. There are
four kinds of puwestos or natural shrines: bato (rocks), bukal (springs)
kuweba (caves), and taluktok (peaks).
Rene D. Somera (1986, 436-51) has made a scientific study of
"Pamumuwesto of Mount Banahaw," and has already given us a
sequence of the traditional puwesto-trek and an adequate classifica
tion of the puwestos and their symbolic significance. What follows
is a selective description of puwestos that, with the guidance of local
Pators or local guides, I have experienced as natural shrines of prayer
and worship. The spiritual journeys (pamamakas) into the Santong
Lugar anchored on Mt. 7: 7 ("Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and
you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you") followed the
route of the traditional and most popular puwestos, chosen with the
help of experienced Pators.

Dolores: Pasyon and Sin-Purification Rites

No one enters a home by the back door and a guest or visitor

must first pay his respects (pag-galang) to the elders (ninuno) of the
house. So pilgrims who come for the first time to Mt. Banahaw must
begin their pamumuwesto at the front door which is Santa Lucia
Falls. This mountain stream is a portion of the Lagnas river that
winds from Kinabuhayan, around Mt. Kalbaryo, and down to San
Bernardo. Before anyone can visit the other puwestos in order to
climb Kalbaryo, he must be cleansed and purified from sin. Catho
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 MOUNT BANAHAW

lies confess their sins to God through a priest (Sacrament of Rec

ciliation), but according to the Banahaw folk, pilgrims must
in the waters of Sta. Lucia (both the stream and two Falls) to be
cleansed of sin. Sta. Lucia river is below the town level of Dolores
and about two hundred and sixty concrete steps lead down to the
river shrines, hidden by tall trees and a dense forest. The Sta. Lucia
complex is guarded by San Miguel to whom a candle is lit and
placed on the huge boulder at the bottom of the steps. After prayers
are offered the pilgrims bathe first at the Tubig ng Amah (nunong
Make falls) and secondly at Buhok ng Birhen (nunong babae falls). Then
one takes a dip in the cold but refreshing mountain stream of bar-
rio Santa Lucia. Sin purification or cleansing is a long, never end-
ing process of symbolic ritualized paliligo in all the springs and
waters of Banahaw. Thus Santa Lucia symbolizes physical cleansing;
Santong Jacob, emotional cleansing (from fear) and Husgado, men-
tal cleansing (from lack of faith and trust in God).
The entrance to Santong Lugar is marked by the Ten Command-
ments inscribed on two concrete slabs. Pilgrims light candles and
pray at the grottos of San Jacob on one side and San Isidro on the
other side. On the way to the shed of Santissima Trinidad there is a
subterranean spring called Hilamusan. The water catchment is made
out of split bamboo tubing about a meter long that sticks out of the
side of a mound. Through the bamboo trough ooze droplets of drink-
ing water. One accumulates these droplets in his cupped open palms,
and drinks or washes his face with it. It is a refreshing balm after
the ascent from Sta. Lucia Falls. Normally the first puwesto after
Santa Lucia is the prisentahan where pilgrims must present their cle-
ansed bodies before the twin kuweba inside a pit about seven feet
deep. Entrance and exit are provided via an iron ladder that has
been permanently installed in the puwesto to facilitate the pilgrims
going in and out of the twin grottos. The pilgrim prays inside the
kuweba of San Pedro and then in the kuweba of San Pablo. Depend-
ing on the number of pilgrims, the second puwesto is the Balon ni
Santong Jacob , a subterranean spring at the bottom of a steep rocky
descent. Santong Jacob is a geological fault that has sulphur water
underneath. It is about twenty feet deep in a cave-like structure
below the entrance. It is refreshing to take a cool dip in Santong
Jacob's sulphur water. It is believed to be medicinal against many
forms of disease. When the smell of the water becomes strongly
odorous, amoy bangkay , some people claim that the spirits of the dead
are taking a bath in the pool. If this happens, prayers transform the

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

bad odor to the fragrant smell of coffee tree blossoms and incense.
Jacob's well is so mysterious that some pilgrims find it bottomless,
while others easily touch the watery floor.

Ina ng Awa to Husgado

The third puwesto is the cave Ina ng Awa where pilgrims offer
lighted candles and prayers to the Virgin of Perpetual Help inside
the massive cave. The opening of the cave is guarded by a massive
overhanging boulder which is kept in place by a tiny rock. Although
it has withstood the test of time and even the 1990 earthquake, one
wonders what would happen if the huge rock which hangs precari-
ously suddenly slipped. About ten feet above the shed of Ina ng Awa
is the fourth puwesto which opens into a tortuous and labyrinthine
passageway about twenty feet in length from entrance to exit, but
seems much longer because of its snake-like structure. No first
pamumuwesto is complete without going through this cavernous
route called Husgado. From the name, the sinner is judged repentant
or not, depending on whether he can go through the cave. Husgado
is the ultimate sin-purification test because the unrepentant sinner
cannot negotiate the tunnel even with a pator or guide. Pilgrims on
different occasions who panicked were able to go through the cave
only with extreme difficulty. For one pilgrim the experience was so
traumatic that he decided to drop the pilgrimage and immediately
went back to Manila by himself.
The entrance to Husgado, both threatening and dangerous, fright-
ens not a few visitors from attempting Husgado the first time. Pil-
grims must remove all shoes, watches, rings, eye glasses and any
other object that might impede a smooth passage. Each one is pro-
vided with a candle to light the way through the pitch black tun-
nel. One enters the cave in an inclined standing position by sliding
down through a vertical funnel and resting one's feet in niches un-
til one enters through the side. The narrow passageway lined with
sharp rocks and pointed stones that protrude from the cave walls
impedes an otherwise smooth passage. One negotiates Husgado in
a prone position crawling inside the maze with lots of candle drip-
pings whose smell provides an eerie atmosphere. Body language and
the instructions of the guide are essential. The passageway swings
upwards towards the exit. The manner of negotiating the exit is to
jump astride a huge boulder. The final stage is achieved when one
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 MOUNT BANAHAW

finds himself on the wooden floor of the roofed shed of Ina ng

with one's guide and companions smiling and ready to offer a w
of congratulation;

Santissima

For pilgrims who wish to spend the night on the mountain th

is a long meandering route leading to the fifth puwesto of S
sima Trinidad , skirting Batang Kiling, a puwesto manned by th
mohan Cinco Vocales , Siete Virtudes. Pilgrims can stay overnight
puwesto where there is a protective shed in case of rain. On
take a bath at a hidden spring made into a concrete reservoi
an iron pipe as an outlet. The water flows continuously. Wit
contraption, which is five feet high, one can take a shower stan
up. The drainage water flows into the Lagnas river about th
forty feet below and then down to Sta. Lucia, San Bernard
beyond.
Another source of drinking water is the spring called Balon ni San
Isidro. One scoops water from the clear clean mini-spring with a
dipper. About ten feet away from this spring is a flat sandy surface
where a pator sometimes pours water three times over a pilgrim's
head as a symbolic baptism of water.

Santos Katbaryo

Every pilgrim who is able to negotiate the difficult labyrinthine

passageway of Husgado is forgiven his sins and is given a new lease
on life that qualifies and prepares him for pangangakalbaryo. The cli-
max of any religious pilgrimage on the Dolores side is the difficult
climb to Santos Kalbaryo where Jesus is believed to have been cruci-
fied. Santos Kalbaryo is a rocky mountain that is about 704 feet
above sea level. It has three wooden crosses at its highest point. The
trek from Husgado to Santos Kalbaryo is initially gradual, becom-
ing steeper as it nears the peak. The elevation has some shady trees,
but the higher portion has only grass as cover for reddish volcanic
rocks. The barren rocks are especially rough and inhospitable to
barefoot-worshippers. But the more painful the trek, especially un-
der the scorching sun, the more meritorious the pagsasacrißcio. Fol-
lowing the custom, each pilgrim carries a stone or tiny rock from
the beginning of the trek to the summit. These stones are laid at the

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

foot of the three crosses as a token of the sacrificial climb. Candles

are lighted there and, together or singly, the pilgrims make their
panalangin. There is a magnificent panoramic view of the surround-
ing lowlands from the top of Santos Kalbaryo.

Kinabuhayan : Resurrection Rites

It is believed that after three days, Jesus Christ rose from the dead
and resurrected at Kinabuhayan. Hence the name of barrio
Kinabuhayan - muling pagkabuhay o bagong buhay. Like Dolores, Ki-
nabuhayan is a complex of rocks, waterfalls, caves, peaks, and a
running river. But most important of all are the most popular
puwestos of Pinaggapusan (rock of the scourging), Tubig Kinabuhayan
(clear pool with rock underneath bearing the "Yapak" of footprint
of Jesus), Pinagburolan (cave where Jesus was interred with a figure
of the Risen Christ) and Santos Kolehiyos (grotto of the saints).
The central kapilya of the Samahan ng Tatlong Persona Solo Dios
(STPSD), which is the subject of Fr. Marasigan's book, is located in
Kinabuhayan a stone's throw away from the mountain stream where
both the Pinaggapusan and Yapak are found. A visit to the Sentral
or chapel of STPSD reveals on the mural above the altar what looks
like three Christs, but really represents Tatlong Persona. There is
smaller but similar painting of the "Triune Christ" on the right side
of the altar. In the wide front yard fronting the chapel is a statue of
Agapito Illustrisimo. Stone steps leading to the stream bring the
visitor or pilgrim to Pinaggapusan where Christ is believed to have
been bound and scourged. It is a huge rectangular shaped rock
lodged in the dry river bed bearing the imprint of four parallel lines
of rope which apparently tied Jesus to the rock, together with the
imprint of a horse's hoof, which is said to have missed hitting the
body of Jesus. A visiting German scientist studied this hard rock of
the scourging and concluded that it was impossible for human hands
to have chiseled or carved the imprint of the ropes and the hoof.
Another extraordinary puwesto- Tubig Kinabuhayan - is the crystal
clear pool of water whose transparency was made possible by fil-
tering rocks constructed by the Banahaw folk. It is believed that
Christ walked here and left the imprint of a footstep ("Yapak ni
Kristo"). The rocks around the pool of "Yapak" are bedecked with
fresh and wilted flowers and candles that have been lit and relit by
visitors who also throw coins into the pool and make a wish.

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 MOUNT BANAHAW

The most popular Kinabuhayan puwesto, especially during H

Week, iš the Pinagburolan, a cave which is believed to be the
ial place of Jesus after the crucifixion. Inside the cave, after get
used to the dark, the visitor will see the figure of the Risen Chr
A huge living rock (batong buhay) oozing with moisture stands g
by the figure. The water when applied to the body has cura
powers. One tragic story about this cave is that it was once co
by a flood as punishment for sin, and so what remains of th
today is man-made.
Pilgrims can then continue at the shallow portion of the La
river which changes into a reddish color and tastes like soda w
and then follow the long meandering mountain stream, hop
from rock to rock, wading knee and waist deep, and finally s
ming the last stretch of the river to the puwesto of Santos Kole
- a half-dome cavern covering a flat earth landing believed to be
assembly of the saints. Even the saints have to learn new th
about the next life in school. Hence, the name of the puwesto - S
tos Kolehiyo. Not a few pilgrims recall how they felt the presen
spiritual beings in the cave.

Tubig Kristalina, Suplina and Salaming Bubog

What is the religious significance of the collective puwesto-trek

embracing Ina ng Awa, Santos Kalbaryo and Kuweba ng Dios Ama? The
devotee or pilgrim cannot proceed to the Son at Santos Kalbaryo
(Christology) except by passing through the Mother and Ina ng Awa
(Mariology) but the Son is the only way to the Holy Spirit and to
the Father at Kuweba ng Dios Ama (Trinity). Just as the climax of
the pamumuwesto at Dolores is Kalbaryo, so the peak and ultimate
pamumuwesto in Kinabuhayan is Kuweba ng Dios Ama. Once again,
one must be further cleansed for the new life ( bagong buhay) by the
waters of Kristalina and Suplina Falls along the more scenic ascent
to the Kuweba ng Dios Ama. The alternative but very steep and
therefore more difficult route is by way of Tatlong Tanke. On the trek
above the Lagnas river there is an open field with all kinds of vege-
tables. Beyond this rolling vegetable patch is a rain forest that is
damp and shady, the sanctuary of different varieties of butterflies,
cicadas, and birds. After a thirty minute hike under cover of a semi-
dense forest, a crystal clear waterfall cascades a bridal veil. Hence

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

the name Kristalina Falls. Ferns, orchids, and moss cling to the cliff
forming a mantle of multishaded green that climbs about thirty fee
high and extends about fifteen feet wide in a semicircle. Here
natural beauty at its best. At the bottom of the waterfall is a crysta
clear pool whose clean waters provide a refreshing drink for the
thirsty traveler. To take a dip into this pool is a soothing relief afte
a back-breaking climb that counts as pagsasacrificio. A deep peaceful
silence pervades the cascades and the banks of the mountain stream
as well as the surrounding forest. All nature in silence puts the trav
eler in a meditative and contemplative mood at Tubig Kristalina.
The next puwesto is Suplinang Tubig - a more than a hundred feet
high waterfall, dropping as long strands of water. Below the Fal
there is a natural rock platform, like a sacrificial table, on which one
whole body can lie prostrate under the falling waters. After the
pounding of water on one's back, the flesh becomes tender and
pinkish, not unlike the actual effect of pagsusuplina using a metallic
whiplash at Ciudad Mistica de Dios. Suplinang Tubig strengthens the
spirit for the Kapangyarihan at Salamin ng Bubog. Whereas Kristalin
symbolizes man's aesthetic taste, Suplina symbolizes the sacrificial or
penitential spirit of man.
The pool of water in the area at the foot of Suplinang Tubig form
a mirror-like floor in which one's whole being is reflected. Th
Salamin ng Bubog mirrors whatever blemish still remains after a
the water-cleansing before presenting oneself to Kapangyarihan at th
Kuweba ng Dios Ama. The way to the ultimate cathedral cave is
treacherous trek amidst deep precipitous ravines. At one point, each
pilgrim has to hold on to a strong vine or rope along a very nar
row path over a cliff beyond which is a sheer drop to the rocky
stream below. A midway stop, or Papirmahan, is a rectangular struc
ture that has a bedlike narrow platform cliff that serves as an altar
for a wooden cross. Around it everyone is enjoined to sign his name
symbolically for posterity.

Kuweba ng Dios Ama

The crowning point of a pamumuwesto in Kinabuhayan is the

natural cathedral Kuweba ng Kapangyaritian o Dios Ama almost at the
summit of Mt. Banahaw. As one approaches the one hundred foot
tall cave entrance, decorated and festooned with giant hairy ferns,
overgrown moss of all shapes and colors, and overhanging orchids,
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 MOUNT BANAHAW

the Kuweba looks like a gigantic gaping black hole in the si

the mountain. Contrary to all expectations, it is a very shallow c
whose opening is both wide and very high. The natural floo
platform is narrow, about eight feet from the cave walls. A
center is a sculptured rock and, before it a wooden cross. Ca
are lit and prayers are offered by the mananalangin. There is a m
terious spring inside the cave and it is said that on rare occa
when clear, crystal water miraculously oozes from the spring
must immediately get rid of whatever drinking water was br
or else the magic spring will dry up. After a seven-hour mou
trek the weary pilgrims can rest a while and say a prayer of th
giving for having reached the goal of their search for the Absol
the All Powerful - which, in the context of the sacred mountain
God the Father. The more energetic travelers or mountaineer
proceed about three more hours to Santos Durungawan and fi
to the extinct volcano crater or Ilalim. On the summit of Mt. Banahaw
on a clear day one can see the provinces of Laguna and Quezon and
both the China Sea and Pacific Ocean.

The Pilgrims

Who are the people who go to the sacred mountain and why do
they go there? Why has Mt. Banahaw become a centuries-old center
of year-round Filipino religious pilgrimages and the origin of indige-
nous prayer and spirituality. Why is Mt. Banahaw a Power Moun-
tain? In more recent times why has it become a way from ritualism
to spirituality. Under the general heading of "Pilgrims," the people
who go to Mt. Banahaw fall under the following categories: (1) those
looking for a place of religious pilgrimage in the tradition of Lour-
des, Fatima, Medjugore, Akita or Manaoag, Peñafrancia, Antipolo,
and Lipa; (2) those seeking all kinds of healing, physical and spiri-
tual, including faith, herbal or pranic healing; (3) those interested in
mediums, mystics and trance-possession (langkap), para-psychic phe-
nomena and the occult; (4) those looking for anting-anting or occult
powers.
Most pilgrims go to Mt. Banahaw not as tourists, but to pray and
offer whatever fatigue, discomfort, and hardship they endure as a
form of sacrifice or penance to obtain a special grace or favor. This
is true of the religious sects and hundreds of pilgrims who go to
Mt. Banahaw during the Lenten season and participate in the Holy
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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

Week rituals. Many visitors, both local and foreign, among t

psychics, yogists, and a new breed seeking new forms of spir
ity have frequented Mt. Banahaw. Tourists go to Banahaw no
cause God dwells there but out of curiosity, recreation, adven
or to escape boredom and pollution. Fr. V. Marasigan, S.J. rec
two miraculous interventions of nature that stopped the plan
business syndicate in 1968 to construct a public swimming p
the site of the miraculous spring, and in 1981 of the tourism in
try in cooperation with multinational corporations to conver
Banahaw into an "international center of psychic and spiritu
search" which was just another gimmick for a recreation and am
ment national park (Marasigan 1982, 556 and 562).
Apart from the traditional manggagamot, hilot, and arbolario ,
pranic healing has become the popular vogue and a new Cente
Pranic Healing has been opened in Parang, Dolores. In the
Banahaw was famous for many reported miraculous cures, e
from the natural waters of Banahaw or the local mediums and heal-
ers. Today Mt. Banahaw has become the center of holistic healing
not only of body, mind, and spirit but of the whole person. Mod-
ern health and medical care is highly specialized. The poor cannot
afford specialists. That is why the arbolario or hilot is the poor man's
doctor. A specialist cures only one particular part of the body, but
the new concept of arbolario means a holistic healer who cures the
whole person (ginagamot hindi lamang sakit kundi tao). Fr. Bulatao
describes three models of Philippine faith healing; namely, healing
that is effected through the mediation of a charismatic figure, or of
a manggagamot, or of a sacred place or object (statue or nature)
(Bulatao 1981, 31-36). It is the faith of the subject to be cured, not
the healer, that mobilizes the subconscious to come up with a cure.
Therefore from a psychological viewpoint, the subconscious is mo-
bilized to do the healing through the curative waters or the medium
or faith healer. From a theological viewpoint, healing was part of
Christ's ministry and it requires faith on the part of those to be
healed.
Almost a decade ago Fr. Jaime Bulatao, S.J. (1981, 14-31) wrote
an article on "The New Mysticism in the Philippine Church." Mys-
ticism is as old as Mt. Banahaw and certainly the sacred mountain
is the locale of Filipino mystics, old and new. The hypothesis of al-
tered state of consciousness (ASC) is the psychological explanation
behind the trances, ( langkap ), possessions, reading of hearts, clairvoy-
ance, foretelling the future, communicating with ťhe dead, speaking

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 MOUNT BANAHAW

in tongues, and other wonders that the Filipino mystics perf

Whether it is truly God, the Virgin Mary, or one of the saints s
ing to the church and to the world through the mediumship of
mystics is a theological question. Truly the gift of prophecy has s
tural basis and its authenticity is the fruit of prayerful discern
The majority of the Banahaw pilgrims are the poor. The liv
many mystics in Mt. Banahaw are paragons of faith and com
surrender of the self into the hands of God. They lead poor
and their teaching and healing ministry is mostly among the
low-poor.
Finally, it must be recalled that Agripino Lontok went to Banahaw
not only to hide from arrest but also to look for power hidden in
the anting-anting. Boy Fajardo who is an authority on Mt. Banahaw
explains how occult powers of three kinds of anting-anting in the
context of Mt. Banahaw make it a Power Mountain (Agregado 1990,
16ff). The first kind of anting-anting are derived from nature and are
called mutya, e.g. stones, santong cahoy, carabao's tooth and certain
insects. The mere possession of this natural anting-anting bestows
upon the bearer the quality of the essence of the particular mutya.
For instance, langka fruit makes its owner "mabango sa ibang tao."
Whoever possesses the lightning mutya inherits the quality of being
swift and forceful. The second kind of anting-anting is the triangle
medalyon, the solo mata , and the medalyon with three A's (Aram,
Akdam, Aksadam or three archangels who guided Jesus Christ).
Possession of the medallion allows the bearer to invoke the guid-
ance of these angels and receive their assistance. Likewise one can
activate a handkerchief with the drawing or Latin symbols of dei-
ties and communicate with the deities, thereby making the amulet
work for him. Another means of activation or a third kind of anting-
anting is the pabaon or pakain. These amulets or talismans are im-
bedded in the human body, either by ingestion or burying them
under the skin. This application renders the individual invincible to
knives and even bullets. Another function is to make an individual
invisible or enable him to walk on water. Do anting-anting have
power? It is said that an anting-anting that is given is more potent
than an anting-anting that is bought. There is no doubt that the ef-
fectivity of an anting-anting is dependent on the consciousness of the
person usipg it. If a person's consciousness deteriorates, the amulet
becomes useless. Involvement with the anting-anting and with oc-
cultism can lead to fanaticism or can be the stepping stone to the
discovery of a person's spirituality. Power can be misused for evil
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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

or material gain. But true power is only given when the indiv
learns to be compassionate to others. I know Boy Fajardo as a
sonal and faithful friend and can bear witness that his involvement
with Mt. Banahaw and the use of the anting-anting has only served
to open the door to spirituality.
In conclusion the pilgrims who frequent Mt. Banahaw, whether
for reasons of a religious pilgrimage, for healing of body, mind, and
spirit, for prayer and meditation, for involvement with mysticism and
the occult, should in the end discover that all these structured reli-
gious sects and ritualized forms of prayer are stepping stones from
ritualism to spirituality and the true God.

References

Agregado, Jake. 1990. Boy Fajardo goes into the soul of the anting-anting. Mr. &
Ms. Magazine (January): 16 ff.
Bulatao, Jaime, S.J. 1981a. The new mysticism in the Philippine church. Witness
1:14-31.

Covar, Prospero R. 1986. Prayer in Mt. Banahaw context. M

Marasigan, Vicente, S.J. 1982. Tatlong Persona Solo Dios.
552-62.

Obusan, Teresita B. 1989. The Mt. Banahaw prayer: Am

Philippine Studies 37: 71-80.
Somera, Rene D. 1986. Pamumuwesto of Mount Banahaw
436-51.

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