Manny's Garden: A city of fairies at the heart of Mt. Dulang-Dulang

Hello, Hive!

I'm still in the middle of our six-day climb here in the province of Bukidnon. Mobile phone signal is very low in the mountains but fortunately, we have a one-day break to go back to civilization.

Truth is, my head's still in the clouds. The experience from the last four days continues to overwhelm me — in a very good way. More than being delightful, it was a meaningful one. So while I have enough time on my hands, let me share with you some of these moments.

The mountains we are climbing are within the Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park. Spanning across eight municipalities in Bukidnon, MKRNP is a vast ancestral land that belongs to three major indigenous tribes: Higaonon, Talaandig, and Bukidnon.

I'm officially putting it here on record that I'm adding Bukidnon to my list of dream places to retire. The sceneries, the cold air, the mountains. Ahh... Wherever I look is a feast to the eyes.

For this quick post, I'd like to show you one of the spots that the Talaandig tribe consider to be special.

Into the city of fairies

Manny's Garden is a campsite within Mt. Dulang-dulang that is surrounded by mossy forest. It was named after Manny Serina, one of the pioneers who created the trail to Mt. Dulang-dulang's summit.

However, according to our lead guide, Datu Nanlimbas, the Talaandig tribe people consider this as syudad sa mga diwata or city of the fairies. It was said that fairies roamed around this area before and their ancestors used to commune with them here.

Like most parts of Mt. Dulang-dulang, Manny's Garden is beautiful beyond words. Slender trees coated with thick green moss spiral to the top of the forest canopy, showcasing the infamous crown shyness to visiting mountaineers.

Datu Nanlimbas took James, Kate and I to the bangkaso or fairy's table where local IPs place their offerings whenever they ask for blessing or hunt for food. Before we left, we also offered coins and said our thanks to the divine for granting us a beautiful weather throughout the climb.

We then headed back on the trails to face a grueling hike which definitely tested our limits. But that will be for another story — and hopefully, by that time, my knees heal. 😅

_{Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlit nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives her life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.}

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