A Day at 387 (Batong Amat)

'A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.' 

Mount 387, or Mount Batong Amat, located in barangay Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija is fast becoming a favorite among hikers, thanks to the stunning view of the Caraballo mountain range, which is seen from its summit. The grass-covered mountain ranges resemble the famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol, which led to the tagging of 387 as the ‘Chocolate Hills of the North’. Aside from the view, Mount 387 also offers other interesting attractions like the Aloha Falls, Batong Amat Peace Park, and the intriguing ‘Lover’s Tree’.

As I was planning for the next group climb, I wanted a new and interesting destination, a mountain that I never scaled before. Mount 387 came to my attention because of its unique name. It also happened that I saw pictures of a friend and fellow hiker at the summit of 387. I was in awe upon seeing her photos, and since I’ve never been to Bohol before, I was instantly thrilled by the thought of conquering this mountain. Finally, the proximity between Nueva Ecija to Tarlac convinced me to proceed with my plan of pursuing 387.

We were only eleven, since one participant failed to make it on time, and we had to leave without him. The travel to Carranglan in the early morning was like our usual travel. It was an unexpectedly long travel. I was not familiar with the place. I just relied on the instructions given by Mr. Roy P. Manuzon, 387 coordinator, on how to get to the jump-off point. Although we missed and passed the jump-off point on our way there, we were ultimately able to locate the place and arrive there safely.

The place was just beside the main road but you may miss it unless you pay enough attention. We arrived at the jump-off point and noticed the many vehicles parked there. I immediately proceeded to the registration area. Mister Manuzon was there conducting an orientation for a batch of hikers. I simply went and registered my group and then waited for the first group to finish with their orientation.

Our orientation was very informative and entertaining. Mister Manuzon shared some information and trivias regarding the mountain. I never expected that the mountain had historical significance. Mount 387 is part of the Talavera Watershed Forest Reserve. It goes by that name because it had a total land area of 387.9 hectares. The 387 hectares of forest was awarded to Mr. Manuzon’s group, KAPUNCAN (Kalinga sa Kalikasan ng Puncan), which they have to protect and preserve under an agreement with the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). The Batong Amat, on the other hand, means Ghost Rock. It is where the remains of those who died during the war were buried.

The start of the trail begins near the registration area where you will be passing a garden full of seedlings of various trees. Before starting the trek we were told to grab about a liter of bottled water each to bring with us to water the seedlings planted along the trail. All of those who climbed the mountain were required to plant at least one seedling, but since it was summer season, hikers were instead asked to water these seedlings to help them survive.

Half of the trail was gradual assault. Almost half of the mountain was rich and mostly forested. There were diverse plants and trees along the trail. I noticed something unusual though. There are pine trees scattered in the mountain. I find it weird since I often associate pine trees to Cordillera mountains.

The remaining half of the trail was on mostly flat ground. It was easy, but since it was summer, the trek proved to be exhausting. The intense heat was something to be reckoned with. Then, as we were approaching the summit I noticed that some parts of the ground was black. I then realized that it was the result of a grass fire. The summit used to be covered in perennial Cogon grass until it was ravaged by fire. It was disappointing to see the summit in such condition. We stayed at the Batong Amat Peace Park for some photo ops, and then made a descent to the Lover’s Tree. 

The location of the Lover’s Tree also serves as the camp site. After our group photo beside the famous tree of 387, we made our descent. We were supposed to do a traverse climb, but after we learned about the difficulty of the trail, we decided against it. Mr. Manuzon advised us earlier that we should start the trek early if we want to do the traverse, since the trail was exposed to the sun. The 387 traverse route will ultimately lead trekkers to the Aloha Falls.

We were on a moderate to fast pace going down since it was hot and we were all exhausted and starving. We did at least three short breaks. After more than one hour, we reached the jump-off point. All of us were dead tired that we bought some cold beverages to quench our thirst. We rested for a while, then prepared our lunch. The registration area had tables and chairs, which we used to have our lunch. Just beside the area was a store selling cold soda, snacks, and even meals. 

We took our lunch while contemplating on how exhausting the climb was. We were all obviously tired. It seemed that we would not be able to go to Aloha Falls anymore. Most of the people in the group just want to take a rest instead of taking a ride to go to the waterfalls. I, myself, was dead tired and had no intention on going to the falls.

It was still early so we took the opportunity to take much needed rest, while some of us decided to take a bath. Only a few hikers were left in the area as the other group decided to go to Aloha Falls. It was nearing afternoon when suddenly the skies turned black. Since we thought it would rain, we decided to leave Carranglan. On our way back to Tarlac, we took a different route and headed to Cabanatuan, and then to Zaragoza, where we were welcomed into Bunag’s residence for a sumptuous dinner. Soon after that, we continued our journey back home to Tarlac.

Scaling the so-called Chocolate Hills of the North was a memorable experience. It was a challenging trek, but it was worthwhile. A lot of things happened within a day of our stay in 387. We learned something about history. We learned on how to protect the environment. We learned something about perseverance. The journey was definitely worth it because we enjoyed every moment of our stay in 387. 

It was not a complete experience, but the lost opportunities opened doors for other possibilities in the future. We missed an opportunity to visit Aloha Falls but maybe it means we must come-back. I admit I was saddened by the condition of the summit because of the grass fire. I just hope the mountain will recover soon. I found nothing special about the Lover’s Tree. For me, it was just an ordinary tree, but maybe it depends on how you perceived it or how you see it, which put value on that pine tree that stands alone there below the summit.

Doing the back trail of 387 was easy, even for a beginner, but doing the traverse was another thing. If you want your trek to be more exciting, then you should consider doing the traverse route. Just start early though and be prepared for the challenging descent. Even if 387 just opened recently, the people managing it are doing well in preserving and maintaining the mountain. I am just a bit worried that with the continued influx of hikers, it will suffer the same fate as the other mainstream mountains in our country. I hope it will not happen because there is a part of history that we are compromising.

I have been to Nueva Ecija before and my stay there did not leave a mark on me. We once climbed Mount Sawi in Gabaldon. During that time, it was raining for the entire duration of our trek. It was unremarkable since we were also in a hurry to proceed to Dingalan in Aurora. After a whole day of staying in this province, more particularly in Carranglan, my perspective of this neighboring province changed. Nueva Ecija is interesting, with its people and its mountains. As if Mount Sawi and Mount 387 are not interesting enough, there is Mount Mapait in Palayan City and Paasa Peak or Mount Kemalugong in Laur. The names of these mountains sound heartbreaking but experiencing them was life-changing. They can teach you lessons about being patient, persevering and hard working just like the Novo Ecijanos.

Mt. 387 (Batong Amat) Dayhike
April 1, 2017
Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija

ITINERARY:

04:00 AM  Assembly
04:30 AM  ETD Tarlac City
06:30 AM  ETA Brgy. Puncan in Carranglan/Register
07:30 AM  Start trek
10:00 AM  ETA Mt. 387 Summit/Photo op
10:30 AM  ETA Lovers Tree/Photo ops
11:00 AM  Start descent
01:00 PM  ETA jump-off point/Lunch
03:00 PM  ETD Brgy. Puncan
05:00 PM  ETA Cabanatuan City
05:30 PM  Dinner at Bunag's residence
06:30 PM  Departure to Tarlac City
08:00 PM  ETA Tarlac City

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mr. Roy P. Manuzon
Mt. 387 Coordinator
Brgy. Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija
Contact no.: 0917-571-2152
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roy.manuzon