Mount MaculotMount Maculot is a Registered Property, Municipality of Cuenca, Batangas located at Cuenca, Batangas, Region IV-A.
Mt. Maculot is another mystery, some say she is the highest part of the caldera rim that was not blown away in ancient eruptions. Others think that Maculot is part of another extinct volcano (Hargrove, 5 The Mysteries of Taal)”.
Today, Mt. Maculot is actually seen by the residents of Cuenca as a physical protector, blocking the town from the destructive eruptions of Taal Volcano. However, it is also revered for its mystical energies as exemplified by a story from the 1911 eruption of Taal Volcano, where there was a huge ball of fire seen jumping over the summit of Maculot Mountain and heading towards the poblacion of Cuenca. Suddenly, it was tossed back by the wind ricocheting from the mountain sides. Some people attributed the phenomenon to the miraculous fest of San Isidro Labrador, Cuenca’s patron saint. Others who were more superstitious, claimed that it was because of the Golden Bull (Alamat ng Torong Ginto) which used to roam the jungles of the mountain.
This mountain’s name has several origins. The more common one is the story that the name came from the word “makulog” which describes the thundering sounds on the top of the misty mountain. Others say that the thundering sounds are caused by Taal Volcano. Others say it is due to the abundance of kulutan, a shrub with thorny seeds found all throughout the mountain, also known as the Maculot plant. Maculot, in English means curly. Hence, some people believe that there must have been inhabitants with curly hair living on the mountain, or that the mountain itself appears to be like someone lying down who has curly hair. Then there is the story that a Spaniard could not enunciate the word Maculog properly and it turned into Maculot overtime.
There are multiple areas to be explored on the 61.5 kilometres (more or less) of life nurturing land which is known as “Maculot” Mountain. Hiking trails can be accessed through two barangays, Barangay 7 and Barangay Pinagkaisahan, and one can traverse the mountains starting and ending at either one.
Mountaineers who like to go to Rockies, the campsite, or the summit (750m from the sea level), start off at Barangay 7. There is an outpost, Bahay Pamahalaan, at the boundary at Barangay 6 at 7. This is a checkpoint area where visitors register and request for guides. The Rockies were originally called Indulaning until the year 2000. Macatmon was the name of the campsite while the summit was called Maculog.
The Maculot Outdoor Guides (MOG) was founded on February 2015 by the three Puso Brothers who started the group in 2000. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and all members were trained with Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) by the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc. on March 2015. They teach visitors some guide jargon such as “teka-teka” which are thorny plants and grasses that might get caught on your skin, as well as yelling “bounds” so that those behind you do not walk too close as there may be a branch that will swing back at them.
The Barangay 7 trail is more established and traversed more frequently compared to the Barangay Pinagkaisahan trail.
There are man-made structures, rest areas and makeshift, built along the trail. The Rockies are covered by huge angular bounder of rock that is vantage site for a panoramic view of Taal Lake. Though beautiful, it is a high risk area as there have been incidents of fatalities of climbers who have accidentally fallen over the ledge. Hence, there have been debates as to whether the site will still be opened to people. It is said that the Rockies were not originally there, thatthe volcano and the Rockies were once together but the volcano erupted and shot out the Rockies to where it is now.
The Campsite at Mt. Maculot is a flat grassy area that lies between the Rockies and the Summit. There area is flooded with campers during Holy Week. There are always mountaineers and campers at Mt. Maculot since it is known as an excellent climb for beginner mountaineers. Weekends are often a busy time for the mountain and for the guides.
Barangay Pinagkaisahan is another entry point to Mt. Maculot. A grotto has been built along the trail. It is possible to hike this trail and end up at the summit, but the entire trail is mostly covered by vegetation and has not much views. It is covered by Dipterocarp and mossy forest. The trail starts with exposed roots and later hikers would have to walk on large angular boulders and muddy and wet red soil before reaching the summit. Whichever trail one decides to take, the hike would be relatively easy and therefore suitable for beginners.
The entire mountain is a natural sanctuary, where several species of colorful butterflies are commonly seen. There are also sightings of wild monkeys, civet cats and other fauna.
source: Municipal Profile, 2017