Photographing Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park
The very first time I heard about Mt. Kitanglad was in the mid 2000s, from my friend Anna Gonzales. She is an avid birdwatcher who has been passionately following the Philippine Eagle that soars in the range. Apart from this, she is dedicated to the cause of the cultural groups, who are a very important part of Mt. Kitanglad and Bukidnon, as a province. I have never been there before and perhaps the closest I ever got to the range was my trip to Malaybalay with my family in the mid 90s.
Fast forward to 2017. I was elated to know that one whole chapter of the BMB book would be devoted to Mt. Kitanglad as it is an ASEAN Heritage Park and one of the outstanding practices in protected areas in the country. By then, I have heard so much about this mountain from many of my friends, especially in the birding community. This is like a Mecca to them, visits after visit, hoping to even catch a glimpse of the endangered Philippine Eagle.
And here I was, not knowing how I should feel being there- should I secretly try to look for the Eagle or should I stick to doing my job and manage the team in the field? Of course, the job goes first but somewhere in the midst of our visit to the mystical Cinchona Forest, or right before it, we met a man named Blackie (no last name that I was able to gather) who was the lookout man for the Eagle. He asked if I was willing to wait for 2 days. My eyes lit and sparkled at the idea! But no. I had to do my homework first.
I shall be back on day to see you Mr. Eagle! I will wait, even if it takes a week. And so I share my behind-the-scene photos of our encounter with this beautiful, majestic mountain whose spirits are cared for by the indigenous peoples- whose hearts and minds are revered by the lowlanders of Bukidnon.