Mt. Tuco...Outreach and Medical Mission

Nobody can stop what you really want to do in life...

Municipal Hall of Aguilar

St. Joseph Parish Church

Another invitation received from a very organized group...The T.U.C.O. Mountaineering.... This event is an outreach program and a medical mission for the people of Sitio Mapita, Brgy. Laoag, Aguilar Pangasinan. The group T.U.C.O. Mountaineering with the cooperation of Hunyango Bundokero and KABAN(Kabataang Binuklog para sa Kalikasan), together with the individual joiners like me, made this program a very successful and meaningful to everyone. During the event, you can see everyone is doing their volunteering works. Wala kang maririnig na mam/sir, paki gawa mo nga ito...lahat ay kusang kumikilos para sa ikabubuti at ikagaganda ng programa upang maihatid ang serbisyo at regalong dala para sa mga naninirahan sa Sitio Mapita... Tears on my eyes almost drop when I saw this kids having their big smiles on their face receiving something from the group... adults cannot stop saying "thank you" when the medical team starts to check their body conditions and give them some medicines and vitamins... Other says..."salamat at pumunta kayo dito...bihirang bihira lang ang may magpunta dito sa amin para gumawa ng ganitong programa...salamat talaga..." 

Medical Assistance

Giving of School Supplies

Sitio Mapita is more or less 2hrs drive from the town proper of Aguilar, Pangasinan. There are only more or less 100 families living in the area. Most of them belongs to the Cancanaey Tribe. And as I observed the place, they have only few classrooms and no electricity. Their source of living are from planting rice, camote, and some veggies. 

With buddies riding on top of mini-dump
truck provided for us by the municipal govt.

Long and winding road to Sitio Mapita

After the event...around 2pm, we prepare our trekking adventure to Mt. Tuco....according to one of our climbing buddy, Sir Gery, we are the first group who will set a camp on its summit...Waaah!...ibig sabihin di pa ganun kaayos ang trails? OMG...kinabog nanaman ako dun! I got no choice....eto nanaman ang Nanay nyo, susubok nanaman ng kabundukan...Here are some photos happy to share with you along the way to summit of Mt. Tuco in Sitio Mapita, Brgy. Laoag, Aguilar, Pangasinan

Can you imagine trekking in this rocky trails???? Urgh!...It is not advisable to wear sandals....ang sakit sa paa...gas-gas talaga ang paa ko...huhu! Thanks to the Amuyongs, they made our trekking so funny....Ang saya nila kasama...it looks like Jologs like me...hihi..

Taking some rest....though its hard to find some shade for resting, payong ang solusyon ng iba...but others don't want to have payong.....according to the  Amuyongs....sagabal sa kodakan....hahahaha!

Grabe kasi talaga....walang kapuno-puno ang bundok na ito...sobra init....tirik na tirik ang araw...ewan ko kung effective ang SPF24 ng mga kasama ko...hehe!

Sunset in Mt. Tuco

Our Camp

At last...we reach the summit after more than 3hrs of trekking....haaay.....kahit labas dila sa pagod...iba talaga ang feeling pag nasa tuktok ka ng bundok. You have your 360degrees view..... Salamat ulit Inang Kalikasan at binigyan mo kami ng magandang panahon para makita ang iyong ganda.... I consider this as my 2nd summit on my Byaheng Jologs, Revival Climb...

Good Morning....Mt. Tuco....

Beautiful Morning At Mt. Tuco

with sir Gery's sleeping place

The Summit, Mt. Tuco

I was so amazed with my co-joiner sir Gery, when I saw the place were he slept...dun sa hukay near our camp...marami daw kasing ginawang open mining nuon sa lugar...believing na may mga treasures and expensive rocks....What a bright idea of sir Gery....tinabingan lang nya ng mat yung ibabaw ng hukay at ayun...whalla!... para na siyang naka-tent...hahaha....bundokero, bundokera...gawin na ito lalo na sa mga walang tent tulad ko...hehe!

My tent-mate, Mam Raq

My surprise climb buddy,
 King my nephew

What a surprise!

It was only 2days before the climb, when my nephew, King, told me that he is also joining the Mt. Tuco climb....Gusto ko na yatang maniwala na malakas ang impluwensya ko sa pamilya...hehe

with the bagets

The next generation ng mga mamumundok....nakakatuwa ang mga bagets na ito...at a very young age, as early as 11yrs old,  they already know how to appreciate nature. They already know the principle of LNT (Leave No Trace) And to think that they are doing this with their parents, mabuhay kayo mga ina at amang mamumundok!..You're teaching your kids how to love and appreciate Mother Earth...Sana ganito lahat ng parents...Kaya mga bagets...Taralets na sa Bundok...

My Buddies

with sir Monski of TUCO Mountaineering

with sir Egay "the great man behind all the group"

Around 7:30am...time to descend....At first, I thought we are going back to Sitio Mapita, but our group leader told us that we are going to descend to another trail which will pass thru a falls and a lagoon.... Upon hearing a falls and a lagoon...everyone gets excited. I told myself, this would be a very exciting adventure....

I think I need a pole going down.....nobody is exempted from sliding on a very slippery grass....Ouch....! Others just sit and do some playful thing in going down....Weee...Ouch again!...That's my seventh times....hahaha....My pants got a hole....!
Some are shouting...totoo ba ang falls??? Napapadalas na take5 ko....Urgh!

Here are some photos of the hardest trail I've ever encountered in this climb....Waaah! Feel ko mas mahirap yung pababa kaysa paakyat... And we're running out of water to drink...When we reach the water stream, nakita ko umiinom silang lahat...At first I was hesitant to drink, but I felt so thirsty....Kaya sabi ko sa kanila, damay-damay na ito...kapag sumakit ang tyan ng isa lahat na sumakit ang tyan....One for all, all for one! hehe!

The Falls

The Lagoon

At last...it's true...ang ganda ng falls at lagoon....This was the most refreshing moment ever....ang sarap maligo! Some did their jumping stunts in the lagoon...Some just dip their body in the water to freshen up....
Kahit nagkasugat-sugat ang paa ko sa rocky trail pababa, sulit pa rin talaga ang pagod kapag ganito kaganda ang makikita mong view...this was really awesome! This is the price that we've got in climbing mountains....this price can't be paid in any amount...this feeling is unexplainable! This is the reason why mountaineers keeps on climbing mountains...again and again!
It's more fun in the mountains!

Mt. Tuco, Sitio Mapita, Brgy. Laoag, Aguilar, Pangasinan

A very special thanks to:

• T.U.C.O. Mountaineering--Sir Mon Sison for the invitation
• Sir Egay and Wife Mam Jacky --KABAN
• Hunyango Bundukero
• My fellow joiners especially Mam Raqy my tent-mate
• The Amuyongs who keeps the treck relaxing because of their un-cut jokes
• My fellow joiners whom I don't feel left behind
• The people of Sitio Mapita
• Sir Gary who joined us all through out the trekking
• People from the Municipality of Aguilar, Pangasinan
• Our guide