33-692: The Bessang Pass Natural Monument is a protected area and memorial that commemorates the victory on June 14, 1945, by Filipino soldiers serving the U.S. Army Forces in the Philippines Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) over the Imperial Japanese Army in the Battle of Bessang Pass which led to Japan's eventual surrender and end to World War II in the Philippines . It covers an area of 693.32 hectares (1,713.2 acres) and
66-412: A 1696 travel diary by Gemelli Careri , where it is noted that the natives referred to the mountain as " Bondo Kalaya ," later becoming " Bondoc Alaya " (literally "Mount Alaya"). This eventually transformed into "Arayat." Several theories exist regarding the name's origin: Additionally, some sources distinguish between "Aláya" as the name of the mountain and "Aráyat" as the name of the town. During
99-693: A buffer zone of 427.79 hectares (1,057.1 acres) in the municipality of Cervantes in Ilocos Sur . The mountain pass was initially a component of the Tirad Pass National Park , declared in 1938 through Proclamation No. 294 by then President Manuel Luis Quezon . On August 10, 1954, it was established as the Bessang Pass National Shrine with an area of 304 hectares (750 acres) by virtue of Proclamation No. 55 signed by President Ramon Magsaysay . The national shrine
132-460: A height of 1,033 metres (3,389 ft) above sea level. Its southern half lies within the municipality of Arayat , while its north half and summit lies within Magalang . Ten miles (16 km) to the west of Mount Arayat is Angeles City and the former Clark Air Base . The active volcano Mount Pinatubo is located 26 km (16 mi) west, while Manila is located 75 km (47 mi) to
165-706: A similar time to reach the peak, however, this route takes you through the Arayat Amphitheatre and the so-called White Rock which legend claims to be the Home of Apung/Aring Sinukuan. There are two other trails on Mount Arayat's slopes as of 2017: the Pinnacle, which is a knife edge monkey trail, and the TKO, which is the hardest trail. The trails in San Juan Banyo, Arayat Pampanga. However, these two features,
198-460: A west-northwest direction. This area is the apparent source of a major debris-avalanche deposit that forms hummocky terrain beyond the west and northwest sides of the volcano. The 1,026-metre (3,366 ft) summit stands on the northeast side of the breached crater, known as North Peak, while the 984-metre (3,228 ft) Pinnacle Peak is located on the southeast crater rim. Post-collapse activity formed an andesitic lava dome known as White Rock in
231-538: Is believed to either be when he responds to the attack of Namalyari on Mount Pinatubo's 1991 eruption or when the time to call his servants upon the end of the world has come. Prior to Spanish colonization, Sinukuan was known as a powerful male Kapampangan god, named Aring Sinukûan, who was in par with the Kapampangan god of Pinatubo, Apûng Malyari. The two were the second most powerful deities in Kapampangan mythology, next only to Mangechay (sometimes called Mangacha),
264-582: Is said to have been caused by the summit's collapse on the western side but a much deeper crater is present on the eastern side, it was said that the mountain was once a volcanic island, until eruptions covered the surrounding area with soil, eruptions were said to be the possible cause of a theorized re-route of Pampanga River which is said to have once passed on the western side rather than eastern side where it currently moves. Rock types are basalt and andesite . The only rocks reported to have been dated are 0.53 and 0.65 million-year-old basalts. These predate
297-513: Is said to live at the White rock, a Lava dome possibly formed by the last eruption, where its glimmering properties were most likely to have inspired the legend. Contrary to reality, the mountain is believed to be several mountains merging at the center including the tallest two peaks. Sinukuan is believed to have daughters who come down only during time of grace and are disguised as humans, Sinukuan himself can be disguised as human. The day he comes back
330-839: The Philippine Revolution , the Filipino revolutionaries retreated on Mount Arayat after the failure of the Cry of Nueva Ecija during September 1896 when the Spanish counter-attacked at San Isidro . In September 1897, Gen. Francisco Macabulos retreated to Mount Arayat along with his men to avoid capture by the Spanish authorities in Tarlac, which used to be under the control of his forces. Several engagements would occur here afterwards until his surrender on January 15, 1898. On Mount Arayat, Colonel Thorpe, an American guerrilla officer,
363-863: The monitor lizard and different species of snakes. A monument honoring the 1,395 USAFIP-NL members killed during the battle was unveiled in the park in 1954. List of protected areas of the Philippines In the Philippines, protected areas are administered by the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992. As of 2020, there are 244 protected areas in
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#1732797491571396-487: The Japanese soldiers had arrived at their place, they quickly left and went to Mount Arayat but when they were about to go up, the officers of the Japanese soldiers came to arrest him. Nicanor surrendered to ensure everyone's safety. He was tortured by having his skin removed from his arm. Following this, he was released by the Japanese soldiers and he was able to return to Mount Arayat and his family. Mount Arayat stands in
429-518: The Philippines, covering a total area of about 7,760,000 hectares (19,200,000 acres) – 15.4% of the Philippines' total area. The first important legislation that formed the basis of the current system of national parks and protected areas in the Philippines is Act No. 648, enacted in 1903 by the Philippine Commission . This act authorized the civil governor to "reserve for civil public purposes, and from sale or settlement, any part of
462-462: The Pinnacle and TKO, cannot be considered peaks because they are not prominent unlike the North and South peak, and thus are only considered as view decks as per International Mountaineering definitions. The Mountain is said to be the home of the god/sorcerer named Sinukuan/Sinukwan or Sucu, which could mean "The end" or "he to whom others have surrendered." The mountain was said to have been located in
495-675: The Spanish added 'Maria' to Sinukuan's name to somewhat turn her into Catholic in a bid to further subjugate the natives and convert them into Roman Catholicism. In recent years, locals have cited that there is a man in the mountain, angry due to the deforestation that was happening. Others say that it was Aring Sinukuan. Fumarole activity is reported on the NW side of the summit. The Global Volcanism Program lists Mount Arayat as Holocene Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), list Mount Arayat as Potentially active volcano. In April 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte signed
528-439: The afternoon. He also had a winged assistant named Galurâ, a giant eagle deity believed to be the bringer of storms, and a wife named Mingan. However, when the Spanish arrived, they 'rebranded' Sinukuan as a woman, thinking that the people would not revere the deity if he was a female, not knowing that the great elder deity of the Kapampangan was a woman named Mangechay. Despite this, the natives continued to revere Sinukuan. Furious,
561-625: The collapse amphitheater. There are no cultural records of historical eruptions. However, weak steaming is currently present in some of the heavily eroded vents on the North Western side of the summit. The ancient eruptions were said to have caused the formation of a Lava Dome on the Western Slopes of the mountain known as White Rock which makes a nice tourist destination and is usually a field trip destination for students of Pampanga State Agricultural University. The Arayat amphitheatre
594-408: The collapse and formation of the lava dome . However, weak steaming is currently present in some of the heavily eroded vents on the North Western side of the summit. Additionally an analysis report indicates that the volcano erupted over the last 2,000 years, but it is believed to refer to the volcanic activity of the volcano. Mount Arayat is considered mystical in ancient Kapampangan folklore as
627-500: The crater collapse and formation of the lava dome known as White Rock, which could have occurred in the last 2000 years. The mountain which is believed to be several peaks merged at the top by some local people is actually a Single-Cone Stratovolcano . Two trails lead to the peaks of Mount Arayat. Mount Arayat National Park Located at San Juan Baño in Arayat, Pampanga has a trail to the southern Peak, taking around 3–4 hours to reach
660-590: The first national park in the Philippines established on June 27, 1933, following this act. A series of acts and legislations were passed in the next decades that aimed to further strengthen these policies, including the Revised Forestry Code of 1975 ( Presidential Decree No. 705 ) and Forest Administrative Order No. 7. Following the 1987 Constitution , the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act
693-591: The following classifications described in Section 4 of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS Act). World Heritage Site or part of a World Heritage Site World Heritage Site or part of a World Heritage Site Mount Arayat Mount Arayat is an isolated potentially active stratovolcano in the Central Luzon plains. Located within vast agricultural lands of Pampanga , it rises prominently to
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#1732797491571726-412: The great elder and creator goddess. Aring Sinukûan was the sun god of war and death, taught the early inhabitants the industry of metallurgy, wood cutting, rice culture and waging war. He had three children, namely, Munag Sumalâ, the golden serpent god who represent dawn, Lakandanup, the god of gluttony who represented the sun at noon time, and Gatpanapun, the noble god who only knew pleasure and represented
759-466: The legendary home of Aung/Aring Sinukuan/Sinkuan/Suku or the Fairy known as diwata Maria Sinukuan . According to research gathered by Kapampangan students of Henry Otley Beyer , the mountain was the abode of Apung/Aring Sinukuan, rival of Apu Namalyari of Mount Pinatubo . The origins of the name "Arayat" are multifaceted and have evolved over time. The earliest mention of the mountain's name appears in
792-458: The middle of the largely-agricultural 15 to 35 metres (49 to 115 ft) AMSL Central Luzon Plain, serving as a distinct landmark in Pampanga province. The mountain is topped by a circular volcanic crater about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) in diameter, much of which has collapsed on the western and part of the northern rim due to erosion. This has resulted in a breached crater which opens in
825-471: The pass, Mount Namogoian rises to 6,830 feet (2,080 m). East of Langiatan Hill is Magun Hill at 4,500 feet (1,400 m). The park contains pine forests as well as mossy type forests. It is crossed by the Bessang Creek and Matukbo River which provides the water supply for Cervantes and other surrounding communities. The park is also the habitat of 29 bird species, 5 mammals, and reptiles such as
858-522: The peak. The Southern Peak offers views of Central Luzon, including a view of Pampanga River . The collapsed western Slope that forms the other half of its caldera-like crater can also be seen. It offers a view of the mountains of Zambales and Bataan (to the west), and the mountains of the Sierra Madre range (to the east). The northern or higher Peak can be accessed on a route from Pampanga State Agricultural University in Magalang, Pampanga , taking
891-989: The public domain not appropriated by law for special public purposes." A total of eight national reserves had been established on July 26, 1904, pursuant to this law. These are the Lamao Forest Reserve in Bataan , Mariquina Reserve in Rizal , Angat River Reserve in Bulacan , Caliraya Falls Reserve in Laguna , La Carlota Reserve in Negros Occidental , San Ramon Reserve in Zamboanga , Magalang Reserve in Pampanga , and Hacienda San Antonio in Isabela . In
924-542: The same year, the Forest Act of 1904 ( Act No. 1148 ) was adopted that expanded the scope of protected areas in the Philippines. Among the first of such mountain forest reserves to be declared was Mount Maquiling declared on November 21, 1910. On February 1, 1932, the National Parks Act ( Act No. 3195 ) was enacted that formally established the national parks system in the country. Mount Arayat became
957-477: The south. Mount Arayat was officially declared a national park in 1933 and a tourist spot in 1997. The mountain is currently under an immense deforestation threat. Mount Arayat has a breached crater on its northwest side with a smaller andesitic dome in the collapse amphitheater. There are historical records of eruption in Arayat and the only dated rocks are 530- and 650-thousand-year-old basalts predating
990-455: The swamp to its south but relocated because of the evil ways of those who lived there, in addition to which, the people of the swamp were made to suffer numerous misfortunes. Sinukuan is believed to be able to transform and do as he pleases at will, his only real rival being Namalyari of Mount Pinatubo . The waterfalls at Ayala in Magalang, Pampanga is said to be his bathing quarters, and it is often visited by tourists and natives alike. Sinukuan
1023-539: Was captured by Japanese forces on December 10, 1942. Mount Arayat would then be used as a hiding place for communist Filipino guerrillas called the Hukbalahap afterwards. Nicanor Songco "Bapa" developed a plan on how they could spread the information of their escape to Mount Arayat to be safe in the height of the war. This plan would be the reason for the survival of their family from Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija who joined them at that time. When they found out that
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1056-400: Was enacted which further enhanced the administration and classification of protected areas and broadened the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in enforcing its provisions. Protected areas in the Philippines encompasses 4,620,000 hectares (11,400,000 acres) of terrestrial areas and 3,140,000 hectares (7,800,000 acres) of marine areas. They are managed according to
1089-560: Was finally declared and reclassified as a natural monument under the National Integrated Protected Areas System in April 2000 through Proclamation No. 284 by President Joseph Estrada . Bessang Pass lies along Route 4, which is now known as the Tagudin–Cervantes–Sabangan Road (N205) in the barangay of Malaya. The pass lies on the southeast side of Langiatan Hill, which reaches a height of 4,000 feet (1,200 m). South of
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