BAUKO, Mountain Province – Foreign and domestic nature-lovers must drop by the newly established trekking destinations in this town in order to discover the scenery and beauty of the majestic and towering Mount Polis in barangay Bagnen Oriente before moving on to their desired destinations in the different parts of the region.
Mayor Abraham B. Akilit said the municipal government has prepared a package for foreign and domestic visitors wanting to drop by the locality and try their luck in Mount Polis in order to entice more visitors to frequent the town and have a satisfying trekking experience.
Mount Polis is found between Barangay Data in Sabangan town and Barangay Bagnen Oriente here. It is very peculiar from other mountains due to its formation. It has a high point on top with a slowly flat part at the middle down to the right side. Likened to a volcano, it is a pride of majestic height and viewpoint to the people of Bagnen.
Mount Polis is some 1,354 meters above sea level and a land area of around 332.20 hectares. It is 27 kilometers away from the capital town of Bontoc, 14 kilometers away from Abatan, Buguias, Benguet and 137 kilometers away from Baguio City.
According to Mayor Akilit, Neighboring barangays had suspected it is a volcano due to robust plant on its foot and its fertile soil.
Its peak could be reached in just 30 minutes depending on the pace of trekkers with scenic views on its sides and a 360-degree view of the Cordillera mountain ranges and lowlands on top of its peak.
Mount Polis carries a story of love. As been retold, during the ancient time, Kabunyan left a woman at Mount Polis and a man at Mount Kalawitan, an adjacent mountain nearby.
As it was cold and windy, the woman maintained a fire that emitted light through the nights. The man noticed the emblems and felt the coldness of being alone. He decided to search for the light. He tied his dog to his solibao and journeyed to mount Polis. As the man’s dog bark, the roaster of the woman at mount Polis also answered “kok kok koook”. The answering animal sounds made the journey faster until at last they met. They got married and started the community of Bagnen.
During the earlier times, mount polis was covered by thick cogon grasses. It was the source of roofing to traditional houses. Community members group themselves and gather cogon at the same time bonding with each other sharing social obligations.
Mayor Akilit said the added trekking destination in the province will surely contribute in improving the growth of the local tourism industry considering that foreign and domestic visitors will consider dropping by the town’s scenic destinations before proceeding to their desired destinations in Sagada, Bontoc and Banaue in nearby Ifugao province.
He said trekkers will also have a chance to witness the sunrise at the peak of Mount Polis and have the opportunity to touch the clouds during the early morning trek that would complete the day for all types of visitors.
Akilit said local residents and the municipal government is now ready to welcome the expected influx of visitors following the continuous promotions of the new trekking destinations that the locality is proud of considering that visitors will have added opportunities to explore new places in the province.
