Enchanted Mt. Diwata
by Jess Dureza
Thursday, 02 February 2012
MONKAYO, Compostela Valley--A few days ago, I revisited Barangay Mount Diwata, more popularly known as Diwalwal. Many tend to mix up the two names. But Diwalwal was derived from the local dialect's phrase "diwalwal ang dila" which literally means "one's tongue hanging out" after a steep climb. Mount Diwata, on the other handis the political unit within the Monkayo municipality in Compostela Valley. Monkayo town is about two hours' drive in first class road north of Davao City. Diwalwal elevation is about 600 to 700 meters or 2,000 feet more or less above sea level. I had been there several times before, with then DENR Secretary Elisea Gozun, Sen. Sonny Alvarez and others. My last visit was with former President Arroyo about three years ago. On those trips I flew in by helicopter.
For the first time, I travelled by Land starting the ascent from Monkayo town, the fiefdom of the Brillantes family, one of the mining families in the area. Mayor Junjun Brillantes who succeeded his assassinated brother "JB" received us at the town hall. Eldest brother "JB," who was murdered in a cockpit in Davao City in 2003, was one of the original mining stalwarts in the area together with a hand-full of other mining families who up to now control the business through sheer industry, guts and with some amount of luck and audacity. And lots of "muscle," of course. JB mining company's chairman, soft- spoken Lito Brillantes conducted us up to the hive of "small scale" mining in the mountains. The road in the less-than-one hour ascent was manageable except that one needed to take a sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle to survive the slipper y surface in a slight drizzle, a common treat at this time of the year.
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