SECRETS OF LUBANG by Chen Reyes-Mencias

            Mention Lubang and the name Onoda comes to mind.  No other place in the Philippines has this story.  It is a tale of courage, loyalty, survival and faith.  It  is this story that drew me to this island  to explore its many wonderful secrets. LIG or Lubang island group is actually composed of two municipalities - Lubang and Looc.  They are  part of the province of Occidental Mindoro and are located approximately 70 nautical miles southwest of Manila. LIG  has always been known to be the place where Lt. Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier,  held out in the jungles for 30 years after World War II, thinking that the war was not over.  He refused to surrender despite fliers scattered by planes, magazines and newspapers left along the trail and pleas from friends and relatives.  He wrote a book entitled “No Surrender: My Thirty Year War”  where he explicitly explained how he came to Lubang, ended up holed up in the jungle, survived without being caught and lived off  from the produce of the land. 

            In the  book, Onoda described a circuit in the forest where he would travel and hide in order to escape search parties.  Today this circuit is known as The Onoda Trail.   Armed with a map, binoculars, GPS and camera I ventured from the  town of  Vigo and hiked this legendary trail.  With me were people from the town, eager to discover and learn more about this national  treasure, a trail with  a colorful past and   opportunities for deep learning.  

Compelling story

            The Onoda story began in December 30, 1944 when he was only 22 years old.  Fresh from training he was sent to Lubang with one mission, to destroy Tilik port  with tons of explosives and lead the Japanese soldiers in fighting the Americans. The last words from his group commander Major Yoshimi Taniguchi were, “ Whatever happens, we’ll come back for you”.   To this he replied,” I will fight  until that day comes.” The steadfast soldier  took these words seriously and surrendered only after three decades.  When he presented himself to President Marcos , he was still wearing his uniform, held his sword that was polished and well maintained, and saluted like a dignified soldier.  When he went back to Japan he was met with a hero’s welcome.

           

            As we hiked through the forest,  tall  trees with massive buttresses are capped with thick canopies.  Beneath the leaves are branches filled with ephiphytes.  These are plants  such as wild orchids, bromeliads and other interesting  species of  flora that thrive in the limited sunlight and moist environment.   Limestone rocks are partially hidden by a profusion of vines and wild flowering plants.  Some of these rock gardens look amazingly serene despite the chaotic display of  wild life.  Long twisted vines hang from trees, while dried  orange, brown and yellow leaves litter the forest floor.  Multi-colored fungi grow from rotting trees and  edible wild berries  were starting to bloom with the onset of rain. 

            Between the trees, streaks of white light somehow penetrate  through creating an elusion of ghostly apparition.  The surreal scenery brought forth visions of Onoda walking though this jungle and hiding in the caves.  He actually hid in several selected caves. Some locals have even discovered relics from  his life in the wild.  Some claim to have found helmets, a sword and some old bottles.  Onoda said in his book that he used to get  bottled and preserved fruits and vegetables from a school.  He also used to shoot cows from the fields and was able to devise ways to preserve the meat for them to last a long time. 

            We were able to get to four of these caves, most of which are small but hidden by thick foliage.  The smell of bat guano permeated the air.  Our guide said that some of the caves of Lubang are deep and unexplored. Even the locals find it quite a challenge to explore them. It is quite possible that Onoda himself may have discovered a few that only he may have had the chance to explore.

            The hike ended in the wondrous Vigo River where we feasted on wild ulang or fresh water shrimp.  The cool water must have provided Onoda himself  with refreshing respite from the stressful  straggler life.  The colorful rocks – red, orange and brown-  provided the landscape an earthy tone and blended well with the lush greenery.  

Lubang’s other treasures

In February 2009 an important mileage was reached when  Mayor Juan Sanchez’ of Lubang and former Looc Mayor Ben Tria  agreed to have one tourism master plan for the entire island group.  A vision of a prosperous island was crafted by stakeholders and island residents during a planning workshop and  specific steps towards the attainment of a sustainable future were  articulated. Lubang and Looc are now  positioning themselves as a tourism destination that will base its development on sustainable principles.  The people see the Onoda Trail as their most compelling tourism product.  The trail that runs through the jungle and  across the two municipalities  includes caves, river systems, waterfalls,  forest and a unique and compelling history.  Several caves that   are still unexplored, present great opportunities for adventure activities such as hiking, camping, rappelling and spelunking.  Team building activities,  survival training and environmental education become the most suitable features of the Trail.  

Over at the southern part of Lubang we were challenged with some rock scrambling as we trekked along a river.  The 30 minute hike  was rewarded by a stunning view of the Hulagaan Falls. Here the melodic resonance of insects and birds  dominated the wild and yet serene environment.  We were told that the Hulagaan district was still part of  Onoda’s established circuit.  Old folks  of Lubang say that he would traverse this  route for a period of one month, seldom staying in one cave for a prolonged period of time.  This was his way of confusing his “enemies”. On another hike we discovered an un-named waterfalls tucked deep in the forest.  We just had to rappel it since it was just too beautiful not to.  A nice pool collects at the bottom and it was perfect for a relaxing dip after doing a couple of laps climbing up and down the falls.  The strangest thing is that the falls is virtually unknown to most people of Lubang. This only makes me  believe that there may be more secrets just waiting to be  discovered.

Cabra island on the other hand is a totally different story.  The entire island is an ancient coral reef that has been uplifted perhaps thousands of years ago. It is home to  a centuries-old lighthouse that was constructed to guide wayfarers travelling to  Manila Bay during the time of the galleon trade.  It was built during the Spanish era and  is  one of a few  old  lighthouses in the country that still has the prisms mounted in the turntable.  Most lighthouses do not have them anymore.   All over the island are fossils of corals and giant clams indicating that the entire island used to be submerged.  The locals in fact have miles and miles of solid fences made from fossilized corals.  Some of these fences  are perhaps even more than fifty years old.  They had been installed to delineate boundaries of properties.  This unique practice that dates back ever since the people could remember is now part of Cabra’s cultural landscape.

In Looc one will never run out of things to do.  One can cruise around  Ambil Island and marvel at the several waterfalls by the beach which are seen only during the rainy months.   A hike to  Snorkeling over at the shallow reefs or simply wading in the  gin clear water of Bonbon beach will  prove to be quite rewarding. The inter-tidal zone  is pockmarked with natural pools that accumulate water during low tide.  The reef areas and seagrass meadows are home to a wide variety of marine life.  The rolling hills that hug the coastline provide hiking opportunities.

Rock formations punctuated with caves and undercuts provide stunning sceneries.

           Mangrove trees, although remnants of once thick forests, are still found in some sites in both Lubang and Looc.  Ancient coralline islets dot the seascape, providing clues of islands' natural history.  Even the majestic-looking Ambil Island, which appears like a red mountain during sunset  is said to have fossilized giant clams at its peak.  The entire LIG is said to be underwater hundreds or thousands of years ago.  Uplifting and geologic processes brought the islands to the surface.  Pockmarked rocky cliffs are dotted with fossils of clams, corals and shells,   evidences which show that  LIG  may have been part of an  ancient coral reef system. 

Lubang and Looc's  sweeping coastline and pristine forest  are indeed as Onoda had vividly described them in his book.These amazing islands are  punctuated by huge rock formations, cliffs, caves, springs, idealic coves, beaches,. mangrove forests, tidal pools, fringing reefs and steep slopes of grasslands, thick forest and rich biodiversity.  It is an asset  that needs to be protected at all cost  to ensure that this destination remains for many generations.