Mt. Gulugod Baboy: Day Hike
Located at the southern part of Batangas, Mt. Gulugod Baboy offers a stunning view of the province. It is a minor climb with a difficulty of 2/9 and is 525 meters above sea level. Gulugod Baboy is one of the known hiking destinations for beginners and advanced mountaineers alike.
Gulugod Baboy or “Pig Spine” became known as the mountain’s name because of its slopes and shape that resemble that of a pig spine. It has three peaks with Mt. Pinagbanderahan as the highest of the three. Pinagbanderahan means “where the flag was hoisted”. According to legends, a battle happened around the mountain’s area during the World War II and the victor’s flag was hoisted on one of its peaks. It is also accounted in history that a Japanese plane had a crash landing on one of the peaks of Gulugod Baboy. In commemoration of their survival, they planted a flag on one of its summits. This is how Mt. Pinagbanderahan acquired its name. With its lush green grasslands and rolling hills, Gulugod Baboy offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Batangas province and its nearby islands.
Mt Gulugod Baboy – Day Hike Itinerary
3:30am - 5:30am – Bus ride from Cubao to Grand Terminal (Batangas City)
5:30am - 7:30 – Jeepney ride from Grand Terminal (Batangas City) to Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
7:30am – 8:00 – Tricycle ride to Gulugod Baboy’s Registration Area at the front of Philpan Dive Resort
8:00am – 8:30am – Registration area and preparation
8:30am – 10:00 – Ascend to the summit
10:00am - 12:00nn – Reaching the summit; Lunch and enjoying the view
12:00nn – 12:45pm – Descend from the summit
12:45pm – 1:15pm – Tricycle ride from Philpan Dive Resort to Anilao, Mabini’s jeepney stop
1:15pm – 3:15 – Jeepney Ride from Mabini to Grand Terminal (Batangas City)
3:15 – 5:30 – Bus ride from Grand Terminal (Batangas City) to Cubao
Php 132-165 – Bus from Cubao to Grand Terminal (Batangas City0
Php 40 – Jeepney ride from Grand Terminal to Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
Php 40 – Tricycle ride to Registration Area at the front of Philpan Dive Resort
Php 50 – Registration Fee
Php 500 – Tour Guide Fee (optional; same price for individual or group)
Php 250 – Tricycle back to Bayan ng Mabini (optional if you don’t want to descend through footpath)
Our jump off point is at the registration booth near Philpan Dive Resort where we met another group that also came for a hike at Mt. Gulugod Baboy. There were two teenagers from Batangas and one young adult from Laguna. It was also their first time to climb Gulugod Baboy. Both of our groups agreed to secure and share the same tour guide so that we can have a safe yet cheaper hike to the summit.
At 8:30 am, our climb to the summit started. We walked on a cemented road paved upwards, which was the starting point of our hike. Walking on cemented road was already tiring for us but Kuya Ronie, our tour guide, encouraged us that once we climb on the uncemented footpath, everything would be a lot easier. After reaching the first stop house or resting station, our climb on cemented roads ended and our trek on a natural footpath finally began. The trail was moderately steep, but you can take your time going up as the trail slowly reveals a majestic view of the place.
Along the trail, there were four local stop houses where you can rest and buy drinks that will quench your undeniable thirst. As we continued our hike, we also encountered other hikers that were already descending on the mountain. They were giving us encouragements and told us that everything will be worth it when we reach the summit. In between our climb and rest, we also had the chance to talk about our experiences, and even Kuya Ronie shared his.
As our hike gets closer to the summit, Kuya Ronie, our tour guide, told us some of his experiences in climbing Gulugod Baboy for so many years. For Kuya Ronie, being a guide is fun, but it’s also a risky type of job. As we sat in one of the resting stations at Mt. Gulugod Baboy, Kuya Ronie mentioned the earthquake that shook the town of Mabini last April 2017. These 5.6 and 6.0 magnitude earthquakes occurred around 3:07 and 3:09 in the afternoon in Mabini, respectively.
Kuya Ronie was in his house with his family when the earthquakes happened. They immediately transferred to the house of his in-laws after one of the walls of their house collapsed on top of his youngest child. Because of the trauma it caused him, Kuya Ronie decided to stop being a tour guide in order to look after the safety of his children. He also mentioned the uneasiness and worry he felt at that time if another earthquake was to happen while he was at the mountain. We eventually learned that our hike at Gulugod Baboy was his very first climb after almost a year of stopping as a tour guide. Indeed, we have noticed his difficulty in climbing the mountain. Kuya Ronie told us that aside from the nearly one-year break from being a tour guide, the difficulty he felt was also because of his lack of exercise after being used to riding a motorcycle when he stopped climbing.
At 10 am, we were already at the summit and were enjoying the view of a massive and beautiful masterpiece. It took us 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the highest peak.
Mt. Gulugod Baboy is rich in biodiversity and is ideal for some mountain activities. You can encounter Aspins, farm animals, birds you won’t see in the city, and various insects that were intriguingly great for macro photography.
Mt. Gulugod Baboy also boasts of impressive sceneries at its three peaks wherein hikers can enjoy the view of the Balayan and Batangas Bay. They can also enjoy the view of the Maribacan Strait with the Maribacan Island and Sombrero Island. Mt. Maculot, Verde Island, the port and the city of Batangas are visible from all its three peaks. Hikers can also experience mountain biking and overnight camping at the summit.
However, Mt. Gulugod Baboy is not perfect. It also needs the care and protection from the hikers who climb there and the locals who live there. We noticed that the beautiful sceneries can only be seen at the top. At the foot of the mountain exists garbage and towels that irresponsible mountain climbers left hanging on a tree. There is also an unfinished road project of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that left troubling excavations in the mountain trail.
Nonetheless, the immersion with the locals and other hikers from that day hike was definitely a sum of positive feelings. The good outweighed the negative things. Even the negative things gave us the awareness about what this mountain needs, and not just what we need from it.
As we rise to the summit, there was a surge of emotions that centered in absolute awe. There was also this feeling of utter surrender to the beauty that is enveloping the space around us.
Mt. Gulugod Baboy is a recommended hike for beginners and aspiring newbies who want to start their hiking career. Despite of the steep trails ahead, we were still able to take it on and even enjoy it as we develop the anticipation of a stunning view on its three peaks. Even when it rained while we were at the summit, we were still able to see and savor how beautiful the mountain and the surrounding was.
It is a must to come back and have a camping overnight; to get the chance to have a closer look at the stars and relish stories and experiences that we will take home again from the Pig Spine of Batangas.
