Yes you heard it right, Sta. Cruz is again out to launch another hiking attraction and this time it will be situated in barangay Zone 1, one of the four barangays comprising the Poblacion cluster. It was November 18, 2021 when we were invited by the actual land possessor of the area Mam Aning Guttierez for an ocular visit of Mt. Fortune, a parcel of the Poblacion Mountain Corridor which can be accessed via sitio Malusing. According to her, it was prematurely opened last year but she decided to close it and secured necessary documents before its relaunch with the help of Zone 1 Barangay Tribal Chieftain Bae Dionila Bautista who was with us also during the visit.Mt. Fortune is still within the Unified Bagobo-Tagabawa Ancestral Domain, which is why a Certificate of Precondition is required through the office of the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
A short 2.7 kilometers single track is a highlight that made us all worn out because we started the trek by 9:30 in the morning when the sun was already heating up like a pressure cooker. It took us 1 hour to arrive in the summit, and just before we were able to settle down we were warmly greeted by Mam Aning and Bae Dionila.
What made Mt. Fortune distinct from the other hiking sites in Sta. Cruz is that this is more of a resort type, with some structures provided by the owner to give comfort to its visitors. Simple open cottages are available, as well as clean toilet, a kitchen, water source, colorful pathways and even a traditional basketball court. There are also two designated camping sites and a hammock site under the shade of Ipil-ipil trees. Mam Aning is excited for the impending launching schedule of Mt. Fortune which I think can be done by December, because she is out to also offer food items as short orders for visiting guests.
The highest point measures 519 MASL, but since the jump off point is in a ground zero location the trek still offers some kind of adrenalin. The trail is almost the same with that of Mt. Loay, but Mt. Fortune has plenty of water sources along the way. The summit of Seven-Nine-Six is a good shade here of the afternoon sun, and a view deck in the northern part offers clear view of Mt. Langit-langit, Quibarangan, Langan River, Langan Interior Road going to Busay, Seaoil, My Gas, WL Food Corporation and the Davao Cityscape. Davao Gulf is also very visible from Mt. Fortune’s vantage point.
Official launching of Mt. Fortune was the ultimate schedule we agreed upon with Mam Aning and Bae Dionila and we expect to hold it in December. This minor summit will again form part of the offerings that would solidify our campaign for Sta. Cruz as Mindanao’s Summit Republic. This is ideal for chill hikes and a good attraction for family market with a touch of adrenalin. See you soon in Mt. Fortune. Meanwhile, LOGSAC team would like to thank Mam Aning for the excellent lunch in Mt. Fortune, The site assessment turned out to be a gastronomic avalanche for us.
Thank you also to our very good friend Jie-R Domingo for facilitating the trek and for the overall coordination.
