Lantad Highland’s Story Revealed

Google Earth Map showing the Lantad which likely occupies the central part of the Balatukan Mountain Range.   Mt. Balatukan is the highest mountain in Misamis Oriental with an elevation of 8,038 feet or 2,450 meters above sea level.

Early Impressions:

When we were still kids in the primary grades at a public school in 1963, we knew already of a place named as Lantad because to us the place symbolizes a scene where Tarzan lives – a jungle. Much to our great fantasies, we desired much to go there, but it is more than twenty-five kilometers away from town to the jungles. In our young minds we believed if only we could just reach Lantad, we could see people on G-strings with bow and arrows, spears and crude machetes just like in the adventure safari movies of Johnny Wessmuller, the first Tarzan in Hollywood talking movies.   

Topography:

Lantad is located northeast of Balingasag in the Balatukan Mountain Range. It seats on a valley, to its north is the Anahaw Mountain, northwest is the Minlangit and Minlapones mountains on the opposite side or across the Balatukan River and to the southeast is the Dodiongan-Lingongon Mountains. It is the ancestral home of the Indigenous People – the Higaonon Tribe in Northern Mindanao.

Before logging and mining exploration entered the northeast side of Balingasag in 1968, Lantad was already considered as one of the prosperous districts or zones of Kibanban. People from the seas or the “dumagats” or non-indigenous people mostly from Barangay Napaliran reached Lantad earlier even before the late 1950’s because of its fertile soil.

When Barangay Kibanban was officially created as an independent political unit in 1952 separate from its mother barangay Napaliran, it encompassed Lantad, the areas of Old Kibanban, an area along the banks of the Balatukan, which is the heartland of the sitios in the flatlands that included all the areas known today as Lantaca, Kiwali, and of course Ara-ay. Old Kibanban is along the riverbanks and just a few feet higher than the level of the Balatukan River. It is in between two mountains, to the northwest is Kamansi across the Balatukan River and opposite is the Dodiongan.

Although the first mechanized forest intervention – logging activity started in Balingasag in 1954 when Oca Logging gained legal concession of the areas of Balingasag, logging companies like Roces Company and Mindanao Plywood Corporation crisscrossed the mountains of Balingasag with log roads. They were the lessee of Oca Logging and the areas around Balatukan Mountains was not exploited much not until Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration started its operastion in 1968.[1]

The logging area beginning 1954 was southeast of Balatukan Mountain Range going towards the Claveria areas. It was penetrated by Roces Logging and followed shortly by MINPLYCO – Mindanano Plywood Company. They penetrated the southeast mountains with log roads. Their log road started in Baliwagan up to Samay-Malacera, Malagana-Aposkahoy areas with some diversions at Dansulithon heading towards Bito which reached Quezon Heights in sitio Ulot.  Minplyco’s field office was in Binitinan, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.  

However, MINPLYCO ended their operations in 1968, they transferred to Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, leaving the forest in the southeast in denudation though there were efforts made by them to transplant new trees. The southeast was crisscrossed with log roads unlike the north-northeast which remain completely untouched.

In the days when there was no logging activity yet in the northeast, or days before the Vulcan Logging came, travel to Lantad was simply possible by trekking. The staging point of the trek was in Barangay Napaliran along on the sandy and rocky plains, and dried banks of Balatukan River towards Old Kibanban. Travel is about eight or nine kilometers away. The final assault to the highland begins in Old Kibanban and just like the way one had come from Napaliran to Old Kibanban, would be by trekking. 

However, this time the trek would be more intense because it is not only along the banks of the Balatukan, but it must have to crisscross the river for more than a dozen times. Before reaching Lantad proper, a route of extremely steep ascends has to be tackled near old burial grounds. After successfully making the hardest trek, one would reach the rich and fertile valley of the highlands.  

Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration:

When Vulcan Logging started its operation in 1968, travel in going to Lantad was more or less much easier for people than it was before.  A log road along the mountainsides of what is known today as Hill 508, the Ridge overlooking Balatukan and Dodiongan River, the Eleven Series, Macarandang Hill and so on was constructed by the logging company.

The log roads reached Lantad and eventually to the Anahaw Mountains by necessity because of the dense and quality timber thereat. Despite Anahaw is geographically under Gingoog, it is easily accessible during this time from Lantad than from the Bantaawan Mountains in Gingoog. With the advent of log road, travel became easier since it requires more or less a day’s walk yet from Lantad to Anahaw without the log trucks.

Surplus WWII petrol weapons carrier half truck and diesel TW log trucks were used by the logging company as they were best suited for the terrain being 4 x 4 vehicles.  They transported supplies to the campsite in the cutting areas and in their return trip to the lowlands, they carried precious timber cargoes like almacega, yakal, lauan etc. These logs were unloaded firstly at the log decks in sitio Lantaca below Old Kibanban awaiting re-scaling though they were already pre-scaled at the cutting areas. Later, it would be transported to the log ponds in Binitinan, where they would be towed by tugboats to the next log ponds in Jasaan if the periodic hauling of a Japanese ship would not be in Balingasag.

Agricultural products from Lantad like coffee, corn, upland rice, vegetable, poultry, and root crops, etc. were brought to the lowlands via Old Kibanban and Napaliran, the trading posts and stops; on caravans of work animals. Despite log trucks were plying these areas, they could not accommodate additional cargoes in greater bulk for they are already overloaded with logs and people are bullheaded, they even hitch-ride on top of the log cargoes.

So, a caravan of work animals usually horses carried those agricultural products from the mountains to the lowlands and vice versa.

Balatukan River:

The Balatukan River originates far from the Balig-wagan Areas deep in the Balatukan Mountain Range. It travels heading to the west passing through Lantad-Kibanban, Ara-ay-Kiwali-Napaliran areas. The Balatukan River in Lantad is really near to the village. It is being fed by two tributaries namely the Aloyan and Kinalangsahan. In the flatlands in Ara-ay, two other bigger tributaries feed the Balatukan again – the Sumolao from the North from Bayotao Mountains and the Dodiongan from the Dodiongan-Lingonlingon Mountains in the south.

In addition to this, we would not discount the many small springs that likewise fed the Balatukan from its journey from the highlands up to the river confluence. Unfortunately, the Balatukan could not be harnessed as a waterway passage of logs from the highlands for geographical reasons.  While it passes and though it is near to Lantad, the Balatukan is about 100 meters deep from the Lantad valley’s elevation.

Aside from the tributaries it had while it is still in the highlands, the Balatukan remains as a shallow river, non-maneuverable by any banca during dry season more so in times of floods, except perhaps of inflatable craft – a dinghy. In rainy season or typhoons, it unleashes considerable volume of water towards the low-laying lands. Nevertheless, its water during dry season or when there is no typhoon barely reaches Napaliran because irrigation canals diverted its water to the different farmlands below.

The Balatukan River therefore could not be used as a water passageway of logs from Anahaw or Lantad areas to the lowlands because of its shallowness unlike the Agusan River in Caraga that logs from the cutting areas were just rolled into the river and towed by tugboats towards the log ponds in Magallanes.  

In the plains during the fiercest of a storm, the waters of Balatukan debouches to the Macajalar Bay in three exit points. One is in Barangay Mandangoa area near Balingasag Coal Thermal Power Plant Complex. Second is in Barangay Binitinan, where the floodwaters of Balatukan from Barangay San Isidro joins the Musi-musi River and exits in Manuyog – Binitinan area to the seas. The third exit of the water of Balatukan is in Barangay Waterfall where the floodwaters of the former that pass along Dal-as in Lingangao flow towards natural flood channels to the sea.

Balatukan River in times of typhoon and flood is a mighty river that brings death and destruction to the communities in the low-laying lands. But in the dry season, it is just another thirsty river with no water at all, except in the areas of Liyang and Kihao-as where irrigation terminal controls re-directs the flow of water towards the different floodgates down below to feed the farmlands in the lowlands.

Development and Other Interventions:

a. Representations at the Municipal Council.

Before Kibanban was made as a regular barangay of Balingasag, Lantad and all the inhabited areas like Old Kibanban, Lantaca, Ara-ay and Kiwali were politically under the administrative control of Barangay Napaliran. Among these mentioned areas, Lantad is the remotest located in the Balatukan areas, the rests are in the lowlands. It is more or less some 15 kilometers away from Old Kibanban.

In 1952 under the then Municipal Mayor Manuel Varquez, Kibanban was created as a barangay detached politically from Barangay Napaliran. With her creation as a new barangay, she had been entitled to representations in the Municipal Government of Balingasag in the regular and special meetings of all the elective officials of the town.[2] In his first term of office as newly elected Municipal Councilor, the then Councilor Briccio Valmores represented Barangay Kibanban.[3]

b. Missionary Endeavors of the Church.

One intervention which instilled spiritual development of the Indigenous People of Lantad was the evangelization made by the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1960’s. During this time, the parish of Sta. Rita de Cascia-Balingasag was headed by an Auxiliary Bishop Teofilo Camomot with his assistant priest Fr. Joaquin Resma. Their focus was the evangelization of the hinterlands, to catechize the IP’s and ultimately baptize them.

As recalled by old people in town, in the summer of 1962, many IP’s from Lantad joined the church activity “Santa Cruzan” because the priests invited them to join the Flores de Mayo culmination program. The Flores de Mayo is traditionally regarded by people as a religious affair despite it is sometimes now clothe with social whims and caprices.

For the IP’s who came to town, Perhaps, it was their first wonderful experience to see or bath in the sea.

But because of the remoteness of Lantad, despite a chapel was built by the people as a place of worship, it is however sad that it is only during patron or patroness fiesta where priest from the town would go there to celebrate the Holy Mass.[4] Nevertheless, a catechist or a lay leader has been installed there to guide and serve the community.

In the 1970’s the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro had appointed a regular priest to administer the IP’s in the remotest highlands. The late Fr. Mariano Valmoria was the first priest to have such position. In recent times, it is Fr. Jong Sabuga who handles the ministry.

c. Opening of a Primary School.

The richness of the soil in the valley enticed men - those who have guts and ever yearning for adventure to venture in this newly known land. Just like the story of the early pioneering days in the West - Americas, land in Lantad is free to everyone who wishes to till it – occupancy theory in the absence of any legal right or title.

Lantad is classified as a forest land or timberlands. Minus the proper act of legislation and reclassification, it will remain as a forest land – timberland despite its actual use maybe already agricultural. Thus, the land is not alienable and disposable in the strictest sense though it is not the reality today.

So, if one sells the land he has been tilling, what he had sold was only his right over the land and not his ownership on it, because such would require a land title – a Torrens or TCT for that matter.[5]

Since time immemorial Lantad is just a treasured settlement of the IP’s in the mountains of Balatukan. Later in the mid-60’s to the early 1980’s it became to be a melting pot of ethnicity as migration influx grew. Not only the “dumagats” from Balingasag (people of the lowlands) such as those from Napaliran like the Valmoria, Cabactulan, even Chinese descendants - Co etc. or from nearby towns lived in Lantad, we had people from other parts of the archipelago – Boholano, Cebuano, Ozamiz like the Retes, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon. For one purpose they were there to till the land - search for better luck in business or farming.  

As population grows, there exists a demand of basic education for the children. In 1964, public primary school was opened. Grades I to III were opened and as the school children moved to the next higher grade each year, an upper grade was opened to serve those who passed their previous Grades. Ultimately, Lantad attained the status as an elementary school i.e. it has Grades I to VI.

The first school teacher from Balingasag District to volunteer for assignment in Lantad was Timoteo Zaballero. He was from Barangay Napaliran and though there was no road yet, the school teacher had a horse as his transport. He was assigned there for three years and followed by other teachers. The School District Supervisor of Balingasag at its initial opening was Gualberto C. Abejo while Eleuterio Quiterio was the Central School Principal. These local school officials had indeed considered the aspirations of the people of Lantad which was formally endorsed to them through a Municipal Council resolution in 1952 yet requesting the Department of Education through proper channels, for the opening of a school.  

Timoteo Zaballero retired from service with the Department of Education and Culture as a Master Teacher. His assignment before he retired from service was no longer in the highlands but in Napaliran.

d. Departure of Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration and Its Log Road.

Logging operations of Vulcan did not last long in Balingasag, probably they exhausted in a short span of time all the trees in Lantad and its vicinities, including those in the Anahaw Mountain. They had as well operated in the Kamansi Mountains on the other side of the Balatukan River to the northwest. The visible log road network from sitio Tapol up to the near summit of Kamansi implies that such could never be built by bare human power, but by heavy equipment – bulldozer, grader and dump trucks.

Going in on its fourth year of operations in Balingasag, Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration in the early part of 1972 begun to move some of their equipment to Eastern Samar because in due time the Samar logging operation would be in full swing.[6] The operations in Balingasag was still on though it would be phasing out soon depending on the availability of trees in the Anahaw.  

In the mid-part of 1972, they had transported the rest of their equipment to Samar and their field office in the log deck area in sitio Lantaca was dismantled. Their logging operation in Balingasag ended.  

It was too timely for them to close their operations because on December 3, 1972 Typhoon Undang hit Misamis Oriental. Her fury is classifiable in today’s weather category scale as a super typhoon. Old Kibanban especially Lantaca and the other communities along the banks of Balatukan River were wiped out because of the heavy floodwaters of Balatukan.

Nothing stood in the areas where once the field office and motor pool area of Vulcan Logging were erected. All the rejected logs – the sinkers, those with hole in the stem, logs with remarkable cracks and so on in the log deck area in Lantaka were carried away. Everything of value or not was devastated, work animals, hogs, dogs, even snakes and people were carried by the flood.  Many people died in Old Kibanban despite the area was somehow already elevated a bit. Those who lived near the riverbanks were the majority of the victims because they were unable to seek refuge on the higher grounds since the flooding occurred during night time, catching them off-guard. They were unable to run to the safety of a small hill.

Few bodies were recovered in the seas and a greater number of them were recovered along the banks or in the dried-up waterway of the Balatukan River, stretching from the areas of Gaas up to the two old wooden bailey bridges of Mambayaan and Mandangoa that connect the highway. Others victims were no longer recovered, thus presumed dead.  

The flooding in the lowlands attributed by typhoon Undang that caused loss of lives did not have similar effect in the highlands. As earlier said, Lantad is located on a valley and the Balatukan River in that area is at the foot of the valley some 100 meter below. So, there was no overflowing of water from the river bank. The destruction was on agriculture and not on people; and it is neither on work animals nor in other domesticated animals.

For a time, Old Kibanban was uninhabited, but people have short memories of what happened before. Today, communities still exist in old Kibanban and Kiwali, they are unafraid of the happening in 1972, after all life is always a gamble.

After sometime or about a year later, another logging group operated in Lantad – “Mandingo”. It seems that this logging group was attached to the Oca Logging in Jasaan. Logs were carried from the cutting area to the log pond in Kimaya, Jasaan. Their operation did not however last long, they stopped.

The log road Vulcan Logging left which they constructed in 1968 starting at Old Kibanban area to Lantad-Kibanban in a sense was maintained by Mandingo, another logging company because they were using it. But when Mandingo left, its maintenance seemed neglected for reason that light vehicle cannot handle the roughness of the terrain, except of a 4 x 4 vehicle. Aside from the steep climbs beginning at Old Kibanban, the rocky and sandy road from Napaliran to Old Kibanban although it is still on the flatlands require the vehicle to cross the river bed several times. So, commercial vehicles from the lowlands like elf even trucks did not dare to ascend to Lantad. Seldom vehicles went there, the income they derived thereat would not be enough for the cost of the maintenance and repair of the vehicle. However, there was one vehicle in Lantad, a ¾ half-truck weapons carrier owned by a businessman, but the same seldom travels to town.[7]

Despite of the ruggedness of this log road, it serves as the main artery in the transport of goods from the highlands to town – the lowlands and vice versa. Since a non - 4 x 4 vehicle could not do this, it is the so called “train of horses” that are doing the job.  A caravan of horses numbering to about ten horses or more are loaded with goods from the mountains for the lowlands. The caravan returns to the mountains on the following day and carries various merchandise from canned goods, salted fish, dried fish, brown sugar, salt, milk, cabinet kit medicines, dry goods and anything even those considered as bric-a-brac.  

e. Exploration of Hot Spring within the Lantad Complex.

Dr. Pessani, an Italian Geologist and Consultant to the Commission on Energy in the late 1970’s was sent to Balingasag in the summer of 1980 to investigate or explore Mt. Panalsalan, part of the Lantad Complex in the Balatukan Range.

After presenting all the documents vouching him as truly authorized by such government agency, the Municipal Government of Balingasag organized an exploration party to assist Dr. Pessani to the Balatukan.[8] The exploration party reached Lantad on trek via the log road of Vulcan Logging.

Northwest of Lantad just across the Balatukan River is a steep mountain wherein its base is anchored almost perpendicular to the river below. A waterfall emanates from it and drains its water directly into the Balatukan River. Dr. Pessani examined the water samples and declared them to contain much sulfur.

From Lantad they moved farther northwest using the old trail which people used in coming to Lantad from Old Kibanban before the log road was constructed. They reached the mountains of Kamansi via Tapol which is also across the Balatukan River. The Balatukan River is a natural boundary in the north between the municipalities of Balingasag and Lagonglong. 

Half a day’s walk from Kamansi to the northeast is where the hot springs of Mt. Panalsalan or Lambo-uan to the IP’s located. The hot spring approximately has an area of four (4) hectares and is at the south side of the mountain fronting Lantad. Beneath Mt. Panalsalan is the Balatukan River. Dr. Pessani collected rock samples. The hot spring must be really hot, it can boil an egg in matter of minutes and whenever a stick or walking stick would be plunged deep into the surface, smoke or geyser would spout evidencing that every part of the area is really hot, they said.

Dr. Pessani and his group returned to Balingasag and accounted personally to the Municipal Mayor and the town council his observations regarding the hot spring. He reported that the waterfall near Lantad on the northwest got its water from the hot spring or from Mt. Panalsalan.

Furthermore, he reported that the hot spring could be harnessed to provide energy and he looked forward in the future of its development as a geothermal plant. Likewise, he remarked that every vent is an indication of volcano. However, Panalsalan based on his personal opinion or initial study through the rock samples he got, the place does not have a history that once it erupted.

In recent times in March 2007, two (2) geologists or experts from the PHILVOCS – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology together with two (2) local guides from Lagonglong, Melchor Cagmat and Juner Gabia went to Mt. Panalsalan’s hot springs via Lagonglong route. The geologist got rock samples and conducted some scientific studies.

   

It is now the 38^th year since I heard the inspiring report of Dr. Pessani and the Philvocs had gone there too in 2007, but nothing of positive development happens yet till today. If only that area would be developed into a geothermal plant, Balingasag more so with Lagonglong inasmuch as the spring is geographically under her, could have something great out from the share of its national wealth as guaranteed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The Low Intensity Conflict:

      Intelligence Report.

The arm conflict brought about by indifferences of ideas or ideologies between the guerrilla and the legitimate government had inevitably reached Mindanao in 1980 or even earlier. Although the conflict still exists even today, it is not as fierce as before, but similarly still scary. Perhaps this is one constraint of the development of the highlands because it took more than a decade to pacify the mountains.

Front IV of the CPP-NPA Command was established in the Balatukans and much to the bewilderment of the local police, municipal and barangay officials and other attendees from the different barangays to hear the report of the NICA, one of the intelligence arms of the government; in a forum conducted by the PC-INP RECOM 10 with the officials and residents of Balingasag at the Parish of Sta. Rita Social Action Center sometime in the 1980s.

The Local Chief of Police explained that if there had been such activity or activities in the Balatukans particularly along the Lantad area, they could have known it first because his policemen regularly used to visit the place aside from their assets who lived there. But there was no report of any untoward activity, the place has been generally peaceful except for petty criminality, which is always a part of a developing community.

Despite Lantad is just one of the sitios of Kibanban, however majority of the inhabitants of Barangay Kibanban live there. In 1980’s the Punong Barangay of Kibanban was a resident of Lantad. This may notate how important Lantad is to the entire barangay.[9]

In mid-1981’s, the 2nd Scout Ranger Battallion with Colonel Gasmin as the Commanding Officer was assigned in Eastern Misamis Oriental.[10]  Its area of responsibility was from Claveria to Medina, Misamis Oriental. Gingoog City was under the Marines after the 57th PC Battalion.

Now, for the first time people of Balingasag came to think seriously that what the Intelligence – NICA said was true. The presence of uniformed men annoyed them because they are not used to see such, however on the contrary the sight of these men in jungle camouflage uniforms with snappy movements are tantalizing to the ladies, as well.

   On a Bloody War, Brother against Brother.

Allow me to say it this way, the war we fought in 1896 and 1898 were wars for independence against Spain. The war in 1901 against the Americans was still our war for independence. In 1941 we fought in the World War in our homelands at the side of the Americans, our unbeaten captors; against Japan with the hope that the essence of Tydings–McDuffie Law could one day set us free from bondage because the law says after it was signed by US Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 24, 1934 that after a period of ten years of transitional government under the Commonwealth Government, Philippine Independence shall be granted on July 4, 1946. It was granted, it was a gratis et amore.

In every war we fought in the past like the Philippine Revolution of 1896 under Andres Bonifacio against Spain and in second uprising in 1898 with Emilio Aguinaldo, an illustrado; and the Filipino-American War on February 11, 1899 to April 16, 1902 against US, were our wars for freedom.

Freedom therefore could not just be asked, but it has to be fought against rulers. It must be earned like respect.

The recent war with the Mauti in Marawi was a war of ideology. The arm conflict between the Philippine Government and the NPA-CPP which long has dragged since 1937 until today is likewise an issue of ideology. This is a protracted war and it is neither a war between masters and slaves nor by colonials and the colonized, it is a bloody war of brothers against brother Filipinos.

This was the war in Lantad, a stretched out one, an arduous fight for both fighting men.  It costs plenty lives on the part of the military and ICHDF/CAFGU including civilians which maybe could just be smaller one, than the guerrillas’ side. However, we could not account the deaths of the freedom fighters objectively because they are not in the archives of the municipality. They alone knew it.[11] 

The first arm confrontation happened in 1981 at midpoint to Lantad in sitio Ara-ay located along the rocky banks of the Balatukan River.  A composite team of Special Forces Airborne Unit and 2nd SRB together with CHDF met a handful of guerillas while they were on their reconnaissance patrol in Ara-ay.  There was also a patrol of guerillas. So, an encounter happened, the guerilla commander and a freedom fighter were killed. The rest of the guerrillas managed to escape maybe heading for the Kamansi Areas, which is nearer to the combat zone.

But Lantad this time had proclaimed its belligerence. It shook the national government under the once strongman to know a place in the highlands of Balatukan in Balingasag had declared somehow its independence. For this, the military came, their deep penetration agents fed them these information that governance was not only controlled by the civilian government, but by them too, among others.

Well, the Guerrillas have the ability to govern for they have systems and policies of governance aimed as well for the betterment of everyone. In the highlands they possess essential elements of a state: people, territory and government; and not much of independence, for the duly constituted authority does not recognize it. But for people who were working in their farms making a living, who cares who would lead them so long as one leads rightly and their families could be able to eat three square meals a day. Why bother and why would they not stay there when there is plenty of food than go down to the lowlands when there is nothing to eat? It is basic survival instinct to fight hunger to go where one could be alive from an unseen foe - ones daily bread.  

    The Town in Disarray, a Guerrilla War.

After the Ara-ay incident, the southeast area of Balingasag was in turmoil.  Guerrillas from the highlands of Lantad operated in Barangay San Juan and a member of the local defense force was a casualty. He was a well-respected head of a clan, so his brothers and relatives promised to avenge his death.

The southeast – San Juan and its vicinities felt what the residents in the northeast – Ara-ay and Barangay Quezon areas had experienced. It may take only just one arm confrontation between opposing forces to really turn the war into full bloom, as road barricades and checkpoints by CHDF were established  strategically in some barangays. An atmosphere of war existed, peoples’ fears heightened as they were not certain of what would happen next.

Lantad lost their head of the barangay in 1982, similarly with Napaliran in 1983. In every part of the country-side whenever sightings of armed men were seen, production in the farmlands significantly dropped because farmers were afraid of skirmishes. The military and guerrillas were just on a mouse and cat chase like in the cartoon show “Tom and Gerry”.

On several occasions, soldiers reached Lantad, but there were no fighting men. Nothing. On the point of views of the military, once Lantad would be cleared or liberated, the war would be ended and the belligerence they proclaimed in this part of the land would be nothing. To the guerrillas, Lantad Complex is their stronghold, the nerve center of their operation in Front IV-Eking Balacuit Command in the mountains of Balatukan-Pamalihi up to areas of Agusan del Norte. They called Lantad as “cabesera” or center and they are determined to defend it to the last.

To carry out their mission, the military ordered the inhabitants of Lantad and its vicinities to go down to the safety of the lowlands, or to the next barangay which was fully secured or protected by them. In theory, it is one of the practical ways to eliminate collateral damage – hamleting.  On the contrary however, it means economic displacement of a family. In places where they would seek refuge or evacuate, good if there are alternative ways where they could find work at least they would be able to eat. But despite of this predicament, the necessity to evacuate prompted almost everyone to scamper for safety in the lowlands.

However, not all evacuated to the safety of the lowlands because there were those who remained in the highlands that sooner would be declared as war zones or a “no man’s land”. For what reasons why they did not evacuate, this we do not know. Perhaps their sympathies weighed much on the cause of the guerrillas, or they may have some ill experiences with the military or government, so it did not worry them if they stay, after all soldiers whatever side they may belong are always honorable. They shot only those who fires at them, and civilians are not the main menu of their assault rifles, but the only bad thing about bullets is that they would not classify civilians from armed men.  Collateral damage is always inevitable. There would be certainly deaths of innocent civilians.

In 1984, the military operated in the mountains of Quezon, Balingasag because intelligence report disclosed that a large number of regular guerrillas were in those areas. Helicopter gunships supported the ground force. They hovered just on top of trees and a great number of civilians evacuated to the lowlands. Along the national highway from Poblacion Balingasag up to Barangay Mandangoa, in the northern Dal-as of Barangay Lingangao and along the coastline of Cala-cala in Barangay Cogon, temporary dwelling units were constructed by the evacuees mostly from Lantad and Barangay Quezon. 

Indeed it was clear, the military had declared Lantad as a “no man’s land”. Those who had not came down from the highlands could be considered as sympathizers of the guerrillas. The military crisscrossed every pass, road or trail to pacify the highlands, but the momentum of war had swung already. It became furious after the recent operations in Barangay Quezon because probably it may have inflicted damage to the guerrillas. The military tried to penetrate Lantad, which they did. They had gone there not along the log roads Vulcan Logging constructed, but on cross-country passes, practically using always the higher grounds for technical safety reasons, though sometimes they had to be in the low-laying areas despite the presence of greater risks like in the riverbanks of Balatukan because necessity demands.

The Ranger’s art of war is to operate in teams or squads and to always take the advantage of the element of surprise over their enemies. The lesser they are in the mission, the better, they could be unnoticed. With local guides, they reached their objective, but nobody was there. The place was deserted, but it seemed it was just abandoned recently. The element of surprise was gone, perhaps the guerrillas knew that soldiers were coming even before the rangers could see them. The mass base was theirs. Why they did not confront the soldiers? Perhaps, the MRGU – regular force was not there and only the local militia.  

However, the most daring offensive move by the guerrillas was an ambuscade on May 10, 1984 at the national highway along Dampil, Lagonglong, Mis. Or. All eight troopers of the Philippine Constabulary on board an army truck transporting sets of radio equipment to their base in Guinalaban, Salay died. Although the bloody scene was not in the highlands or in the Lantad Complex, still the perpetrators were the guerrillas operating in Front IV. 

In 1985, four ICHDF members died in Lantad in military operations. While in Lagonglong, the 2nd SRB Detachment Commander, an Officer died in action in Luyong, Gaston on their way back from patrol, they were ambushed. A month earlier, on June 1985, the head of barangay of Pelaez, Claveria met his death in Binitinan. On July 6, 1985, a lawyer was gunned down at his residence in the poblacion and died. The smell of death seemed to be everywhere.

In the meanwhile, the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion was transferred to Davao del Sur in 1986. The 9th Infantry Battalion arrived on May 10, 1986 and took the area of responsibility of the SRB. Its pioneering Battalion Commander was Col. Rogelio Navarro. The battalion headquarter was temporarily in San Juan, Balingasag. Alpha Coy was under Capt. Sereno, Bravo Coy with Capt. Alvarez and Charlie Coy was with Capt. Ariston. This was the set-up when they arrived Balingasag in 1986.

Their campaign in Lantad Complex begun and fortunately there were no engagements. However in the last week of October 1986, the Battalion conducted military operations under the personal command of their Battalion Commander, Col. Navarro. From their battalion headquarters in San Juan, they country-crossed Lantad through the Bito areas. Bito has a log road which Mindanao Plywood Company (MINPLYCO) constructed in the mid 1950’s starting at Crossing Dansulihon in Barangay Samay. The soldiers moved northeast towards the mountains of Dodiongan-Lingon-lingon and ultimately Lantad proper could be seen below on a valley. There was nothing there, the village was deserted and they had searched every house. The troops moved west from Lantad proper to spend the night at a strategic place about a kilometre or two away.

The Commanding Officer ordered to secure the perimeter to camp. There was a pig roaming in the vicinity, certainly it would be a sumptuous meal if they could only get it. A corporal fired his rifle, the pig dropped dead not far and they really had a nice dinner.

Night in the mountains is always cool, the troops slept well on full stomach laden with grilled pork and broth. The past week had been an abstinence for them, contenting themselves on C-ration and other canned goods. Seemingly everyone this evening was happy, they had eaten well and under the watchful big-eyed sentries they knew they would be secured. Tomorrow would be another day.

The following morning they prepared to move west bound to the lowlands through the log roads Vulcan Logging once constructed.

Everyone was eager to be home and people started to be careless because of the thought of going home. So, their enemies took advantage of their carelessness. Suddenly, there was a whizzing sound of a rifle fire not coming from them, but opposite from them and going to their direction. A sniper’s bullet hit the Corporal who shot the pig. The 9^th IB had their first casualty on November 3, 1986 of the war they waged against the guerrillas. The soldier died instantaneously. It was a day after All Souls Day. Three days earlier, on October 31, 1986, a day before the All Saints Day, a member of the ICDHF died also in operation. The area where the soldier died was later made as an army detachment, it was called Macarandang Hill in his honor. Macarandang Hill overlooks the log road to Lantad.  It is a strategic area before reaching Lantad.

Two Huey helicopter gunships were there, one dived to land evacuate the casualty to Fourth Infantry Division in Cagayan, while the other one was just hovering tactically around as security. Whenever fighting was heavy or when there was an injured soldier or a casualty, helicopter gunships would be there for the evacuation.

The troops under the personal command of Col. Navarro reached safely the lowlands cautiously trekking on the log road and along the banks of the Balatukan River as soon as they reached old Kibanban.  

         

Not long thereafter, there was as a cross-country operation of an Infantry Battalion in Agusan Province. They crossed the mountains of Agusan towards Misamis Oriental. Their exit point was through the Highlands of Lantad. It was an extensive operation despite it may be just a “battalion-size” only, but it involved lots of men and firepower though they were lightly armed. Their heaviest weapon was the 90RR Mortar which was too tiring to carry across nowhere. 

When the troops arrived the areas of Anahaw, sniping begun to crack and some soldiers were hit. Soldiers fired back at the direction of the fire, but they did not see their enemies. The sniper’s rifle fired on and on and everyone hid to evade the sniper’s one shot one kill policy. Helicopters gunships arrived and fired machine guns and rockets against the guerrillas’ location or bunker. The chopper evacuated the wounded, while the troops took advantage to exit for Lantad. 

There was nobody in Lantad, the village was deserted, but there was sniping activity as well. The soldiers fought against the snipers. The choppers were there the following day again to do the routine, “dive and evac.” Their enemies could not be seen, it was a too tiring war. The soldiers moved to the lowlands towards Napaliran in Balingasag. Too weary of the longer days they spent in the campaigns across the mountains, the soldiers billeted themselves in Talusan in an old military camp. In the evening some of them went downtown for rest and recreation, but sadly early next morning two lifeless bodies with gunshot wounds were found along the highway, a kilometer away from the camp.

Who did these? We do not know, but if it were the guerrillas then seemingly they were just living and blending well with the residents safely in town. Could it be possible when the military was too strict on household membership? Through the barangay office, each household was inventoried. 

    To a Decade of Blasts and Gunfires.

The intensity of military operations vary. There are years when military operations were not so stern. Factors may be due to efforts initiated by both sides – government and NPAs to come into cease fire because a peace talk or an agreement would be tackled like after the EDSA Revolution in 1986. The strongman in the Philippines was toppled down and a new government emerged.

Henceforth, after the incidence in 1986 at Macarandang Hill and the Cross-Country Operations, in 1987 the military had two fatalities, one of which happened in the southeast area in sitio Dansuli, Barangay Samay. But in 1988, their operations shifted farther north to the mountains of Lagonglong across the Balatukan River. As earlier said Lagonglong is a neighboring town of Balingasag. The mountains are adjoined, so the guerrillas could accessed easily.  

In March 1988, soldiers were operating in the mountains of Minsayao in Umagos area, sadly they lost one buddy. After the span of three months, soldiers penetrated the Dagalas area in Umagos, where the water of Umagos River originates. They had one fatality. Dagalas is in between two mountains, the guerrillas had an age over the soldiers because they were in the higher ground. In two other separate operations in November of the same year, the soldiers lost one buddy in Tanguban and the other in Luyong.

It was calmer in 1989, although there was one fatality in March in the southeast – Balingasag. The rest of the months were splendidly peaceful for the soldiers as well as the guerrillas.

However, on the onset of the second quarter of 1990 in the last week of April military operations commenced until mid-May in same year. There was heavy fighting in Lantad. Five soldiers died either from sniper’s rifle or explosion of land mines in their offensive operations to occupy Lantad permanently. No matter what would be the cost, the military will occupy Lantad to end up the guerrilla dominance in the highlands.

Not only the 9th IB made the assault of Lantad to finally liberate the place from the controls of the guerrillas, there were others battalions. It was a brigade operation of the 403^rd Brigade.   Elements of the three battalions (the 9^th, 8^th, and 36^th IBs) despite the company was not fully complemented with men, but they were there. The operation was to liberate Lantad.

The 403 Brigade was based in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Brigade operation are often supported with artillery – 105 howitzers and the nearest Air Force Tactical Squadron like the so-called “Tora-tora”.  Sykorsky helicopter gunships were likewise there aside from the usual Huey choppers. The artillery were mounted in Napaliran zeroing Lantad Complex. With the deadly and deafening blasts of the howitzers, residents in the poblacion or in the low-laying lands understood that there had been intense fighting in the mountains. Each blast could be heard thought it was some kilometres away.

People in the poblacion came to gather along open areas where they could see the outlines of Lantad Complex and watched the “Tora-tora” vintage dive bomber or helicopter gunships dropped strategically their bombs and fired their rockets towards guerrillas’ position. This was not a movie but a real drama of a question of surviving and dying. The 105 howitzer’s effective range is lethal within 100 meters radius from impact point while the “Tora-tora” bomber could release its cargo in the bomb’s bay with precision. Forward observers or the recon units were there to direct the coordinates for the targets.       

Infantry soldiers’ jump-off points were via Dugo-dugo Pass in Lanise, Claveria for Lingon-lingon and Dodiongan mountains; Sidlakan in Medina heading towards Anahaw; and a flanking force was in Salay-Lagonglong areas. The frontal assault units were elements of the 9^th IB and they were along the log roads of Lantad, but on the higher grounds.   

The military had baptized some areas of the log roads as “Hill 508” and the 11^th Series. Hill 508 is the steepest climb of the log roads of Lantad. Once it was secured by guerrillas. The 11^th Series denotes to an area along the log roads midpoint to Lantad from Hill 508 where land mines were interconnected with each other. If one goes up everything would go up. Thus, the word series.

The soldiers had attained their objective with heavy prize, they occupied Lantad. Detachments were established strategically.

But before the year ended, in November 1990 a typhoon hit Balingasag and the Balatukan River once again was on her fury and swelled. Seven residents of Barangay Napaliran drowned and in Barangay Camuayan eighteen people died on similar fate. Camuayan River is not a catch basin of the Balatukan River, but of the water from the southeast from Bagang, Lapu-lapu and so on. There was flashflood, it carried away people who were residing near its banks. The Camuayan River ultimately joins the Balatukan water in Musi-musi River. Barangay Baliwagan in the low-laying land even was flooded from the overflowing waters of Musi-musi River that made its own short-cut course from Barangay Blanco to Baliwagan instead of going first to Barangay Talusan the natural river route.

The typhoon’s fury ended the following day - on the 13^th of November, but the fury of the gun never ended yet. After the typhoon, just two days later, a soldier fell in Lantad from a sniper’s bullet.

This is how fast death in the complex just as fast as Battalion Commanders and officers  assumed or relieved from their posts.

  Strategic Army Detachments in the Highlands:

The Command Post in Lantad proper.

It is fronting the village’s commercial and residential areas and near to an elementary school. The village of Lantad sets on a valley. The Command Post even today is on the elevated area in the village. It has a vantage point to the Anahaw Mountains, Minlangit- Minlapones Mountains, and the Dodiongan-Lingonlingon Mountains on field glasses and it was established upon the occupancy of the military in Lantad in 1990.

A hundred meters away or even lesser from the command post is an open field. The end of the open field is a steep ravine and a hundred feet below is the Balatukan River as it passes Lantad to the lowlands. The command post is strategic, it could never be attacked from the north because of the natural barrier – the ravine. 

Macarandang Hill Detachment.

Marandang Hill is about three kilometers away before Lantad proper. The detachment was located on top of a hill at the right side of the log road - a side-cut road constructed on a mountain. It was occupied by the military in 1990.

Minlangit Detachment.

Before the detachment of Minlangit was established, there was a detachment in the northern part of Lantad. It was at the Rocky Mountain. The other one was in a place they called as LostCo or Pulo. I wonder if “LostCo” denotes for “lost command” or merely just a name achieved by a bragging right. The Rocky Mountain detachment’s task was to monitor the movement of enemy troops creeping from the Sidlakan areas in the mountains of Medina. LostCo’s task like the Minlangit detachment later was to monitor troop movements in the Anahaw Mountains in the northeast and the Bayotao Mountains in the north. However these two detachments were abandoned after about two months of operations in consideration of a tactical and seemingly impregnable position in the highest ridge of Minlangit.

Despite Minlangit Mountain seems nearer to Lantad, yet it is cut-off from it because of the Balatukan River. It is located farther north of Lantad across the deep ravine.

Troops going to the detachments more so those who were assigned in Minlangit were transported by choppers when available from Napaliran. A soldier’s assignment in a detachment was for thirty (30) long days. The detachment was established in 1991.

      Events during the Military Occupancy of Lantad:

It was not too quick for people to return to their homelands in Lantad despite the military had occupied it and somehow guaranteed their security. Unlike in the evacuation days, peoples’ exodus for security in the lowlands was great in number, they came in families. But in returning home to their homelands, people were hesitant, unassured of themselves if they are safe.

The first to come in and settle to their homes were those who did not evacuate to the lowlands, but were just only seeking refuge in the jungles whenever military operations or engagements happened. To them they are only civilians and were only trying to survive the war of hunger if they did go to the lowlands. To them it does not mean that because they were in the jungles or in the “no man’s land”, they are already guerrillas or rebels. To them they are just farmers and victims of the bloody war.

So, little by little, families returned and sealed their allegiance to the duly constituted authority.

Hereunder are incidents which we consider important during the military occupancy of Lantad Complex.

Assault of Macarandang Hill Detachment.  

A soldier’s assignment or tour of duty in a detachment regardless whether it was in Minlangit, Lantad Command Post or in Macarandang Hill, was for thirty (30) days. The detachment was his home and he relied his safety or life to his buddy, and his buddy thought of that as well.

Early in the morning of May 10, 1991, soldiers at the detachment noticed that youngster – boys and girls were trekking on the road leisurely and even greeted them. They said they were just passing through for Lantad.

At about 3:30 PM a Sergeant and his buddy were playing chess inside the detachment perimeter on top of a hill. Their position had a vantage view of anyone who would pass below the detachment. They were so engrossed in their game. Suddenly there was a rifle shot and followed by burst of automatic weapons. The first rifle shot hit the Sergeant’s chess opponent. Pawns and other pieces of the chessboard were tossed by the fury of shots to their direction. By sheer luck, the Sergeant managed to drop, he was unhurt.

The gun battle commenced. There were only three of them in the detachment in that afternoon, but one was already dead, only two would carry the defense – the Sergeant and CAFGU. Their other buddies had passes for that day. So, the Sergeant ordered the CAFGU to man the far right side of the detachment while he would secure the front and the other side. Rifles were placed strategically everywhere by the Sergeant, so whenever the enemies would be at those areas, they would just crawl to where the guns were placed and fires them. There was no problem of ammunition, they had plenty and it would last till the next day. Their problem was how to defend the detachment otherwise those ammunition and rifles would fall into the enemies’ hand, they had to defend Macarandang to the death until reinforcement arrive.

Now it seems the detachment was manned by more soldiers and not only by two desperate defenders, the burst of gunfires from the detachment were everywhere. The sound of the automatic rifles were too demoralizing and confusing for the guerrillas who were trying to break through the perimeter defense. It was never easy for them, aside from the hell of bullets, there were land mines in the vulnerable passage areas hampering them to get through. The soldiers had placed them when they occupied Macarandang in anticipation of an attack like this.

It was nearing dusk, the needed reinforcement had not arrived yet. Their game was still on stalemate. Inevitably it was dark, the gun battle ended. The guerrillas had tactically halted the offense. It was best for everyone to assess their positions first. Getting into a stalemate is better than being checkmated. 

The reinforcement from Lantad headed by an officer arrived really late. To the great consternation of the Sergeant, he questioned the officer why was reinforcement so late? They were almost overrun and good that darkness was an angel. It was learned that the reinforcing team had also hard time in reaching Macarandang, they reconnoitered a safe route because there was a blocking force. Had they jumped immediately to the bait, casualties would be high.

A Cavalry Disaster in Minlangit Mountains.

The late 1960’s and the early 1970’s foreign soldiers in the jungles of Asia waging a war of not their own followed the western beat of CCR’s war inspired songs. Though it was already in the 1990’s and the war songs were not as great as they were once, still the scene and situation were similar to conditions in late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Soldiers’ assignment in far flung detachments such as those in mountain ridges require infantrymen to act like cavalry soldiers. What we mean in cavalry do not denote to horses or camels, we mean helicopters, the modern-day cavalry in the sky.  

Huey choppers transported troops to the Minlangit Detachment every thirty (30) days. It is the changing of the guards – checking in of fresh soldiers to their tour of duty while a checking out of weary soldiers who had endured the lonely days and perils in the detachment and would go home unscathed. Soldiers in the detachment do not only seat until sundown at their posts, but they have to do sometimes like going to perimeter patrols because offense is still the best defense.

If only the Minlangit detachment is Luneta – Rizal Monument, the changing of the guards’ ceremony would be one wonderful activity to be watched. Soldiers smartly executed the ceremony – cutting smartly all corners as they marched, snappy and skilled handling of M14 Color Guards’ rifles. But at Minlangit, the ceremony is coated with uncertainty laden with risks as one could not always assure his own safety for thirty days. Well, that is the way of life each soldier faces. If only malingering is allowed, it would be a best alibi to get rid of from danger. A tour of duty shall always be a tour of duty unless otherwise seen as superbly meritorious to be dispensed with.

On December 19, 1992, two Huey choppers from Napaliran were bound to Minlangit to transport and relief of soldiers. All who boarded the first chopper piloted by an ace heli-pilot, the one who daringly used to dive his chopper during operations to evacuate wounded even in the midst of gunfire; were safely on their seat belts except for three soldiers who were seated on the floor and had no safety belts. Together with cargoes - cartoons of foodstuff and a live goat for caldereta, the first chopper lifted and being tailed by another chopper.

The highlands of Lantad during December is always foggy and weather is unpredictable. Some fifteen minutes later or even less, the first chopper gave the signal to dive on the clearer area of Minlangit not far from the detachment. The second chopper continued to hover around securing the other first.

On the ground, the outgoing soldiers were happily waiting for the first chopper to touch down, but it did not. A strong turbulence whirled the chopper sideways, the tail caught a tree and smashed its propeller. It managed to fly but rudderless – beyond the control of the veteran Pilot Captain. With a force so great due to the principle of gravity, it crashed to the ground. All who boarded the chopper were still strapped to their belts, except for the three troopers who sat on the floor fell in mid-air, but fortunately survived despite of concussions, sprains or bone fractures sustained by them. The rests were unlucky including the Captain and the First Officer. The chopper must have cargoes of ammunition and mortars, instincts had forbidden the soldiers at the helipad area not to go nearer to the chopper to evacuate the injured.  

The chopper some minutes later indeed exploded, no one therein survived.[12]

But insofar as the guerrillas were concerned, they claimed their snipers shot the chopper’s tail rudder so it went down uncontrolled.

Nevertheless on the version of the highlanders, they said, the great Datu Baylan – Isidro Compas who lived in the Minlangit area, a respected man – a shaman and who abstained from salt ever since, forbid anyone to bring a goat or goats to the mountains. For what reason, why he did not allow it, we do not know neither the IP’s know it too.

The live goat on board the ill-fated chopper was for caldereta. Certainly, there would be a party, it was barely six days more before Christmas. But according to the highland’s superstitious belief, the goat was the immediate cause of the disaster because it was forbidden to ever set foot on the mountain, but it had.

Whether it was either the goat, the snipers’ rifle rapid shots or turbulence as the immediate cause of the crash, it is immaterial by now. What is material and so sad about it is that not less than six families lost their loved ones in the mountains of Minlangit during one Christmas season some twenty-six years ago - in 1992.

Guerrilla’s Abduction of an Army Officer.  

An army officer of the 9^th IB married a lady from Balingasag. His assignment was in G3 – on Operations and Plans. Aside from being an officer, his fondness to the cause of Lantad’s rehabilitation is quite commendable because of her wife’s love and attachment to Lantad. Their family once lived there.  

During this time, many civilians had returned to Lantad – to their homelands. They either came from the lowlands, or from other rural barangays which were considered as “zones of peace or zones of protection”. 

There are those who returned to the folds of law not because they were once fighting men or guerrillas. They returned to the society they had been living with, because they were long absent during the war since they were hiding in the jungles. Technically, they could be called as sympathizers of the guerrillas. But we can call them as well as farmers who did not like to evacuate to the lowlands, and had considered the war as irritating and non-productive one. However, they found the mountains as safer places of refuge because there are plenty to eat unlike in the lowlands. Of course, they are non-combatants but are just the mass base.

The tide of mass base turnover to society was remarkable. Not only them returned to the folds of law, but also armed men whether belonging to the barangay militia or the hukbo force. A program under the NRDP guarantees their safety, fair trial or amnesty, economic support and housing, among other incentives.  

It is in this regard that an Officer was contacted one day supposedly from an A-1 source that some prominent guerrillas wish to surrender. The rendezvous was at sitio Kamaton in Lantad. The good officer and gentleman with his aide de camp went there to initiate the dialogue and explore avenues to assist them in their proposed surrender. Unfortunately, it was only a hoax, the two were abducted and taken as prisoners of war. Their captivity was one of the longest, for more than a year. They were set free at last in the mountains of Calabugao in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.[13]

It is worthy to note that ranking Public Officials of Misamis Oriental had significantly worked in the negotiations of the release of the Officer and the Sergeant.

In 1986, there was a peace effort initiated locally by government officials. For the first time after the war started in Front IV, Ka Charo, Ka Solo and other hard core guerrilla commanders met with the Public Officials of Misamis Oriental and Lagonglong in the mountains of Banglay. Perhaps this initial meeting in 1986 has opened the communication lines between them.[14]

The Ranger Operations in the Baligwagan Areas.

The Baligwagan area is considered as a place where the Balatukan River dramatically begins its journey from the deep tropical rain forest towards the seas. It is a place that not all IP’s had gone to see the source of the Balatukan River because of its remoteness.

But the elite rangers had come from Dugo-dugo Mountains in Lanise Area – Claveria, their jump-off point, in the second week of July 1993 with objective to engage with the enemies in Lantad Complex. It is however unclear whether or not the soldiers in this mission were organic members of the 9IB or otherwise. Some soldiers said, it was a ranger class on a test mission while other said that it was the 4^th Ranger Company. If it was the Ranger Class it would be their baptism of fire to engage with the enemy to earn the coveted black-panther’s patch, insignia and pin badge.   

Their first engagement with the guerrillas in Baligwagan on July 12, 1993 resulted to the demise of two soldiers who sustained gunshot wounds. Efforts to evacuate the casualties reached the command post, in fact two Huey gunships were hovering in the Baligwagan areas. However, it was impossible for a chopper to dive and get the men because the scene of battle was in between the steep cliffs of the Balatukan River in Baligwagan. They were fighting on the riverbed or along the riverbanks. Along the steep cliffs of Baligwagan, mounted were machine guns. Their presence deter the Huey gunships from hovering low, because those guns would be fired or had been fired at them.

So, we doubt if all the deaths that occurred thereat were instantaneous or perhaps the injuries were really not bad, but because there was no way to evacuate the injured or wounded trooper death was inevitable. Seemingly, the guerrillas had an advantage of the situation, as if they had pinned down the soldiers. Their escape was to move west and it was the dilemma, the guerrillas were there blocking heavily the escape route. On July 17-18, two soldiers were casualties. Cause of death was either from gunshot wound or land mine or explosion. The following day - July 19, two more soldiers had not been able to withstand their gunshot wounds, the chopper was not able to land to evacuate the wounded.

In this secluded battleground, soldiers were short of ammunition and supplies. Their combat rations were almost exhausted and it was really hard to fight courageously with biscuits and candies, the stuff of C-ration. Couple of days more and it would be a week, yet the fighting still continued. Huey choppers in response to the call for supplies, hovered again around or across Baligwagan area firing rockets and releasing machine gun fires first against enemy positions before the supplies were dropped through small parachutes. They called them “recumbent parachutes” – smaller version of the regular parachutes. The precious supplies were secured and tightened inside old truck tires and they were dropped by chopper which took the risks of flying really low between the steep cliffs. These supplies were ammunitions - a bit of for M16 - M14 rifles, M60 machine guns, M203, grenades, emergency medicines and foodstuffs. However not all the supplies were retrieved by the soldiers, some of them fell in the enemy lines.   

It was now closer to a week of fighting in a hostile territory and soldiers’ chances of getting through the unseen cordon or blockade was slim. The 9^th IB command organized a select rescue unit. There must be a force from behind the enemy blocking force position to push pressures against them to weaken them and enable the soldiers who seemingly were considered pinned down to break through and escape going west or to Lantad proper.

9IB’s rescue unit pressed harder their maneuvers and attacks from behind the enemy blockade line. Ultimately the guerrillas’ offensive softened as they tried to withdraw from the two forces – from the rangers in Baligwagan areas and the 9IB special rescue unit. The soldiers were rescued.

The rescue unit was not composed alone by soldiers, part were civilians. The civilians were there and they did not volunteer for the job, but by circumstance they seemed to have volunteered already because they were surrenderees. Civilian surrenderees were sympathizers and those who never evacuated to the zones of protection or zones of peace which the military had established. They were also handpicked to do a humane job - to carry the wounded, or the casualties who died during the battle. There were no body bags, instead the “ponzo” or the great army raincoat served as bags. The civilian found their job so uncanny – indeed they were pallbearers. It was their best time to prove their allegiance to the authorities. Oh! What a job.

The weary soldiers stayed in Lantad. Of course, we do not know when they leaved. But if they were an organic part of the 9^th Infantry Battalion, they had to stay put.

Despite of the week-long incidence in the Baligwagan, school was not interrupted. Lantad Elementary School was re-opened month earlier in June 1993. The School In-charge had a story, which confused him.[15] One afternoon when they were having their Work Education Class – Gardening and Cleaning, a pupil called him to come at his workplace. The boy found a gold class ring, it was a professional ring with the name on it - “University of the Philippines”.  I do not anymore remember what Class was that.

Well, so simple, the owner of the ring was an educated man, we guess he may also be a gentleman. But on what business did he has why he was in Lantad? Had he joined the arm struggle here because UP was and even today is the hub of activism?  Or was that class ring previously pawned and redeemed by someone who might be a resident of Lantad or a soldier assigned in the highlands?

Perhaps that ring may have been inadvertently lost or left behind in scampering to safety. We just do not really know. But I believe he was an honorable man regardless of what ideology he adheres. If he was a combatant and survived the war, it is nice of him. However, if he had not, then he had tainted red the battle grounds of Lantad with his honor and bravery. I salute him.  

Sta. Rita Parish Priests’ Efforts on Religious Upliftment of People.

The old chapel in a war-torn Lantad was still there in 1992, but it sustained much damage already - bullet holes, shrapnel blast and roofless, damages which naturally inflicted collaterally to dwelling units and institution during the fighting.  

Earlier in 1989, the Parish Priest of Balingasag decided to retrieve and transfer the Holy Image of the Child Jesus, the patron of Lantad to a much secured place in the lowlands. The faithful brought the Holy Image to the chapel at Kiwali and it was there for a long time. In 1992, since Lantad was somewhat pacified and people had returned though not all of them for there were still some who stayed in the lowlands, upon the proper guidance of the Parish Priest the faithful brought back to Lantad the Holy Image of the Child Jesus. There was a solemn procession from sitio Kiwali up to Lantad. They trekked passing Old Kibanban and the military detachments in Sowa and Macaranding Hill.[16]

From then on, Holy Mass was regularly said every six month by the Parish Priest in this war-torn land.

Logically, the chapel in Lantad was closed during the war because people evacuated. With the solemn procession of the image of the Holy Child Jesus back to Lantad, one significant message was aptly addressed – the evacuees were earnestly inspired to return to their homelands and start anew.

With the insistence and industry of the faithful of Lantad, a better chapel was constructed in 1995. The Parish Priest assisted them. Masses were said once every quarter. Likewise, the people requested the parish priest to move their patronal celebration from December to October each year. It really relieved the priest, the month of December is the busiest time of the church because of the Mesa de Gallo.[17]  

  

The Dumalongdong.

Peace continues to stabilize or normalize, the turn-out of people – farmers or small business owners returning to Lantad increase. Well, the Army was there to secure the place.

Occurring as well in 1995, the Indigenous peoples of Lantad had organized a Dumalongdong. A Dumalongdong is a festival depicting the culture, traditions and history of the Indigenous Peoples. Datus and their tribes within the sphere and influence of the Balatukan Mountain Range as well as the Pamalihi Mountain Range participated. The activities lasted for three days, so the Military’s CRS – Civilian Resource Service had taken too the job as organizer – mainly on the logistics side as there would be a gathering of much people, and of course, they have to eat and so on.

In the IP side, prominent leaders were involved. Pedro Ayoma of Anahaw a.k.a. Datu Man-oray; Juan Lindahay of Lantad a.k.a. Datu Mansaganan; Isidro Compas a.k.a. Datu Baylan of Minlangit; and Elpedio Compas a.k.a. Datu Daroy of Kamansi.  Other datus hailed from Samay-Balingasag, the Asapon; Bantaawan-Odiongan-Gingoog; Sidlakan-Medina; and the datus from nearby town of Salay participated.[18]

The Dumalongdong further portrayed ethnic rituals, dances, songs, art of hunting and food gathering and above all it was a venue where Datus from the different Talugans or jurisdictions talk on issues for the betterment of the IP communities.

During the opening of the festival, officers of the Army Forces were there on board Huey choppers. Accordingly, it was gloomy on that day, but traditions say Datu Baylan – Isidro Compas  offered prayers in the IP way and with the grace of Providence the sun came. On the church side, it is said that the Priest In-charge of the Cultural Minorities or known today as IP’s, likewise attended the opening ceremony.[19]

We are not so sure, but someone told us the priest’s IP name was “Honsoy”. Was he a smoker? Oh! What a guy!

The Construction and Opening of Quezon-Araay Kibanban All Weather Road.

It can be recalled that Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration constructed the log road from Old Kibanban to Lantad up to the Anahaw Mountains, their last cutting area before they left Balingasag for Samar. The road works started in the late 1960’s and up to the early 1970’s; and there had been always maintenance work.

Quezon through its mountains named Suoton and Nabuongan including Ulot is adjoined with the mountains of Kibanban in the Ara-ay areas. There was an old eroded road from Quezon to Ara-ay. Perhaps this may have been constructed by Oca Logging because they had been in the Ulot area in the early 1960’s. Had Vulcan Logging opened this log road from Quezon going north along the mountain passes, their logging trucks would have used this or exited in Quezon rather than in Old Kibanban. But it did not, their log trucks unload their cargoes at the log deck in Lantaca.

Although it was feasible for Vulcan to construct a log road since they had equipment; nevertheless, on the economic side they did not gamble to construct a road from Ara-ay to Quezon because the terrain is always on continuous steep ascend. It would be too punishing for the logging trucks to use this route from the cutting area.

So, starting at sitio Suoton in Quezon, travel to Ara-ay was made by people by trekking or on horses passing along single tracks in this eroded road in difficult mountain passes.

This mode of travel remains the same until the 52^nd Engineering Brigade with headquarters in Maluco, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, begun the opening of the pass. Road works begun sometime in the early 2000’s, however it did not prosper much because the workers were unsecured. Despite technically Lantad had been already secured or a zone of protection by the military, there were other places outside Lantad which were considered unsecured. The areas from sitio Suoton to Nabuongan along mountain passes are unsecured, there are no CAFGU detachments unlike in Ara-ay. Guerrilla snipers were active along in these areas.

The 52^nd Engineering pulled out, but they had started the road work from Suoton going downhill a few hundred meters away bound to the northeast towards Nabuongan. Well, road building requires money, it might be that the 52^nd Engineering had no more funds for this, so aside from the issue of security, which certainly is but natural in the lives of the army, they left the project. It is good that they started it. It would be an eye opener for the Local Government Units that such project could be done either on a phase by phase scheme just as what they had demonstrated.  

Quezon-Lantad Road Project under the Provincial

Government of Misamis Oriental.

In 2007, the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental widened the road from Quezon proper to sitio Suoton. The area was opened early in 2000’s and it was not too hard for them to do the widening because it was being worked earlier by the 52^nd Engineers. However, their great difficulty was road opening from sitio Suoton down to the Nabuongan. There are portions along the Nabuongan areas where rocks are so hard seemingly like granite.  Bulldozer had hard time dealing with them. These rocks are visible along the sides of the mountain road in Nabuongan.

Today, Quezon is connected with Ara-ay, the Provincial Equipment Pool had satisfactorily done their jobs.

However, the old road from Ara-ay to Old Kibanban about three kilometers away which was constructed along the banks of the Balatukan River by Vulcan Logging elevates only a few meters from the river banks in Old Kibanban. So, a new route was deemed necessary to be constructed. It was done to anticipate the usual flooding in these areas.

Passing along the Roman Catholic Chapel, the earthmoving equipment built a road on the steep hill of Ara-ay (Hill 508) making the first steep right hander curve climb easier for 4 x 4 vehicles and not much for 2 x 4 vehicles. The climb continues until it turns left to another steep climb. After those two steep climbs, the road passes on the top of the ridge – to the right when going to Lantad is the Dodiongan and the other side is the Balatukan River. Thereafter, there is a steep straight uphill climb followed by winding roads going to the areas of the 11^th series. The 11^th series area is yet too far from the Hill 508.

On December 18, 2007, Governor Oscar S. Moreno, Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental inaugurated the Quezon-Lantad Road. Government officials and functionaries from the local government units and national governments went to Lantad. The road to Lantad was officially opened to public. So on December 30, 2007, a bike group in Balingasag called as Bullets together with motorcycle group BMA went to Lantad. It was first time for bicycles to set foot on Lantad and children were amazed seeing them, a two-wheeled human-powered machines. 

Lantad Community Today.

In 2005 Lantad was a recipient from the Spanish Government Solar Energy Funnels which supplied the community with electricity. But later on Moresco II transmission lines reached Lantad. It had energized the Kawali-Ara-ay areas first in 2007.

An aerial view of poblacion Lantad by Google Earth. The northern most part across an open field is the army command post. This area is elevated and has a vantage view of the poblacion.  Far left of the picture, structures with green roofing are schools and so with those located at the centermost part to the north. The chapel is located somewhere at the right side of the road going to Anahaw areas. The road where the chapel is located interconnects to the road where the basket court and the community center occupy.

Various training skills and livelihood support projects were given by Government to Lantad to uplift the lives of people, to oust them economically from the ravage of war. The private sectors had their shares too, like a big company who gave coffee seedlings to the farmers. Lantad was once a coffee growing community, however coffee farming was abandoned during the war. Now, government wants to revive coffee farming in Lantad. 

Before the war, Lantad was producing upland rice. The wide plains to the north before reaching the poblacion were once planted with rice.[20] National Irrigation Administration some two years ago were contemplating to construct irrigation canals in these former rice lands to encourage production of rice as buffer to corn.[21]

In the field of education, Lantad has a public secondary school and a Senior High School.

Generally, it tries to rise from the wreckages the arm confrontation had collaterally left them. Mostly every farmland now is cultivated as people who temporarily resided in the lowlands returned. The nearest mountain to the northeast Anahaw these days is flourishing too with development. Although politically Anahaw is under Gingoog City, IP residents from Anahaw as well as Lantad used to see each other because historically they belong to one origin as a people.

The log road which Vulcan constructed to Anahaw is seemingly still passable because recently in November 2018, six motorcycle riders from Gingoog went to Anahaw via Lantad and they made it through.[22]

As regards with peace and order, the 9^th Infantry Battalion, the so-called frontier men in the Lantad War, was relieved from their assignment in Misamis Oriental–Claveria, Balingasag, Lagonglong, Salay, Binuangan until KInoguitan, for their next assignment in the Bicol Region.[23] They officially left Lantad in 2005. The 23^rd IB took their place, which later was passed on to the 8^th IB. Today, the 58^th IB is deployed in the areas once occupied by the 9^th, 23^rd and 8^th IBs. Their command post is similarly on the same area their counterparts once occupied in Lantad.

The military detachment in Minlangit is no longer there, likewise the one in Macarandang Hill. However, a new detachment is now established in the mountains of Kamansi. The people of Kamansi vehemently opposed the presence of the military in their areas. They made mass actions to the extent of staying at the grounds of the Provincial Capitol indefinitely until the military would be withdrawn from their areas. Negotiations are however still on process to look for avenues to relocate these protestors to other areas should they refuse to return to their homelands because of the presence of the military.[24] Kamansi is politically under the jurisdiction of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental because it is across the Balatukan River, the natural boundary between Balingasag and Lagonglong. In the days of war, it was part of Lantad Complex and some of her residents even today claimed that it was the “cabesera”.

Insights and Conclusion:

The Lantad War is now over, but still skirmishes go on though in isolated cases. Whether it is happening irregularly or in isolated situation, still it denotes that conflict is on. Lantad was lost by them, but their struggle for liberation continues.   

There is no difference between today’s skirmishes and in the yesteryears because similarly they meant death. Had only Government and NPA came into peaceful and honest terms to end the war, there would have been complete peace today. But either side wishes to assert and protect their own interests, so it is hard to come up into mutual terms. Nevertheless, I admire the peace efforts they had initiated through the years though it yielded nothing of significance yet this time, but draws only in the end the continuity of hostilities because of disagreements.

However, what is good is that they have been always trying to talk and may one day they come into peaceful, worthy and not distasteful agreements. May one side of the negotiating table humble themselves so peace may be attained for the sake of the majority who long have been aspiring for peace.

Anyone who experienced war, has a dreadful experience always about it. For those in the war zones – in the no man’s land and who had sought refuge at the zones of peace or protection, the war indeed costs not only economic displacement, but it had as well been able to give sorrows maybe due to the loss of a loved one during the war as a collateral damage or even those who died on natural causes in the evacuation. The war generally left a shroud of fear and unfathomable anxiety to everyone due to its better effects.

In the last analysis, it is always the civilians who suffer the most and not the fighting men because to them it is their trade or calling in life, or ideology and any eventualities such as death, has been daringly accepted already by them. When a fighter is fallen he left his dreams and aspirations; and those left behind grief much of his passing.

Really, war has no victors, everyone is a victim.

On the Development of Lantad Complex:

Despite Lantad is too far from civilization, it has placed its name in the minds of every fighting man. Its remoteness and topography shielded it from easy conquest, the bravery of its defenders and courage of the assaulting men exemplify heroism on either sides.

Lives offered and lost during the war must not be for nothing at all, government shall give the highest magnitude of development to Lantad Complex to compensate the sacrifices of the fighting men.

   The Bridge across the Balatukan and Sumolao Rivers.

In the present time, Ara-ay is connected to the Kamansi passing through a hanging footbridge across the Balatukan and Sumolao Rivers. This access way allows people to travel anytime except for motorcycles and vehicles.

A bridge is envisioned to be made to give more access to people, vehicles and commerce.

Its construction will ultimately bring greater economic activity to the Lantad Complex especially to the Kamansi and Bayotao Mountains in the north, in the areas of Lagonglong. 

The unresolved issues lodged by the residents of those areas hamper the start of the project. The IP’s do not want that a military detachment shall be near the Kamansi area. Perhaps, government officials in consultation with the leaders of the IP communities in protest may recommend to the military to relocate their detachment to a place not within the immediate confines of the Kamansi areas, but maybe to a place – across the Balatukan where they have still a vantage view of the construction site, so the project would be started and similarly be guarded.

This is not to mean that we favor the demilitarization of Kamansi, it is only a decent move to stay a bit away from their positions now, so the project would commence.

    Tourism and Geothermal Energy Potentials.

Once a bridge would have been constructed, the Panalsalan Area or Lamboon – the hot spring would not be remotely developed since Kamansi is the entry point to Mt. Panalsalan. Roads would be constructed one day to easily access the hot spring. Thus, tourism would be promoted and most importantly the area could be developed of its potential as a geothermal energy source.

     Irrigation Project.

Even before the war, Lantad produced its own upland rice comparable with the Igorots or Ifugaos in the north. The place has been bountifully rich with streams and though how crude engineering to them, still they were able to channel water to the fields. But the war ended agricultural activities.

Today the National Irrigation Authority has a project in Lantad. There would be three dams to be constructed in streams or sources of water – they called it “tuberian” and two reservoirs. These would be their modern-day irrigation system for the vast expanse of flat lands located to the north before entering Lantad proper. The work shall be awarded through contract by certified contractors.

    

Hopefully the project would be finished without much ado.

     Reclassification or Conversion of Timberland to Agriculture Land - Alineable &

     Disposable.

A legislation shall be passed by congress thru the recommendations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agrarian Reform to reclassify or convert the timberlands of Lantad Complex tilled by farmers for quite a time to become agricultural lands.

While this is a long shot proposal to the moon, the reality is - thousand acres of timberland have been tilled and became productive already because farmers have long been working on these lands. The only proof of his connection to the land which he tilled is the Tax Declaration at the Municipal Assessor’s Office. Tax Declaration are issued for purposes of revenue generation, but not as absolute proof of one’s ownership of the real property.

This scenario is not only true in Lantad, but all over the archipelago. So, if the departments involved on this see no problem in reclassifying/converting productive timberlands into agricultural lands, why not recommend for its conversion for Congress to legislate laws.

Reclassifying it and releasing it to the actual tillers shall indeed alleviate the lives of farmers unlike in today’s situation where most farmers are only workers of a big farmer. We have Land Reform Law to guide actual land holdings.   

It is my personal belief that distributing the timberland – agricultural lands to farmer/tiller beneficiaries would not in any way contradict the IPRA Law after all the beneficiaries of this would be mostly the IP’s as Lantad and its environs have been since time immemorial the ancestral homes of the IP’s – the Higaonon Tribes of Northern Mindanao.

We further believe that guns are never the solution to a low intensity conflict. Economic reforms must be the key weapon of the government to combat discontentment.

We are in the right track of fostering needed reforms for Lantad Complex. It is apt for people in the national leadership as well in the local level to do what they thought would be best for a people ravage by war. If by sheer luck there is a possibility to harness the natural resources of the place aside from the geothermal aspects, why would government deter any prospectors to commence its development? However, Filipino entrepreneurs must be given the priority to exploit it not the multi-national companies. The abundance of chromite in Lantad according to people who knew little things about crude mining suggests that beneath such surface where chrome is in abundance, other elements would be there. How true is this? We could not comment because we are not Mining Engineers.

What we presented here is only a slight opener of the actual situation in Lantad Complex. It is apt for the national officials as well as those in the local level to see what they thought would be good for a people. If there is development, let it be a holistic one for the betterment of everyone.

We believe what we talk here is not a long shot to the moon. So long as there are people in government who would not only think of themselves, then maybe this shot to the moon would be feasible someday.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT & CONCLUDING WORD

Two weeks after the Balingasag-Quezon-Lantad Road was inaugurated by Governor Oscar S. Moreno on December 18, 2007, Bullets Cycling Club with BMA our partner motorcycle club went to Lantad on December 30, 2007[25].

To me, it was my first and rare experience to be in Lantad for I have never gone there yet. But for our closest friend together with his brother, it was their first time to return home after they evacuated in 1982 to the safety of the lowlands.

December 30, 2007 lead pack of the expedition party to Lantad, somewhere 

before Hill 508 and the 11^th Series.

I made two more trips to Lantad because I was allured of its topography as well as its history. The second trip was in April 2008 together with two other friends on motorcycles. We brought with us some second hand clothing, assorted candies and a little ice box of mackerel for our friends. On the third time, I was with the contingent of the Local Government Unit of Balingasag. The lead agency was the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental with other line agencies of governments. There was a turn-over of equipment – agricultural equipment, I recall.

The exposures I had during those trips made me scribble some important notes about Lantad. Indeed I had written them lengthily in my old PC, which unfortunately could not be retrieved anymore because the computer’s memory was crashed.

So, I started recollecting those events and went to knowledgeable persons to help me bring the lost puzzle pieces into one great piece.  

Henceforth, this paper could have not come into what it is now without the assistance of the following persons. I would like to notate their goodness and inspiration. They are mostly retired enlisted men like Sammy Lingo-lingo on his account about the Macarandang Hill Incident; Rene de Guzman, on military detachments in Lantad and the Brigade Operations; Aldie Sandoval on the Cross-Country Operations from Agusan, 9^th IB Lantad Operations via Bito Areas – Dodiongan, and the Minlangit Disaster; Sgt. Jumawid on his personal account of the Minlangit disaster being a survivor; the account of the battles of the Rangers in Baligwagan from de Guzman, Sandoval and from an air crew of a chopper operating during the battle who requested anonymity; Sgt. Natalia on his account of the Dagalas-Kapatagan incidents; and Sgt. Acapulco of the 2^nd SRB.

Moreover, I wish to acknowledge the assistance of Bruno Lindahay of Lantad on his account of the civilian rescue participation in the Baligwagan battles; Crisogono Llido, Jr. on his account of the religious procession of the Holy Image of Child Jesus from Kiwali to Lantad in 1992 and the church endeavors in 1995; Wally Veronilla on his account of Flores de Mayo activities in the 1960 as told by his mother; and Manang Estetuta Ayoma Romania of Anahaw who now resides in Umagos, Lagonglong on her account of prominent datus of Lantad and other information.

On the abduction account, it was a hot item in local radio stations in Cagayan de Oro - at Radio Mindanao Network, Bombo Radio Philippines and so on.

Likewise, I would like to thank the Local Civil Registrar of Balingasag – Ms. GM Galendez and her staff for giving me access of their records. For the Office of the Local Civil Registrar-Lagonglong though I work there nevertheless, I also thank my staff for giving me their support. Other events outside Lantad like those happening in the mountains of Lagonglong are related to the military operations in Lantad Complex.   

To Fred Santos, former Warehouseman of Vulcan Logging and Mining Exploration in Old Kibanban; Franklin Saburnido, an advantero of the log road construction of Vulcan Logging; Joecel Guinto on the account of his father as service driver; and to former Municipal Councilor of Balingasag, the late Rizalino E. Pangilinan on his account about the first arm confrontation in the early 1980’s in Ara-ay areas between the SF Airborne/SRB and Guerrillas, and the Retes account, I sincerely thank them.    

Before I forget, although Colonel Rogelio Navarro is now retired from service and despite he no longer remembers me, it is however a fact that we were once together in post grad classes in Cagayan de Oro City, school year 1987-88. In early days of school when students began socializing, I had been privileged to be his seat mate in one subject. I remember he asked me this question once, “From where are you Rex?” “Balingasag Sir”, I answered. He further said, “You know, I was assigned in Balingasag. I had been in Lantad. Oh! The place is really on a guerrilla war.” I was in disbelief, I just nodded my head and said in affirmation, “You were there, Sir.”

Furthermore, I did not know that he was the Battalion Commander of the 9^th Infantry Battalion during its deployment to Balingasag from Misamis Occidental. I know the facts later when I started my research for this paper.

Thank you Colonel. Being seat mates, I recall I sometime hear your views first before you told them to the Professor. Oh! What a gentle guy!

To end this story, the Lantad War was indeed a guerrilla war. Many died from sniper’s bullets and land mine blasts though some deaths occurred during encounters. Many were hurt during patrols and operations, fallen into concealed dug pits “gahong” where sharp bamboos “bagacay” were placed below intentionally made to inflict injuries to persons. Other got booby trap – either a grenade, or flying or swinging sharp objects or projectiles or “lais” designed to hit any preferred part of one’s body.

The Lantad war did not only involve fighting men, it had Tora-tora planes, helicopter gunships - their rockets, machine gun fires, cannon and bomb blasts and men in the sky in Huey choppers made the scenes vivid reminders of the Vietnam War. It was not an urban close-quarter combat like in Marawi, or in the traditions of Mamasapano where it was a fight to the last. Here, it is different, it is on a hit and run tactic, the guerrilla way. After delivering the blow, evaporate in the jungle and come again when less expected. This made the war too perilous, enemies could not be seen, and therefore death comes unexpectedly unlike when one has a chance to counter-fire or fight. 

Even to fetch water at the nearest water hole, danger awaits just like in any water holes of the world, because there are always predators waiting for the prey. But soldiers are soldiers and, they never would say “No” to an order. To die fighting is honorable than die of thirst.

In the guerrillas’ side, we could never say their casualties are less. If it less then so good. But the deafening blasts of the 105 howitzers precision bombings; the choppers’ rockets and cracking machine guns fires; and the whining dive bombers - the vintage Tora-tora; the 90RR mortars were seemingly too much weapons to end a War of a Brother against a Brother.

Of course, bigger guns made dying more intense and casualties are inevitable. But why must we fight to the death when victory could still be attained peacefully?

In Lantad Complex many young men died, they tainted red the battlegrounds of their bravery, honor and heroism. Regardless of who they were, or what ranks they held, they are meant to be all brothers in the end no matter what, because death equalizes everything. The dead could no longer be adversaries, but are brothers in their journey to eternity.  

It was this damned war which made them run out of breath.

The narrative therefore is neither meant to glorify war because it is cruel and bloody nor is intended to show who gained much or loss significantly - soldiers or rebels. No, it is never intended to mean that way. This is written to condemn war.

May our mistakes in the pasts be our lessons in dealing right with the future.

Lastly, I would like to dedicate this paper to my wife’s younger sister - my beloved sister-in-law, Linda[26]. She is now battling of strange illness. It is through her where I see how faith lessens miseries when everything is offered to God.

Similarly, her case is a battle for life, despite there are no guns, choppers and enemies. May I please request you to say a little prayer for her.

ooo

RexRValmores

Balingasag,MisamisOriental,Philippines

January 18, 2019

trexvalmores@gmail.com.

---

                                                                             ENDNOTES

[1] MINPLYCO or Mindanao Plywood Company the biggest logging company in Balingasag with its field office and log pond at Barangay Binitinan, operated beginning 1954 in the southeast side of the mountains of Balingasag  in the areas of San Juan, Maitum, Samay, Lapu-lapu, Bito, Eva, Malacera up to the areas of Malagana and Aposkahoy in the municipality of Claveria.  They stopped their operations in 1968 and transferred to Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. The forest southeast of Balingasag was denuded.  MINPLYCO was a lessee of OCA Logging, the concessionaire; after Roces Logging Company. (Annotation mine.)

[2] The public elective officials who took their oath of office on January 1, 1952 for a term of four years before Hon. Marcelo Valdehueza, Justice of the Peace, were Manuel Varquez, Mun. Mayor; Maximiano Veloso, Vice Mayor; Councilors Ramon Valmores, Eusebio Galdo, Manuel Moreno, Briccio Valmores, Alfonso Sinogaya, Antonio Rosco and Donato Embate. In those time, public officials took their oaths and assumed office on the first day of January following their elections unlike today when their term of office begin on July 1. Previously only seven (7) Municipal Councilors were to be elected. Today, municipalities elect eight (8) Municipal Councilors and there are two other ex-officio Councilors, one represents the President of the Federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan and the other one represents the Cultural Communities who is duly endorsed by the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP) as an authentic leader or member of the cultural minorities. (Annotation mine.)

[3] It is hard to note what important service or development plan Councilor Briccio Valmores may have brought to Barangay Kibanban during his first term of office of four (4) years as Councilor. Probably, he had done something commendable on the point of views of these people because in 2005 when the undersigned visited Lantad for the first time, a group of tribal elders whom I had the privilege to talk with, made some remarks that they personally knew him because he was their first councilor-representative to the Municipal Council in Balingasag. Moreover, they said that in one occasion the councilor had stayed with them for a night after holding a lengthy and important meeting with the officials and tribal leaders regarding the necessity of having a school in the highlands.  (Annotation mine.)

[4] Lantad’s patroness is Holy Child Jesus. They celebrate their patronal feast every October. (Annotation mine.)

[5] IPRA Law implies that land historically inhabited by IP’s is considered as an ancestral domain. It could not be disposed or acquired through sale or any mode of ownership without the IP’s – Council of Elders participation.

[6] Mariano V. Guinto, locally hired service driver of Vulcan’s Balingasag operations was transferred to Eastern Samar in 1972. Mariano was from Balingasag, his unit was a 3/4 half-truck vehicle. (Annotation mine.)

[7] Hospecio Co, Sr. was a businessman in Lantad. He had a general store, small rice and corn mill, and a ¾ half truck, of course, it was a 4 x 4 vehicle.  Instead of a vehicle, he transported his goods on “train or caravan of horses”. He had plenty of horses, as well as the other businessmen and farmers of Lantad. It is a luxury in the mountains. (Annotation mine.)

[8] The exploration team composed of Digno Cagas, Ignacio Santua, Sr., Dennis Diestro, Rito Embate, Owney Santua, and two IP Guides from Lantad with their expedition leader, Dr. Pessani. (Annotation mine.)

[9] Before the 2^nd SRB arrived in Balingasag in May 1981, a heinous crime was perpetrated in Lantad. It was a massacre of the entire member of a family of four. The victims hailed from Ozamis City and migrated in Lantad. The Police attributed the case to robbery, for the victims were doing well in their business in Lantad. (Annotation mine.)

[10] The Scout Ranger is a special operational unit of the army was formed on November 25, 1950 with Lt. Gen. Rafael Ileto. It specializes on anti-guerrilla and jungle warfare, raids, ambuscades, close quarter combat, urban warfare and sabotage. ___Wikipedia, Article 1^st Scout Ranger Regiment, accessed December 20, 2018.

[11] The archives of the Local Civil Registrar Office of Balingasag and Lagonglong have all the identities of those who died during the low intensity conflict. It is prudent not to disclose their identities so we could not afflict the memories of their surviving spouses or heirs. (Annotation mine.)

[12] The three survivors were troopers: Jumawid, Nacaya and Apales, all elements of the 9IB. (Annotation mine.)

[13] Calabugao is connected with Misamis Oriental through the logroads of Gingoog. In 1994, Gingoog Mountain Bikers (GM) which I wish to mention a few of them like Rey Puno, Allen Baol, Efren Pollentes, Larry Valdevilla, Neil Baol, and Dodoy Sumunod, their mechanic; conquered the cross-country pass from Gingoog to Calabugao with their bikes. They exited at crossing Damay in Manolo Fortich. Their back-up vehicles met them there. Gingoog Mountain Bikers cross-country adventure had no relation with the In relation with the abducted soldiers in Lantad, Capt. Santos and Sgt. Dalapag were released by the guerrillas in Calabugao. (Annotation mine.)

[14]  In 1986 after the OIC Local Chief Executives of the Local Government Units were installed following the EDSA Revolution, the then Provincial Governor of Misamis Oriental, Dongkoy Emano with OIC Municipal Mayor Danilo Jamito together with the Municipal Officials and Employees of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental went to the mountains of Banglay for peace dialogue. This was the first peace efforts initiated locally by officials. The undersigned being an employee of the Local Government of Lagonglong was in Banglay joining the activity. Unfortunately, I had not met the core leaders of Guerrillas because I transported to the lowlands a civilian, who really was in need to bring the relief goods he received (rice, canned goods, noodles, milk etc.) during the relief distribution. Accordingly, his family (evacuees) had nothing to eat so I decided to ride back to town with him on my motorcycle. That evening there was a program or activity, military commanders of Front IV were there.  (Annotation mine.)  

[15] In 1993, Mr. Felipe Labial was assigned in Lantad in the re-opening of the elementary school. (Annotation mine)

[16] From an interview on January 3, 2019 with Monseigneur Columbus Villamil, the then Parish Priest of Balingasag from 1989 to 1995.  ___ Joining the processions to mention a few were Bruno Lindahay and a certain Castillo from Lantad, lay ministers, leaders and members of church based organizations of Sta. Rita Parish and the RVM School Directress. From an interview with Crisogono Llido on December 31, 2018. (Annotation mine.)

[17] Monseigneur Perseus J. Cabunoc, the then Parish Priest of Balingasag was assigned in 1995-2001. He reset the patronal feast of Lantad in response to the request of the community. After the term of Fr. Cabunoc, Rev. Fr. Ricardo A. Dancela (2001-2006) followed. He continued the endeavors of his predecessors.  Lantad was given preference and focus on evangelization. Together with him in his pastoral works – seminarians during summer went together with him to Lantad. It was a nice immersion formation for them. The vineyards is really vast and the challenge to walk just to serve others in the highland outweighs weariness.  (Annotation mine.)

[18] IP title of Isidro Compas as Datu Baylan was provided by Jonathan Romania, Datu Sandigan. (Annotation mine.)

[19] The late Fr. Mariano Valmoria, SSJV was the Chaplain of the Cultural Minorities. He said masses in the mountains where regular priests from the parish were unable to attend. He was assigned in Lagonglong in the 1970’s. On June 12, 1972, there was a big march rally in Lagonglong. The Federation of Free Farmers spearheaded the rally in coordination with the Kilusang Khi Rho ng Pilipinas. Some clergy were sympathetic to these two street parliamentarians’ organizations or movements.  The assembly point of our rally was at the parish grounds, one sunny afternoon. (Annotation mine.)

[20] From an interview with Estetuta Romania, July 1, 2008. (Annotation mine.)

[21] From an interview with Frederick Miguela on January 2, 2019. (Annotation mine.)

[22] From an interview with Ryan Gabia in December 12, 2018 by his uncle, Juner Gabia. Ryan Gabia is a Public Elementary School Teacher of Anahaw. He is from Gingoog and together with two other teachers who likewise are assigned in Anahaw, they travelled the old Lantad-Anahaw road on their motorcycle – trail bikes. Accordingly some sections of the roads are really dangerous, but could be passed if one has guts.

[23] Col. Cruz was the Commanding Officer of the 9^th IB during its transfer to Bicol Region. They received their orders while they were on a strike mission in Bukidnon. __From an interview with Sgt. Rene de Guzman on December 30, 2018.   

[24] From a press statement of the military on air, their troops shall continue to be in the Kamansi areas because a concrete bridge project shall be constructed across the Balatukan and Sumolao River nearby old Kibanban area. Their assignment in said area is necessary for the security of workers and to protect government property from pilferage. (Annotation mine.)

[25] Bullets is an acronym for Balingasag Undistinguished Last Legion of Extreme Trekkers (road and mountain bike club) and BMA is Balingasag Motorcycle Association. Bullets as a sports club not only ventured in cycling (Cross-Country, MTB Downhill and Road Cycling), it had organized and staged Triathlons, Enduro Cross Racing (MotoTrail) and Motocross-Supercross races.   (Annotation mine.)

[26] Erlinda Abletes Cayao, Ph.D. is a professor in the English Department at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. She is the sixth child of the spouses Gil Abletes and Catalina Sadongdong of Salcedo, Eastern Samar. She has three children and a loving husband named Dodong, who is a seafarer. (Annotation mine.)

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