26/09/2026
๐ ๐. ๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ป: ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐บ, ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป
As a local mountaineering group in Lanao del Sur, actively exploring hiking destinations within our province, and continuously promoting the beauty and tourism potential of our home, ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ ๐. ๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐.
Many local hiking groups, individual hikers, and established mountaineering groups from Mindanao and other parts of the country have long dreamed of setting foot on Mt. Pyapayungan. Recognized among the highest mountains in the Philippines, it is a majestic, mysterious, and deeply special part of our landscape.
The growing interest in Mt. Pyapayungan makes this conversation even more important.
As word of the mountain continues to spread among hikers in Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, and other parts of the country, more people are looking forward to experiencing what has long been known to locals as Sleeping Beauty.
Its growing popularity presents a wonderful opportunity for Lanao del Sur. It can bring visitors, create opportunities for local communities, and allow more people to appreciate the natural beauty and cultural heritage of our province. But the more people we welcome, the greater our responsibility becomes to make sure that the mountain is properly managed and protected.
We would also like to recognize our fellow mountaineers from
๐ ๐ฆ๐จ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐น๐๐ฏ ๐๐ป๐ฐ., who have made the challenging journey to Mt. Pyapayungan several times over the past years, demonstrating through their careful planning and preparation the level of commitment that this mountain demands. We likewise acknowledge ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, as well as ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ - ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ, all members of the Mindanao Mountaineering Federation, Inc,. have also undertaken the journey to Mt. Pyapayungan and stood among those who have experienced and summited this remarkable mountain. Their experiences and expeditions serve as valuable reminders that Sleeping Beauty is not an ordinary hike.
As our fellow hikers would say, โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐.โ
Individually, it requires serious preparation. As a group, even more so.
Being in the mountains for several days is an entirely different undertaking from a day hike. It requires physical preparation, proper equipment, navigation, food and water planning, communication, local guides, contingency measures, and a clear understanding of the risks that come with being deep in the forest.
A multi-day expedition carries real risks. Accidents, getting lost, sudden changes in weather, forest fires, waste, environmental disturbance, and other unforeseen situations can happen even to experienced hikers.
As mountaineers, we understand that preparation is part of the adventure.
And as stakeholders of our own mountains, we believe that preparation should also be part of tourism.
This is where we believe tourism and protection must go hand in hand.
We often use the analogy of having a beautiful mansion that we are proud to show our guests. Of course, we want people to see it and appreciate it. But when we open our doors, we also set boundaries, establish house rules, and take precautionsโnot because we do not want guests, but because we want to keep everyone safe and protect the home we are welcoming them into.
Our mountains deserve the same kind of care.
We appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Provincial Government and the concerned municipal LGUs in preparing tourism guidelines, safety measures, coordination systems, and other mechanisms for visitors. These are important foundations in establishing responsible and sustainable outdoor tourism in the area.
At the same time, we hope that the opening of Mt. Pyapayungan will encourage deeper discussions on its ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
Mt. Pyapayungan is not simply another hiking destination. It is part of the natural heritage of Lanao del Surโan immense landscape with ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance. Its forests, wildlife, watersheds, trails, and surrounding communities are all part of what makes this mountain worth experiencing in the first place.
The ecological importance of the area is not merely theoretical. In May 2026, the BARMM - MENRE reported the rescue and release of a Philippine tarsier found within the Piyapayungan Mountain Range, highlighting the biodiversity value of its remaining forest ecosystems and the continuing need for their protection.
This is why matters such as carrying capacity, trail management, waste management, biodiversity and cultural assessments, trained local guides, emergency and rescue protocols, fire prevention, visitor regulations, community participation, and appropriate local ordinances deserve careful consideration as tourism develops.
We also believe that the long-term legal and institutional protection of Mt. Pyapayungan deserves continued study and discussion. The mountain is not among the areas expressly established as protected areas in the list under RA 11038, the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018. The law, however, provides mechanisms for the establishment and inclusion of areas within the protected-area system, making it worthwhile to explore what conservation framework is most appropriate for Pyapayungan.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ ๐. ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ป.
We want our province to be known for its mountains.
We want our local communities to benefit from responsible tourism. We want visitors to discover the beauty that many of us have known and cherished for years.
But we also want to make sure that in our excitement to introduce Sleeping Beauty to the rest of the country, we do not forget our responsibility to protect her. In the mountaineering community, we always say, โ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ข ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐โ.
The goal should not simply be to bring more people to the mountain.
The goal should be to build a tourism system that allows people to experience it without compromising the very environment that makes it worth visiting.
We hope that the opening of Mt. Pyapayungan will bring together hikers, mountaineers, local communities, environmental advocates, tourism stakeholders, and our local government units in one shared purpose: ๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐.
We all have a role in preserving the natural treasures of Lanao del Sur.
Every responsible climb, every properly managed trail, every local guide empowered, every visitor properly oriented, and every effort to protect the environment contributes to keeping these mountains alive for the future.
๐ ๐. ๐ฃ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ'๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐.
Let us be proud enough to showcase it, but responsible enough to protect it.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป โ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐บ๐ฎ๐ท๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
Our mountains deserve to be seen.
But more importantly, they deserve to be protected.
RANAO Kapanakdug Guild
Mocsana Sibs Trekkers
Lakaw a Inggadong
ITANO Trekkers
PROLife Outdoors Travel and Tours
SUGBO Adventours
Byahe ni Man
MSU Mountaineering Club Inc.
Mt Matampor-Gurain
RANAW Kandilakaw Expedition
Mindanao Mountaineering Federation
Mt. Piapayungan/Piyagayungan as viewed from Mt. Latukan
