All the Philippine islands are of volcanic origin and, as a result, the country is very mountainous. Those who wish to climb the mountain must first obtain the blessing of the local tribe and perform the usual rituals before, during and after the climb. The indigenous peoples of the mountain range, who have lived in the mountains for generations, are slowly being expelled or even eradicated. Its picturesque pine-covered trails lead to its undulating top of grasslands, where spectacular views of the “sea” of clouds and, at dawn, of the starry expanse of the Milky Way reward mountaineers willing to face its humid and cold (and often icy) climate.
In the center of Mindanao there is a large mass of rugged mountain ranges, one of which divides the island from north to south. Of these high peaks, many belong to the list of the highest peaks in Luzon and throughout the Philippines. As part of the Western Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines has thirty-seven volcanoes, of which eighteen are active. The mountain overlooks the city of Manila across Manila Bay, providing an impressive backdrop for sunsets as seen from the city.
Of the more than 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines, Luzon is the largest with a total area of approximately 105,000 square kilometers. Deep in its mountains, there are vast gold veins and immense deposits of other precious metals, making the Cordilleras the main mining district in the Philippines. The location of the Philippines and its diverse geography make it home to wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. The depth of Galathea, inside the Philippine Trench, is the third deepest site in the world and measures 10.54 km below sea level.
But even more unfortunate is the fact that the desperate situation of the Lumads and the devastation of the Daguma Mountains have attracted only little, if any, attention. Mount Hamiguitan isn't famous for its height; just to the west of the mountain are much higher peaks, such as Apo and Talomo. The entire Kitanglad Range is a protected area known as the Mount Kitanglad Range Nature Park. The vast forests of the Malindang mountain range stand out especially as a refuge for countless rare and diverse floral and fauna species, including the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi), the rufous horsetail (Buceros hydrocorax), the Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), the flying lemur (Cynocephalus volans), the macaque with a tail (Macaca fascicularis) and the Malindang shrew (Mount Malindang) shrew (Mount Malindang) Large shrew).
The Diwata Mountains are one of the least known mountain ranges in the Philippines; not much of it has been recorded, except that the mountain range is densely covered with forest and is home to a large number of endemic species of flowers and fauna.
