13th Mt. Ugo climb for a cause; Shilan fun gunshoot for churches

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

While PNoy, the commander-in-chief and his team of “kabarilans” hold annual shootfests just to shake away the itch on their trigger-happy fingers, it is a well-intentioned “shoot for a cause” in this parts.

For plain critics, it looks odd if an activity involving guns and ammos is organized to fund churches that are in dire need of repairs because their parts or sections are about to fall. But this is exactly what church-going cops and gun enthusiasts in the region are up to as I write. The first time I heard the term “shootfest”, I imagined it as an event for camera buffs who go around taking pictures. I found out later that this involved gun-brandishing men and women in uniform, and private individuals. 

Supt. Dante A. Lubos of the Baguio City Police Station, one of the organizers, informed me last week saying the activity is called the 4th invitational Cosalan Cup Shootfest. He said Benguet Congressman Ronald M. Cosalan, a shooter since his college days at UP Diliman, is a regular sponsor since.

The first shots were fired morning  of April 24 to end today (Sunday) with a simple program at 4 p.m. at the Shilan Sports Complex Firing Range in Barangay Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet. If their timetable will permit them, Sen. Frank Drilon and ex-top cop and former senator Ping Lacson will attend the awarding ceremony. PNP Regional Director Isagani Nerez is also expected to compete against his men. 

The money collected from registration fees and outside sponsors will go to the improvement of at least three community churches located in Atok, Kibungan and Tublay, respectively. T-shirts will be given away to the first 100 registrants while five mountain bikes will be donated to the La Trinidad police station for its peace and order drive.

Two years ago, the “shootfest for a cause” was able to raise P700,000 for the repair of two churches. Cosalan who fully supported the fun-shoot said, at least P500,000 was given to Acop church in Tublay while the remaining P200,000 was spent for the repair of the Pasdong church in Atok.

Then Cordillera police regional director Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong was adjudged the best shooter in the Lawman Category, beating Supt. Lubos who placed first runner-up. The other winners were Wilbur Fernando who topped the Standard Aggregates Division, followed by 1st runner-up MacoyLomerez.

Lawman Category champs Norman Coronia, Lampuyas Laruan and ManolitoCastelar, and shooting teams coming from the different police stations in the region; private businessmen were; Mar Campos, Raymond Ignas, Sherwin Gomez, Rogel Bilibli, Gilbert Atioan, Charles Molina, Lambert Suerte, Frank Lopez and Ramon Atolba are expected to join the three-day fun-shoot.

Be watchful, lady “gunslingers” Jeanette Campos, Jaquiline Gahid, Shenna Paleng, Eva Omaybas and Joy Basquial who are champions in the Open Lady Standard Category might overpower the guns of the men again.

Seasoned shooters Melvin Calde, Angel Lumpias Jr., Bernie Casusi, Anthony Limpin, Don Malatag, Max Takinan, Harry Awingan, Roy Dawa, Luis Galipen, John Cadag, Johnson Miguel, Jun Drio and Rodel Lawana are expected to compete against each other.

Charlie Leano, Jason Aliado, Cedrick Ambros, Byron Pinas, and Saturnino and Ashley Moreno of the Top Shilan Shooters Inc. who were champions in the 1st Cosalan fun-shoot will again join this year’s shoot for a cause event and are likely to grab the top prizes.

While Philippine Information Agency shooter Joseph Zambrano will rush from the Bontoc Lang-ay parade today to catch up the last day of the shootfest tomorrow, I am quite sure he cannot beat the marksmanship of Mark Samuel Lubos, the youngest of the shooters. Well, just have fun Uncle Joseph!

xxx

We were about to leave the roundtable of Chong Loi (Roland Wong for short) when for some unknown reason, men in soiled T-shirts and backpacks who rushed to the café stopped us. They were a little tipsy then but wanted more alcohol even as they ordered pancit. I did not recognize the men who asked us to join them, although we gladly did. As we sat, I heard one of the guys speak Ibaloy which pressed me to take a closer look at the faces of the newcomers. It was then that I recognized Itogon Councilor Norbert Pacio of Tinongdan.

Councilor Pacio who was then the village head of Tinongdan launched the first Mt Ugo climb one day in April, 13 years ago. It has been held yearly after that. I climbed the mountain twice, passing through Lusod and Domolpos where I joined medical-dental missions, before scaling it became a regular tourism event since 2003.

Standing at 2,150 meters above sea level, one can see the front end of San Roque dam and the plains of Tarlac and Pangasinan. Facing farther Northeast, Mount Pulag sits above you while Mount Santo Tomas blocks the sunset on the West.  

This year’s 13th climb logo as shown on the shirt of the tipsy Mt. Ugo climbers is shaped like a Pine Tree with 13 corners. The number of registered climbers reached a total of 105, excluding the crew and guides. It was not exactly an ascending climb but rather a day’s hike that was completed by Councilor Pacio and his visitors.

The hike organized for environmental awareness that had the theme “Empowering Community Brotherhood Towards Sustainable Adventure” started at Pangawan in the boundary town of Kayapa, Nueva Viscaya; to Endupit then Domolpos. Hikers pass these areas that are almost on the same level before ascending to the summit of Mt. Ugo, then descend to Lusod for the closing and awarding ceremonies.

Councilor Pacio identified the winning team in the “Biggest Participating Group” award and “Most Organized Group” as the Batangas Rockies Group; followed by the Tag-ay Mountaineering of Tagaytay whose members grabbed the “Jolliest Team”. The youngest climber award as well as the oldest climber award went to climbers from Manila.

As we can see here in the list of participants, the 13th Mt. Ugo climb was dominated by local tourists outside of Baguio and Benguet or the Cordillera. The legacy of Councilor Pacio has turned to be an annual mountain trek and has a fixed date. In comparison to the climbing activities being organized for Mount Pulag, the hikers take just one day because of its unique situation, hence environmental destruction is limited.

For the sake of the sitios Lusod and Domolpos where life for the walks is simple and laid back, I hope the Mt. Ugo climb stays that way and away from commercialization.