At the Guerrilla Base in Mt. Makiling
by Oliver Carlos
Most people don’t know that a famous mountain resort in Los Banos used to be a guerrilla base during World War 2. After the war, the government transformed it into an exotic getaway destination for nature-loving tourists. The beautification was so immense that nobody can imagine that the place used to be a hideout of our freedom fighters. That resort is Pook ni Maria Makiling.
In the 1970s, Pook was a big tourist attraction. Whenever my parents would have visitors from outside Los Banos, they would bring them to that resort-park for a leisure tour. The place is located on the foothills of Mt. Makiling, just beside the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP) campus.
When I was a little boy, I remember strolling in that park with my parents and grandparents. There were lots of ornamental plants and a mini river at the entrance to welcome the guests. There was an Olympic-size swimming pool and a pelota court for the sporty ones. There was also a mini zoo where I got to see some monkeys, parrots and peacocks. At its highest point, there’s a view deck with a large telescope which can see places on the far end of Laguna. There were also cottages for those who wish to spend the night over. Ah, those were the happy years of Pook!
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I remember my uncle Vic Hermosa bringing some out-of-town visitors to chill there. From that time, I didn’t visit Pook for about a decade. The next time I’ve been there was in 2002, when I brought there the Students With A Purpose (SWAP) for an overnight teambuilding camp. The place was so different from what it looked like in its golden years. There’s no more mini zoo, pelota court, and hustle-n-bustle of tourists. The swimming pool wasn’t in operation anymore. We were the only guests in the place that weekend. At least we had the place all by ourselves, enjoying its peace and serenity.
I didn’t know that the glory of Pook would continue to dwindle 20 years down the road. One day in March 2021, I drove there with my parents. We were surprised to see that the place is now desolate. The guard wouldn’t let us in. He said we’ll see nothing except rotten cottages covered with vines. It’s now a jungle once again. It’s nearing the way it looked in the 1940s, when it was used by the guerrillas as their camp during World War 2.
I got 1st hand information about this fabled guerilla base from my college professor, Dr. Milagros Tubelleja. She was a little girl in the 1940s and her father was a guerrilla. She said their camp was the exact same spot of Pook ni Maria Makiling and the BSP swimming pool, but of course, during that time, these institutions were not yet existing. The BSP swimming pool was not yet a pool, but actually a river with large rocks. On its banks, they planted camote and papaya. Pook had springs where they got their drinking water.
Pook was a perfect place for such a base. It had a rocky cliff where one can observe the enemy below the mountain. The Japanese were encamped at Baker Hall, just about a kilometer or two downhill, but they never overran the guerrilla base. The foliage in between Baker Field and Pook must be really thick, making the latter impenetrable. The enemy was so near to where the guerrillas were hiding, yet these freedom fighters were so safe.
King David also had his own version of a Pook. But his hiding place was not a physical place, but God himself. We read this in Psalm 32:7 (NLT):
“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.”
David was no superhero, he’s as human as any of us. He had his own fair share of fears and troubles. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by his woes, he runs to God in prayer and praise. He had a very personal and intimate relationship with his God. Note his use of the word “my.” David said to God, “You are my hiding place.”
Do you feel anxious, stressed out or worried? Do you sense that trouble is so near? Ask God to shield you with his loving embrace. Listen to his voice singing you a song of deliverance. Receive the peace he gives to those who have a personal relationship with him.
