Tags: Hotels and Resorts, Natural Wonders, Vacation
By Leo Magno
SAN PABLO CITY, LAGUNA — The waters that flow down from the 2,158-meter Mount Banahaw, according to spiritual groups and mystics, are sacred and healing.
It is in the midst of these spring waters where nature’s arms opened for us in the form of Bato Springs Resort, and we found respite and a curious background story where we did not expect.
Locals speak of rock formations at the foot of Mount Banahaw marked with human footprints, and they believe these were imprinted by the feet of Jesus Christ himself. Some believe Mount Banahaw is sacred, while others speak of paranormal and extraterrestrial activities that occur in the area. The temple of the Rizalistas is also found on Mount Banahaw, which some call “the holy mountain of the Philippines.”
Yet for tourists taking the non-paranormal or non-pilgrimage tour, what lies at the feet of the mountain is more familiar. It is a resort formed around the spring waters trickling down from Mount Banahaw to Barangay Kinabuhayan in Dolores, Quezon and eventually to Barangay San Cristobal in San Pablo City, Laguna.
It is called Bato Springs Resort, and its history, stories and legends provide an interesting backdrop to a place where waterfalls cover the walls like veils of immaculately flowing water.
The spring or “batis” in the resort actually lies on two provinces. To the North is San Pablo City in the province of Laguna, and to the South is the Municipality of Dolores in the province of Quezon, with the spring conveniently serving as a demarcation line. The resort rests on 11 out of 44 hectares owned by the Alvero family, a portion of a bigger tract of properties owned by the family since the Spanish era.
Long ago, the great-grandfather of the current property owners developed the spot where clear, cold mountain water ran through the tract of land. He made pools from the rocks and materials found in the area and preserved the trees that have been there for decades and even hundreds of years.
It is said that in his will, he instructed his forebears to keep the place open to the public and that they should only charge a minimum fee. Blogger Rica also recounts the same story when she was invited to the place by a family member of the owners.
Today, adults and children may enter the resort at P70 each during the weekdays and P80 during weekends, or P125 per person for an overnight stay in one of the cottages which start at P1,200 for a bed for two.
The resort is about 8 kilometers from Mount Banahaw, and many a hiker and mountain climber have used it as a jumpoff point to the mountain. Major adjacent volcanic edifices are Mount San Cristobal (Western slope), Mount Banahaw de Lucban (Northeastern slope), Buho Masalakot Domes (Southwestern slope) and Mount Mayabobo.
Aracelli Katigbak, 51, has been working at the resort as maintenance personnel for 17 years, only a few years after it officially opened in 1981. Herself a native of San Pablo, Aracelli remembers the 1970s when locals used the “batis” in what is now Bato Springs Resort as a place to wash their clothes.
Even today, she says, she and her fellow workers do not drink tap water when they are on duty at the resort, relying instead on the spring as a source of rehydration the old-fashioned way — by cupping their hands and imbibing the cold mountain water. I am guessing they do this at the topmost part of the resort — before any of the waters go through the public pools in which tourists and locals alike splash like children to their hearts’ desires.
The trees add to the serenity of the place — lending the natural springs a gentle cover from the sunlight. Manuel Viloria, who has also been to the place, says “the trees make noon feel like it’s only 8 a.m.”
There is a man-made pool near the long, tree-lined entrance to the resort, yet deeper within Bato Springs are the more “natural” pools and waterfalls that offer a more relaxing experience. Cottages abound, even one which houses a billiard table and ones where families can gather and cook up a barbecue.
I must admit that, during the three-hour drive to the place, I was getting impatient with all the wrong directions being given us and traffic in the heavily populated areas en route to San Pablo, but all that disappeared when I saw the place.
Apparently I am not the only one. Blogger “Alonsky” calls Bato Springs “a glimpse of heaven in the patch of earth,” and has posted his own photos. Blogger “Alexander” says the spring waters are like a “rejuvenating spa” that make you feel younger.” Blogger “Rica” calls the resort her “piece of heaven.”
To get to Bato Springs, take the last exit of the South Luzon Expressway and enter Calamba, Laguna. From there, you can either 1) follow the route toward UP Los Banos, go past Calauan and head for San Pablo City; or 2) head for Dolores, Quezon.
On the highway, look for the Meralco office on your left. About 100 meters from there, you will see a sign going to Dolores, as well as a signboard of Bato Springs. Follow that road and about 10 minutes later you will see another Bato Springs signboard on the left. That will take you to the resort’s long, tree-lined entrance.
Mt. Banahaw itself is about 170 kilometers southeast of Manila. You can reach it by taking a bus to San Pablo, Laguna, then a jeepney to Barangay Kinabuhayan, Dolores, Quezon Province.
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