Maria Makiling is a beautiful fairy or goddess who watches over the mountain. She is known for her beauty and is often shown with accompanied by tiny winged fairies called lambana. She protects the mountain and helps the people who rely on it for food and resources. Some stories also say that the nearby lake, Laguna de Bay, and its fish are part of her care. According to legend, she was sent by Bathalà, a powerful god, to help the people in their daily lives.456789
Maria Makiling was the protector and guardian of Mount Makiling. Thus, modern sightings of her were even reported. Maria Makiling is a common subject among Filipino artists, ranging from painters and sculptors to graphic novelists. Prior to the conversion of the natives to Christianity, Maria Makiling was already known as Makiling, a diwata sent by Bathala in Mount Makiling to aid mankind in their daily tasks. The 'Maria' was added by the Spanish in a bid to 'rebrand' her as Catholic and to further subjugate the natives into Spanish imperialism.1011
The contour of the mountain is said to be that of her in a reclining position. In some accounts, Maria Makiling, while serving as a diwata of Bathala in Mount Makiling, was heartbroken by a mortal man, and thus chose to remain hidden from mortal view thereafter.12
The following are the proclamations, Republic Acts, and Executive Orders relevant to the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR):13
Mt. Makiling is a popular hiking destination. The two major trails begin at the UPLB College of Forestry and Brgy. San Miguel, Santo Tomas, Batangas. The UPLB trail is more commonly used, taking 4–5 hours to reach the summit (Peak 2). This trail was closed in October 2007 due to trail damage wrought by Typhoon Xangsane in September 2006. The trail was closed again in December 2012 after two students were found drowned in a restricted area on the mountain.16 The trail was re-opened most recently in March 2013.17 The second trail, known as Maktrav, starts in Santo Tomas. This route is more difficult and requires 6–7 hours to reach the summit. Both trails are generally established and safe, although throughout the years there have been occasional reports of fatal accidents and injuries, especially on the Santo Tomas side. Climbers also frequently encounter leeches along the way.18
"Potentially Active". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. July 30, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20120213164000/http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=115 ↩
"Republic Act No. 6967". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. October 15, 1990. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190319055603/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/10/15/republic-act-no-6967-2/ ↩
Yap, DJ (October 4, 2013). "Makiling now a heritage park". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190319065321/https://globalnation.inquirer.net/87027/makiling-now-a-heritage-park?utm_expid=.XqNwTug2W6nwDVUSgFJXed.1 ↩
Perdon, Renato (2012). Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog. Tuttle Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4629-0983-4 /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
Lanuza, Michelle, The Legend of Maria Makiling, archived from the original on 2007-10-02, retrieved September 30, 2007 ↩
Grinnell, George Bird (April 1893). "Pawnee Mythology". The Journal of American Folklore. 6 (21): 113–130. doi:10.2307/533298. ISSN 0021-8715. JSTOR 533298. https://doi.org/10.2307/533298 ↩
"The Legend of Maria Makiling retold by Gat Jose Rizal". Retrieved April 3, 2010. http://www.philsites.net/folklore/stories/legend1.html ↩
PinoyMountaineer: Mount Makiling, September 1, 2007, retrieved October 26, 2007 http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2007/09/mt-makiling-1090.html ↩
Cite error: The named reference kuro5hin was invoked but never defined (see the help page). /wiki/Help:Cite_errors/Cite_error_references_no_text ↩
Grinnell, George Bird (April 1893). "Pawnee Mythology". The Journal of American Folklore. 6 (21): 113. doi:10.2307/533298. ISSN 0021-8715. https://doi.org/10.2307/533298 ↩
"Laws Governing the Makiling Forest Reserve". Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME). Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20130618214849/http://mountmakiling.org/index.php?page=gov_law ↩
Masó, Miguel Saderra (January 1, 1904). Volcanoes and seismic centers of the Philippine Archipelago. Dept. of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of the Census. p. 65. natugnos. https://archive.org/details/volcanoesandsei00masgoog ↩
"Fast Facts: Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve". January 24, 2021. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1387472/fast-facts-mt-makiling-forest-reserve ↩
Makiling trail closed in wake of UPLB deaths, December 9, 2012, retrieved April 5, 2013 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/321375/makiling-trail-closed-in-wake-of-uplb-deaths ↩
Mount Makiling trail reopens for Lenten hikers, March 25, 2013, retrieved April 5, 2013 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/379895/mount-makiling-trail-reopens-for-lenten-hikers ↩