Nanay Lita Antazo, 72, still finds the muscle to climb Mount Ping-as, in Pakil, Laguna.

Together with Aling Nelia De Leon and a multitude of Catholic devotees, they’re off for the annual pilgrimage known as “Ahunan sa Ping-as,” a centuries-old religious fest involving an arduous trek to that portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range, pausing for prayers at 14 Stations (also called “kubol”), a holy mass at the hilltop chapel, capped by the ceremonial “pingasan,” where devotees take a piece from the wooden cross for them to keep as sacred souvenir.

For Antazo, the climb is a “panata” to demonstrate her faith, commitment, and a way of seeking God’s grace.

Aling Nelia, who has been climbing since the ‘90s, says Ahunan is an occasion for expressing gratitude over the healing of her asthmatic special needs child.

“Gumaling na po siya. Siya ngayon ay 25 years old na. Simula noon umaakyat pa rin kami.”

However, in light of recent events in Pakil, Aling Nelia has included their natural environment in her prayers.

“Kami ay umaahon sa Ping-as para mawala ang sakit ng mga tao, para umunlad ang pamumuhay at para ang kabayanan namin ay maging ligtas sa anu mang sakuna. Yung aming bundok, sana po ay wag naman maubos ito, para po hindi mag landslide sa ibaba.”

She is harping on the controversial plan to construct a hydropower plant atop their revered hill.

Known as the “Ahunan Pump-Storage Hydropower Project” or “Ahunan Dam,” the project sparked opposition from members of the community. They fear construction of which would result to irreversible damage to their environment, affect their ecological milieu, or become a potential threat to their lives or their way of life.

When the first news of the project broke out, it already unsettled many townsfolk.

They say building the structure atop Mount Ping-as would violate the sanctity of the ground.

The two ladies reached the high-altitude congregation nearly two hours later.

Ping-as prayer ground is filled with festive air once again after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic.

Only this time, shades of prevailing tensions are noticeable: anti-dam banners hang on every tree; devotees sporting “No to Dam” shirts; apparent social rift among pro and anti-dam attendees.

Nora Macapanpan of Mamamayang Nagmamahal sa Pakil (MaNaPak), an anti-dam group, describes the heightened setting:

“We used to celebrate mass together. Dati, kahit sino kalapit, okey lang. This time, magkakalapit lang ang parehong ‘no to dam.’ Ganon din ang pro-dam. Na-divide ang población ng Pakil. Noon, sama-samang nagi-istasyon. Hindi na ngayon” 

Beyond the project’s environmental issue, MaNaPak also denounce the proponent’s use of “Ahunan” in naming the hydropower plant. As if adding insult to injury, the group says the branding is an insensitive appropriation of their treasured tradition to the very subject they are up against.

“Ang salitang Ahunan ay sagrado. At sa Pakil, yan ang gamit na salita sa pag-ahon sa Ping-as na isang sagradong lugar, na dinadayo ng mga namamanata, di lang mga taga Pakil kundi mga taga ibang bayan din,” says MaNaPak member Lina Naldo.

At the DENR public hearing held December last year, MaNaPak member Armando Dizon calls out this derisive labeling.

Acknowledging Dizon’s displeasure with the name, project representative Janssen Dela Cruz asked him if he could suggest another name for the dam, to which the latter replied, “Wala po akong isa-suggest. Kasi kung ako ang tatanungin, hindi ako papayag na matuloy ang proyektong ito.”

The struggle faced by the group against the construction of the Ahunan Dam represents a clash between development aspirations and preservation of both nature and cultural heritage. Pakil is a vibrant community. Too beautiful to be subjected to ecological consequences.

After the mass, a MaNaPak member takes the stand. And with a megaphone in hand, amplifies their call for a stop to the proposed hydropower plant.

Aling Nelia walks up to the chapel cross near the side of the cliff, exulting in the view of the lake and farmland down below before saying her prayers.

Another Ahunan has come to pass. There’s just so many things to climb and ask for at Mount Ping-as.

After all, religious teachings also emphasize the concept of stewardship and the role of humans in caring and protecting the natural world.