Camp Utopia Mountain lies atop Barangay Sagubo with its scenic waterfalls trickling down Toplac sitio of Barangay Pudong both in the municipality of Kapangan. Manpey-as is where the waterfalls trickle down and is the area targeted for reforestation. This mighty Camp Utopia mountain used to be the general headquarters of the 66th Infantry Regiment of the USAFIP NL and the feared Igorot Guerrillas who took part in the liberation of Baguio-Benguet and Besang Pass led by Majors Bado Dangwa and Dennis Molintas during the 2nd World War. It was the 66th Infantry Guerillas who annihilated the enemy strongholds at Hill 99W and at Lepanto, Mankayan which were in a strategic position and built with formidable bankers but was outwitted and captured by the courageous Igorot Guerillas. Other areas which were tough to surmount and held by the enemy, the 66th Infantry Igorot Guerillas were there to take charge.
American Soldiers shelling enemy positions guarding Camp Utopia
During the 2nd WW in 1940 to 1945, this mountain was covered with big Pine trees that shielded the American Officers and the Guerrillas from enemy spy planes and markings. As early as 10 o’clock in the morning fogs start to cover this mountain adding more screens to the headquarters and the guerrillas.
The American
soldiers and the Igorot guerrillas built a micro hydroelectric plant using the
Camp Utopia waterfalls to generate power. This plant provided electricity and
powered their radio telecommunication with their Allies overseas.
Communications was established to this mountain top headquarters with the US
Command which received messages and was relayed to the other units by the
guerilla runners. This communications enabled the US Command to ship arms and
food supplies to the Igorot Guerillas via submarine from Australia to the beach
of Darigayos, Luna, La Union and was carried at night time by the guerrillas up
to the mountains of Camp Utopia.In August 1941, Colonel Volckmann received specific instructions from the Southeast Pacific Command wherein this camp monitors liberation maneuvers as well as transmit enemy positions. The 3 major composite units of the 43rd, 12th and 11th Infantries forms the 66th Infantry USAFE-NL under the direct command of Col. Parker Culvert.
As the war escalated, the Chinese, other foreign nationals and Filipino lowlanders hiding around Baguio’s suburbs came to seek cover to this place and other safe areas around Kapangan where the Guerillas were on guard. The civilians of this place also helped in sheltering these people and hiding them from the dreaded Kempeitai Police Force so much so that even the civilians were suspected as guerillas including the leaves of some trees that inflict soreness when swiped by the enemies passing it. The civilians also contributed food supplies to the guerrillas and making rations to their guest. Luckily, the fruits of their wild camotes, taros, bananas and other edible vines were available making them survive. After the war in 1946 and the years later, numerous Chinese and other people who retreated to this place intermarried with the natives and to other people then went back to Baguio and made business of their own.
Perhaps the
trees and the good environment gave abundant help to 66th Infantry
Regiments operation during the war. But after the war, these trees were gone.
Maybe gone with the winds but for sure, gone for buildings, furnitures, to the
mines and to the corrupt officials. The practice of replanting trees after
cutting a tree for housing or for livelihood was disregarded thus the mountains
were denuded. Never the less, some families and land stake holders preserved
and reforested part of this mountain with pine and native trees. Every year, the LGUs, NGOs and the civil society groups plant trees in open areas or communal forests but up to this time no forest or just a tree park is visible. What is lacking here is the maintenance and protection of the trees planted. The planted areas encounter many disturbances such as mountain fires and astray animals including humans.
Top of this Camp Utopia mountain is where the humming radio of the 66th Infantry Guerrillas was installed
Camp Utopia plateau is good for eco tourism. It overlooks the lowland provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur. It is historical and is good for hiking, camping and for eco walk. So it is suggested that only a foot trail be constructed to this area. Building a road would destroy its ecosystem. A three hectare was donated to the boy/girl scouts, the Veterans Federation and the Tourism Council of Kapangan. This area if preserved and developed will a be good site for forest park and outdoor activities.
This area of about 36 hectares is targeted for reforestation
At the mountainside of this Camp Utopia where the water falls down, an area of about 36 hectares was considered for reforestation. Another 20 hectares will also be reforested down Toplac sitio.
Land owners, the IPOs, the community and the Local Government Units together with the Department of Agriculture with CHARMP2 reprocessed their programs and agreed in a commitment to safeguard our environment. The signatories agreed to plant trees and the forest taken cared. This shall be the living evidence to this undertaking, now and in the future. The aim of this project and the agency concerned rest on the improvement and protection of highland forests, watersheds and the improvement of the Indigenous Peoples lives.
A work and financial plan was undertaken in a seminar jointly prepared by the IPOs, LGUs, and the concerned Agencies. A fund assistance from the DA-CHARMP2 was allocated for the planting, maintenance and the protection of the reforestation project. The project will commence this October 2011.
It is essential therefore that this project be monitored and supported. One request of the Peoples Organization was the construction of farm to market road as part of the refo project. A reason for the road construction is access to health and for emergencies. Transport of farm products to market is also very much needed. But it is also suggested by the POs that this road project be directed to the farms and residential areas. It is an observation that if a road passes to the forested areas, the trees are nowhere to be seen.
Toplac rice terraces down Camp Utopia-Manpey-as planted with rice whole year round
BOLINSAK ECOPUROK CLUB REFORESTATION FUND RAISING PROJECT
This association is involved in the reforestation and conservation of our forest projects in our community. Our group started the propagation of mulberry trees including some indigenous trees in Bolinsak, Kapangan, Benguet, Ph way back in the 1970s. The group generated cuttings out from the 12 mulberry trees found in Bolinsak. These cuttings or seedlings then found its way to the nearby municipalities of Benguet and parts of Mt. Province, Ifugao and La Union Provinces used for their mulberry tree farms or seri culture projects.
This organization is registered with the
Department of Labor and Employment, CAR, Ph with DOLE Reg. No. CAR-Benguet
2010-007.
As of now, our target reforestation project is in Camp Utopia-Manpey-as Mountain located at the boundary of Sagubo and Pudong Barangays of the Municipality of Kapangan. It is about 50 hectares upland to be planted with Pine and local trees adaptable to the area. This area is a watershed to the rice terraces down Toplac sitio and the Amburayan River which flows down to the Ilocos Region.
The sub-projects to be undertaken under the reforestation project are the following;
1. Construction of a nursery……………………………..P 150,000.00
2. Construction of a tool house………….……...….. 250,000.00
3. Construction of a waterworks system and…... 110,000.00
4. Construction of a foot trail………………………….. 90,000.00
Total: P 600,000.00
The other activity this group will undertake which is the counterpart are the following:
Potting, sowing, watering, transplanting, root pruning, weeding and fertilizing at the nursery
Strip brushing, hole digging 20x20 cm, planting and staking and hauling
Ring weeding and replanting, watering, fireline construction and monitoring
Tree planting will be undertaken by May 2012 when the rainy season starts. The project will take 8 to 10 years to maintain. As observed by our monitoring team, trees planted every year by the LGUs, POs and volunteers on communal or open grounds without proper care went to waste. So monitoring, tracking and safeguarding of the trees until it is fully grown will mean the project is on its right course.
Contact Persons: LEVY CATANES RUBEN SALVE
Bolinsak, Kapangan
Benguet
Province Ph
