Mount Lantoy
Encyclopedia
Mount Lantoy is a 593-meter (1,945 feet) mountain
located 10 kilometers inland from the municipality of Argao
, Cebu in the Philippines
.
forest reserve
by virtue of Presidential Proclamation no. 414 on June 29, 1994. The initial 7265-hectare
protected area was reduced in December 2006 via a new Executive Order issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, reducing the watershed reserve area coverage to 3000 hectares.
, Mount Lantoy is said to be the domain of Maria Cacao
, a diwata
who lives in a cave in the mountain. Outside her cave grow numerous cacao trees, which are said to be her plantation. After harvest time come rains that wash down the mountain, enabling Maria Cacao to float down to the towns below in her golden ship to sell her products.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located 10 kilometers inland from the municipality of Argao
Argao, Cebu
Argao is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 62,226 people.-Location:...
, Cebu in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Watershed forest reserve
Mt. Lantoy was declared as a watershedDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
forest reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
by virtue of Presidential Proclamation no. 414 on June 29, 1994. The initial 7265-hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
protected area was reduced in December 2006 via a new Executive Order issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, reducing the watershed reserve area coverage to 3000 hectares.
In Philippine mythology
In Philippine mythologyPhilippine mythology
Philippine mythology include a collection of tales and superstitions about magical creatures and entities. Some Filipinos, even though heavily westernized and Christianized, still believe on these tales...
, Mount Lantoy is said to be the domain of Maria Cacao
Maria Cacao
Maria Cacao is the diwata or mountain goddess associated with Mount Lantoy in Argao, Cebu, Philippines, similar to Maria Makiling of Los Baños and Maria Sinukuan of Mount Arayat....
, a diwata
Diwata
In Philippine mythology, a Diwata , also known as Encantada, is a mythological figure similar to fairies or nymphs. They are nature spirits and live one with mother earth...
who lives in a cave in the mountain. Outside her cave grow numerous cacao trees, which are said to be her plantation. After harvest time come rains that wash down the mountain, enabling Maria Cacao to float down to the towns below in her golden ship to sell her products.