LAKE HOLON (MT. PARKER)
T'BOLI, SOUTH COTABATO
Jump-off Point; T'boli - Salacafe
LLA: 1400 MASL
Days required / Hours to Lake Holon 1-2 Days / 3-4 hours
Specs: Minor Climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail Class 1-3
The most cleanest lakes in the Philippines is Lake Holon (Lake Maughan) in T'boli, South Cotabato. It is in the heart of T'Boli on the mountains of South Cotabato, as the caldera lake of the famed Mt. Parker, it is so clean that you can drink water from it while swimming. Surrounded by mountaintops and a virgin forest, it is so secluded and peaceful environment.
Sacred to the T'boli tribe, there is a legend surrounding this lake. Once, a T’boli witch named Unsak led a band of followers deep in the highlands – she had prophesied that the end is near and they were chosen to ascend to Heaven. They came upon a lake and Unsak led them there – they jumped into it upon the promise of eternal life. No one has heard of them since. Some say they perished – and their cries are still heard every day, very early in the morning. Others say they indeed went straight to Heaven – and they named the lake ‘Holon’, which means ‘portal to heaven’. It is further asserted that the cleanliness of the lake is due to its magic – all the dirt and garbage are transported by the portal in the middle of the lake.From the jump-off, the trails in salacafe are wide and the soil is at times colored beige, perhaps due to the volcanic nature of Mt. Parker. You will pass by T’boli villages. After two to three hours you will enter the virgin forest (at 1280 MASL), with its resplendent array of lichens, mosses, ferns, trees, some over a hundred years old. You will trek through the forest until you reach its highest point, around 1540 MASL. There, you can already see Lake Holon. The descent takes around 20 minutes, and once there, you will behold the tranquil lake. It is a profound and wonderful experience.
