Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 6481

Introduced by Representative Micaela S. Violago

EXPLANATORY NOTE

A hiking ground that is recently gaining the interest of climbers and tourists, local
‘as well as foreign, is Mount (Mt.) 387 (Mt. Batong-Amat) located at Brgy. Puncan,
Carranglan, Nueva Ecija. The name Mt. 387 was given to Batong-Amat because the area
covers about 387.9 hectares of the 65,000 hectares’ Talavera Watershed Forest Reserve
watershed when it was adopted by the Kalinga sa Kalikasan ng Puncan to preserve the
mountain. It is actually a part of the Caraballo Mountain Range. At the summit, one can
see a cluster of hills which is quite similar to the Chocolate Hills of Bohol; for this reason,
Mt. 387 was also dubbed as the “Bohol of the North”. It may not resemble the shape of
the ones found in Bohol but its color and vegetation is almost identical.

The summit is named Batong Amat Peace Park (Ghost Rock Peace Park), since
the area was the resting place of many soldiers (Filipino, American, Japanese led by
General Yamashita) who perished during World War II. In fact, there are a number of
foxholes along the trail and it is likewise common to see spent bullets and casings in the
area. According to local guides, there are times when Japanese men (who supposedly
participated in the war) go back to Puncan and revisit the area. This is also one of the
reasons why the area became famous for treasure hunting activities in the past. This is
no surprise since the mountain actually guards the entrance to the Cagayan Valley, which
ultimately leads to the famed Dalton Pass. On the summit, you can see the mountain
range of Sierra Madre, including Mt. Balungao, Mt. Amorong, Mt. Cuyapo, a part of Lupao
and even the TPLEX are visible.

The locals have actually enlisted the help of climbers / hikers in the reforestation
activities. During the rainy season, each hiker is made to plant at least 2 seedlings (one
may buy additional seedlings if preferred) at the designated reforestation areas along the
trail. Seedlings are available for sale at the jumpoff point. During the dry season, hikers
are required to help in tree nurturing by bringing at least a liter of water to nourish the
planted seedlings. Simple, but is actually ingenious. This program is also referred as
"Kalinga sa Kalikasan ng Puncan".

This bill, therefore, aims to declare Mt. 387 or Mt. Batong-Amat in the Municipality
of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija as a tourist destination, mandating the Department of Tourism
and its attached agencies, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and
Highways, and in consultation with the local government unit of Carranglan, to come up
with a comprehensive development plan for the improvement of Mt. 387, all areas
attached to it, and all roads leading to and from it.

To be declared a tourist destination would bring in more employment opportunities
for the town residents and shall greatly contribute in the town’s socio-economic growth.

Support and approval for this proposed legislation are hereby earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Micaela S. Violago

AN ACT DECLARING MOUNT 387 OR MOUNT BATONG-AMAT, IN THE
MUNICIPALITY OF CARRANGLAN, NUEVA ECIJA AS A TOURIST DESTINATION,
PROVIDING FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Mount (Mt.) 387 or Mt. Batong-Amat, in the Municipality of
Carranglan, Province of Nueva Ecija is hereby declared a tourist destination. As such, it
shall be accorded with priority development by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and
other concerned agencies subject to the rules and regulations governing the development
of tourist destinations.

SECTION 2. The DOT, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) and other concerned agencies of the government shall, immediately
after the effectivity of this Act, prepare a development plan involving the construction,
installation and maintenance of such appropriate facilities and infrastructure that shall
improve the overall feature of the area thereby ensuring the accessibility and security of
the tourists, Provided, That the said development plan shall ensure the preservation and
conservation of the historical significance of the area.

SECTION 3. The DOT and its attached agencies shall take immediate steps in
implementing the tourism development plan that will suit the needs of Mt. 387 in the
Municipality of Carranglan and shall incorporate the same in its overall development plans
and programs for national implementation.

SECTION 4. The DOT, in consultation with the local government unit of
Carranglan, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper
implementation of this Act.

SECTION 5. The Secretary of the DOT shall include in the Department's program
the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be charged against the internally
generated funds of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA)
and/or the appropriations in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,