Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session  
House Bill No.
Introduced by Representative Joseph Gilbert F. 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 ll. 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 lbcal government unit of 
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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 
socioeconomic growth. 
This bill was approved on Third Reading at the House of Representatives in the 
17th Congress on May 20, 2019. 
Support and approval for this proposed legislation are hereby earnestly sought. 
JOSEPH GILBERT F. VIOLAGO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 
Introduced by Representative Joseph Gilbert F. 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, 
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