Exploring Sitio Pastohan, Near Bandera Point of Manticao, Misamis Oriental

Backed in many years has passed, There are lots of places completely abandoned by Native people whp first lived in the land for many reasons. A once a crowded and noisy areas that completely turned into a very quite Forestry views. A plain and wide agricultural land turned into a bushy and grassy place. This Sitio is what we called `Pastohan`, a word derived from its meaning called the Ranch on which hundreds of farm animals like Cows and Goats lives in here back in many years. This place is really far from Barangay Poblacion and it needs to walk a few Kilometers away from the Provincial road. This is a part of the Mountain range here in Manticao and known as the boundary point between The two Barangays, Poblacion and Paniangan.

Bandera Mountain is also near here at the point, it needs to walk a few meters away but the road was completely covered with wild grass and it is very hard to get there. Many Native houses are built here backed few years but few of the houses are now destroyed and the only house still standing until today is this one. It is made of light materials just like round tembers, bamboo pieces, a piece of plainsheets. The structure was built hight elevated using long foundations and it is built near at the big old tree.

This long road trail here is also served as a shortcut road to all residents who lives at the neighboring mountains. They brought their goods here walking in barefoot and sometimes they make a camp if they felt very tired from walking journey. This road here leads to the other side of the mountain where few residents and native people lived there. Each side of the place contains lots of wild plants and trees grows that helps the surroundings to have a Relaxing and wonderful views. But this is not an actually a road, this place was once a farm land where corn plants can be found here but now it is completely turned into a road trail.

This mountain is not really composted of soil, there are also compost with solid silica rocks. Only few feet deep are compost with soil and the big part of it are rocks. This area here was once a ranch where lots of cows feed here, after that Native people turned the place into a farm land where corn and pineapples planted here but as many years has past, it was totally abandoned and the soil washed out by floods leaving this big chunks of silica rocks showed at the surface. For biking and motor trail, this area here is one of the best spots for the activities, there are few obstacle courses fit for the Activities and small portion of plain land where the tents can be placed when doing a camping or picnics.

This road here was once in an excavation site, so there is a proper road trail for the residents. Now, it is continuesly covered with wild grass and dried branches of the tree. If we really want to visit here, this is the only road we can pass and walking very slowly is very important here because Silica stones are very slippery. It connects to the upper side of the road trail going to the village quite far from here and it can accessible by Motorcycles and bikes.

If we talked about an overlooking views, This Sitio also contains lots of it just like this neighboring mountains. Those three hills at the top is what we called Bandera and this Sitio is surrounded with lots of Mountains. This is not really a high mountain but it can be seen the low lying land of Manticao including Zone 19, Zone 9 and Zone 23. Even if it is really far from urbaned place, still it is installed with electricity where long cable wires and electric post installed supplying electricity to the Native People as part of Indigent Electricity Program.

We can also noticed that there are few open field can be seen here , its because houses was built here. All houses built here that time is made of light materials, it was totally destroyed and the only left is the open field here at the Sitio. For now, it is a perfect for camping and picnic site in fact there are lots of travelers went here and spend nights together with friends and families.

Here in this small hill was watched area where Native people built a semi-watch tower. According to the elders I talked about the place, A long flagpole installed here connected at the Bandera point own by the American Soldier backed in the Second World War. Visiting this place is really perfect specially during summer season. Until next post, have a safe travel to everyone.