MANTICAO, Misamis Oriental — The highest peak in Misamis Oriental, which is located in Manticao town, in Misamis Oriental province has become a place for Catholic devotees to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ by doing the "stations of the cross".
The Dunque Hill, about 26 kilometers from the town proper, is more or less 2,600 feet above sea level.
Located in Barangay Upper Malubog, it is where several towers of telecommunications have been built.
Reverend Fr. Eleuterio Datoy, parish priest of Christ the King sub-parish, said they started utilizing the area in 2015 for the stations of the cross after years of doing it in the main streets of Barangay Tu-od where the parish church is located.
Tu-od is 10 kilometers away from Dunque Hill. Although passable by cars, residents and most tourists use motorcycle as their means of transportation in going to the area for sightseeing.
"We observed that there was no sense of sacrifice in the previous area where we held the via crucis (way to the cross), there was no meaning at all. Other devotees would not even finish up to the last station. You cannot feel even a little sacrifice like what Jesus Christ did to save us," Datoy said.
When the church decided to do the via crucis in Dunque, two dump trucks of the local government unit of Manticao would transport parishioners to the first station, which is six kilometers away from the parish church.
From the first station, devotees will walk going to the next station, passing through rough and hilly roads, with 300 to 400-meter distance.
The road is ascending, making the procession harder.
From the 13th station, devotees will climb the hill for seven to 10 minutes, a distance of around 50 meters to hear the last prayer and the mass.
"The parishioners will assemble at the church as early as 2 a.m. on a Friday, some would wait along the highway for the dump trucks to pick them up to the first station," Datoy said.
In its third year, Datoy observed the increased number of devotees.
Last year, a parishioner, whose family owns a huge area of land in Sitio Dunque purchased the two-hectare part of the hill and donated it to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City whose jurisdiction includes the Christ the King Parish in Tu-od.
Sea of clouds
Bernaby Ely, the Archdiocesan Social Action Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, said last year was a good timing for environmental lovers because "sea of clouds" appeared while the procession and the Good Friday mass was ongoing.
"It so happened that sea of clouds appeared because that time, there was a weather disturbance," Ely said.
"The place is solemn and you can imagine the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as he went up to the Mt. Calvary where he was crucified," Datoy note.
Religious tradition
Attending the stations of the cross is one of the several activities Catholic devotees observe during the Lenten season because it is the Christian's way of remembering the Lord's sacrifices.
"Observing the Holy Week by attending the series of commemorations will make our Christian belief complete," Datoy said.
"It is the time where a Christian would not only meditate and pray for the forgiveness of sins but also pray for the future," he added.
One of the prayers he said is for the voters to choose candidates whose advocacy is to take care of the environment.
Datoy said he was afraid that with the plan of the provincial government of Misamis Oriental to develop the nearby area into a tourist attraction, this might affect the solemnity of Dunque Hill. (PNA)
