This is a love letter. Where there is beauty and pain, elation and exhaustion, there is love. Four days ago, I watched the sun rise from the rim of Mt. Canlaon, the memory of which will be the one that flashes before my eyes in my last moment.
Back in January, I cut my teeth on Mt Talinis, but last Saturday, I came of age on the rim of Mt Canlaon. What a gift for Negros to be blessed with the two magnificent peaks of Talinis and Canlaon.
While the spiny ridge between Occidental and Oriental may have played a divisive role in the past, I truly believe the rugged, unspoiled range will emerge as one of Negros’ greatest assets in the years ahead.
As world population grows, and cities sprawl, the few remaining spaces that are truly untouched will become as valuable as the tallest skyscrapers.
It is encouraging to see that our local guides and mountaineering clubs understand how precious these peaks and virgin forests are. They are careful to practice LNT (Leave No Trace) along the trails and campsites, making sure that the footprint we leave behind is as small as possible, so that tomorrow’s campers will also be rewarded in their pursuit of pure, unadulterated beauty.
And now we come to the part of the letter where I make a desperate plea on behalf of my love: Negrenses of the east and west, please reconsider the shadowy giants that have always defined your horizon.
While these mountains seem impenetrable and everlasting, we know from very recent experience that even these titans crumble to the effects of heavy rains and earthquakes, especially when their trees have been poached, and riverbeds dredged to make way for more farmland, more roads, more shopping centers. 
Even more insidious is the ever-encroaching layer of plastic wrappers and shopping bags that follow us from city gutter to mountain top.
My love is not the jealous kind. I want to share this fresh perspective and new appreciation for something you’ve always had. I hope that as a newcomer, I might inspire you to look into your own backyard when planning your next get-away.
I have only lived here in Negros Oriental for eight months; how many of you have grown up within sight of these craggy jewels, but never ventured beyond the road’s end? You should know, even in the peak of dry season, Mt. Canlaon is a cool break from the heat below.
Not to be rash, these hikes are strenuous, and people have died from falls and exposure on these mountains. Be sure you go with an experienced guide who knows the trail and bring along necessary gear and provisions (Yagum Yuman, Island Life Adventure, and Sentinel Mountaineering to recommend a few). Prepare yourself mentally and physically for the challenge of wading through mud, stumbling up tree roots, and battling razor-sharp grasses that top your height.
But I promise you: the reward of the summit is worth everything, and more. It is a feeling, a sight, a sense of place that you will carry with you ever after — like falling in love.
