Hiking Mt. Sawi and Discovering the Story Behind Its Name

What Does "Sawi" Mean?

First, you might be wondering what "Sawi" means if you don't speak Tagalog. The dictionary or literal English translation of "sawi" is "unfortunate" but millennials have completely redefined this in their vernacular and now, the word is used to describe someone who is brokenhearted over a lover.

Joining a Day Hike Tour to Mt. Sawi in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija

Last year, the tour coordinator my sister and I are acquaintance of invited us to a tour he is offering to hike Mt. Sawi in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. He also noted that a lot of the people joining are single. I was curious as to why he has to note that and even more curious of the mountain's name. Our adventurous selves were completely on board as we wanted to explore as much mountains as we can. So we joined!

image from https://giphy.com/gifs/im-in-count-me-this-could-be-fun-oDOnRIDjxlCzC

Trying to Sleep in the Van

We traveled by van from Cubao at 12AM and slept through the ride to muster all energy needed to hike. But the problem is that the van is too crowded at least for a 5'10" me. I'm sure tall people would understand the frustration when taking public transportations and the gap between the next seat is too close that's why you crumple sideways to fit in. Yes, I was forced to endure this and sadly got little sleep because of it.

Ah, well! I'll take a nap atop Mt. Sawi, I guess.

image from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/things-realize-when-spend-time-with-toddlers

Hiking Mt. Sawi

We arrived at 6AM, drank our 3 in 1 coffees and prepared ourselves for a 2 hour hike, so our guide says...

And we started the hike! The surface of the mountain was muddy as there was a storm the day before so our guide advised us to step on the grass. He also gave us staff as support from falling down. But despite following the advice to step on grass and use the staff to balance myself, I still fell down a couple of times. My advice: buy a proper hiking shoes. I wore my sneakers, that's why!

image from https://reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/2xts9d/dammit/

The way up was not just slippery at the time but it was steep as well. If you are planning to hike there, make sure to do your cardio to prepare for it.

The hike took 3 hours for us. And the summit was worth all the effort and energy it took me to climb there!

Things You Need to Know

594 MASL (Meters Above Sea Level)
Difficulty 3/9, Minor Climb
Good Phone Signal
No Limatik
Trail Class 1-4
2-3 hours to summit
First explored by Nueva Ecija Backpackers & Mountaineers Community Inc. (NEBMCI)
Prepare for the Assault, there’s no flat ground
Environmental Fee is 20php per person
Guide Fee is 300php, good for 10 persons

Learning about the Mt. Sawi Legend

On our way to the top, I conversed with our guide about why in the world the mountain is named Mt. Sawi.

The legend is so timely. You would think twice if it really was a legend from ages ago or just a story written in a Twitter conversation.

The story goes: a beautiful girl saw a hunter lost on a mountain (The fact that our group got lost for a quick second too because our guide was walking too fast so yes, you can really get lost there 😂). She came to his aid providing a meal and guiding him down the mountain. The girl fell in love for him instantly.

image from http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/overly-attached-girlfriend

The guy left to go back home but promised to come back.

She waited for him because she's all like, "ILYSB!"

Then, news came that he's marrying another girl because he was arranged marriage.

Now, she is all like, "I can't live if living is without you."

One morning, she went atop the mountain where they met and hanged herself. Thus the mountain was named Mt. Sawi.

And here's a leafless Balete tree atop the mountain. Could this be the inspiration of the story where she hanged herself?

Brokenhearted Travelers

I am reminded as well if the story sprouted because of the growing popularity of the theme where brokenhearted people travel in Filipino movies or vice versa. The first thing that came to mind was the movie That Thing Called Tadhana. Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman's characters agreed to randomly travel to Sagada to ease the ache of their breakups. Then, there's Kita Kita with Empoy Marquez's character who traveled around Sapporo in Japan to forget about her ex girlfriend. And recently, there's Siargao with a confused character played by Erich Gonzales to find herself apart from her manipulative fiance.

If you're finding an escape to your heart aches, maybe Mt. Sawi is the haven you are looking for since we already know Sagada is too crowded these days! Man, that's a lot of broken hearts without their arrows!

image from https://imgur.com/gallery/bz7wgdz