The history of Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. dates back to the time
when the late Evelio B. Javier was Governor of the province of Antique.
Coming to the realization that 83% of Antique’s territorial land is composed of mountains. Beloy or EBJ, as known to his constituents, direct his attention towards
the development of the uplands of Antique. In the early part of his incumbency as governor of Antique, he started the reforestation program in Antique and in fact, later created the Antique Upland Development Program, dedicated to develop the system of upland farming in Antique. EBJ also recognized the fact that the problem of deforestation, soil erosion, etc. Due to illegal logging and the kaingin system of upland farming was just a superficial problem. People in the hinterlands cut downs trees and burn forests in order that they could till the land they have cleared of the trees and shrubberies for their living.
Former Gov. Evelio B. Javier
Confronted with this situation, EBJ started the information campaign for the people in the mountains. Realizing that information dissemination would be useless unless the authorities would really know the problems of the people in the mountains, he created teams to conduct studies involving the social and economic lives of people living in the mountains.
At the start of calendar year 1977, EBJ organized a team composed of government employees to participate in the first organized climb in the province to trail blaze Mt. Madia-as, which was then considered as the highest mountain in the Island of Panay with the height of 2,117 meters above sea level.
Since it was the first organized climb, the members of the team were yet unexperienced. Aside from the physical fitness being undertaken by those who volunteered, and some sort of orientation on first aid application, no other training or orientation regarding mountaineering was available. On the contrary, lots of discouraging stories were circulating around, that the terrain was so terrible, that the forest could not be penetrated because of thick shrubs and thorny vines of the rattan that abound in Mt. Madia-as. In addition to this, stories regarding fierce creatures like wild boars and the “mangingilaw” that allegedly victimize some hunters in the forest of Madia-as were circulating.
The equipment to be used by the team were somewhat “primitive” compared to the present equipment being used by mountaineers. Each team member was issued a knapsack (the canvas knapsack used by boy scouts at that time) and a canteen for water supply. For the whole group, a large canvass tent (trapal) was issued which was so heavy that one man has to carry it while his belongings were carried by other team members. The tents that are being used now by mountaineers were not available in the locality at that time. For the cook set, the team borrowed a large pot (caldero) and a big frying pan which were to be carried by a porter/guide. A petromax lamp was also provided together with sufficient supply of kerosene gas and extra lantern mantle (gasa) to replace the used one that was expected to crumble along the way.
Each team member was instructed to bring food provisions sufficient for three (3) days together with some extra clothing and sweater for the cold. Eupresito “Baby” Galuego was designated as the team leader.
The first climb was very memorable for those who participated in it. The lack of sufficient information and training was aggravated by the low depression in the weather condition prevailing on the second and third day of the climb. Everyone was wet all over and shivering. Food supplies including the spare clothing also got wet because the knapsacks were not waterproof and the clothes were not wrapped in plastics to protect them from rain-water. Visibility was zero. At an approximate distance of two or three meters, a climber could no longer see anything due to the thickness of the fog. Radio communication was cut off because the hand held radio transceiver was penetrated by moisture and got bugged down. The pacing was very slow and the cold was stinging. In fact one of the guides was injured when he inadvertently placed his heel which was frozen cold, on the embers of the camp fire without noticing it until somebody called his attention ( he was later treated in a hospital in Culasi, Antique upon returning to the town). The climb which was scheduled for three (3) days lasted for four (4) days, and the climbers had to eat porridge on the fourth day because food supply was already exhausted. At this time, Governor Javier was already organizing a search team. Fortunate enough the weather was better on the fourth day. After eating their porridge breakfast, the team broke camp and hurriedly trekked for about two hours to the summit then started the descent.
Although the purpose for which mountaineering was first organized in Antique, was to serve as venue for the government to learn the ways of life of the people living in the mountains and to have an opportunity to educate these people regarding the preservation of the ecosystem, the mountaineering creed “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time” did not exist yet at that time. Due to necessity, the participants and the guides or porters have to cut down small trees ( with the size of a human arm) to serve as support and flooring for a sleeping quarter and the big and wide leaves of ferns ( the size of a banana leaves) which were abundant in the mountain, were gathered by the guides and porters to be used as mat on top of the flooring to make the surface soft and provide warmth and comfort to the climbers who were wet all over and shivering from the cold. At the camp sites in Mt. Madia-as, it was impossible to sleep on the ground due to the terrain and climate at that time. The grounds were all wet and the canvas tent only provide for the roofing. Other sleeping gears like the ground sheet, sleeping bags and earth pads were yet unknown and not available to the climbers in the trail-blazing expedition of Mt. Madia-as. The climbers slept close to each other to keep each other warm with their body heat.
The roughness of the first experience has taught the climbers their first lesson in mountaineering: pack light and put all clothing in a plastic container to preserve dryness and prevent it from getting wet.
Another climb was immediately organized for the next month, and this time, the team was more prepared. The climb was participated in by members of mountaineering clubs from Iloilo and Negros Occidental. This time, the team was able to successfully conquer the summit in three (3) days using the Brgy. Flores trail.
During the holy week of the same year, an unofficial climb on Mt. Madia-as was initiated by five people. Two of them also participated in the previous climbs in Mt. Madia-as, namely PC Sgt. Pacito “Pasit” Acero who acted as the Team Leader, and who at that time had a mission order from the 323rd PC Company to patrol Mt. Madia-as; and Barsabias “Bars” Lopez who was then working with the Publication Office of the Office of the Governor of the province of Antique. Two of participants who were members of the so called Civilian Home Defense Force or CHDF (now Barangay Tanod), were Fred Luces who was then residing in Brgy. Villar, Sibalom, Antique and Forelan Magtisa of Igbarawan, Patnongon, Antique. The other participants was Dr. Joseph Ramos, a balikbayan from the US and was then residing in Brgy. Larioja, Patnongon, Antique. The group took the Alojipan trail (The old Brgy. Alojipan was then located on the Western side of the present barangay which was relocated due to some peace problems at that time). The group left for Culasi on Wednesday of the Holy Week and coordinated with the local police in the town of Culasi. They then spent the night in the old Brgy. Alojipan and looked for guides who knew the trail. Four (4) residents in the locality volunteered as guides. They were Vicente Filaro, Dimas Makiling, Anggon Anos and Leopoldo Anos. The guides were actually hunters and were also interested to climb during the Holy Week for the purpose of gathering “anting-anting” and medicinal herbs from the forest which they believe can be effective when gathered specially during a Good Friday.
The first day of the climb was a steep assault and upon passing by a place called “Baidan”, the group went down a stiff cliff using a vine to rappel down the Bantang River and camped on a dry and stony river bed only using Sgt. Acero’s raingear as tent. But due to the discomfort of sleeping while just sitting down back-to-back with each other because of the size of the tent, the other climbers later found a big flat rock supported by other rocks underneath and crawled to take a better sleep on a fine surface under the rock.
On the second day, the team made another assault on the eastern side of the mountain and proceeded to a crash site just below the highest peak of Mt. Madia-as where they recovered a 30 caliber sub-machinegun which were among the parts that were left of the US fighter plane that crashed at the highest peak of Mt. Madia-as. They left the heavy load for the night along the trail as they proceeded back to their camp site. On the third day they left the river bed after taking coffee and eating the food that were left over during the night. After breaking camp, the group passed again through the same trail they have taken in going up the mountain and brought along with them the sub-machinegun. They reached the old Brgy. Alojipan early in the afternoon and spent the night in one of the guides’ house. The following day, they made their descent passing by Brgy. Camansijan and made a courtesy call to the then Culasi Municipal Mayor Flaviano “Palab” Mosquera. Mayor Mosquera made a warm welcome for the group and had a group picture taking with the sub-machinegun displayed in their front. Upon returning to San Jose, Antique Sgt. Acero turned over the sub-machinegun to the 323rd PC Company which later turned over the material to a museum in Iloilo City.
In the following year another climb was organized and after this, Governor Evelio Javier suggested to formally organize the group into a mountaineering club. A meeting was then scheduled for the purpose of electing the officers wherein Mr. Eupresito “Baby” Galuego was elected as president and it was unanimously agreed by all members present that the club’s name would be Antique Mountaineering Society. Thereafter, a Constitution and By-Laws was drafted and was approved by all the members.
In 1978, another trailblazing expedition was organized for Mt. Nangtud in the municipality of Barbaza, Antique. It later turned out when the GPS was introduced to the mountaineers, that Mt. Nangtud is the highest peak in the island of Panay. Governor Evelio Javier participated in the trailblazing of Mt. Nangtud and the peak prior to the summit was later named as EBJ Peak in memory of him.
In 1979, another trailblazing expedition was organized for Mt. Baloy also known as Baloy Daku located in the Municipality of Valderrama, Antique. The climbers were composed of members from Antique Mountaineering Society, other volunteer climbers and members of Iloilo Mountaineering Club.
In the same year 1979, the National Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc. (NMFPI) which was later named as Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc. (MFPI), was organized, and Antique Mountaineering Society was among the charter members represented by its president Eupresito “Baby” Galuego during the signing of the charter on top of Mount Apo which was considered as the first congress of the Federation.
The Antique Mountaineering Society was later registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and was then called the Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. or AMSI.
Mt. Madja-as - Culasi, Antique
Mt. Nangtud - Barbaza, Antique Mt. Baloy - Valderrama, Antique
In 1981 the Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. hosted the 2nd annual congress of the Federation with the venue in Mt. Madia-as. There were more than 80 climbers from different mountaineering clubs who participated in the climb.
Thereafter, the Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. has participated in the subsequent annual congress of the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc.
In 2007, the Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. Hosted the 4th Visayas Mountain Festival dubbed as “Takras Ta”. The event lasted for six days from the day of registration on March 2, 2007 up to the last day of the festival on March 7, 2007. The base camp was at Camp Eupre in Brgy. Cadiao, Barbaza, Antique. Two mountains were designated as venue for climbing for the participants of the festival. These were Mount Madia-as in Culasi, Antique and Mount Nangtud in Barbaza, Antique.
At the beginning of the second quarter of 2014, the officers of the Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. held a board meeting and issued a board resolution approved by its incumbent President Marcelo H. Abapo and the members of the Board of AMSI, authorizing their member Bars Lopez who acts as their liason in Manila, to represent the organization during the 36th MFPI Annual Congress in Sagada Mountain Province. At the Presidents’ meeting of the Federation April 30 to May 4, 2014 during the 36th Annual Congress, Antique Mountaineering Society, Inc. was chosen to host the 38th Annual Congress of the Federation.
After its representative relayed to the AMSI Officers the result of the Presidents’ meeting in the 36th MFPI Annual Congress, successive meetings were held by the officers and members of AMSI to determine the date and venue of the upcoming congress. Finally, it was decided and relayed to the leadership of the MFPI that the 38th MFPI Annual Congress will be on Feb. 29, 2016 to March 6, 2016 and the venue will be in the Municipality of Culasi, Antique where Mt. Madia-as is within its territorial jurisdiction and which is the mountain designated to be climbed by interested participants as one of the major activity during the 38th MFPI Annual Congress.
Presently, the officers and members of AMSI and its sub-group, Antique Trekkers (ATI), Inc. Has been
holding successive meetings in planning and preparation for the upcoming 2016 38th MFPI Annual Congress.
Mr. Paul Francis "Patok" Fano has recently been designated as the Event Director.
