| Musuan Peak | |
|---|---|
| Mount Calayo | |
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 646 m (2,119 ft)[1][2] |
| Listing | Active volcanoes |
| Coordinates | 7°52′36″N125°4′6″E / 7.87667°N 125.06833°E /7.87667; 125.06833[1] |
| Geography | |
  Musuan Peak .svg) Musuan Peak | |
 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Northern Mindanao |
| Province | Bukidnon |
| City/municipality | Maramag |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Lava dome |
| Last eruption | 1886 or 1887[2] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Musuan Peak orMount Musuan/ˈmʊswən/, also known asMount Calayo (/kəˈlɑːjoʊ/, literally "Fire Mountain") is anactive volcano inMaramag,Bukidnon, on the island ofMindanao in thePhilippines. It is 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) south of the city ofValencia,province ofBukidnon, and 81 kilometres (50 mi) southeast ofCagayan de Oro.
Musuan is alava dome andtuff cone.[2]
It has an elevation of 646 metres (2,119 ft)asl, and a base diameter of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi).[2]
ThePhilippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reports that Musuan erupted in 1866 and 1867,[2] but the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program records another eruption, possiblyphreatic, that "burned everything around it." The explosion supposedly occurred four years before the 1891 visit of a Jesuit priest, who reported that he could not examine the volcano more closely because of strongsolfataric activity.[1]
A strong seismic swarm occurred near Musuan in 1976, and again around mid-2011.[1]
Musuan is one of theactive volcanoes in the Philippines, which are all part of thePacific ring of fire.
Mount Musuan's northern slope is still covered by aprimary rainforest. The rest is covered predominantly by Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica). Reforestation efforts on the bare areas, both in tree-planting drives and by Central Mindanao University personnel, have established temporary forests ofAcacia mangium and conifers.
There are 524 species of plants in Mount Musuan under 353 genera and 135 families. 301 species are trees, 51 shrubs, 50 grasses and sedges, 46 herbs, 42 vines, 31 ferns, and 3 fern allies. 188 species (35%) are economically important, 128 species (24%) are endemic, and 3 (1%) are endangered species. Musuan peak has approximately 6,354 individual trees. The most common tree species (in density and frequency) are theMelanolepis multiglandulosa (Kamala tree) andColona serratifolia, followed byClausena brevistyla andAlstonia scholaris (Blackboard tree).[3] Three species ofpteridophytes are locally threatened:Marsilea crenata ("apat-apat"),Ceratopteris thalictroides ("pakung-sungay"), andLycopodiella cernua (clubmoss). 10 species of pteridophytes are endemic to the area.[4]
According to the legend, Musuan Peak was made out of feces dropped by a man named Tapogak. One day a man named Babaydan and his whole family along with Tapogak bringing his belongings were taken up to heaven. Afterwards, Tapogak found some honey and ate more of it, causing him to defecate from heaven atop. Because of his gluttony, he was kicked out of heaven by his friends, fell down and never reached heaven again. His defecated while in heaven and his feces became a mountain named "Indus ni Tapogak", which means "Tapogak's feces" inUmayamnon language, now known as Musuan Peak.[5]
Mount Musuan's lack of any visible crater has led to some local skepticism of it being an active volcano.[6] Still, the imagery evoked by its name variant 'Mount Calayo' (Fire Mountain) and the stories told by IndigenousBukidnon people keep people wary of the relatively small mountain which doesn't look like a volcano at all.[7]
Valencia City is located North of the peak, theCentral Mindanao University (CMU) and BarangayDologon at the southwest, and thePulangi River on the entire eastern side.[8]
At the foot of Musuan Peak is the Mount Musuan Zoological and Botanical Garden of the Central Mindanao University. It includes a butterfly greenhouse and a reforestation nursery among its buildings. TheSayre Highway and a research center of thePhilippine Carabao Center are located on the western slopes.[9] It has a tourist shop which sells dairy products made fromCarabao milk. South of the mountain are the university agricultural facilities including a cattleranch, apoultry farm,greenhouses, and adairy.
Due to its proximity to the university and the university town proper, it has become a popular destination for students, teachers, and tourists; either for picnics or a study of the flora and fauna of one of the few remnants of the jungles that once covered the valleys of the surrounding areas.[10] From its isolated position in the middle of the valley and the very small surface area of its highest point (only a few meters), the entire countryside is visible from the top. Currently its slopes has been the target of extensive reforestation efforts partly paid for by the establishment of toll gates to hikers intending to go up the mountain.