I’ve been reading about how a lot of people seem to be ‘discovering’ the mountains around Metro Manila. It is not as if these have suddenly appeared or that many have been obscured by pollution. For the latter, perhaps if you lived some distance and pollution was so bad that the smog was thick enough to hide mountains then it would be easier to not see them. In reality, I think most of these people have just been too busy not to see these mountains and other landscapes when they happen to be in plain sight. Perhaps people were too distracted by their daily routines that they didn’t have time or relegated these to the background as if they were noise to be filtered. Parts of the Sierra Madre from Antipolo to San Mateo and Rodriguez (Montalban) are common sights that are not usually appreciated as people go on their daily commutes and are caught in traffic.

Here are some of the mountains that are visible from strategic locations. In my case, I live in Antipolo and an area near my home allows me to see well known mountain landmarks from different provinces.

Mt. Makiling in Laguna Province without the usual cloud cover of its peak

Mt. Banahaw and Mt. San Cristobal in Quezon Province are not usually visible unless its really one of those clear days.

Mt. Arayat in Pampanga Province is visible at the right side of the photo. The view though is marred by rebars sticking out from a house under construction.

Mt. Mariveles in Bataan Province with cloud cover serves as a background for the Metro Manila cityscape.

This is what Quezon City usually looks like with layers of smog making it difficult to ascertain any mountains that are visible on clear days.

I have photos of Mt. Natib, Mt. Malarayat and the Tagaytay Ridge that I will be posting here soon.

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