Galantay mountain resort can be found in the mountain forest ranges in Sitio Kalantay

KHAEL Waterfalls Foggy chills

BY JUN ENRIQUEZ

TUBOD , LANAO DEL NORTE – Galantay mountain resort is the most forest reserved in the province of Lanao del Norte securing the forested area situated in the mountain forest ranges in Sitio Kalantay, Barangay Palao, this province with land area of 6,500 hectares (has.), and half of the area is forested timberland while the other half is agricultural.

The word “Palao” is a Maranao term means mountainous area. Then when settlers came in early century, the settlers named “Galantay”, means mountain ranges. When the logging operations came into the area, they named it “Kalantay”, means resting place.

The Galantay mountain resort has a distance of 15 kilometers southwest from the town proper of Tubod, the capital town of Lanao del Norte, with 1,200 meters above sea level (MASL). The said resort can be found in the eastern part of Sitio Kalantay with an average temperature of 17-20 © in all seasons.

Sitio Kalantay, Palao is bounded by the municipality of Magsaysay in the North, municipality of Tangkal in the Northeast, municipality of Munai in the East, municipalities of Madamba and Madalum, in the southeast all of Lanao del Sur, Barangay Dalama, Tubod, Lanao del Norte in the west, and municipalities of Salvador and Sapad, in the south, all of Lanao del Norte.

Khael Waterfalls

The Galantay Mountain resort has an existing waterfalls named Khael waterfalls and lagoon served as the place for swimming rendezvous and winter chills like. Water flows in the area is coming from the underground due to its rich in natural resources considered to be a watershed area.

Barangay Palao including Sitio Kalantay has a population of 1,005 people with 219 households. Sitio Kalantay is composed of tri-people culture with the Maranao tribe was the original people in the area. The Bisaya tribe was settled in the area in the 1960s, and the Subanen tribe is a settler in the 1990s. The tri-people culture in the said place are living culturally peaceful.

The strawberry farm

The Provincial government of Lanao del Norte headed by Governor Imelda “Angging” Q. Dimaporo in her message during the 65^th Araw ng Lanao del Norte celebration, said that Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of the province with the theme: “The Land of Beauty and Bounty.”

Palao Barangay chairman Raymund Salinas said that Most of the agricultural products in Palao are copra, palay, vegetables among others, that can be found in the agricultural area. New agricultural production in Sitio Kalantay area are coffee and strawberries.

Tubod town Mayor Dionisio “Jimmy” Cabahug is comparing the Galantay Mountain resort climate similar to Australia. He said no need to go to Australia and other winterchill countries because the climate temperature in Galantay resort is very cold of all seasons, a place to remove stresses for good health. 

Khael Lagoon

Mayor Cabahug also said that the water in the lagoon is a natural medicine because in previous months, there were 2 persons healed in their sickness of diabetis and they became normally healed after their swimming in the lagoon.

Mayor Cabahug said that the road network in going to Galantay Mountain resort of 15 kilometer stretch have had an accomplishments at 70 percent concreted, and the remaining unconcreted portion for about 30 percent is equivalent to at least 5 kilometers will be finished within the year of 2024. 

Municipal councilor Lemuel B. Tadura said that the legislative council of Tubod municipality is very much supportive for the development of the town which is now very progressive. Video and Photos by Jenifer Bagonbon.