Zamboanga: Pasonanca Park Fun

Hi guys, advance Happy All Souls day to you all! The next update will be sometime next week as I’m sure some of you will be out on a trip either for visiting their departed love ones at their provinces or out on a personal trip. Whichever it my be, have a safe journey and bring back more stories as well. This is my last entry on Zamboanga, I think I’ve already exhausted my materials and it’s time to get some more. I hope you guys enjoy this entry on Pasonanca Natural Park. The park which was opened last June 2004 in Sitio Canacutan in Barangay Pasonanca, which is around 20-minutes drive from city proper is considered as one of Zamboanga’s Pride.

The park boast at least 17,400 hectares and 90% of the area is a forest high in biodiversity of flora and fauna. And what better way to experience the area is by staying at Zamboanga’s famous Tree House. I’ve always wanted to stay at a tree house since a kid I’ve envied those children at TV with their tree houses at their backyards. This tree house has been here even befre the park. It was built by local legend Mayor Cesar Climaco in 1960. They said visitors are allowed to stay at the tree house for a night or two with permission from the Mayor’s office. The house was locked when we were there but looking inside it seems to have the basic facilities one would need. if I had known we could stay here we could booked ahead.

The park has also been a popular setting for camping activities especially for boy scouts and girl scouts. Fitting place indeed with such a wide ground area. Also to make it easier for the scouts, they already made some huts there for their use.

Nearby the camping area is a multi purpose outdoor auditorium and stage. And in the middle there are these circular stands for purposes we do not know. But it was a nice place to get some decent pictures for our purpose.

While on the road we saw this hanging bridge. Nothing really special about it we just figured in checking it out. There’s a river there were some locals were doing their laundry.

We also managed to visit what the legendary Mayor Climaco considered his “labor of love”, the Freedom Park. Here at this hill, you could have an overlooking view of the Pasonanca Park. There we found some canyons also known as the “Guns of Aggression”, probably used during the war. Also placed there on what seemed to be a large helmet designed mausoleum is the remains of a unknown soldier.

Also nearby is the burial ground of Zamboanga’s well loved mayor Cesar C. Climaco. He has done a lot of good in Zamoanga and it was a shocking news when he was assassinated in November 14, 1984. He was shot in the head with a .45 caliber pistol. This hill is also the jump-off point to Mt. Pulumbato. It was fairly an easy climb to the peak as the trail has the stations of the cross. We didn’t climb there though as my companions were already tired out and the sun was just blazing at that time.