Sunday Essays: Tales of the forgotten discoverer

Saturday, February 4, 2012

"UNTIL this day he is afraid to go back to Mt. Diwata due to the threats. But one thing is for sure, if it wasn't for this man there would be no Gold Ore Capital in Asia."

Mt. Diwalwal of Monkayo has one of the largest gold deposits in Mindanao. It has attracted a lot of foreign investors and has brought millions of dollars into our country.

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It has played a significant impact to the country’s economy. But little is known about the history of the Gold Ore Capital of South East Asia.

Camilo Banal is the discoverer and the one who gave name to the famous Mt. Diwalwal of Monkayo. If it weren't for this man, the gold rush wouldn’t have started at Mt. Diwalwal in the 1980’s and thus, our country could not have benefited from its vast Hundreds of people became rich due to the mining activities in Diwalwal but for the man who discovered the Gold Ore Capital of Southeast Asia, gold has only brought him a lot of misfortunes.

It was indeed his fate to become the discoverer of Mt. Diwata. Banal was just a hunter back then, and as such, he knew all the routes around the mountain. Three Japanese men showed him a map of the mountain where he found huge deposits of gold.

From then on, he investigated the river of Naboc and discovered gold tailings.

On September 23, 1983, Banal and two other men went to Mt. Diwata and looked for gold ores. In an area 14 meters wide, he searched for "bina" and discovered that there were indeed huge deposits of gold.

Gold during that time cost 35.00 per gram. He earned his first 140,000 three days after he discovered Mt. Diwata. He gave money for every person who went to his house.

As said, the NPAs even asked him 50,000 but he declined, and only gave 35,000.

In 1986, mining sites spread around Mt. Diwata, and in every mining site, Banal had shares on profits that the mines produced. Everything seemed to be a blessing at that time. All things were going just the way he wanted it to be, but suddenly one incident changed the course of his life.

He received several death threats, with one saying, "Patayon na lang daw ka nila para wala na sila’y kahati", and one night, he was slashed in his abdomen due to some quarrels in the mining site.

On March 22, 1986, just two and half years after he discovered Mt. Diwata he went off the mountain and never came back.

Until this day, he is afraid to go back to Mt. Diwata due to the threats. But one thing is for sure, if it wasn't for this man there would be no Gold Ore Capital in Asia.

He was the first man to reach and discover gold ores in Mt. Diwata, and the first one who made fortunes from the said mountain. Man’s richness may wither but his glory in discovering the wonders of Mt. Diwata will remain forever.

He changed the course of life in the Municipality of Monkayo and improved the lifestyle of a lot of miners who benefited from his discovery of gold in the mountain.

His richness may not have stayed that long but his story will forever be remembered.