Remo Aguilar

The Mountain Beneath the Summit

June 19, 2026

Natural History Notes from the Mossy Forests of Mt. Kalatungan Most hikers remember mountains by their summits. They remember the elevation, the difficulty, the weather, the photographs taken at the highest point.

Learning to Fall Behind on Kalatungan

June 17, 2026

Essays

“Sometimes, it feels good to get lost in an adventure—or forget about time and schedules.” I don’t remember much about the itinerary anymore. There were permits to secure, vehicles to coordinate, schedules

Photo Climbing Mt. Kalatungan–Lumpanag Traverse

June 17, 2026

Field Notes·Photography

A Photographer’s Field Guide to Mindanao’s Twin Peaks Based on a 2013 Kalatungan–Lumpanag traverse via Brgy. Mendis, Pangantucan, Bukidnon. Trail conditions, regulations, access arrangements, guide requirements, and tourism policies may have changed

What Mt. Kalatungan Taught Me About Getting Lost

June 17, 2026

Essays

The recent news of a hiker getting lost in Mt. Kalatungan is unfortunate. Yet for those who have spent time in its forests, it is not entirely surprising. More than a decade

The Waterfalls Are Calling Me Back: Eighteen Years After I Bled on Penek Busay

October 29, 2025

Recovery

“Penek Busay this weekend. You in?” The ad popped up in my feed three days ago, and I swear my knees twinged in response. Not pain —more like muscle memory wrapped in

Climbing Mt. Apo via Digos-Kapatagan Back trail: A Mindful Hiking Experience

June 6, 2025

Essays

“You don’t conquer the mountain. You conquer yourself.” The Trail Inward Begins For many, summiting Mt. Apo—the highest peak in the Philippines—is a bucket-list adventure. But for me, this trek via the

Photography for Wellness: Mindful Frames That Heal

May 5, 2025

Essays

Photography isn’t just an art—it’s a practice of presence. A tool for clarity. A bridge to others.

The Mindful Trek: Lessons from Mount Capistrano That Go Beyond the Trail

July 21, 2019

Movement

Introduction – Why We Climb Hills That Aren’t Just Hills There are trails that challenge the body, and then there are those that quietly challenge the soul. Mount Capistrano, nestled in the

Seeing Siargao Through a Different Lens: An Inventure of Self and Soul

June 6, 2017

Essays·Photography

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”— Henry David Thoreau Introduction: Beyond Surfboards and Swells When most people think of Siargao, their minds drift to Cloud 9—that