Ibajay, Aklan—Unknown to many, the Madia-as Mountain Range in the Central Panay is a possible home to several scientific treasures that would still be explored and discovered.
According to Science Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., scientists believe that the Madia-as Mountain Range originated from the seabed thousands of years ago.
The mountain range, which is considered a dormant volcano, was the highest peak on the island of Panay at 2,117 meters above sea level. It is located in the province of Antique but connects with the tributaries of Aklan River.
“The mountain range may have been formed from the collisions under the sea with the help of several fault lines, including West Panay Fault and the Tablas Fault. Currently, the mountain range is still growing,” said Solidum, also the OIC of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) .
Solidum was in Ibajay on Tuesday for the launching of the state-of-the-art Phivolcs monitoring station inside the campus of the Aklan State University in the town.
Several years ago, some explorers from the nearby Negros Occidental reportedly found a piece of mineral dubbed as “Panayanites.” The mineral was said to be a common undersea material.
“According to geologists, Panay was once connected to Palawan and mainland Asia. There are still numerous treasures in Madia-as that is yet to be explored and examined by the scientists,” Solidum added.
Residents living near the Madia-as Mountain Range reported the presence of various species of flora and fauna, including rare orchids, pitcher plants, wild herbs, wild deer and boar, cloud rat, a bonsai forest, a lagoon and a rainforest that provides the mountain a weather of its own.
It is also one of the favorite trekking spot by mountain climbers from all over the country.