Case study of Mt.

Arayat

Abstract
Philippines is known for having abundance of natural resources that attracts people from
different nations. Natural resources play a vital role in the lives and economy of the Philippines. One of
these is the Mt. Arayat, which is located in Central Luzon and has no historical records of eruption. It
became a major center of trade and commerce supplying the rice requirements of Manila. The intention
of this case study is to provide an in-depth information and to analyze the historical resources about Mt.
Arayat. This case study is done by using the multi-perspectivity tool to evaluate and analyze the tripartite
views and conflicts of historical resources.
Background People started settling in Mt. Arayat
between 1335 and 1380 which is before Spanish
Mt. Arayat is an enchanted mountain and a
Colonization 2.
famous mountain of Kapampangan. It is located
in Central Luzon with a total area of 17,694 According to the research, Prince
hectares2. Mt. Arayat is potentially active Balagtas or his son Araw (Lord) Malangsic
stratovolcano but has no historical records of (rulers of the Madjapahit empire) was the
eruption. It’s rising height of 3,389 ft. tall. The founder of Arayat. At that time, Balayan Ning
volcano has a breached crater on its northwest Pambuit or Barrio Palinlang and Población were
side with a smaller andesitic dome. An analysis a wilderness inhabited by pagan tribes,
indicates that the volcano erupted over the last especially the Balugas (Aetas) 2.
2,000 years, but it is believed to refer to the
Colonial
volcanic activity of the volcano. In Central
Luzon, it is considered as a compass and a major Mt. Arayat was originated from the
landmark. It is also known as the home of Maria name of Fernando de Arayat, a Spanish
Sinukuan 2. In 1993, the Mount Arayat National Encomiendero, whose birthplace in Spain was
Park was established. 5 called “Arayat”, over time, a particular
researcher claims that the natives had
Case analysis
transformed the word to “Days”. Arayat was
In this case analysis, the Tripartite views formerly known as “Alaya”or “East”, thus,
(Pre-Colonial, Colonial, Post-Colonial) are used bundok Alaya or eastern mountain referred to
to analyze the conflicts of different historical Mt.Arayat, likewise,this same source considered
resources provided by the historians. the word ”Arayat” to be of Spanish coinage
word 4.
Pre-Colonial
Mt. Arayat - the legendary home of the
Mt. Arayat traced its name from the
beautiful fairy, Mariang Sinukuan. It was once
Hebrew word “Arayaat” means “Ara” earth and
the location of the President Quezon
“Yaat” covered which means “Earth covered”
Presidential's retreat and recreation area in the
1
.
'30s until the outbreak of World War II. Another
A contemporary researcher believes that account mentions such names as Jose Carlos
Mt. Arayat and the biblical Mt. Ararat, were the Garcia,Macapagal, Simbulan, Lapira and Maria
same thing where Noah’s Ark landed which is Vinas as the early pioneers of Arayat 2.
why the town was named 4.
 In 1571, Arayat was one of the eleven Adventist, Rizalists, Jehova's Witnesses and
most important communities of Pampanga. Methodist 4.
Because of its strategic location along Pampanga
The people of Arayat, although pre-occupied
River, it became a major center of trade and
with the present economic difficulties, are not
commerce supplying the rice requirements of
remiss in their religious obligations. The
Manila 2.
Catholics are keeping pace with the demand for
On August 29, 1590, the Augustinians more
were granted permission to establish a mission
religious facilities and services. The town old
in Arayat by the Bishop of Manila, Fr. Domingo
catholic church, St. Catherine Parish St.
Salazar. In the same year, the first Augustinian
Catherine Parish, which was built in the Spanish
mission in Arayat was founded by Fr. Juan de
era, was the object of the recent major
Valderrama 2.
renovations vis-à-vis the church proper, the
According to Perez, Elviro, a historian convent and church patio, through the collective
of Augustinian order, in 1600, the parish of efforts of mandated organizations. And due to
Arayat already existed and available documents demands of religious services to barangay
even show that a certain Fr. Contreras was the northwest of the Pampanga River and to bring
parish priest of Arayat until 1621. However, it such services more accessible to people, the St,
requires further research work to determine Isidore Parish (Camba) was established by the
whether originally built by the Augustinians. Archdiocese of San Fernando 4.
Also, it appears that the first baptism to be
The Hebrew word thus suggest that Mt. Aryat
recorded at the parish was performed Fr.
was connected to the flood story of Noah?
Villalobos in 1758 4.
In the Book of Genesis Chapter 10, after
In 1696, Gemelli Careri, an author of the
the flood, they needed to repopulate which Noah
travel diary mentioned that according to the
had many grandchildren. All nations came from
natives, the original name of Mt. Arayat is
the three sons of Noah which are Shem, Ham,
Bondo Kalaya which later became Bondoc
and Japhet. Some of his grandchildren went to
Alaya 4.
West and some went to East. Other group of
Hebrews came from Jokthan who has thirteen
children and settled towards the east and three of
Post-Colonial
them Ophir, Sheba and Havilah settled in a place
There are no historical records of described as “the islands of the sea”. In I King
eruption in Arayat. Mt. Arayat is now Chapter 9 verse 26-27, the land of Ophir existed
considered as one of the most popular hiking and describe as the “Islands of seas” and has
destinations in the Central Luzon region. It was tons of golds.
already an official weather forecaster just by
Spaniards also believed that the Land of
looking at the cloud formation surrounding its
Ophir is not India but the other place which is
peak 2
Philippines. In the book of Coleccion General de
As with the rest of the town of Pampanga, Documentos Relativos a Las Islas Filipinas
Roman Catholic remains the dominant religion found in Archivos de Indias de Sevilla telling
in Arayat, accounting for more than 90% of the how to locate the Land of Ophir which it
entire population. Easily over-shadowing all describe in the front of China towards the sea of
other sects. Iglesia ni Cristo is second followed many islands.
by the Aglipayan Church, Seventh Day
 In Document 98, the big, bearded, white https://www.chatsifieds.com/welcome-to-
men were interested in gold and silver which philippines-the-famous-mount-arayat/
describes the Hebrews and Phoenicians.
3. Kibanoff, E. History of The Municipality of
Arayat.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/58803222/History-
Multi-Perspectivity Tool:
of-the-Municipality-of-Arayat?
Historical Sources fbclid=IwAR2mCYFiFzSeerBq8XHMkc2PS9S
vV7uvc4Vm_pkIzNXP22rXDh3q7ys4qZw#scri
Authenticity bd
Philippine Historiography 4. Denmarc (2003). Arayat - Our Ancestral
Significance of History Home. https://arayat2012.tripod.com/index2.htm
5. Wikipedia. Mount Arayat - Wikipedia

Conclusion 6. The Philippines Was the Land of OPHIR

Where King Solomon’s Gold Used to Build the
The etymology of Mt. Arayat has Temple Came From.
different version depending on the Tripartite https://abetterphilippinescom.wordpress.com/20
view. In Pre-colonial, they believed the origin of 18/08/30/the-philippines-was-the-land-of-ophir-
the name was from the Hebrew word while in where-king-solomons-gold-used-to-build-the-
colonial view, they believed the origin of the temple-came-from/
name was from the Spanish Encomiendero.
These claims proved that colonizing a nation
changes the etymology of a certain place. By
using the multi-perspectivity tool, we had a
chance to traced and analyze the study to solve
the conflicts between the origin of the name of
Mt. Arayat. Based on the studies we gathered
and analyzed, the etymology of Mt. Arayat was
from the Hebrew word wherein even the
Spaniards believed on it. The settlement of
Jewish proved the traces of Hebrew word in our
language. In fact, other mountains and places in
the Philippines were from Hebrew word. This
also proves that Noah’s ark and Mt. Arayat are
related.

References
1. Manlapig, E. History Trivia. Kingsays
Alegrius Writer
2. Alfonso, J.(2019, 23 January.)Wel come to
Philippines The famous Mount Arayat. Best
Interesting Article.