Columbato – The cross

A proposed site for the cross of Christ to be erected at the top of Mount Columbato. People from all over the world will know that Zamboanga City is a Christian city. The fort pilar protects the city from any harm coming to it from the sea and this cross on mount columbato will watch over the entire city.

Even from the Sta Cruz islands, this cross will be visible. This cross will be at least 500 feet tall.

Mount Columbato is at least 1,200 feet tall. The mountain is made out of molten volcanic rock. A great and stable foundation for the 500 foot tall cross.

The Muslims(Moros) of the Philippines has the full support of the Philippine government. They are financed by the Philippine government. They were even given a domain of their own. Five provinces have been given to them, all under the name of the religion of Islam. Zamboanga City remains as a stronghold for Christianity. Yet every election year the Muslims(Moros) politically have been trying to take this away Zamboanga City from the Christians. They want Zamboanga City to be part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (An Islamic domain).

Zamboanga City is supposed to be a city for all. But the Muslims(Moros) want it for their own. So when push comes to shove, the Non-Muslims of Zamboanga City must make a stand.

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Mt. Columbato(Column of Stone) became infamous when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) confirmed that the mountain is an inactive volcano which is unknown to most people. What is unusual about the mountain is, unlike the other mountains surrounding the city, only Mt. Columbato(Column of Stone) is made from solid rock.

According to PHIVOLCS, the volcano is an Intrusion type of volcano meaning it was formed within the earth’s crust. Magma was pushed from beneath the earth surface but did not come out through an eruption like a typical volcano (Extrusion). The magma eventually solidified while it is still enclosed by softer rocks, which was later exposed by erosion or weathering, a process that could take thousands of years. file source verbatim: wikipedia

To the left of Mt. Columbato(Column of Stone) is the strong Tumaga River and just behind Columbato(Column of Stone) is the Zamboanga City’s Watershed.

Every year during holy week, people from all over make their pilgrimage to this place and say their prayers at each of the 14 stations on the way up to the main cross commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The correct name of the mountain is Columbato. The name columbato is from the bisaya words “Kolum”(column) and bato(stone or rock). The chavacanos spelled the word “kolum” as “colum” but kept the “bato” as is.

The name “pulong bato” only started in the 1980’s when the popular mayor of Zamboanga City (Cesar C. Climaco) created the station of the cross in abong-abong beside the mountain of Columbato. It became a very popular place and Christians would congregate and “meet” there during holy week. In tagalog the word for meeting is “PULONG”. That’s when they started referring to the place as “Pulong bato”. However, the former mayor C.C.C. himself referred to the mountain as Columbato.

• Without consulting with the old timers of Zamboanga city and those living next to columbato. The tagalog speaking government officials of Zamboanga City and also wikipedia began to call Columbato as Pulong bato. The word for column in bisaya is Kolum. The chavacanos changed that word to Colum. Many zamboangueños call the mountain as kolumbato or columbato. But it is not “pulong bato” and should never be referred to as such.