by The big cross on the mountain of Loboc is a symbol of repentance among Boholanos. This place is a popular destination of some Catholic devotees to visit to show some sacrifice during holy week. The big cross can be seen as far as from the streets of Loay going to the town of Loboc.
During holy week, some Catholic devotees are holding a pilgrimage from the St. Joseph Cathedral in Tagbilaran City to the Big Cross (Krus Daku as locally known) in Loboc. Tagbilaran City to the Big Cross is a 24-km walk that would take around 6 hours, passing the towns of Baclayon, Albur and Loay to reach the town of Loboc. To reach the Big Cross, the hike up the mountain takes around 45 mins to 1 hour.
Together with some members of the Bohol Bloggers Collective, I was able to visit the place as part of the itinerary to visit the beautiful mountains in Bohol. To save time from hiking up the mountain, we were able to ride on a car. Yes, cars and motorcycles can be brought all the way up to the top of the mountain. The ride up to the cross was so thrilling and full of adventures. One single move on the steering wheel might put the passengers on harm. We were following the path that was just so narrow.
After around 15 minutes of ride, we were able to reach the top of the mountain wherein we were able to see the Big Cross. I think the cross is around 15 meters high. Surrounding the big cross are covered areas for the devotees to hold their prayers. As written at the back of the cross, it was built last 1986 while the areas around the cross were built a year after.
The cross is overlooking the whole town of Loboc and its neighboring towns. It felt so amazing upon looking at the scenery of the surrounding towns.
For those who are planning to have some overnight stay at the place, there is a wide ground wherein a tent can be put up. But, one must be very careful because there are no houses near the camping area. The camping area is usually full during Good Friday because some pilgrims are staying at the place to wait for the sunrise at the top of the mountain.
For several years, I have known that Big Cross in Loboc as an area of sacrifice to conduct the stations of the cross. In the recent years as posted on the social media, it is very saddening that trashes were scattered on the area after the overnight stay. If you are planning to stay or visit the place, we need to keep the area always clean. By doing this, we can make the place more sacred.
