Father Miguel Bernad was a Jesuit priest, scholar and mountaineer. A Professor of Literature at the Ateneo de Manila, he was drawn to the mountain peaks that dominate the landscape of the Philippines and which became centerpoints of several of his essays.

In his foreword he writes:

For a mountain is not just a mass of rock and earth rising above the plain. A mountain is a landmark which people have seen for centuries. Such a landmark must have colored their thoughts and excited their imagination. It is often said that people climb a mountain because "it is there": it is a witty remark, but it is also profoundly true. I think the real reason why people climb mountains is because they feel the need to do so. They feel that they are not really masters of the land until they have scaled its heights.

Such are the essays in this little volume. They are an attempt to see beyond the physical landscape into the life of the people; an attempt to see the present in the light of our people's past. In a manner of speaking, the entire volume is really one essay: an essay of the Philippines.

An essay of the Philippines. For anyone who has traveled in the Philippines, whether by bus, boat or plane, the presence of these magnificent mountains soaring above the plains into the clouds is inescapable. Father Bernad reveals through his essays how the mountains influenced the people around them through history and how they continue to affect us and our attitudes towards our environment.

 These essays are for anyone who has gazed upward.

Selected Essays:

• The "Snows" on Mount Apo
• Ascent of Mount Canlaon
• The Tragic Mountain Manung-gal
• Postscript to Mayon

Note: Some essays are long so you may want to download or print them for easier reading.

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