By Bianca Ermac

• Valentine’s Day is also for the great love stories of time and legends, one of them the legend that gave birth to a volcano.

Peeking through a sea of clouds in the heart of Negros is the mystical highlands of Mount Kanlaon. Known as the highest peak in the Visayas region at 2,465 meters above sea level, this active volcano has enamored many mountaineers, volcanologists, and tourists alike. However, to the people of Negros, its arduous terrain is where its ancestors had once roamed. Mt. Kanlaon Stories about Mount Kanlaon have been passed on to become legend, one of them about the tragic love story of Princess Kang and Prince Laon which is now part of the book “Mga Sugilanon sang Negros (Tales of Negros), collected and translated by Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava, Ph.D). It is a story worth retelling for Valentine’s Day. Like many legends, the story of the lovers ends in tragedy. The tale begins with the well-loved and benevolent King Ramilon, whose small kingdom boasts of its abundant produce and joyous townsmen. The king only had one daughter, Princess Kang, who was the fairest of all maidens and had a trail of suitors. However, unknown to many, the princess’ heart had already been won by Prince Laon, son of a rajah from a neighboring kingdom. A wedding was set and the townsmen rejoiced in the betrothal of the young lovers and the union of kingdoms. On the day of their marriage, a grand fiesta had the most elaborate food spread, dancing, and merrymaking. Amid the festivities, a bloodied messenger came rushing to the palace to warn the king of the arrival of Datu Subanun, one of Princess Kang’s rejected suitors. Before the king could raise alarm, Datu Subanun and his soldiers invaded the palace and brutally struck, killing the king. But Princess Kang and Prince Laon managed to flee amid the disarray, and the angry Datu and his men gave chase. Finally realizing the futility of their escape the Datu, legend says they chose death over living apart, so they took their lives. Over time, the soil where the lovers were laid to rest began to rise and take form. It peaked into a mountain and was named Mt. Kanlaon. Today, Mount Kanlaon stands tall as a source of livelihood and protection for the Negrenses. Its fertile soil sustains bountiful harvests, feeding the people and providing livelihood to locals. The mountain has also shielded the people from strong typhoons. Even today, legends still inspire the mountain’s mysticism. Even if it is known as one of the active volcanoes in the country, it lures daring mountaineers to hike its trails to get a glimpse of the peak. To local communities, its forests provide medicinal plants. Every year, on Valentine’s Day, those who still remember the love story of Princess Kang and Prince Laon will likely tell the tale to someone who will pass it on. Just as I am telling it to you now. And so, the legend of the tragic love story that gave birth to a volcano lives on.