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A mystical place where the leaves �talk�

By: Jaime Licauco

During Holy Week, there are several mystical and holy places in the Philippines
people go to. The most popular, at least for Luzon residents, are Mt. Banahaw and
Mt. San Cristobal in Dolores, Quezon.

As many as 500,000 used to flock to the mountain during Lent, leaving tons of
garbage. To save the sacred mountain from total destruction, the government closed
it to the public and regulated the entry of large groups of people.

Other well-known places of religious worship and contemplation include Quiapo


Church, home of the Black Nazarene; the shrines of St. Padre Pio in Libis, Quezon
City and Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Manaoag Church in Pangasinan; and Siquijor Island
near Dumaguete in the Visayas.

Lesser known, but slowly gathering some following and interest, is a privately
owned 30-ha hill called Ciudad Verdadero, which, according to its owner and
founder, businessman Art Cataquiz, was named by the spirits.

Cataquiz, a simple, soft-spoken businessman from Pateros, Rizal, bought the


property originally for investment purposes. He spent a lot of money planting trees
and plants, but not a single tree or plant grew.

He was so downhearted because he had expected that property to give him income for
his family. He had, at that time, some idle properties in Pateros, and he was in
the small business of photographic reproduction and some trading.

He happened to hear my radio program, �Inner Mind,� on DZMM, about the seminar I
was conducting called Inner Mind Development, which taught participants how to use
their whole brain to achieve their goals, plus many other mental techniques.

Curious, he enrolled in the seminar, learned to meditate, visualize his goals and
try other scientifically proven mind techniques.

Sacred place

A few of these techniques yielded some positive results. He then met some mediums
and psychics who could communicate with the spirit world. I lost contact with
Cataquiz, until one day, he came to inform me of what happened to him several years
after the seminar.

He said he learned from the spirits that the property he had bought on the border
of Sampaloc and Lukban towns was not meant for business, and that it was a sacred
place. He was directed by the spirits to develop the place as a spiritual retreat
or sanctuary and that he was forbidden to ask any money or contribution from
anybody for its development.

When he complained that he did not have enough money for such a big task, the
spirits said they would provide the money.

He did not know how spirits could provide the money for such an expensive
undertaking. Then a large fast food chain company offered to rent one of his
properties in Pateros for a good price, which gave him added unexpected income.

He reserved 50 percent of the money for the development of his barren hill at the
border of Sampaloc and Lukban town in Quezon Province, some three hours by car
south of Manila.
When he needed additional funds, the spirits again told him they would provide.
Another major fast food chain rented his other property near the previous one, and
he again devoted 50 percent of his income to the development of the spiritual
sanctuary. The fact that Cataquiz is an architect helped a lot.

His wife and children considered his activities foolish and a waste of money. But
he explained to them why he had to obey the wishes of the spirits.

Despite an already advancing age, he supervised the development of Ciudad Verdadero


as a spiritual sanctuary without asking a single donation from anybody, not even
from his rich relatives.

Today, Ciudad Verdadero, Km. 163, at the border of Sampaloc and Lukban in Quezon,
features: a half-kilometer unpaved road leading to the place; a big covered
multipurpose social hall or chapel; a two-bedroom house with toilets and baths; a
meditation tower; a UFO concrete helipad, a small spring where healing water flows;
and two labyrinths, one located inside the chapel and another on the highest hill.

Answers to questions

The one in the chapel is the Chartres labyrinth, similar to that found in 11th-
century Catholic church in Chartres, France, and the other is an older Cretan
labyrinth based on Greek mythology. I suggested to Cataquiz to put a labyrinth at
Ciudad Verdadero for people to get answers to their questions. The idea for the
Cretan labyrinth was dictated to him by the spirits.

Another contribution I made in the development of Ciudad Verdadero was to point out
to Cataquiz the importance of a powerful boulder on the way to the spring. It was
covered by grass and wild plants, but every time I went there I would feel a very
strong vibration. So I asked Cataquiz to have the front of the boulder cleared of
any plants and obstructions.

After he did it, one could feel a much stronger energy when passing in front of it.
That boulder is one of the most mysterious objects in the place. Then Cataquiz
discovered higher up a boulder with a similar size, and he built concrete steps for
easier access.

What are some of the strange psychic, paranormal and mystical phenomena experienced
by individuals who visit Ciudad Verdadero? There are many. But it must be
emphasized that not everybody who goes there will experience them.

Some see only trees and rocks. It depends on one�s sensitivity and openness to
unseen things. Just like in Mt. Banahaw, Ciudad Verdadero is a reflection of one�s
level of consciousness or spirituality.

Some of the extraordinary psychic paranormal and mystical things that sensitive
people have experienced and related to us are:

1) Seeing elementals such as dwarves, angelic creatures and fairies;

2) Hearing sounds of galloping horses at night although there is no horse in the


place;

3) Seeing unidentified flying objects or UFOs;

4) Going into a trance and receiving messages from the spirit world;

5) Feeling the boulder near the spring to be alive and breathing;


6) Experiencing healing in the waters of the small spring;

7) Encountering the �talking leaves.� Actually the leaves do not talk, but sway in
a definite direction in answer to questions asked. The answers are only �yes� or
�no,� just like in a pendulum.

8) Getting answers to personal questions upon reaching the center of either the
Chartres or Cretan labyrinth;

9) Seeing ETs and other types of aliens, including their spaceships under the
water;

10) Feeling profound peace, strong spiritual energy and unconditional love.

Warning: There are people presenting themselves as official tour guides of Ciudad
Verdadero. Cataquiz emphasizes that he has not designated anybody as a tour guide
of the place, and he has forbidden anybody from charging a fee for visiting and
staying in the place.

Call Ciudad Verdadero at 6424877.

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