At the very heart of Itogon, Benguet in Poblacion lay a mountain called Bidawan. A 1,240 meters above sea level mountain situated within the Barangays Poblacion, Tinongdan, and Dalupirip winding a 3-4 hours hike (depending on how fast you are and how much time you spend taking pictures) before reaching the peak.
It used to be the trail of locals and missionaries visiting long before the opening of road networks. It was also a the trail of Filipino, American and Japanese soldiers during the war before it was declared by the municipality as wildlife sanctuary.
At the summit, Ave Maria Shrine stands. A pilgrimage found on the saddle adjoining Mt. Bidawan and Mt. Cotcot presenting scenic and breathtaking views providing a great aroma of the Itogon forest. It was said that a foreign missionary priest moved for its construction within the trail linking barangays Dalupirip and Poblacion on the 20th of June, 1959. A regular meeting by devotees wes then held at the area. However, its destruction was attributed to some unscrupulous individuals. It is actually an attraction to Marian devotees and it is being pushed inorder to become a Pilgrimage Site of the barangay.
Furthermore, It is also where the first 25km trail-running event organized by the Itogon Mountain Runners (IMR) in partnership with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and the municipality of Itogon was held on November 7, 2019.
Name: Mount Bidawan & Ave Maria Shrine
Elevation: 1,240 MASL
Hours to summit: 3-4 hours
Jump-off/exit point:
Features: Pilgrimage/Sanctuary, mossy Forest, foot ridge