By Catherine J. Teves
MANILA, March 31 (PNA) — The environment department’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) is reminding people to ensure securing, from protected area (PA) offices concerned, approval for them to climb mountains nationwide.
“They must first get clearance from the PA offices,” said BMB national parks technical expert Juvy Ladisla.
She acknowledged climbing mountains deemed “holy” is among activities people might be considering to undertake during the Lenten season this week.
Prospective climbers must coordinate with PA offices having jurisdiction over mountains people aim exploring so they can be briefed on conditions in the areas, she said.
The briefing will also orient prospective climbers on regulations regarding their entry there, she continued.
“Coordination with PA offices concerned is important as conditions vary from mountain to mountain and regulations are site-specific,” she said.
Ladisla said Mt. Pulag, Mt. Malindang, Mt. Kalatungan, Mt. Kitanlad and Mt. Apo are all within PAs and are among Philippine peaks revered as “holy” by indigenous peoples living there and surrounding areas.
Mt. Banahaw in Region IV-A is also a mountain deemed “holy” for years, she noted.
Annual treks of people there helped Mt. Banahaw become known as a Lenten destination.
The mountain is part of the Mounts Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape which is among some 240 PAs nationwide.
This month, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region IV-A (DENR IV-A) office announced parts of Mt. Banahaw will remain closed to trekkers and pilgrims.
DENR IV-A noted such closure aims to help Mt. Banahaw recover from environmental degradation that arose from people’s visits there in previous years.
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) having jurisdiction over Mt. Banahaw ordered such closure in 2012 then in 2014 decided extending this restriction for another three years.
Human presence is limited to specific areas of Mt. Banahaw so prospective trekkers must coordinate with authorities concerned to learn which areas are closed to them, noted DENR IV-A Regional Executive Director Reynulfo Juan who also heads the PAMB covering this mountain.
He noted Mt. Banahaw traditionally hosts cultural and religious activities so completely closing this mountain is difficult to do.
“The PAMB recognizes Mt. Banahaw’s religious character,” he said.
He urged people who’ll climb Mt. Banahaw to refrain from action that’ll further worsen conditions there so they can help that mountain recover from years of environmental degradation.
DENR also reminded people to help prevent forest fires in PAs nationwide.
PAs are prone to forest fires during summer as dry vegetation there can easily catch fire from activities like using kerosene when cooking, noted DENR.
The agency made the call, saying last year’s fire that razed areas around Mt. Banahaw damaged some 50 hectares of forest land and grassland there. (PNA)