DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 March)— Trekking activities at the Mount Apo Natural Park (MANP), including reservations made for the Holy Week, have been suspended for 10 days starting Wednesday as locals raised concern over bushfires due to the El Niño phenomenon.
In an advisory released on Wednesday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Davao said that the executive committee of the MANP-Protected Area Management Board released a resolution on Tuesday enforcing a temporary suspension of trekking activities until March 30.
A major forest fire once engulfed the peak of Mount Apo during Holy Week in 2016, which damaged 111 hectares.
The executive committee said that the “safety of the environment and visitors” must be prioritized as the ongoing El Niño phenomenon resulted in prolonged dry spell and affected trekking and camping sites within Mount Apo.
“This precautionary measure is essential to mitigate the risk of bushfires and ensure the well-being of the park’s diverse ecosystems,” it said.
The executive committee added that the decision to resume activities will be carefully considered based on the assessments and recommendations from the MANP-Protected Area Management Offices of both Davao and Soccsksargen regions.
It advised adventurers who have made reservations during the affected dates to coordinate with their respective local organizers to arrange alternative schedules.
“We deeply appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we navigate this environmental challenge. Together, let’s continue our collective efforts to safeguard and cherish the natural beauty of Mt. Apo Natural Park,” it said.
Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak, is predominantly a biodiversity hotspot. It was declared as a heritage park through the November 29, 1984 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration on Heritage parks and Reserves, and proclaimed as a protected area under National Integrated Protected Areas Systems of 1991.
According to ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, which serves as the secretariat of the ASEAN Heritage Parks Programme, Mt. Apo is the Philippine’s highest mountain at 3,143.6 meters and is known as the last stronghold of the remaining population of the rare and endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi).
The Mount Apo Natural Park measures 54,974 hectares (with a buffer zone of 9,078 hectares), which covers Kidapawan City and the municipalities of Makilala and Magpet in the Province of Cotabato in Soccsksargen; and the municipalities of Bansalan, Sta. Cruz, and Digos City in Davao del Sur and Davao City in the Davao Region.
The ASEAN Heritage Parks are defined as “protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving in total a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region” and established “to generate greater awareness, pride, appreciation, enjoyment and conservation of ASEAN’s rich natural heritage, through a regional network of representative protected areas, and to generate collaboration among [ASEAN member states] in preserving their shared natural heritage.”
The mountain is also of “high value” as a major water source for both regions. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
