Keeping Mount Apo clean and green

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

Published in the Business Mirror, December 7, 2015

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/keeping-mount-apo-clean-and-green/

THE Mount Apo Natural Park (MANP) has a new enemy and the authorities are not taking it sitting down. Garbage problem has become annoying to ignore, MANP Park Operations Superintendent Eduardo V. Ragaza said.  

The Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) has declared its own war against litterbugs, slapping them with a stricter regulation, higher entrance fee and stiffer penalty. Mountain trekkers have been found to be causing the garbage problem within Mount Apo, irresponsibly discarding their waste, ironically, after days of nature tripping and appreciating the environment at its best “clean and green” state.

Mount Apo: Image Credits: Wikimedia Common

Garbage woes

Last year an estimated 2 tons, or around 1,814 kilogram, of waste mostly plastic bags and empty bottles of water, have been recovered within the the park. During the period, it was estimated that 4,000 trekkers have visited the park. 

This year, Gagaza noted that the number of trekkers have gone down to 998, and along with it, the volume of waste recovered along the mountain trails decreased. Since February, the entrance fees to the park’s various mountain trails have gone up depending on the town, to a flat rate of P1,500, plus another P1,000 per guide during trips.

A penalty of P1,500 is imposed on trekkers who enters from one town and exits on the other. It was presumed that they are avoiding the fines imposed under the “Zero Basura [Zero Waste]” policy being implemented by the park’s management. 

‘Zero Basura’ 

The “Zero Basura” policy is aimed at ensuring that the park is left clean as trekkers go.  The PAMB now requires trekkers to submit their bags to a routine inventory to count the items—potential waste, such food wrapped in plastics, snacks and bottled water—as they enter and exit the park.

The higher fees and stiffer penalty were imposed as part of the Unified Common Trekking Policy approved by PAMB, the highest policy-making body of a Protected Area (PA) under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, in this case, the MANP.

“In a way, imposing higher fees help address the garbage problem because we are really discouraging them to climb,” Ragaza said.

Here’s why:  The MANP is not an ordinary camp site. 

Sacred mountain

The MANP is one of the country’s 240 Protected Areas, and one of the very few PAs protected by legislation.  It is also one of the country’s eight Asean Heritage Parks (AHPs) to which the government is committed to protect for the conservation of its rich biological diversity.

The MANP is considered a key biodiversity area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) because of the important species of unique, threatened and critically endangered flora and fauna found within, including endemic birds and mammals, and plant with potential medicinal value.

Ragaza described Mount Apo as an object of pride and inspiration to the people of Mindanao. To many, it is a symbol of Mindanao’s rich cultural heritage. It is widely known that in the old days, no man can climb Mount Apo without the permission of the indigenous people who consider the mountain sacred.

Among its key features are its life-support system. It is not only a source of food and medicine, but a vital watershed area, as well. It is, to many people, a source of livelihood. It is also a major ecotourism destination in Mindanao. On top of that, it is a source of power that energizes Mindanao.

Home of the Philippine Eagle

The MANP is one of the biggest PAs in the country and is home to the Philippine Eagle (Pthecophaga jefferyi), the biggest eagle in the world and the country’s national bird. The Philippine Eagle was listed as “critically endangered” species by the DENR.

According to Ragaza, within the MANP are two nesting sites of the famous eagle, also known as the Monkey-eating Eagle.

 There are only 42 pairs of Philippine eagles left in the entire country, and two of them are within the MANP. An ongoing program to save the species from extinction, through captive breeding, is being spearheaded by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conserving the country’s most famous bird of prey. Republic Act 9237 dated February 3, 2004, established the park classified as Natural Park.  It covers a total land area of 54,974.87 hectares. The park straddles Davao City, Digos City, Santa Cruz and Bansalan in the province of Davao del Sur, and Kidapawan City, Makilala and Magpet in North Cotabato.

Mount Apo, a dormant volcano, is the highest mountain in the country with its highest elevation of 3,143.6 meters above sea level.  

Tourist destination

It has become a popular tourist destination among nature lovers as trekkers and climbers attempt to conquer the country’s tallest mountain. Because of this, its ecotourism potential is being exploited to provide alternative sources of income to the local governments, and alternative livelihood to people in surrounding communities.

Among the natural wonders within the MANP are the Tudaya Falls, situated 3 kilometers from the indigenous Bagabo settlements. Residents in the area believe that the falls is enchanted, and roars angrily at times. To appease the evil spirits, the natives make offerings to the falls.

The Agco Blue Lake is another wonder. Some parts of the lake are icy cold, while others are hot enough to cook an egg, according to the DENR.  

 The Marbel River, milky white nestled 1,800 feet above sea level is an astonishing sight. Other falls that offer a unique experience to visitors are the Lake Venado, the Latapec Falls or Malasila Falls, Pafalagui, Montebago Saguig Falls, Lagarbaes or Bongolanon Falls and the Kinarunan Waterfalls  

Tourism, however, is starting to bare its ugly face, as the number of visitors climbing the mountain has started to disturb the park, including wildlife.

Biological diversity

According to the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), the MANP is high in endemism.

There are 800 estimated plant species that thrive within MANP. A resource inventory on five representative habitats indicated a total of 126 floral species recorded, 50 are considered endemic to Mount Apo or the Mindanao Faunal Region.

Meanwhile, previous studies have identified 272 species of birds, 40 percent of which, or 111, are endemic to Mount Apo.

Of all the species recorded, two are in the critical list: the famous Philippine Eagle and abukay (Cacatua heamatopygia); 10 are endangered species among these are Mindanao scoops owl (Otus mirus), lesser eagle owl (Bobu philippensis), Mindanao lorikeet (Tricoglosus johnstoniae) and whritted hornbill (Aceros leucocephalus).

A total 53 animal species also inhabit the park’s forests, with more than half being endemic to Mindanao. Ragaza said the DENR has been continuously conducting biodiversity monitoring and survey within the park.

“We are monitoring whether a particular species has increased in number or have gone down. We are also monitoring trees because we want to know whether they are being felled,” Ragaza said.

Ancestral domain

The DENR said that six indigenous groups—Manobo, Bagobo, Ubo, Ata, K’Iagan and the Tagacaolo—consider Mount Apo as their ancestral domain and their home. These tribes have lived around Mount Apo that they also consider it as sacred ground, their place of worship and the burial ground of Apo Sandawa, their great forefather.

The lumad, or indigenous peoples, leaders in South Central Mindanao trace their roots to Mount Apo, the DENR added.

The term “Apo” was coined from the name of lumad’s great grandparent Apo Sandawa. The lumad consider Mount Apo as the wellspring of their spiritual and cultural way of life, aside from their source of food and medicine.

Protecting Mount Apo

Protecting MANP is a big challenge for the DENR also because of the increasing population in the 39 barangays that sit within the park. As part of the campaign to protect the MANP, the DENR is continuously conducting information, education and communication (IEC) drive in the communities within and around the park.

“We tell people about its importance, about its value. So that they will not destroy but rather help protect Mount Apo,” he added.

According to the DENR, the conversion of forest for food production is the main threat to MANP. Previous threats to the MANP include the uncontrolled collection of ferns, orchids and other nontimber forest species.

 The degradation of forest on Mount Apo is being addressed by the DENR’s enforcement of environmental laws. It noted that previous ineffective forest protection contributed to massive habitat destruction.  It added that the decline of faunal species is aggravated by over-hunting for food and pets.

Ragaza said as part of the IEC campaign, the DENR, PAMB and the local government unit have integrated environmental protection and biodiversity conservation in the training of ecotourist guides, who also act as trekkers’ porters and “garbage collectors.”

“Now, the porters provide lectures about the environment and the laws protecting the park,” Ragaza added. He said to further increase awareness about the MANP, signages have been put up in strategic areas to mark its boundaries.

To ensure sustainable development within the MANP, the PAMB revitalized two important committees, the Resource Committee and the Eco-tourism Committee, in 2013. Various programs are geared toward ensuring that the MANP will maintain its prestige as among the greenest PAs. Tree planting, as part of reforestation, is being continued and several National Greening Program (NGP) sites have been established within the park.

With the increasing threats, striking a balance between exploiting its ecotourism potential, and protecting and conserving the rich biodiversity against destructive human activities have even become more challenging for the protectors of Mount Apo.