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Alden Richards' love for the mountains
Whether you notice it or not, our lives are actually dependent on the health of our mountains. Without healthy rainforests, the storehouse of our drinking water, we will literally all thirst to death. But if that reason is not good enough for you to care, I’ll give you one—Alden Richards. Yes, our ‘Bae’ cares and craves for the “kaguBAEtan.”
Alden is a newbie mountaineer. Last April, he trekked Mt. Batulao, a mountain located in Nasugbu, Batangas that has remarkable scenery. He called it a “shoot/hike” because he was there to appear as a “cameo” for Aicelle Santos’ music video.
In her Instagram post, Aicelle described Alden’s attitude as he trekked seven to eight hours for the shoot.
"Straight from taping he climbed Mt. Batulao with us for seven to eight hours (stop and go) for that brief cameo. Walang reklamo, walang pagod, [he’s] just the pure, kind-hearted young man every Aldub fan loves.”
Alden enjoyed every minute of the climb, and he still looked so darn good while sweating. Here’s his happy dubsmash to prove it.
Alden has also been to Pico de Loro, the highest peak in Cavite and part of the Palay-Palay Mataas Na Gulod Protected Landscape. The mountain’s peak has a “monolith,” a steep rock centerpiece that can only be scaled by fearless mountaineers.
Posted by Alden Richards (ALDENatics) on Friday, 26 December 2014
Posted by Alden Richards (ALDENatics) on Friday, 26 December 2014
Alden trekked Pico de Loro with other Kapuso stars Louise delos Reyes, Kylie Padilla, Bea Binene, and Rodjun Cruz.
Mountains are our knights in shining armor (like Alden). As natural barriers, their big towering trees can slow down strong storms from the ocean that threaten our cities in the lowlands. Their roots can absorb floodwater. Without trees, our cities will be more susceptible to flash floods after intense rains.
Our rainforests do not only save lives, they give life. They are not only our water source, they are home to thousands of unique species, many of them are yet to be discovered. The Philippines may be poor in many aspects, but we have this to boast: we are first world in terms of biodiversity.
According to a report by the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, “The Philippines is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, which together host more than 70% of the world’s species. Our nation hosts more than 52,177 described species of which more than half is found nowhere else in the world.”
Pico de Loro :)
Posted by Alden Richards (ALDENatics) on Tuesday, 23 December 2014
But just like the Kalyeserye, our rainforest face its own villains everyday. Because of rampant logging in the past, from 17.8 million hectares in the 1930s, our forest cover has been reduced to 6.8 million hectares according to the DENR-Forest Management Bureau.
A research paper written by KALIKASAN-People's Network for the Environment (PNE) in 2011 claims that “if the 157, 400 hectares per year rate of deforestation continues, our remaining forest cover will be wiped out in less than 40 years. That is equal to forests twice the land area of Metro Manila lost per year.”Though there is a present total log ban throughout the country that has been effective since 2011, Kalikasan-PNE believes that conflicting policies that allow our natural forest to be stripped for mining concessions or to be converted as plantations continue to degrade our mountains today.
Just last August, Alden posted on his Instagram that he’s been missing the mountains. And for sure, we will too when they are all gone. ---BMS, GMA Public Affairs
