Mountaineers warned vs climbing Mt. Banahaw during Holy Week

Mountaineers who insist on climbing Mount Banahaw in Quezon province this Holy Week may risk spending time in jail, the Office of Civil Defense warned Tuesday.

 

OCD Region IV-A head Frederick Bragas said the mountain is still being "rehabilitated," and thus off limits to those who want to go mountain climbing.

 

"Sarado ‘yan sa mountaineers. ‘Pag nag-attempt sila, baka mag-spend sila ng Holy Week sa kulungan," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

As early as last February, the Philippine Information Agency said the Protected Area Management Board of Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape (PAMB-MBSCPL) had agreed to extend the closure of Mt. Banahaw for another three years.

 

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Banahaw Park Superintendent Salud Pangan said Mt. Banahaw still needs five to eight years of rehabilitation before it can regain its natural features.

 

It also cited research by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) showing the carrying capacity of Mt. Banahaw for certain areas used for worshiping, camping, parking and bathing has exceeded its limit.

 

The PIA said environmental law office Tanggol Kalikasan recommended another three years' closure of Mount Banahaw so the PAMB can assess Mt. Banahaw’s biodiversity and establish a Visitors Management Scheme.

 

According to the PIA, Mt. Banahaw was first ordered off limits on March 9, 2004 for eight years, with some areas closed to climbing for five years.

 

It added mountaineers, devotees and local and foreign tourists are banned from going up Mt. Banahaw for another three years starting Feb. 17, 2012.

 

Mt. Banahaw has been a favorite Holy Week destination for many devotees, as it is believed to be a holy mountain.

 

In December 2009, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a law declaring Mt. Banahaw and Mt. San Cristobal as protected areas. –KG, GMA News