DAVAO CITY – The appeal to close all entry points to Mt. Apo, following the several violations committed by mountaineers which was earlier observed by concerned local government units in Davao, has been put on hold.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 (DENR-11) executive director Bagani Fidel Evasco, who is also the chairman of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), is pushing for the temporary closure of the Mt. Apo Natural Park due to the unappealing findings from their recent trail and camp assessment in Davao del Sur entry points.
The PAMB, however, adopted the deferment of the agendum for the closure of Mt. Apo during its emergency EnBanc Meeting on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. The decision to hold the closure was made after 25 of the members, both from Region 11 and 12, voted in favor of the motion to defer while eight others are not in favor of the decision.
Evasco pushed for the immediate rehabilitation by having the highest peak temporarily closed. He said that despite the plan being deferred, the department is firm in pursuing its strategic plans to improve the condition of Mount Apo with efforts to intensify information drive, hasten the rehabilitation and improve the management of the trails and camping facilities.
The DENR is also up for the retooling of the trekking mechanisms and policies at the Mount Apo Natural Park and for setting up of standard facilities, such as comfort rooms, as well as wayfinding signages and intensifying patrolling activities in the mountain. They also urged mountaineers to abide with the mechanisms and policies.
“We aim for the improvement of condition and sustainability of Mt. Apo. We must do what it takes to safeguard the country’s highest peak, to protect it as a key biodiversity area and one of our immense natural resources," Evasco said, adding that despite the deferment, the PAMB will support the DENR’s plan to rehabilitate Mt. Apo.
The DENR, along with other sectors and groups, observed several violations of the mountaineers during their trail and camp assessment earlier this month. These are non-observance of the IATF guidelines on health protocols, occurrence of littering and vandalism, traces of drug substances and alarming soil cultivation within its "strict protection zone (SPZ)".