Only 1,000 allowed to climb Mt. Apo during Holy Week

Mt. Apo is the highest peak in the Philippines .This majestic mountain is also a home of the endangered Philippine Eagle, the country’s national bird. Mt. Apo is surrounded by moss-covered century-old trees, captivating flora and fauna, sulfur crater and massive boulders. It is one of the most popular summer destinations in Mindanao. (Photo courtesy of http://cotabatoprov.gov.ph/destinations/conquer-the-highest-peak-in-the-country/)

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato  (PIA) — Mt. Apo, the country’s highest  peak, will be open  for the  Holy Week   climb but only  for a limited  number of climbers,  an official  here  announced.

Joey  Recimilla, city tourism officer,  told  Philippine Information Agency  12 that the  Mt. Apo  Natural Park  Protected Area  Management Board’s (MANP-PAMB) Eco-Tourism Committee in its  meeting  on  February 26  decided to  regulate  entry to Mt. Apo  because of the prevailing El Nino phenomenon.

“Only  1,000  climbers  will be permitted to  climb Mt. Apo during the Holy Week. This is  allocated  as  follows 200   via  Kidapawan City, 100 via  Magpet, 100 in Makilala, 300 in Sta. Cruz, and 200 in  Digos  City,” Recimilla said.

Kidapawan, Magpet and Makilala  are  in North Cotabato; Digos and Sta.Cruz are in Davao del Sur.

“The main concerns for  the regulation are  drought  and  fire  prevention,” he added. “Water  shortage is also a  problem in  most trails, except those in Kidapawan and Magpet.”

Based on the MANP-PAMB’s  monitoring, grass  fires have  recently been reported in Sitio  Garok  along the Sibulan  trail  in Sta. Cruz  and Barangay  Binaton in Digos.

Besides  keeping tabs on  the number of climbers, he said, the PAMB  “will also strictly  enforce mountaineering law and forest prevention  measures.”

MANP-PAMB’s  Forest  Fire Prevention  Rules  prohibits fireworks, burning  of  debris  and building of campfires. Wood  sticks, logs and  charcoals  are not allowed  for  cooking.

Also, all flaming substances, including but not limited to lighted cigarettes, cigars, ashes, and matches, must be extinguished before being discarded.

Smoking is allowed only at areas free of flammable or combustible material.

In 2015,  MANP-PAMB also regulated climb during Holy Week   setting the number of climbers to only 200 persons taking  the Kidapawan trail.  Only 184 trekkers  actually  registered.

“Mt. Apo is likely  to be  closed  after the  Holy Week  if there will be  no  rain in sight,” Recimilla said.

Rising 2,956 meters  above  sea  level, Mt. Apo is the  highest mountain  peak in the Philippines.

In the past when  trekking  here  was still unregulated, climbers going up the  peak  during the Holy  Week could  exceed  5,000. Of these, over  2,000 passed  through Kidapawan City, Recimilla said. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)

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