DENR RXI monitors Lenten Season Climb in Mt. Apo

In April 11-17, 2022, several personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI surveilled the premises particularly the established trails and the peak of Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP) within Davao Region for its annual Lenten climb monitoring.

The composite teams from the DENR Regional Office, the PENRO and CENROs of Davao Del Sur and in collaboration with the LGU and PAMB partners established monitoring teams that manned the designated entry points, trails and campsites within MANP to ensure enforcement of its trekking policies.

Measures include verifying the climbing permits of the trekkers and checking on their adherence to the zero-waste policy where all visitors are required to bring down their own garbage. The team also observed the trekkers’ compliance to the IATF guidelines for outdoor recreational activities likewise to the mountaineer’s creed as stipulated in the Protected Area Management Board’s (PAMB) unified camping and trekking policy.

The teams roamed around Tamayong, Bansalan, Digos City and Sta. Cruz Trails and entry points. The Colan-Sta. Cruz Trail, however, was suspended for the Holy Week while Tamayong Trail in Davao City is permanently closed in deference to LGU-Davao City’s policy.

The teams also recorded a direct sighting and encounter of the endemic 𝑆𝑢𝑠 𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 or Philippine Warty Pig indicating the progressive natural recovery of the peak area with its presence. Although protected by the Philippine law, these wild pigs, locally known as “baboy-ramo or baboy-ihalas”, are categorized as vulnerable due to its decreasing population. If the said threat worsens, they may soon be listed as endangered.

We would also like to remind the trekkers to keep distance from wild animals and refrain from feeding them so as not to lose their [natural] instinct to independently hunt for food.

The entire duration of monitoring was supervised by the Davao del Sur PENR Officer Alberto N. Bandiola himself likewise in concurrent capacity as Protected Area Superintendent of MANP. | 𝑣𝑖𝑎 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑙𝑦𝑛 𝑅. 𝐵𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟, 𝑃𝐸𝑁𝑅𝑂 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑙 𝑆𝑢𝑟

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