Mount Pulag under threat from illegal loggers, settlers

By Redgie Cawis

 BOKOD, Benguet -- The Mount Pulag National Park jere is in critical state and under threat from unscrupulous persons despite action taken by local government units and advocacy of mountaineers climbing the sacred mountain.

 More than 10 hectares of forest land inside the Mount Pulag reservation were found to have been burned and cleared and converted into farmlands here in Naubanan, Ekip following  investigation and survey by Provincial and Municipal Anti-illegal Logging Task Force last week.

Mount Pulag Protected Areas superintendent Emerita Albas said three areas at Naubanan had at least 200 pine and oak trees cut or burned due to Illegal logging activities.

More than 10 hectares of land were also converted into high value crop farming even as expansion of commercial vegetable farms were unabated.

 The 200 trees were located in the areas which were investigated and surveyed but hundreds more were found cut and burned along mountains of Naubanan.

The trees cut down were mostly for commercial use, for conversion to farmlands and for use in reported small scale mining activities in Kabayan and Bokod, Benguet.

 Albas said three areas were illegally converted into farmlands after individuals and their families migrated to the areas which was supposed to be a forest reservation area and off limits to residential and commercial use.

 Albas said the area in Naubanan had fast forest denudation and uncontrolled development after a road was opened there which connects barangay Bashoy in Kabayan and Barangay Ekip and Balete in Bokod.

She said there were no roads the past years and people walked to their communities through a trail.

But lately, the area was developed and a road constructed which illegal loggers use.

 Last year, Albas recommended to the Provincial Peace and Order Council closure of the road .

 Albas said the joint task force would be validating information and evidences befiore filing formal charges against three individuals who are staying in the forest reserve.

She said they would also be charged for violation of the Forest Code of the Philippines, the Philippine Clean Water Act and the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act.

 The report will also be turned over to local government units and  DENR offices.

 The task force was led by the PENRO and CENRO together with the operatives from the Police Regional Office – Cordillera and the Bokod Municipal Police Office, Philippine Army 51st Infantry Battalion, National Power Corporation and media

 Albas urged the public to do their share in maintaining and protecting  Mount Pulag National Park considered “mountain of the gods.”

 The Mount Pulag National Park covers 11,550 hectares and established to protect and preserve native flora and fauna.

It borders Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya and Tinoc, Ifugao and Kabayan and Bokod.