Large forest areas converted to veggie farms: Poor farmers invade Mt Pulag national park

By Dexter A. See

KABAYAN, Benguet -- The search for sources of livelihood in the hinterlands has forced farmers in this vegetable-producing province to invade forested areas, including the Mount Pulag national park here, the second highest peak in the country.

As a result of the encroachment, Mount Pulag has now reached "shrinking stage."
This was bared by engineer Abraham Akilit, regional manager of the National Irrigation Authority in the Cordillera, who also said that if concerned agencies do not take a drastic move to preserve the country’s scenic tourist spot, time would come when it would become another denuded forest.

He said that his office will take the cudgels in the effort to conserve Mount Pulag so that the national government will be awakened on the sorry state of its forest which is being invaded by farmers.

He said intrusion by thousands of vegetable farmers into the Mount Pulag national park which straddles Kabayan and Bokod town of Benguet is very alarming, noting that it is now happening on all sides of the forest and watershed reservation, thereby threatening to despoil its natural beauty.

The Cordillera NIA office has launched a watershed rehabilitation and development program that is aimed at preserving the remaining watershed areas of the region.
Under the program, the conservation of Mount Pulag is considered one of the priority projects of the agency, but it seems that other concerned government agencies continue to ignore such effort.

Akilit admitted it is difficult to explain to the people living around the watershed areas the need to undertake the conservation effort, especially those around Mount Pulag.
He said, however, that the people are now realizing that they should be actively involved in such effort.

The NIA official said that "economic pressures" have forced many people to open up agricultural areas even in places which are vital watersheds.

Akilit said it is doubly difficult in the case of Mount Pulag because the residents convert large areas of the reservation into vegetable gardens.

Worst, they even use heavy equipment to level vast tracts of land in the forest which they use as their sources of livelihood. In the process, however, the environment is being degraded.

Mount Pulag farmers justified their encroachment, saying that they are forced to devastate the environment because they have no alternative sources of livelihood to feed their families and they do not benefit from the declaration of Mount Pulag as a reservation.

However, Akilit said that they will come out with infomation materials and other teaching aids which will explain the importance of Mount Pulag to the people and the well being of Cordillera watersheds.