DENR orders: Stop expansion of veggie farms at Mt. Pulag

By Dexter A. See

KABAYAN, Benguet — The Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered strict implementation of moratorium on expansion of numerous vegetable gardens located within here at Mount Pulag National Park, the second highest mountain peak in the country, to abate rapid destruction of the region’s watersheds and forests.

The DENR deployed several monitoring teams in strategic areas within the watershed and forest reservation to look into the activities of the thousands of farmers so that they will not be able to invite the protected and forested areas of the national park.

The agency’s action against erring farmers is in compliance to the marching orders of the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera for all concerned government agencies and local governments to adopt programs and projects for the preservation and protection of the remaining watersheds and forests in the region.

During recent consultations with the different villagers living in the protected areas, farmers committed there will be a status quo in the current situation of vegetable farms in the watershed and forest reservation.

Earlier, an inter-agency investigating team found out farmers continue to extend their farms inside protected areas of Mount Pulag through the use of mechanized equipment owned by several contractors and local governments of Buguias, Kabayan and Bokod in Benguet and Kayapa in nearby Nueva Vizcaya.

Ironically, Lake Babadac and Lake Tabeo, have already dried up because of the presence of commercial vegetable farms around them which replaced the century-old pine trees that help sustain the abundant water supply for the springs and river systems.