200 climbers clean Mt Apo of garbage left during summer
TOURISM • 21:57 PM Thu Jun 11, 2015
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By:
Malu C. Manar
The peak of the country's highest - Mt. is threatened by climbers' disregard to environment.
KIDAPAWAN CITY -Some 200 mountain climbers from at least six entry points in the provinces of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur in Southern Philippines have started trekking on Wednesday the trails leading to the peak of Mount Apo to collect the garbage left by trekkers last summer. Joey Recimilla, chair of the Eco-Tourism committee of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), said the volunteers have come from Magpet, Makilala, and Kidapawan City in North Cotabato and Santa Cruz, Bansalan, and Digos City in Davao del Sur – areas covered by the Mount Apo National Park. Recimilla, also Kidapawan City tourism officer, said the three-day cleanup drive, which will culminate on Independence Day, was aimed at preparing the mountain for the OctoTrek, one of the major climbing activities on Mount Apo set to happen this October. The volunteers are expected to gather this year at least a ton of garbage left by trekkers last summer climb. This is the second time the PAMB and the local tourism offices in areas covered by the national park initiated a massive cleanup drive on Mount Apo during the Independence Day celebrations, Recimilla said. In June 2014, they were able to collect at least 2.6 tons of garbage after a major climb. Before the cleanup started, a sendoff and a tribal ritual called, Pamaas ”, were held in at least two trails around Mount Apo – one at Lake Agko at Barangay Ilomavis here, and the other at Barangay Kapatagan in Digos City. During the ‘ Pamaas’ prayer leaders from the Manobo tribes sought divine protection from their gods and goddesses for the safety and security of the volunteers. The mountain, for the Manobos, is a sacred ground of their ancestors, their ‘Magbabaya’or theirgod, and theirdiwatas,and also home of the Philippine monkey-eating eagle andwaling-waling, considered the queen of all orchids. We consider Mount Apo a sacred mountain.That’s why throwing garbage in this place is a desecration of our sacred ground,” said a tribal chieftain from Barangay Ilomavis here.