By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
At 2,954 meters above sea level, Mt, Apo towers majestically as the country’s highest peak.
Name any natural wonders in the country and Mt. Apo surely comes among the most prominent.
According to Mt. Apo Natural Park – Biodiversity Management Bureau, the mountain is identified as one of the key biodiversity areas of the country.
RICH BIODIVERSITY
There are 800 estimated vascular and non vascular plant species found in Mt. Apo.
Among Mt. Apo’s endemics collected between 300 masl and 1000 masl are members of the genera Pipturus, Sauravia and Poikilospermum. Humalanthus populneus, Elephantopus spicatus, Piper apoanum and Vanda sanderiana maybe extinct in the wild.
Endemic at the mid altitudes include Agathis philippensis, Lithocarpus submonticolus (endangered), and Peperonia elmeri (endangered). Upper montane endemics are Cypholopus microphyllus and Nepenthus copelandi.
Actual resource inventory collected data on five representative habitats indicated a total of 126 floral species recorded, 50 are considered endemic to Mt. Apo or the Mindanao Faunal Region. These are almaciga, almon, waling-waling,igem, kalantas,. mindanao kalingag, apo bubonan (Aglaia apoena) and other species; 18 species are considered to be at risk (e.g. waling-waling), kalantas including a rattan species (Plectocomia elmerii), pahutan (Mangifera altissima), Shorea sp. like almon, mayapis, malaanonang, narig, and guijo.
FLORA AND FAUNA
There are 37 species considered to have economic, cultural and medicinal importance. Most species are used for construction either light or heavy, these include Shorea sp. Like lauaan, guijo, apitong, and Bambusa sp. like buho and bagakay; as fibers like wild abaka (Musa sp.), for baskets and containers (rattan and pandan), food for wildlife like balite (Ficus sp.), kalingag (Cinnamommum mercadoii and mindanensis), ulayan (Lithocarpus sp.) etc; and other medicinal plants like wild betel nut (Areco caliso), saging bundok (Musa balbasiana), kalingag, hagimit (Ficus sp.), hamindang (Macaranga bicolor).
Previous studies have identified 272 species of birds, 40 percent of these or 111 are endemic to Mt. Apo.
Of all species recorded, two are in the critical list such as Philippine Eagle (Pthecophaga jefferyi) and abukay (Cacatua heamatopygia).
There are 10 endangered species among these are: Mindanao scoops owl (Otus mirus), lesser eagle owl (Bobu philippensis), Mindanao lorikeet (Tricoglosus johnstoniae) and whritted hornbill (Aceros leucocephalus).
Also there ae 20 vulnerable and 20 are near threatened. 96 species were identified to have both cultural and economic importance to nearby communities or communities within it is the home of different species which includes the Philippine Eagle.
Mammalian diversity has a total of 53 species, 49 percent are endemic: tudaya giant rat (Bollimus bagobos), wild pig (Sus phillippinensis), tarsier (Tarsius syricta), (Acerodon jubatus); 3 are listed as threatened: tree shrew (Urogale Everetti), Acerodon jubatus, and Phil. Brown deer (Cervus marianus).
There were 26 found out to have economic and cultural values. Most are utilized for food as protein source, extracts from hoofs and toes are common remedy for stomachache, omens observed during rituals and farming practices and the dispersal of seeds as important ecological values.
CLIMBER’S ULTIMATE ADVENTURE
No wonder, mountaineers and adventure seekers consider Mt. Apo as their ultimate destination because of its natural beauty. Thousands of climbers converge, especially during Holy Week and the whole Summer months just to experience the nature in Mt. Apo.
THE EL NINO EFFECT
Due to the ill effects of dry spell in Mindanao, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of Mt. Apo decided last February, to limit the trekking to Mt. Apo Natural Park during this year’s Holy Week to prevent forest fires from breaking out.
The PAMB members believed that fires can break out accidentally because of the garbage that can cause conflagration. This could be triggered by indiscriminately disposing cigarette butts or during cooking of campers.
For this year, only six entry points were opened to climbers.
Authorities set a limitation of 1,000 climbers for all trails due to the on-going El Nino phenomenon and insufficient supply of water in Mt. Apo.
FOREST FIRES
Despite the limitation set to prevent fire, the inevitable happened.
On March 26 which was Black Saturday, the fire ignited on the peak facing the Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur area.
39th Infantry Battalion- Civil Military Operations (39th IB-CMO) commander Capt. Ray Boy Ibanes said based on information from mountaineering group Kabalikat, the fire started in the summit near the Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur side and immediately spread going to Kidapawan City area.
The fire then spread to the North Cotabato side due to the strong wind going to northern area, he further explained.
He said the fire in the Kidapawan City area was put under control last March 27 around 9:45 p.m.
Ibanes said the Kidapawan City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) immediately acted on the urgency by forming an Incident Command Post, which sent volunteers to make a fire line to prevent it to spread.
Later on, the fire then spread going to the areas in Davao del Sur. This fire existed for more than three weeks.
When the fire reached Sta. Cruz, the Davao Region Incident Management Team (IMT) was formed to manage the incident in the mountains.
Davao del Sur provincial disaster risk-reduction management officer Harry Camoro said many volunteers and other fire fighting units all over the region went to Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City to help the firemen of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11 to suppress the fire.
Camoro, however, said the efforts on the ground were not enough that is why the help from Philippine Air Force (PAF) was needed.
On March 29, the PAF granted the request of the IMT by sending its Super Huey Helicopter to conduct aerial water suppression. The aircraft had conducted the pouring operations on a 600 liters bucket.
Days after, the fire was still not contained and this prompted IMT to use other recourse such as the pouring of crushed ice to the ground.
Camoro said the use of crushed ice was effective in suppressing the flame.
The IMT declared last April 11 that the fire was already controlled in some portions of the mountain because of the heavy rain pour last April 9 and 10.
BFP 11 spokesperson Inspector Nestor Jimenez said that there were still portions of the mountain which still have smoke.
Jimenez said that last Thursday the fire was already manageable and the fire fighters now are just making the overhauling operations in the mountains.
“Our fire fighters now are checking all the portions of the mountain and they are suppressing the fire through the use of power spray,” he said.
For his part, DENR 11 assistant regional director Felix S. Alicer said there will be an assessment team to be sent on April 18 to determine the cost of damage and the cause.
Alicer is also asking the help of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and PAF to conduct thermal mapping to see if there is still fire in some portions of Mt.Apo.
“Their objective is to determine and map out the area on the extent of damage and to assess the affected area,” he said.
He said as of the moment, the damage portion of Mt. Apo is around 110 hectares.
IDENTIFYING THE POSSIBLE CULPRIT
Alicer said after assessment, the BFP will investigate to find out the culprit that caused tha huge fire in Mt. Apo.
Some say the fire was caused by a camper that is yet to be verified.
For now, this majestic wonder needs some well-deserved respite.
