By Saul E. Pa-a
DOLORES, Quezon March 21 (PNA) — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Calabarzon Regional Executive Director Reynulfo Juan confirmed on Friday that the grassfires at the Mt. Banahaw peak has dissipated with rains drenching the affected areas but authorities are now tightening the protected landscape from trespassers.
In a media interview, DENR Regional Director Juan mulled the tightening of surveillance and monitoring operations and perimeter guards around the Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape (MBSCPL) in the wake of pilgrims, devotees and mystical believers breaching into the restricted areas.
“Our reconnaissance during the aerial inspection using the Philippine Air Force helicopters prompted us to forgo the choppers’ ‘Bambi bucket’ operations due to strong winds and observed the grassfires have subsided,” Juan said.
He said the surveillance and assessment teams witnessed only the smoke emitting from the slope from the burnt “cogon and talahib” (reeds) and cinders of grasses and some bushes near the crater going up the Mt. Banahaw peak.
“Strong winds fanned the fires but the blaze did not spread to the outer slope because of the thick foliage and the dense forest cover with the closed canopy forest that served as ‘fire break’,” the DENR official explained.
He noted the Mt. Banahaw grassfire incident is the biggest so far at fire damage affecting 50 hectares and the last highland fire recorded five years ago.
The top-notch DENR geologist-expert also explained two theories on the fire incidence where one is attributed to a natural phenomenon due to very extreme heat and the dry spell with reeds and grasses among the easily combustible materials.
The other cause of fire is human-induced through sheer negligence like the burning candle left by devotees after the prayer ritual conducted near the site.
He disclosed the search team already apprehended five of the 11 devotees who slipped through the restricted areas and were placed under interrogation at the village station here after descending from the mountain.
The DENR regional executive director, who is concurrent chair of the Protected Areas and Management Board (PAMB) of the MBSCPL, told media they are considering to impose tighter restrictions and to extend the moratorium on the public ban at the sacred mountain beyond 2015.
“As Holy Week nears with the influx of pilgrims and devotees to the prayer sites, we have to wait for the outcome of the investigation within the next two weeks to impose more restrictions and enforce full restrictions on entry of the public to the protected areas if we cannot control the violators on the moratorium,” the DENR Calabarzon regional chief said.
Juan also sought local government units (LGUs) and agency partners’ support and cooperation to control the entry and maintain the current PAMB resolution to restrict the movement and visit to the protected landscape.
He also dispelled misconception on the status of the volcano which has been declared inactive through historic times and described Mt. Banahaw’s round crater at the peak with drainage towards the downslope.
Mt. Banahaw noted three volcanic eruptions in 1730, 1743 and 1843.
Juan also urged mountain visitors that there is an allowed area they can access in Sitio Kinabuhayan in Dolores but beyond the perimeter fence, the area is restricted to the public.
He met with DENR partners such as barangay leaders and the communities along the Banahaw downslope to tighten security perimeter restricted zone and village volunteer watchmen.
“We still have a few forest rangers but they have aged since and we wait for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approval to fill in the vacant positions,” Director Juan said, noting the ratio of a forest ranger guarding the 500 hectare scope in the Mt. Banahaw.
Juan said they expect a month or two for the approval and fill up the positions with younger contractual employees as extension officers because Mt. Banahaw’s 11,000 hectare expanse is currently guarded by only three forest rangers.
“We have developed a strategy to make up for this discrepancy for now by hiring ‘bantay gubat’ or forest guards and the overwhelming support of the civilian volunteers. But we hope the situation on the lack of manpower would be given due attention and perhaps our legislators also consider increasing our budget for forest protection,” DENR Regional Director Juan said. (Philippine News Agency)
