Wednesday, February 15, 2006

600-km Ecotourism Trail Under Way in the Sierra Madre

NEWS FEATURE

ecotourism trail under way in the Sierra Madre

First posted 10:01pm (Mla time) Dec 05, 2005
By Blanche Rivera
Inquirer Editor's Note: Published on Page A7 of the December 6, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IT'S NO YELLOW BRICK ROAD but it has all the trappings of a wonderland.

The Sierra Madre Mountains, the country's longest mountain range and one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, is being primed to become the top ecohistorical tourism destination in the Philippines.Environmentalists and local governments launched last week the 600-km Sierra Madre Trail, a unique trek through the 1.4-million ha. mountain range that is home to 3,500 species of plants and the widest variety of birds in Luzon.Experts from Miriam PEACE (Public Education and Awareness Campaign for the Environment) mapped out a trail from Palaui Island i n Cagayan, the northernmost tip of the Sierra Madre, to the UP Land Grant in Quezon, south of Metro Manila, as an ecotourism zone. Miriam PEACE, the outreach arm of Miriam College's Environmental Studies Institute, is convenor and manager of the Sierra Madre Trail (SMT) program.Appalachian Trail Inspired Print this storySend this storyWrite the editorReprint this articleView other stories by the Appalachian Trail in the United States, the 600-km trail features over 200 destinations in the nine provinces traversed by the Sierra Madre mountains: Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Quezon."This is the first biodiversity corridor trail in the country," Donna Paz Reyes, Miriam PEACE project coordinator, said during the trail's launch at Miriam College's mini-forest Tuesday night.The Sierra Madre range is one of only th ree biodiversity corridors in the Philippines identified by Conservation International. The other two are in Palawan and eastern Mindanao.Bird watchingA biodiversity corridor is a gateway to critical ecosystems that boast of wide varieties of plants and animals, including species found only in the Philippines, as well as species threatened with extinction.The 600-km trail is punctuated by the best bird-watching points; the areas with the most diverse flower species, and other flora and fauna; and sites for religious rites and other cultural experiences."The idea is to have a single ecohistorical tourist destination with focus on its biodiversity corridor," Miriam PEACE said in a statement.Three-pronged


The Sierra Madre trail is three-pronged. A lowland road trail, a mountain foot trail and a coastal trail.The lowland trail follows the national highways from Metro Manila: the Maharlika Highwa y in the north and the Marilaque Highway in the south.Interesting points on the lowland trail are the PeƱablanca Protected Landscape, Biak-na-Bato National Park, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, and the Capisaan Caves in Nueva Vizcaya. To the south are the Pamintinan Caves and Avelon Zoo in Rizal.One week Reyes said a week would be "comfortable enough" to take in the wonders of the lowland trail, but to fully experience the nature and culture of the north would require about a month.The coastal trail features beaches, surfing and dive sites, and towns on Luzon's Pacific coast that can be reached primarily by boat. One such place is the Baler-Palanan trail whose coastline is noted for waves ideal for surfing.The mountain foot trail is arguably the most challenging of the three options and is expected to be the most popular among foreign trekkers and mountaineers, Reyes said.Safety issueMiriam PEACE is still developing a single trail for t he mountain foot path and working with local governments to ensure safety both for the locals and local flora and fauna.The Aguinaldo trail is one tour package that would be offered when the Sierre Madre Trail opens in February. It follows the route of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippines' first president, when he crossed the Sierre Madre from San Mariano to Palanan to escape pursuing American forces during the Philippine-American War.Local guidesReyes said the local governments in areas covered by the foot trail would accredit guides who not only know their way around the forests but are familiar with the biodiversity sites.The local guides would accompany tourists and educate them on the importance of preserving the Sierra Madre Mountains. The local governments would identify safe areas that could be opened up to tourists.Environmentalists are promoting ecotourism as a viable development option for the country, which is being marketed by the government as one of the best mining sites in the world.Population pressurePopulation pressure is also taking a toll on the forests. Around 10 million people live in the Sierra Madre, among them the Dumagats, Kalingas, Ibanags, and Bugkalots."With the damaging effects of environmental problems, there is a need to unify conservation initiatives... to ensure the harmonious co-existence of people and nature in the long term," Miriam PEACE said.Reyes admits it's a long way to go for Sierra Madre's caretakers and visitors, but because they are on the right track, the journey can't be that bad.

Shangri-la Boracay issues....

Subject: Shangrila's Paved Paradise
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:54:00 -0800

Dear Friends

I received this distressing email from my friend, Renee Lorica, a biologistworking for Flora and fauna International now based in Bacolod City.Renee Lorica's friend in Boracay witness an alarming destruction in thefragile environment at the on-going construction of the 220-room ShangrilaBoracay Resort. Boracay Island is a resort island that is probably thesingle most popular destination in the whole country.Our national government has drumbeat this investment as a show of trust inthe Arroyo administration and the success of the Department of Tourism.

Shangrila Hotels has no right in projecting itself as an environmentalproponent if they cannot even respect the environment.We may be no match to the powerful Kuok Properties, owners of the Shangrilahotel chain, but together we can make a stand against continued negligencein a critical environment.This email is being sent to ALL my contacts from environmental lawyers, &the journalists, to people in the tourism industry and the bird clubs in theregion, specially in Malaysia.I urge you to circulate this email until it reaches the powers behind ...the Dept of Envirnment and Natural Resources, the Dept Of Tourism, theOffice of the President, and Kuok Properties.Michael LuPresidentThe Wild Bird Club of the Philippineswww.birdwatch.phPS. As the construction goes on, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)and the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) has yet to be issued bythe DENR. These 2 documents are pre-requisites before any construction workis undertaken.

> Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 05:5 6:12 -0800 (PST)
> From: Lara Tajanlangit
> Subject: Shangri-la's Paved Paradise in Boracay


>>> Last Sunday, December 4, while my plane was passing over Boracay, I noticed a large brown hole in the forest where the 3 species of flying foxes (the endangered and endemic Golden-crowned Flying Fox, the threatened Giant Flying Fox and the commonIsland Flying Fox) are roosting in the island.

The site looked really bare from the plane. As soon as I landed I contacted the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Representative in the island, the environmental impact assemment (EIA) preparer of the Shang-rila Boracay Hotel and Renee Lorica, who has studiedthe bats in the island for a year, and is now based in Bacolod.

The next day, the EIA preparer told me to talk to the Project Director of Shangri-la Boracay so he can explain to me the developm ent plans and mitigating measures. I decided it would be best if I went to the Shangri-la site with the DENR-EMB representative so he can monitor the site as well.

When we arrived at the site this morning the project director showed us the development plans and explained the mitigating measures for the clearing they were presently doing, which included planting, landscaping, catchments for storm water runoffs among others. I expressed my fears that siltation will affect the coral reefs and that the future clearing and construction noise might affect the bats roosting in the nearby forest.

I requested that they hire a wildlife biologist familiar with the flying foxes to monitor the behavior and condition of the bat roost during the 2 year construction period and to allow Renee> Lorica access to their site so she can pursue her study on the bats' r oosting patterns to guide the development.

I also expressed by concern for the endangered sea turtles nesting on the beach since he also mentioned that they will be> barging in construction materials.

He assured me Shangri-la has a team of tree doctors, oceanographers and environmental consultants overlooking the> construction activities.

After a long discussion, we finally went to the site. To my dismay, the destruction even looked worse on land. At least half of the mountain side was being buldozed ( around 2 hectares according to the estimate of the DENR representative with me). Only a handful fo trees were left on the cleared slope. All the second-growth limestone forest, small trees and plants that use to> cover the mountain side were uprooted and piled on one side to be composted. Coconut trees were being chainsawed to be given to the loc al community.

I was afraid that the noise created by the chainsaw and buldozers will affect the bats roosting nearby. I am also concerned that with the heavy rains the past few days, siltation will occur. I did not see any catchment basins installed to catch stormwater.

After we left the site, I expressed my disappointment to the DENR representative for allowing this type of development to take place; for allowing them to clear and quarry one of the last reamaining forested mountains in the island; and for adding to the threats facing the already endangered flying foxes, that play a vital role in the regeneration of forests in Boracay and the neighboring northwest Panay peninsula.

I know that we cannot rebuild the mountain side that has been destroyed...what has been done has already been done. Shangri-la has to ensure as that no furthe r earthmoving and cutting be allowed. It has already done enough damage. Replanting should be done immediately to ensure that chances of siltation and landslides be minimized. Heavy equipments should be banned in the> area --- the noise generated can drive out the roosting bats and wildife in the surrounding forest.

Please tell Shangri-la Hotel they should review their development plans and re-evaluate their priorities. What must come first ? A huge lobby and landscaped gardens or the protection of the last remaining forest of Boracay and endagered species? These are important choices and the answer to this questions speaks of the integrity and principles of the Shangri-la group. The world is changing,> more tourists are willing to pay more for environmental protection. Please let Shangri-la know that drastic environmental> destruction wil just destroy the very attraction of the island --> its natural God-given beauty.

>> They have a social responsibility to the local community, to the> island, their guests and to future generations.

>> Lara

 

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