Only 50 hikers a day per trail allowed

On Mt. Apo

DAVAO CITY – Only 50 hikers for each trail a day will be allowed to climb Mt. Apo starting April 12, the end of the one-year “indefinite closure” of the Mt. Apo Natural Park–Protected Area Management Board (MANP-PAMB) resolution.

The MANP-PANB imposed higher fees and limit the number of climbers to ensure that Mt. Apo would be protected after last year’s incident where a bush fire that developed into a forest fire engulfed its peak and lasted for more than two weeks.

Climbers can scale Mt. Apo via its six trails in Kidapawan, Makilala, and Magpet in North Cotabato, Digos, Sta. Cruz, and Bansalan in Davao del Sur.

The board had drafted camping management rules for the trekkers but some environmentalists are wary that those rules may not be enforced strictly.

Aside from limiting the number of trekkers, the MANP-PAMB Ecotourism Management Committee “unanimously agreed and approved” that a “no camping policy” at the peak area will be incorporated in the Unified Trekking Policy of 2015 and the LGU’s Camp Management Plan.

New rates for Mt. Apo have also been enforced: P2,000 standard fee for all entry points and P2,500 during peak season; exit fee of P1,000 during regular season and P1,500 during peak season; and additional guide fee of P1,000 a day for a group of five climbers.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 director Ruth Tawantawan said it was the decision of the Lumads who want the mountain to be reopened.

“Mt. Apo is a favorite destination for both local and foreign tourists because of its unique features, aesthetic value, part from being the highest peak in the Philippines,” the resolution said.

But Golle countered by saying that the income “is big but we have to ensure the rehabilitation and protection of the Mt. Apo.”