Saving Mt Apo and the RP eagle from extinction

Protection and conservation of Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak and also known as the "Grandfather of Philippine Mountains," was given a boost last year when President Arroyo signed R.A. 9237, otherwise known as the Mt. Apo Protected Area Act.

"The law is certainly a big step to ensure the continued life of Kabayan, and to give it a chance to breed in its natural habitat. But, more broadly, the law would also ensure the protection and conservation of Mt. Apo’s biodiversity," said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Michael T. Defensor. "The DENR, under my administration, is committed to preserve and protect Kabayan and all other endangered animal life and plant species in Mt. Apo."

He said RA 9237 also seeks to protect the "native customs and interests of the legitimate inhabitants, migrants, Mindanaoans and all Filipinos in general" who have made Mt. Apo their home and who may face risks from the encroachment of urban practices which may prove harmful to the environment.

The Mount Apo Natural Park has an area of 549,744,724 square meters. It is situated in the municipalities of Magpet and Makilala and the City of Kidapawan in the province of Cotabato; municipalities of Bansalan and Sta. Cruz and the City of Digos in the Province of Davao del Sur, and Davao City.

From Davao City, it is about two hours by car, with three routes to access the summit. The first is the northeast trail which is steep but short through Baracatan, Toril, Davao City. The second is the northwest trail from Kidapawan, Cotabato while the third is the southwest trail in Makilala, North Cotabato both of which will require two days trek.

At times Mt. Apo appears from afar as being marked with snow. But as one gets nearer, the white color of the snow turns out to be a shade of yellow which is sulphur. Mt. Apo a dormant volcano. Its last eruption was recorded in 1640 but is upper slopes are still littered with hundreds of sulphur vents where steamy and gaseous vapors escape.

Mt. Apo is claimed to be the ancestral domain of several tribes in Mindanao, the Manobos, the Bagobos, the Ubos, the Atas, the K’lagans and the Kaulos, among others. For them, it is the dwelling place and burial site of the gods and Apo Sandawa, their Supreme God. It has many hotsprings, waterfalls and mountain lakes — famous of which are the Tudaya Falls and the lakes of Aco and Venado. It serves as the watershed — the primary source of both potable and irrigation water for the surrounding provinces of North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Bukidnon and the City of Davao and source of 30 river systems. The hydrological value of the area necessitates that its forest ecosystem has to be protected and sustained.

Mt. Apo takes pride as the only place where "Kabayan" and other Philippine eagles could have proper food and nest. Philippine eagle is the country’s most precious bird because of its slow reproduction rate and difficult rearing and breeding in captivity. This is the main reason why the Philippine eagle has become the single most powerful symbol of conservation efforts in the country.

Julie Gorospe-Ibuna, a staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, once wrote that "somewhere in the majestic slopes of Mt. Apo in Davao in the Davao Peninsula, a landmark event last Nov. 23 would have been celebrated by the animal kingdom last Nov. 23 with no television cameras rolling and not even human eyes watching. The date marked the second year on earth of a remarkable creature, as the most important bird in the Philippines, a rare eagle christened as "Kabayan." There were no newspaper headlines the day after, a relief after all those days when Kabayan’s every move was recorded by a media curious about the country’s first test-tube bird — the product of a mingling of the sperm and eggs of two captive eagles known as "Kahayag" and "Junior."

The last time Kabayan captured the headlines was on April 22, 2004 during the Earth Day, when he was dramatically set free to roam and hopefully multiply in the wilds of the equally majestic Mt. Apo.

Studies who there are 111 endemic species of birds in Mt. Apo. It is also reported that 10 are endangered including the Mindanao scoops owl, the lesser eagle owl, the Mindanao lorikeet, and the whritted hornbill. Further, 96 species were identified to have both economic and cultural values to the communities within this mountain area.

Mt. Apo’s aesthetic, ecological, economic and cultural value makes it urgent and necessary to effectively implement RA 9237 or Mt. Apo Protected Area Act.

Defensor has called on the people to work together to overcome the challenges of protecting and preserving Mt. Apo Natural Park.