Ban on trekkers at Mt. Kanlaon finally lifted

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Mountaineers can now go back to the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park after authorities recently lifted the temporary ban on trekking at this famous mountaineering site, a report of the Philippine Information Agency said.

MKNP superintendent Cecil Cañada said that after aerial and ground assessments were conducted at the Mt. Kanlaon recently, he recommended that the trekking ban be lifted. He said the mountaineering trails of the park were all found passable and no longer pose danger to the trekkers any more.

The water sources at the camp sites were also left undisturbed, and that rock perimeter line were established at the rim of the volcano crater, Cañada said.

Early last month, the MKNP has been temporary closed to any mountaineering activities, after several cracks were monitored on its crater, following the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck Negros Island last Feb. 6.

Cañada earlier said the trekking ban within MKNP had to be imposed last month due to the extent of the damage, believed to have been caused by the quake, especially on mountain trails and eco-parks, which threatened mountaineers.

An assessment of the MKNP at the time showed that portions of the volcano’s crater were affected by the quake, and land surfaces had cracks and evidence of landslides, he added.

Lately, Angelo Bibar, MKNP Ecotourism and Protected Area Management Board operations officer, said: “In general, there is no problem with water at the usual water source and along the campsites. However, during summer water may deplete due to the natural cycle of evaporation and not because of the earthquake.”

A ratio of “5 climbers is to 1 guide” will be adopted after the lifting of the ban to ensure the safety of the park visitors making it easy for the accredited guides to supervise the trek, Bibar said.

The lifting of the ban was done at the level of the Office of MKNP Superintendent and approved by Valentin Talabero, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer of Negros Occidental.

Mount Kanlaon is an active volcano with an elevation of 2,435 meters. In Negros Occidental, it spans La Castellana and Murcia towns and the cities of La Carlota and San Carlos. In Negros Oriental, it spans Canlaon City and Vallehermosa town.