MANILA, Philippines – Two underaged “illegal trekkers” are likely responsible for the Holy Week fire that decimated around 29 hectares of Mount Kanlaon Natural Park in Negros Island, according to officials of the protected park.

“Our speculation is that two boys, ages 12 and 14, caused the fire,” Park superintendent Cecil Cañada told Rappler on Monday, April 13.

Almost the entire Margaha Valley of Mt Kanlaon, a protected area and well-loved mountaineering destination, was found burning on April 2, Holy Thursday, at around 2 pm by park rangers. 

The two boys were found running out of the valley by park rangers, who intercepted them at the bottom of the mountain.

Cañada said they were “illegal trekkers” for failing to register at the Park Ranger Station run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) before entering the protected area.

The boys are suspected of unwittingly starting the fire by improper cooking methods.

To stop such destructive activities, cooking by lighting fuelwood is prohibited on the mountain. Only cooking using butane-based stoves is allowed, said Cañada.

The boys refused to provide any information to the park rangers. Because of their age, they were released soon after being apprehended.

‘Quick’ recovery

The large fire burned 29 hectares – or almost all – of Margaha Valley, one of the main attractions and breathtaking features of Mt Kanlaon.

Mountaineers mourned the destruction.

“It breaks my heart to see that the Margaha Valley of Mt Kanlaon was scorched very recently…. The beautiful carpet of grass in this valley is one of Kanlaon’s unique attractions,” wrote popular mountaineer-blogger Pinoy Mountaineer on Facebook.

Fortunately, the fire only reached the grasslands of the valley and did not penetrate the forested areas. 

“It will easily recover because it’s just grass. After a week, with rain, it will grow back,” said Cañada.

Nevertheless, Cañada and the other park rangers feel “frustrated” by the fire.

“We are not able to control the illegal trekkers, especially during the peak season. We don’t have enough manpower,” he said.

LGU help needed

Around 60 to 80 volunteers man 4 stations in the mountain, but Cañada says many climbers are still able to enter through secret pathways. 

The two boys, for instance, are locals from villages surrounding Mt Kanlaon who likely knew of secret trails far from the sight of park rangers, he said. 

For this reason, Cañada plans to call a meeting with the local governments of surrounding villages to ask if village watchmen (barangay tanod) can be ordered to watch out for illegal trekkers entering through their village. 

Manpower and funding are chronic deficiencies of protected areas in the Philippines.

A study showed that among protected areas in Southeast Asia, those in the Philippines are understaffed by 540% and underfunded by 324%.

Another report showed that, on average, for every 2,300 hectares of protected area in the country, only one person is paid to oversee conservation and management.

Mt Kanlaon is already known among mountaineers as having some of the strictest policies.

During peak season, from December to May, only a maximum of 15 climbers are allowed per trail per day. Mt Kanlaon has 4 trails.

Outside of the peak season, only 9 climbers are allowed per trail. – Rappler.com