Davao: Mountaineer’s Death a Blunder of DOT, PAMB
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DAVAO CITY — A mountaineering group said the fate of Ian Caasi, the mountain climber who drowned at Mt. Apo’s Lake Venado during the observation of the Holy Week, exposes the absence of concrete policies for the safety of mountain climbers and Mt. Apo visitors.
Jumar Bolo, chairperson of the Kinaiyahan Amomahon, Ubanan ug Bantayan (Kauban) Movement, said the death of Caasi could have been avoided had the tourism department, the primary agency responsible for inviting people to climb Mt. Apo, set-up safety measures which could have assured the safety of the mountaineers.
Over the years, Bolo said, there was a failure on the part of the government to really institutionalize mountain climbing despite the many incidents of misfortunes that befell mountain climbers while scaling up and down Mt. Apo in the past.
“The incident would have not happened had government agencies like the Department of Tourism only did their duty to the people. This agency commodified Mt. Apo by charging mountaineers hundreds of pesos in registration fee during climbs and yet mountaineers are not getting what they pay for in terms of services,” Bolo said.
“We know that the registration fee does not, in reality, assure us of our safety but the DOT takes responsibility over the safety of the mountaineers. Also in reality, it was the DOT who encouraged the people to climb Mt. Apo as part of their promotion program, selling Mt. Apo like a product, and so this agency is supposed to be answerable to whatever will happen to us while climbing up and down the mountain,” Bolo added.
Kauban said the failure was quite unacceptable knowing how simple these safety measures are. Part of this, Bolo said, was the deployment of stand-by rescue teams who could quickly respond to incidents like that of what happened to Caasi, especially during peak seasons.
He also said that DOT even failed to put signage in places like the Lake Venado and other dangerous areas enough to send warning to mountaineers. At the time of Caasi’s death, Bolo said, there was no warning sign anywhere in the Lake Venado area where the campers set-up a tent city.
Caasi’s death, Bolo said, should serve as a lesson and an eye-opener not only for the DOT but also for the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) and even the local government units that are serving as entry-point hosts for climbers.
These local government units are also collecting entrance fees from the climbers, but the purpose of which are mostly vague, if not questionable and unexplained.
After Mt. Apo was shut down for four years, PAMB allowed its reopening in 2005 after the local government units of Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, Kidapawan City, and Makilala and Magpet in North Cotabato assured them to limit the number of mountaineers they allow to pass by their entry points.
The regulation and control of mountaineers came with the assessment that Mt. Apo has been for the past many years accommodating a number of mountaineers which were way beyond its carrying capacity.
But even with the closure, many mountaineers sneaked into the mountain. There were even reports that some local government units allow mountaineers to enter the protected area and collect fees despite the standing closure order.
“We question and protest the fact many government agencies and units are making Mt. Apo and the climbers their milking cows without appropriately giving back what they must give back to the people and the environment,” Bolo said.
Kauban has been lobbying for a local legislation that could address the issues concerning mountaineering in Davao City. It has conducted a number of seminars and orientations not only on basic mountaineering and safety but also on environmental care.
The group is also advocating for responsible mountaineering—where mountaineers will instill into themselves their own responsibility to take care of the environment while enjoying its abundance and beauty.
It has been calling for various mountaineering groups to not only give their members with basic mountaineering and safety course but also with environmental inputs.
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Davao firms to issue warning on closures, retrenchments
April 17th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
I just would like to inform you that PAMB had set policies in terms of climbing activity in Mt. Apo. All LGU’s hosting the said trekking activity is required to implement strictly of the said policies. As to do’s and dont’s while at the Mt. Apo. PAMB conducts pre and post evaluation to all LGU’s before organizing a climb giving emphasis on the protection of the mountain and security of the climbers.
In fairness with the Department of Tourism, yes it’s true that they are helping all of the LGU’s surrounding Mt. Apo to promote its activity but it is always in accordance with the standard procedure set by the concerned offices.
As far as the DOT and PAMB is concerned they have done their part but maybe PAMB needs to give sanctions to LGU’s or violators who do not religiously implement the policy set in climbing activity at Mt. Apo.
In terms of carrying capacity, still it is being observed.
Orientation/briefing is being strictly conducted especially in our city (Kidapawan) even to those who have gone to Mt. Apo for how many times purposely to keep on reminding all climbers on what to do for their safety and protection of the environment.
Maybe, the incident is really an eye-opener to climbers who are hard-headed and presuming that they knew very well all the precautionary measures in mountaineering activity.
Additional information is that each climber affixed their signature waiving as to liability and responsibility of the LGU concerned to whatever accident a climber may incur. But still we look forward of their safety by reminding them to become a responsible climbers and make them all understood all the policies set by the office.
Hence, from our part I am appealing to all climbers to submit themselves in attending the very short orientation/briefing in order to avoid such incident that really makes everybody alarmed and sad to say “to take one’s life, before a lesson learned”
Proper coordination with the office concerned of the activity is very much important. Don’t make a rush in spending your time to climb Mt. Apo especially in preparing all of the things needed to be done, most especially the procedure of Registration and Orientation.
Hope this reaction of mine can clear the pointing of all the blames to the DOT and the PAMB and even to the LGU’s who are strictly and sicerely implementing the policies as to protection of the climber and the environment.
God bless and greetings of peace to all.
April 25th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
as a mountaineer dapat desiplinado ka..alam mo na dapat kng paano ang reaction sa loob ng bundok..RESPITO ANG KAILANGAN lalo nat bisita lang tayo dyan!!!!!
March 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
i would just like to ask if it s okey to climb the mt. apo with my 5 year old daughter? and how much are we going to pay as regulatory fees in making a climb at the apo? can you give me names of mountain climbing groups that are frequently climbing the apo?
we are planning to climb the mount apo with my wife and my daughter..
i hope i could get a reply in my email soon
September 5th, 2008 at 7:35 am
to ma’am marie fe!
good day ma’am..mangutana lng mi kong asa padulong ang kwarta nga ginabayad nmu pag,magsako sa mi sa mt.apo???ngano mahal man kaayo ang bayad???giunsa nmu pagkabalo na tanan grupo niagi ug orientation??
kani nga hitabo nagpasabot lng na dli tanan climber responsible..ang mga grupo mga maoy nanguna sa pag,urganisa sa mga climbing activity sa mt.apo ang uban sa ilaha nagnawta lng…aminon m2 na dako kaayo ang kwarta pag climbing sesson ug perting mahala unya dli man diay n2 masecured ang a2ng kinabuhi…..ngano mahal man ugbayad ang pagsaka sa mt.apo???kinsa diay ang tagiya sa mt.apo ang gobyerno,tao o ang mambubuhat??
September 5th, 2008 at 7:40 am
to ma’am marie fe!
good day ma’am..mangutana lng mi kong asa padulong ang kwarta nga ginabayad nmu pag,magsaka sa mi sa mt.apo???ngano mahal man kaayo ang bayad???giunsa nmu pagkabalo na tanan grupo niagi ug orientation??
kani nga hitabo nagpasabot lng na dli tanan climber responsible..ang mga grupo mga maoy nanguna sa pag,urganisa sa mga climbing activity sa mt.apo ang uban sa ilaha nangwarta lng…aminon m2 na dako kaayo ang kwarta pag climbing sesson ug perting mahala unya dli man diay n2 masecured ang a2ng kinabuhi…..ngano mahal man ugbayad ang pagsaka sa mt.apo???kinsa diay ang tagiya sa mt.apo ang gobyerno,tao o ang mambubuhat??