BENGUET’S highest mountain peak will be off-limits to hikers every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting this January until May 2018.
The Mount Pulag National Park Protected Area Office posted this in its online page, as trekkers and hikers have already filled the slot during the weekends in a span of five months.
But hikers and trekkers can still be accommodated in the national park from Monday to Thursday provided they schedule in advance. This came even with the continued plea from the local government of Kabayan to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to regulate the entry of hikers.
Mayor Gideon Todiano reiterated to DENR the need to limit entry of tourists to lessen deterioration of the remaining forest reserve of Mount Pulag.
"We could have tourism activities for Mount Pulag but DENR have other activities, so we cannot make another because it may create conflict," said Todiano.
The mayor, however, is pleased with the declaration of the area as a national park, but he was displeased with the lack of management plan.
Todiano said the mountain is already destroyed, the Bermuda grass where people can walk on barefoot is gone, camping sites have become muddy because of the uncontrolled number of tourist and the presence of communication towers have destroyed the natural view of Mount Pulag.
Mount Pulag can only accommodate 300 to 400 people per climb every day.