SINGLE-use plastics and other types of trash continue to be found at Mt. Apo, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Davao Region (DENR-Davao) on Tuesday, April 18.
Regional Public Affairs Office chief Jayvee Agas said zero-waste policies are in place to prevent littering and trash being left behind at Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP) but there are still some climbers who violate the rules.
During the monitoring activity on April 3 to 10 at MANP, DENR-Davao said traces of single-use plastics and vandalism on the natural boulders and craters were discovered.
“We cannot perfectly do this because we still have climbers who are still not responsible... (On our part), we continue to remind visitors and climbers to be responsible enough for their waste,” Agas told SunStar Davao in an interview.
DENR-Davao said in a separate statement that it was “unfortunate” that trash is still present at Mt. Apo but they said they continue to monitor the activities of the climbers and enforce the zero-waste policies in order to conserve the natural park.
In accordance with the zero-waste policies, some of the banned items at MANP are plastic bottles, non-biodegradable wipes, and unregulated butane canisters to prevent fire incidents.
“The team particularly verified the climbing permits of the trekkers, their adherence to the zero-waste policy and mountaineer’s creed of leave no trace. Scouting activities were also done for the possible water sources in the event of a fire incident,” DENR-Davao said.
Those who are caught violating the policies will be subject to appropriate fines and in severe cases, they may be blacklisted from MANP.
Fortunately, Agas said the volume of trash they usually discover is not alarming nevertheless, the climbers should still follow the zero-waste policies.
A maximum of 50 climbers per day are allowed at MANP during peak seasons. On normal days, Agas said there are fewer climbers. However, she said they have observed overbooking during the Holy Week break but was immediately dealt with.
“The DENR and the local government unit are doing something about the overbooking. At Mt. Apo, limited carrying capacity only. Dili nato siya ginapa-overbook (We don’t allow overbooking). If ever naa, ma-stop man siya on the side of the LGU (If ever there is, the LGU takes care of it). They strictly implement the 50 climbers,” Agas said. ICM