LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Director Clarence Baguilat said the carrying capacity of Mt. Pulag is still pegged at 120 climbers at a time.
Baguilat said the number of climbers to the highest peak in the region must be monitored and maintained at this number to keep the environs safe as well as the climbers.
Baguilat hopes local government units as well as private groups planning expeditions to the mountain's peak will keep the carrying capacity of the sacred mountain in mind.
He said there is an earmarked P10 million for the rehabilitation and improvement of Mt. Pulag ready for release once the comprehensive study has been submitted and studied.
Baguilat said the study is set to be submitted by the end of the year to the DENR. Improvement of the facilities as well as capability building of personnel at the park reservation will be made after.
Baguilat said physical structure in the mountain will be studied, improved and augmented including building facilities like bathrooms, improvement of the ranger station, trails and training for guides.
Years ago there were over 200 climbers allowed to climb Pulag's summit, causing damage to trails of the mountain as well as destruction brought to flora and fauna endemic to the area.
Mt. Pulag, the highest peak in Benguet Province, at 2,924 meters and is a favorite trek for climbers who want experience the sunrise at its highest point, it is also considered a sacred mountain and is tagged as the playground of the gods.
The park has a large diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the mountain. Its wildlife includes threatened mammals such as the Philippine Brown Deer, Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat, and the Luzon Pygmy Fruit Bat.
The Mt. Pulag area touches parts of Buguias, Bokod, Kayapa and Tinoc but is 80 percent part of Kabayan, The boundaries of the reservation reaches as far as Viscaya and Ifugao.
Today, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has set up camp at the perimeters of the Mt. Pulag reservation in a bid to thwart encroachment and illegal logging in the area.
