MANILA – (UPDATE) Netizens raised righteous ruckus, angered and disappointed that they won’t be able to trek to Mt. Pulag after a bush fire blazed through the popular Cordillera destination on Saturday.
In a report to DENR central office, Regional Director Ralph Sarmiento said the Mt. Pulag fire was put out at 7pm Sunday.
It started accidentally from Camp Site No. 3 when the butane gas-fueled cooking set of three hikers exploded. No one was injured in the explosion.
The burned grassland involves 3 hectares, and some dwarf grass was damaged, said Sarmiento’s report.
Meanwhile, “Pulag is still open to hikers via the Ambangeg route, but the summit is off limits.”
There are optional sites for hikers to view the sunset and sea of clouds, Sarmiento added.
NETIZENS REACT
“Literally crying after seeing that news about Mt. Pulag,” said Twitter user @frenzocuaman on Monday.
“Sobrang ganda mag-hike sa Mt. Pulag. Day and night ang ganda ng view. Ba’t nasira (Hiking Mt. Pulag is a beautiful experience. Day and night the view is gorgeous. Why was it ruined)?” lamented @inaaaliban.
“I am saddened … Haynaku (Oh my), I’ve lived more than half of my life in the boondocks and I really get mad at people climbing mountains for the sake of sightseeing and then ruining them after. Jusko kung ‘di lang din kayo magtatanim ng puno ay ‘wag na kayo umakyat (Good heavens, if you aren’t going to plant trees anyway, don’t hike anymore),” tweeted @jean_eun_tak.
“Balak ko pa lang sana mag-hike sa Mt. Pulag (And I was just planning on hiking on Mt. Pulag). Please, please, please take care of our Mother Earth. Blessing sila para sa ‘tin pero tayong mga tao pa ang naninira (They’re a blessing to us yet we choose to destroy them),” @christinenama said.
“Praying for Mt. Pulag’s recovery,” added @_extian.
The Philippine News Agency reported on Saturday that the Municipality of Bokod, Benguet, which manages the Mt. Pulag conservation area, ordered the indefinite suspension of visits there following the blaze.
Mt Pulag is Luzon’s highest peak in the country, next to Mount Apo and Mount Dulang-Dulang.
“Visitors who will be coming in the next days will be restricted from entering and will, instead, be directed to the four lakes (in adjacent Kabayan town),” PNA quoted the Office of Civil Defense as saying.
There were no hikers or visitors stranded at the mountain, PNA reported, although initial findings indicated that the fire was set off by a butane gas stove brought by a hiker.
InterAksyon is still seeking an interview with a witness to the incident.
