Mount Apo in Davao, and Mounts Kitanglad and Kalatungan in Bukidnon are some of the mountains in the country that recently suffered from forest fires worsened by the El Niño phenomenon.
While the Mt. Apo fire started because of a bonfire left behind by trekkers, the blaze in Mt. Kitanglad was caused by grassfire, which spread to nearby forests and six other mountains that were part of the mountain range. According to DENR-10 Assistant Regional Director Felix Mirasol, villagers were “exposed to the high risk of boulders and glowing embers falling on them.”
Due to the series of wildfire outbreaks, Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje called all Protected Area Manangement Boards (PAMBs) across the country to prioritize the prevention of forest fires and ensure the nation’s biodiversity and habitat protection.
Days after the blaze started, the City Government of Kidapawan ordered the closure of Mt. Apo for a period of 3-5 years for rehabilitation.
“We have to sacrifice in closing the annual climb as I cannot sacrifice Mt. Apo that has served as landmark for greatness for centuries through its rich natural resources,” Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista said.
Meanwhile, at least P35 million is needed for the rehabilitation of Kitanglad, according to a DENR- Northern Mindanao official. As of press date, the said mountains are also closed from the public.
Forest fires and El Niño
Though majority of wildfires are caused by human activities, El Niño still has something to do with their frequency and severity. As temperatures continue to rise and the amount of precipitation lessens, fires tends to spread more easily.
In a span of few weeks, we have seen how forest fire incidents have increased. If reduced rainfall prevails, this could lead to more forest fires that may be prolonged due to the soil’s lack of moisture.
The usual Hot and Dry Season is now being aggravated by the El Niño. Once a blaze begins in the forest—whether it is naturally caused by lightning or humans— it may get more intense within a longer period.
Studies show that the increasingly hot and dry climate has led to a worsening of wildfires across the globe. But in turn, these forest fires have also become contributors to climate change.
Aside from triggering air pollution, which threatens the health and lives of nearby individuals, forest fires eliminate trees and other plants that absorb carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that stimulate climate change.
The decrease in the number of trees also poses danger in the next few months, where the onset of the Rainy Season is expected. This increases the risk of flash floods due to the loss of plant life and the inability of the burned soil to absorb moisture.
Based on the latest data from PAGASA, dry days will remain for almost the entire April. A large portion of the archipelago may experience more than 20 days of less than 1-millimeter of rainfall. Hence, if more forest fire incidents occur, these will be more difficult to control.
PAGASA also stated that the strong El Niño is expected to weaken and will likely reach neutral levels in the middle of the year, from the months of May to July. However, warmer than average temperatures may continue during the transition.
Saving our Summits
So what can you do to save our mountains?
To begin with, you and your hiking buddies can join the 3rd National Mountain Clean-up Day that will take place on June 4, 2016.
In his website, Gideon Lasco, author of renowned hiking blog “Pinoy Mountaineer” announced that 23 teams have already signed up for the event. As of April 11, mountains included in the clean-up are the following: Romelo (Laguna), Magsanga (Leyte), Pamitinan (Rizal), Binacayan (Rizal), Daraitan (Rizal), Talinis (Negros Oriental), Batulao (Batangas), Gulugod Baboy (Batangas), Tagapo (Rizal), Daguldol (Bagtangas), Sirao (Cebu), Babatngon (Leyte), Malipunyo (Batangas), Tibig (Batangas) and Sembrano (Rizal) as well as the Minalungao National Park (Nueva Ecija), Ampucao Ridge (Benguet) and Cansomoroy Peak (Cebu).
Meanwhile, the Davao Regional Incident Management Team, who spearheaded the operation in extinguishing the Mt. Apo fire, invited the public to learn more about their technique by posting on its Facebook page. “This incident has been dealt with using the Incident Management System (ICS). We enjoin everyone to be trained in using the Incident Command System for more organized and streamlined response operations in future incidents and planned events.”
Lastly, here are a few reminders from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines on how mountaineers and travelers can live by the Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles:
Plan ahead and prepare. Be familiar with the place, people, and the most environment-friendly way of reaching your destination.
Travel and camp on durable grounds. Do not walk on places not made for human transit as trampling on vegetation can greatly alter an area.
Dispose of waste properly. Garbage does not belong in forests, beaches or summits. Whatever you bring to a place, make sure to bring all of it back home with you.
Leave what you find. Resist the temptation to take home a “souvenir” and leave natural resources for others to appreciate. Always remember to keep the environment as pristine as possible.
Minimize campfire impacts. Refrain from creating a campfire, but if absolutely necessary, only set it up on an existing pit to reduce damage to the area.
Respect wildlife. Refrain from playing, taunting, feeding or abusing local wildlife.
Be considerate of other visitors. How would you feel if the group before you completely littered your destination? This will kill the experience for you; so remember to not do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.
Sources:
www.nwf.org
http://www.ucsusa.org/
PAGASA – DOST
https://www.facebook.com/DavaoRegionIMT/
http://www.pinoymountaineer.com
By Amor Larrosa and Desserie Dionio, Panahon TV Reporters
Gunshots echoed as protesters hurled stones against the police. Blasts of water cannons were directed toward rallyists, who ran for their lives amidst deafening screams. According to reports, such was the scene that unfolded in Kidapawan in Cotabato that took the media by storm on the first day of April – an incident that would later be tagged by others as “Bigas, Hindi Bala.”
On March 29, 500 El Niño-stricken farmers and agricultural workers staged a rally in front of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Kidapawan City to ask the government for rice rations and aid after the El Niño had dried up their crops, leaving them penniless, in debt and hungry.
The local government agreed to talk to the farmers, but on March 30, their numbers rose to 6,000, allowing them to occupy the highway. A couple of days later, the event led to a violent dispersal, killing two farmers and one civilian, with more than a hundred protesters and members of the police wounded, and 80 farmers missing.
TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
Last April 7, the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights held a hearing in Davao City as some of farmers who were still recovering from injuries could not travel to Manila.
During the session, a farmer named Arlyn Oti Aman recalled how she, along with colleagues, were treated violently. “We went here to ask for food, but they looked upon us as like dogs, like animals.”
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed that they have proof that the demonstrators initiated the violence. North Cotabato Chief Police Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum said that maximum tolerance was implemented during the outbreak of violence. He also showed an aerial video of the incident showing that cops were not raising their batons.
There are always two sides to every story, but what’s certain is that one of the factors that sparked the Kidapawan violence is the El Niño. This phenomenon aggravated the Dry Season in Mindanao, threatening food security.
WHAT IS EL NIÑO?
El Niño is characterized by the unusual warming of the ocean or the unusual rise in sea surface temperature (SST). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the term El Niño was originally recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America as the appearance of uncommon warm water in the Pacific Ocean.
“El Niño” is also a Spanish term meaning “Little Boy” or “Christ child” because this phenomenon usually arrives around Christmas.
WARNING
As early as 2014, PAGASA warned the public about the possible threat of El Niño, which was expected to bring below-normal rainfall patterns and higher air temperatures. Though the average number of tropical cyclones could still be normal, PAGASA stated that the El Niño could affect the cyclones’ movement and intensity, causing them to be stronger and more erratic.
EL NIÑO SETS IN
On March 11, 2015, PAGASA confirmed the ongoing El Niño in a press statement.
In the same month, the Dry Spell started to affect farmlands and water sources in Kidapawan City. The veterinary office in the city also reported deaths of hogs and cows because of the severe heat. The city office also received reports that some farm animals had weakened, possibly due to heat stroke.
After enduring the effects of El Niño for months, North Cotabato was placed under a state of calamity on January 2016. Thousands of hectares of farmlands and millions of crops like rice, corn, cacao, and other high-value crops were affected.
MINDANAO’S WEATHER
Provinces that are vulnerable to the effects of El Niño are mostly in Mindanao, mainly because of its location. According to PAGASA-Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section (CLIMPS) Chief Mr. Anthony Lucero, areas which are at the nearest distance from the equator normally experience the highest temperatures and least precipitation.
“Kapag kasi may El Niño, nagkakaroon ng reversal of winds—5 degrees north and 5 degrees south of equator. Humihina ‘yung effect ng Easterlies pagdating sa part na ‘yun. So walang moisture, wala ring ulan,” Lucero said.
This April, North Cotabato remains to be on the list of areas that are more likely to experience drought. Drought is defined by three consecutive months of way-below normal rainfall condition, wherein the average rainfall is reduced by 60%.
WERE WE PREPARED FOR EL NIÑO?
In the Senate Committee hearing, Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño Mendoza stressed that the provincial government took El Niño-mitigating measures after being warned by PAGASA.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala belied reports that farmers in Mindanao have become hungry because of the government’s failure to prepare for El Niño. According to Alcala, when PAGASA declared a mild El Niño, the DA immediately provided P2.666 billion worth of mitigation assistance as early as 2015. He also said that P979.9 million worth of assistance was released from January to March 2016, including the provision of water pumps.
According to Alcala, DA’s projection of palay harvest loss due to El Niño for 2016 to date is 970,000 metric tons; “But the actual loss was 203,000 metric tons, meaning that the government has implemented the necessary interventions.”
From April to July this year, DA targets to distribute a total of 89,260 bags of rice varieties and seeds; 80,000 kilograms of soil ameliorant/zinc sulphate; and 5,000 bags of organic fertilizer for distribution to affected farmers.
As early as January, Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo called for the administration to disclose how it intended to spend the multimillion-peso budget for El Niño mitigation.
Likewise, in his statement during the hearing, Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano condemned the administration for its failure to immediately release funds to mitigate the effects of El Niño.
“Enough of excuses and lies: we actually have P45 billion worth of funds in 2016 that may be used for the projects that will curb the impact of this crisis. If the Palace wanted to resolve this, they can… why are there so many farmers who are still starving and facing poverty?” said Cayetano.
EL NIÑO AND CLIMATE CHANGE
In an interview with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Atty. Gia Ibay said climate change does not cause El Niño, but the frequency of El Niño occurrence may be linked to it.
Lucero affirms this, saying it is a common misconception that El Niño is caused by climate change. He added that though El Niño is a natural occurrence, climate change may worsen its effects.
“Sa nakikita natin in the recent years, dumadami at dumadalas ang pagkakaroon ng disasters dahil sa climate change – kasama dun ‘yung drought. Ang climate change, connected sa pagtaas ng temperatura ng mundo. So kapag nagkaroon ng El Niño, lumalala ang effect. Mas mainit at lalong nagkukulang sa ulan,” Lucero explained.
According to Lucero, the current El Niño is still categorized as “strong” but is expected to weaken in the next few months. Probably by the end of July, our country may experience a “neutral” climatic condition.
AWARENESS + PREPAREDNESS
To date, the PNP has started its own inquiry on the Kidapawan dispersal, but there are calls for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a parallel probe to ensure an impartial and independent investigation.
Meanwhile, in Senator Loren Legarda’s press release, she said that this incident would not have happened if necessary interventions addressed the impact of El Niño on farmers and communities.
“…the government can no longer deny the link between climate change and development. What we saw is just one of the human faces of climate change and our farmers, who did not cause this phenomenon, is among the direct victims of its impacts,” Legarda stated.
With the increasing frequency of El Niño and extreme weather events, it is evident that we are already facing a serious challenge. We have all been warned about the development of an El Niño phenomenon, but awareness is not enough without preparedness. It is the state’s responsibility to see to it that measures are effectively carried out from planning to implementation, making sure that the very backbone of the country’s food security—the farmers—benefit from them.
Related articles:
Panahon TV Blog: Decrypting the Dry Spell
Panahon TV Blog: El Niño getting stronger, threatens PH until 2016
REFERENCES:
http://davaotoday.com/main/human-rights/we-were-treated-like-animals-woman-tells-senate-hearing-on-kidapawan-carnage/
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1541460006387/senate-hearing-on-violent-kidapawan-protest-held-in-davao
http://www.da.gov.ph/index.php/media-resources/news-release/2016-news-release/7456-agri-chief-belies-media-reports-that-mindanao-farmers-going-hungry-due-to-el-nino
http://www.gov.ph/2016/04/05/govt-intensifies-efforts-combat-el-nino/
https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2016/0407_escudero2.asp
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
PAGASA-DOST
Greenpeace Philippines
www.mindanews.com
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/01/21/1544611/north-cotabato-under-state-calamity-due-el-nino
http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2016/0405_legarda1.asp