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BY ROMA GONZALES
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Justice for Mt. Igcoron
IN THE midst of the beautiful Antique landscape are some of the greatest mountains in the country. There’s Madia-as, the highest in Panay Island whose name evoke reverence and awe even among the experienced mountaineers. Along with Nangtud and Baloy, they complete a physically demanding trilogy and a rich spiritual experience.
And along the rise and fall of the valleys and the revered mountains are many other beautiful ones. One of these is Mt. Igcoron, a rising star of landscape located in the municipality of Valderrama. From the jump off point, the muddy rice paddies reflect its intimidating jagged seven peaks like some dragon fortress in a fantasy movie.
At only about 700 meters above sea level (according to the application Peak Hunter), many local mountains lord over it in terms of elevation. For one, the famous Mt. Napulak of Igbaras, first love of many Panay mountaineers, is almost double at 1200+ meters above sea level.
But Igcuron’s (also Igcoron or Igcurun) charm is not how tall it is. The pride in reaching any of its seven peaks is the difficulty of the climb. With a near vertical ascend, assaulting Mt. Igcuron is almost like wall climbing and one has to grab cogon grasses like ropes. The knife-edge shoulder is also not for the acrophobic. But from its pedestal, one is rewarded with a 360 degree-view of green ridges and higher mountains, of nearby peaks, and the great Cadian River rushing to pour itself to the sea so it can go higher to the clouds and fall as rain in the mountains over and over again.
This Nov. 19, however, an Iloilo-based hiking party was shocked to find that a trail was made towards the mountain’s peaks. A path has been carved along its wall — earth dug up and grasses cleared. An additional fee of P20 is also being charged, possibly for the effort of those who ignorantly and irresponsibly made the trail.
Mountaineers expressed frustration in social media, complaining about how the mountain was supposed to have been conserved and protected, seeking to reach the provincial or municipal tourism offices.
If one thinks there is nothing wrong with this, then we are having a major problem. This is no favor to the tourists or to the local government or to the mountain. Whatever gains some people think they’ll get from this is not worth the long-term effects. There’s soil erosion and the much damaging psychological message that we can do whatever we want with Nature.
The fact that the locals participated – possibly even initiated – this effort to disrespect the mountain simply means there is little environmental conservation and protection awareness among our citizens.
It would be more frustrating IF this was an order from the local authorities themselves in a misdirected, misinformed effort to “aid” tourists and boost the local economy. Mountains do not belong to the authorities or to the locals. They belong to themselves, to the Earth, to the Universe.
Responsible tourism should be indispensable and consistent. Monetary gain should never ever go over protection and conservation because it’s not worth it when all resources we have are lost, when species go extinct, and when mountains wake up in anger to shake our villages and cities.
We are yet to hear from the authorities — hopefully, an apology to the mountain which should translate to damage control and reversal. Let us please learn about responsible ecotourism, basic mountaineering principles and pass this on to our officers, tour guides and locals. It would be a wise move as well to invite mountaineering and trekking clubs to participate in creating local laws and plans for conservation.
Humans have been changing the face of the planet ever since, but shouldn’t we know better now that we have to be conscious of the damages we make to ensure our own species’ survival? This is not only a matter of pride and glory, as mountaineers prize the struggle that it takes to reach summits, but more about protecting Nature. In mountaineering, there is the code of Leave No Trace, which basically means we should leave the mountain as we found it – they who have been here before the oldest of us.
The mountains always speak. They sing. They sigh. They laugh. But they should be given a human voice so that less enlightened ones may understand, and we want to say: let us not provoke them to grumble./PN
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