FEATURE
ENVIRONMENT
How the Sierra Madre Nourishes and Protects
by News Unlocked Staff
Posted on December 8, 2020
The Sierra Madre confronts typhoons from the Pacific Ocean while nourishing the creatures taking refuge on its land – a “mother mountain range” worthy of its name.
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range spans from the eastern portions of Cagayan in the North to the province of Quezon in the South.
Photo by Jacob Maentz
As the longest mountain range in the Philippines, it covers 10 provinces – Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Quezon. The Sierra Madre, also dubbed as the “backbone of Luzon,” extends for over 500 kilometers and its land area is approximately 1.4 million hectares.
Here are some facts about the Sierra Madre and how it benefits us, the threats it faces today, and what we can do to help what’s nourishing and protecting us ever since.
A home to diverse species
The Sierra Madre, at the heart of the “greater Luzon biogeographic region,” embraces a large number of species proving its significance as a biological site.
According to Forest Foundation Philippines, the Sierra Madre represents about 40% of the country’s forest cover. It also encompasses sixty-eight protected areas in the country, including national parks, watershed forest reserves, natural monuments, marine reserves, and protected landscapes and seascapes.
Past studies reveal that at least 201 species of mammals, 556 species of birds, over 85 species of amphibians and 252 species of reptiles thrive in the mountain range. It is home to many species that are facing threats such as the Philippine eagle.
A shelter, a pharmacy and a sacred ground
The Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance Inc. tells the story of the mountain range that is a home, a pharmacy and a sacred ground – all at the same time, to indigenous people living within and near it.
Indigenous People (IP) like the Agta or Dumagat, the Kalingan, and the Ilongots or Bugkalot thrive in these areas.
In an interview with GMA Network, Octavio Pranada, leader of the Dumagat tribe in Tanay narrated how Tinipak in Kaliwa River, the most sacred place for the Dumagats, carries their beliefs and culture as its water flows.
"Nagpapagaling po talaga iyong paniniwala naming mga tribo. Dahil noong araw, malalayo ang doktor, bale mangangako lang ang mga matatanda namin na paliliguan diyan 'yung batang may sakit, gumagaling naman po Ma'am," Pranada explained.
Commissioner Ramcy Astoveza of the National Commission of Indigenous People also detailed how the river is a sacred ground for the Agta-Dumagat tribe of General Nakar Quezon and a venue to reconnect with their creator.
"Alam mo 'yung kahalagahan ng sagradong lugar sa aming pamayanan, 'yan ang nagpapatibay ng aming ugnayan at paniniwala sa may likha,” Astoveza said.
A natural shield against typhoons
As the Philippines faced devastating typhoons for the past months, Sierra Madre’s significance also grew closer to hearts.
The Sierra Madre serves as Luzon’s natural defense from typhoons and storm surges from the Pacific Ocean. It acts like a wall that blocks and weakens typhoons’ wind speeds before they even reach other lands and homes.
Haribon Foundation, one of the leading nature conservation organizations in the Philippines, told the same tale even back in 2016 during typhoon Karen and Lawin’s onslaught.
“Since the Sierra Madre has a large surface area with many slopes and curves, it can help break the eye of the cyclone resulting in a slower wind speed,” Haribon explained.
Threats to the Sierra Madre
Haribon recorded more than 36 million hectares of forests that disappeared in the Sierra Madre from 2001 to 2019. This is due to human-induced activities that greatly affect the mountain range.
The Forest Foundation listed illegal logging, mining activities, road construction and development and agricultural practices as causes of the Sierra Madre’s environmental destruction.
The Kaliwa Dam Project, called the New Centennial Water Supply Project, also poses threats to the Sierra Madre. Set to be built in between General Nakar and Infanta, Quezon Province, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems claims that the project will be the solution to the water crisis in Metro Manila.
The project has met great resistance from critics as it will not only flood IP communities in Quezon and Rizal, but it will also cause irreversible damage to the biodiversity around it including the Sierra Madre.
Albert Balbutin of Haribon says that Mount Irid-Angelo on the southern range of the Sierra Madre that covers 130,000 hectares of forest land will be affected by the project.
Conversations on nature conservation
Photos from Save Sierra Madre Network Facebook Page
Forest Foundation Philippines and Tropenbos International have been actively facilitating Sustainable and Inclusive Landscape Governance dialogues in the Sierra Madre since 2018. According to their December 1 report, one of the key action points identified is to continue regular dialogues and ensure more active participation of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government, Local Government Units, private sectors, and IP communities.
Rep. Fidel Nograles of Rizal’s 2nd District also filed House Bill No. 5634 last year that forwarded the creation of a Sierra Madre Development Authority (SMDA). SMDA will supervise the Sierra Madre Mountain Range to protect its biodiversity and prevent flooding in Luzon. The House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization approved the bill on December 7.
Netizens also help in spreading awareness of Sierra Madre’s significance and alarming destruction. After a series of typhoons hit the Philippines in October and November, the hashtags #SaveSierraMadre and #NoToKaliwaDam trended online. This was accompanied by online petitions from the non-profit coalition Green Convergence Philippines and civic group STOP Kaliwa Dam Network.
Conversations increase awareness that would forward the protection of the Sierra Madre. However, our efforts should not stop when there are no typhoons or when “things go back to normal.” The Sierra Madre Mountain Range has been protecting and nurturing all the time, and it is our task to give back nonstop. #