Mt. Hamiguitan’s “bonsai” forests

Mount Hamiguitan to World Heritage list

Ferdinand Zuasola

A top official of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has vowed to pursue the nomination of Davao Oriental’s Mount Hamiguitan range wildlife sanctuary to the prestigious World Heritage List.

Ambassador Preciosa Soliven, secretary general of UNESCO national commission in the Philippines, in her recent visit to Mati City told Governor Corazon Malanyaon and the residents of this province that there is a big chance for Mount Hamiguitan range wildlife sanctuary to make it in the World Heritage List.

“I am pleased and honored to inform you that upon careful review and consideration of the Cultural Committee of this commission, we shall undertake the necessary steps to pursue the nomination of the Mount Hamiguitan range wildlife sanctuary to the Unesco World Heritage List,”

the Ambassador said.

The Unesco World Heritage List reflects the wealth and diversity of the earth’s cultural and natural heritage. Sites must be outstanding universal value and must meet at least once out of ten selection criteria to be inscribed in the prestigious list.

At least five wonderful sites in the Philippines have already been put in the World Heritage List since 1993. These are the Baroque Churches in the Philippines (1993), Tubbataha Reef Marine Park (1993); Historic town of Vigan (1999) and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Natural Park in Palawan.

Soliven lauded Malanyaon for her full commitment in leading the preservation efforts for the locals to protect Mount Hamiguitan mountain range from any forms of environmentally destructive activities such as illegal logging and unabated mining.

Environment advocate Tina Yu, the former mayor of San Isidro who has fearlessly and incessantly moved for Mount Hamiguitan to be declared a protected area amid strong protest from illegal loggers and miners in the area.

Yu said the vast presence of very rare pygmy forest within Mount Hamiguitan mountain range drew the attention of Unesco.

Mount Hamiguitan range forms part of the so called Greater Mindanao Biogeographic region towering to an elevation of 5,345 feet above sea level. The wildlife sanctuary is the only protected area in the country noted for its unique “pygmy forest.”

She said she felt vindicated and happy no end to see my fight aganst predators of our very precious natural environment succeeding and nearing victory.

Joel Mayo Almario, a former lawmaker representing the second congressional district has authored a law declaring Mount Hamiguitan range a protected area. Almario, who is als an environmentalist, is now the incumbent vice governor of the province.

The “pygmy” or “bonsai” forests

Mount Everest man Erwin Pastour Emata has also said that Mount Hamiguitan range in Davao Oriental is a “paradise” of all the peaks that he trekked to.

“The mountain range is the home of too many endemic, rare, endangered and economically important flora and fauna. But what have really sets it apart from the rest of the beautiful peaks is the fascinating presence of a thick forest of a very rare diminutive millenium trees called “pygmy” or “bonsai” trees,”

Emata said.

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Mountaineers said, there is also a lake found near the top of the mountain.