lagawan.info

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 the UNESCO national commission of the Philippines, in her recent visit here 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 Culture Committee of this commission, we shall undertake the necessary steps to pursue the nomination of 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 of outstanding universal value and must meet at least one 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 Baroque Churches of the Philippines (1993); Tubbataha Reef Marine Park (1993); Rice Terraces of the Philippines, Cordillera (1995); Historic town of Vigan (1999); and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Natural Park in Palawan.

Soliven has lauded Gov. Malanyaon for her full commitment in leading the preservation efforts for the locals to protect Mount Hamiguitan 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 municipality who has fearlessly and incessantly moved for Mount Hamiguitan to be declared as a protected area amid strong protest from illegal loggers and miners in the area.

Yu said the vast presence of a very rare pygmy forest within Mount Hamiguitan 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 against predators of our very precious natural environment succeeding and nearing victory.

Joel Mayo Almario, a former lawmaker representing the second congressional district of Davao Oriental, has authored the law declaring Mount Hamiguitan range a protected area.

Almario, who is also an environmentalist, is now the incumbent vice governor of the province.

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

“The mountain range is the home too of 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 millennium trees called pygmy or bonsai trees,” Emata said.

Meanwhile, Soliven said the Philippines’ tallest peak, Mount Apo, may also be put in the World Heritage List.

“To fast-track the nomination, we suggest a serial nomination of Mount Apo and Mount Hamiguitan. A serial nomination means that a property will include component parts related because they belong to the same geological, geomorphological formation, the same biogeographic province or the same ecosystem type. As you have been informed, we have already begun the process for the nomination of Mount Apo since last year,” Soliven said.

Gov. Malanyaon said her administration has just declared Mount Hamiguitan as a “flagship tourist destination” of Davao Oriental, replacing Pusan Point where the Philippines’ earliest sunrise is.

Davao Oriental has long been known as the “sunrise capital” of the Philippines. (PNA)