Saving a fairy’s abode

When we speak of Mt. Makiling, what comes to mind instantly is the legend of Mariang Makiling, deity of the mountain range straddling parts of Laguna and Batangas. In folk literature, she is described as enigmatic. But more than Mariang Makiling legend, it is the verdant and the very diverse flora and fauna within the mountain’s bosom which shroud it in mystery.

According to Dr. Edwino S. Fernando, a taxonomist and the director of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (mcme), Mt. Makiling shelters more than 2,000 species of ferns and flowering plants, about 211 species of moss, hundreds of species of fungi and algae, 45 species of mammals, 181 species of birds, 65 species of reptiles and 22 species of amphibians.

It is home to the rare and endangered Rafflesia manillana, a bizarre-looking parasitic flower, and the beautiful ornamental plants Medinilla magnifica and Strongylodon macrobotrys. It is one of the country’s 18 centers of plant diversity, an extremely high biodiversity conservation priority area, and one of the country’s 31 key ecotourism sites.

Furthermore, its water resources abound with 60 perennial and intermittent streams. Likewise, the panoramic views from the mountain peaks, nature trails and forest parks give nature lovers the experience of a lifetime. It is not surprising that around 150,000 tourists visit the forest annually.

Aside from its being a tourist destination, the forest is used for research and instruction activities on biodiversity conservation, and a wildlife habitat and refuge. Its geothermal wells are used as a source of energy while its watersheds supply nearby communities with their water needs.

Mt. Makiling is classified into two zones, the Makiling Forest Reserve (mfr) of 4,244 hectares, which U.P. Los Baños manages under RA 6967, and the buffer zone of 1,652 has beyond the forest reserve. The mfr is a restricted area, a training laboratory for the advancement of scientific knowledge on the protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. Meanwhile, the buffer zone helps protect the mfr by restricting land conversion and destructive land developments.

A recent study undertaken by mcme with support from the UPLB Foundation, Inc., First Philippine Conservation, Inc., and First Generation Holdings Corporation, is the first attempt to characterize the biodiversity of forests in the southwestern part of Mt. Makiling.

Current cooperative projects are maintained through partnerships with stakeholders. Two watersheds, Tigbi and Sipit, are being rehabilitated with the help of the Calamba Water District, the Finland Embassy, the Ford Motor Corporation and the National Power Corporation.

The annual Make it Makiling visitation management strategy encourages visitors to make the most of their stay within the forest during the Holy Week.

There are also tree-nurturing projects and information campaigns for the conservation of the forest supported by private sectors such as DuPont Far East, Rotary Club Makati-Legaspi and the Tourist Association of Laguna.

The improvement of land use systems is being promoted through agroforestry with the support of the Asean-Korea Environmental Cooperation Project, which also conducts research on ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Similarly, the UPLB successfully works with communities located within the area in conservation education programs that help communities in Mt. Makiling recognize its conservation value and promote the wise use of its resources.

Dr. Emmanuel R.G. Abraham, head of mcme’s Forests and Watersheds Division, describes the process of conserving the forest through the initiatives of the University, local government units, and the private sector as a "Conservation Relay." He explains, "This is a corporate ecosystem restoration strategy that initiates as well as builds on earlier restoration efforts to start up and sustain the rehabilitation process of a degraded area. It is like a race where the baton–representing material, financial or manpower inputs–is passed from one cooperating stakeholder to another through time, until a degraded area is fully rehabilitated." He further adds that conserving Mt. Makiling, given the limited resources, is not a burden if the stakeholders are willing to work hand in hand.

More than a decade ago, there was an open grassland located within the mfr in Sitio Kay Inglesia, Sto. Tomas, Batangas, which resulted from perrenial burning. But with help of the municipality of Sto. Tomas, Ciba-Geigy, Surigao Development Corporation, Philippine Wood Producer’s Association, the local community and student organizations, about 13 hectares of this grassland have been rehabilitated by planting and nurturing trees and educating people on how the practice of burning destroys forest resources.

The Tigbi watershed located northwest of Mt. Makiling fronting Calamba City is also currently being rehabilitated with funds donated by the Calamba Water District. This year, more than three hectares of degraded forest land within the Tigbi watershed has been planted to and enriched with endemic trees. Naturally growing trees have also been tagged and identified so that these can be readily monitored. Likewise, DuPont Far East, Inc., has picked up the baton from Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis), Sterling Health and Rotary Club of Makati-Legaspi in establishing and nurturing about two hectares of young plantations near the National Arts Center area.

mcme has also maintained a garbage-free area by educating and making it a requirement for the almost 8,000 visitors during the Holy Week to bring down the garbage they generate during their stay. If unchecked, the indiscriminate disposal of an average of 600 kilos of garbage during the period is sure to wreak havoc on the reservation. With the help of volunteers, major accidents have also been prevented and visitors enjoy a safe and rewarding visit.

The guardians of the forest keep on with their mission of protecting the natural resources that lie in its bosom, keeping in mind that Mariang Makiling is in every major or minor tree and plant species and the fauna that abound here, from which people get their sustenance and protection.