Mt. Maculot - an open garbage site?
February 23-24, 2013 - together with my three friends, we had an urgent overnight climb in Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas. This mountain is famous to all mountaineers and even to piknikeers (as we call them) because of it's gorgeous surroundings.
On the camp site, you have an access the full image of Taal Volcano which is the smallest active volcano in the country. The fresh air that breezes on the camp site is really inviting for a party.
So here's my concern: just meters before reaching the camp site of this gorgeous mountain, I saw a small area that fills with garbage. It includes the garbage bags, plastic bags, brandy bottles, plastic wrappers, used wet tissues and other small particles, as a nature lover, it was actually a shocking part.
Upon reaching the camp site, I saw another area filled with same type of trash. I thought it was just an area for the garbage, but as I walk on the narrow trail, I was really shocked! Just beside the camp site were all types of garbage that I usually saw in a garbage truck every Monday in our subdivision, for a waste collection.
I am not against doing a party on the mountain's camp site - it's a part of socializing. It is also the key in building a good relationship to other mountaineers. Remember, the real mountaineer knows how to take care the mountain; thus, the people who throw garbage on any part of the mountain that destroys the ecosystem is NOT A REAL MOUNTAINEER.
So here's my concern: just meters before reaching the camp site of this gorgeous mountain, I saw a small area that fills with garbage. It includes the garbage bags, plastic bags, brandy bottles, plastic wrappers, used wet tissues and other small particles, as a nature lover, it was actually a shocking part.
Upon reaching the camp site, I saw another area filled with same type of trash. I thought it was just an area for the garbage, but as I walk on the narrow trail, I was really shocked! Just beside the camp site were all types of garbage that I usually saw in a garbage truck every Monday in our subdivision, for a waste collection.
I am not against doing a party on the mountain's camp site - it's a part of socializing. It is also the key in building a good relationship to other mountaineers. Remember, the real mountaineer knows how to take care the mountain; thus, the people who throw garbage on any part of the mountain that destroys the ecosystem is NOT A REAL MOUNTAINEER.
TO THE MANAGEMENT OF MT. MACULOT:
In every mountain there is an entrance fee, right? For Mt. Maculot, we paid 10 pesos per head times four, it's equal to forty pesos. Take note, in a single day, how many people are there climbing just to reach the camp site or summit and let's times it to ten, can you get the sum? Again, we are talking about per day!
Now, there is a big question mark in my mind now: Where's the entrance fee going to? I still don't have an idea about it. If the piknikeers doesn't know how to take care of nature, THE MANAGEMENT should use the budget to impose a Rules and Regulations for the benefit of the mountain and NOT for somebody's pocket. Or, I can suggest to have a regular cleaners on the trails, this can be useful in preventing the accident as well.
MOUNTAINS ARE WEALTH OF OUR COUNTRY, LET'S PRESERVE IT - NOT DESTROY IT!
