Mt. Province forest fire unlikely to affect Kalawitan adventure

SABANGAN, Mt. Province – The forest fire that is burning a portion of Mount Kalawitan in Nabua, this town will not affect tourism activities.

The mountain's vast area spans Mountain Province, Ifugao and Benguet.

"Malayo ang sunog. Mahirap marating saka malaki ang Mt. Kalawitan para masabi na ma-a-apektuhan ang tourism activities natin (The area experiencing forest fire is quite far. The fire won't reach it reach and Mt. Kalawitan is too big to say that it will affect our tourism activities)," Sabangan municipal tourism officer Warden Taltala said in an interview Friday.

Taltala said they suspect that animal hunters caused the fire, which spread fast because of the strong wind.

The mountain is the primary tourist attraction here and regarded as the watershed of Mountain Province and Kalinga.

Taltala said his office is proposing to provide incentives to villages that can maintain a forest fire-free year to encourage them to protect their areas.

"We hope it gets the approval of the council and be funded starting next year as part of the Gagayam, which is the annual festival of Sabangan," he said.

The tourism officer said Mount Kalawitan is a route for the sky-running event during the Gagayam festival every third week of March while a cycling event lured 205 participants last month.

The municipal government also offers an "overlanding" area at Mount Kalawitan, allowing camping and setting up of tents on vehicles.

"When you reside in the city, you want to unwind, you want peace, quiet, to relax and communion with nature as well as experience our traditions. We have a good place for that," Taltala said.

"People do not have to walk or hike to go camping amid the forest, they can come here, park their car and camp at the same place," he added. (PNA)