The Sierra Madre, the longest mountain range in the Philippines, is losing nearly 9,000 hectares of forest every year, according to the Haribon Foundation. This mountain range is important as a protection against typhoons and natural carbon sink, but it continues to be degraded by various projects and activities.
According to Nova Peñaverde Regalario, conservation officer of Haribon, widespread deforestation is occurring in parts of Rizal and Quezon due to projects such as roads, mining, and renewable energy. Despite a law protecting more than 300,000 hectares in the northern part of the Sierra Madre, illegal logging and kaingin or burning of land for farming still continue.
From 2003 to 2020, up to 130,000 hectares of forest have been lost, or equivalent to ₱58 billion when translated into the value of trees and natural resources destroyed.
Strict protection zones have been established to prevent re-entry of projects, but despite this, many operations continue in areas that should be protected.
According to Regalario, the law must be strictly enforced and the indigenous communities living around the Sierra Madre must be supported to prevent the complete loss of the forests that serve as Luzon's shield against disasters.
