08/10/2022
Myth and reality
The myth of Sierra Madre is the story of Luzon.
Millennia ago, giants ruled the world and in what is now Luzon is the family of Lusong, the warrior father, and Sierra, the mother. They had two sons, lloco and Tagalo.
They lived a tranquil life, but as stories go, trouble was brewing.
Bugsong Hangin is the King of Easterlies and he was still sore over Sierra choosing Lusong over him.
In his jealousy, he would make the sea attack the land and his breath would uproot trees and crumble the mountains.
He wouldn’t stop until he killed Lusong, which he eventually did. In his dying breath, Lusong asked Sierra to protect their sons.
Sierra did this by lying on the coastline with her back to the ocean. Every time Bugsong Hangin would attack, Sierra’s body would repulse him and Iloco and Tagalo flourished since then.
This myth is more than a creation myth. Sierra remains the protector.
But for how long, we don’t know. The descendants of Iloco and Tagalo are hastening the erosion of Sierra’s body.
Deforestation has been going on for the past century. The cutting of trees is unprecedented and reforestation is mostly ceremonial.
The rivers were dammed and continue to be dammed. This again has hastened the erosion of the mountains and the siltation of the rivers.
The Sierra Madre stretches 500 kilometers from Cagayan down to Quezon, covering over a million hectares of land, cradling peaks sometimes close to two kilometers high.
These are high enough to repulse the typhoons which are the army of the Easterlies.
Now we laugh at this myth but this story shows how important the mountain range was and still is.
Climate change has joined Bugsong Hangin. Because of our voracious appetite for fossil fuels and other dangerous chemicals, the Earth is getting warmer.
The global warmth is emboldening the wrath of the Easterlies. Typhoons are now far stronger than ever.
Most of the typhoons reaching us now have become supertyphoons. And they do so rapidly, giving the descendants of Iloco and Tagalo less time to prepare.
Sierra is still there but what if she leaves?
These are the realities.
According to Haribon Foundation, “Karding’s impact slowed down while traversing the Sierra Madre Mountain range since the area has a large surface of slopes, curves, and forested areas.” It also added that the Sierra Madre is “home to a large number of wildlife species and provides fresh water to the people of Metro Manila, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Rizal, Laguna, among others.”
World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines says we must “save Sierra Madre today and every day.”
“It plays a very important role by acting as a natural shield against typhoons and floods coming from the Pacific Ocean. With the rising sea levels, it is more than vital that we protect the Sierra Madre and all the forests in the country.”
Haribon and WWF-Philippines are joined by environmental organizations calling on the government, the private sector, and the Filipino people to once and for all put resources to protect Sierra Madre. Words are not enough as action is needed. For example, Haribon is increasing reforestation coverage in Sierra Madre and training indigenous tribes of Quezon to help protect the area.
“What we need to realize as a country is that there is a way to work with nature to achieve economic development while being responsible stewards of the environment. This will benefit humans in the long run, as our resources for air, water, and food are protected.”
Editorial
Baguio Chronicle
October 1, 2022
