Mount Apo is a large solfataric, potentially active stratovolcano in the island of Mindanao, Philippines. With an elevation of 2,956 metres (9,698Â ft) above sea level, it is the highest mountain in the Philippine Archipelago and is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur province in Region XI and Cotabato province in Region XII. The peak overlooks Davao City 45 kilometres (28Â mi) to the northeast, Digos City 25 kilometres (16Â mi) to the southeast, and Kidapawan City 20 kilometres (12Â mi) to the west.
The first two attempts to reach Mt. Apo’s summit ended in failure: that of Jose Oyanguren (1852) and Señor Real (1870). The first recorded successful expedition was led by Don Joaquin Rajal in October 10, 1880. Prior to the climb, Rajal had to secure the permission of the Bagobo chieftain, Datu Manig. It is said that the Datu demanded that human sacrifice be made to please to god Mandarangan. Fortunately, the datu agreed to waive this demand, and the climb commenced on October 6, 1880, succeeding five days later. Since then, numerous expeditions followed. These and more are described in colorful narrations by Fr. Miguel Bernad, S.J. On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon. A note on the etymologies: Mt. Apo is said to be named after a nobleman named Apong, who got killed while mediating the battle between two suitors of his daughter Saribu. Another proposed origin of the name is from the word Apo itself, which in Filipino tongues means “master†or “grandfatherâ€.
Conservation
Mount Apo Natural Park
On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park with Proclamation no. 59 by President Manuel L. Quezon, followed by Proclamation no. 35 of May 8, 1966 then Proclamation no. 882 of September 24, 1996. On February 3, 2004, the approval of Republic Act no. 9237 established Mount Apo as a protected area under the category of natural park with an area of 54,974.87 hectares (135,845.9 acres); with two peripheral areas of 2,571.73 hectares (6,354.9 acres) and 6,506.40 hectares (16,077.7 acres) as buffer zones, provided for its management and for other purposes.
Although a declared a Natural Park, the current climbing trails are littered with rubbish by irresponsible climbers, opening paths for soil erosion across the already denuded mountain sides. Some mountain and social climbing groups conduct climbs after the Holy Week/Easter, the peak climbing season, to clean the affected areas.
UNESCO World Heritage list
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) submitted Mount Apo on December 12, 2009 for inclusion in the UNESCO world heritage list. The mountain is considered by DENR as the center of endemism in Mindanao. It has one of the highest land-based biological diversity in terms of flora and fauna per unit area. It has three distinct forest formations, from lowland tropical rainforest, to mid-mountain forests, and finally to high mountain forests.
A portion of the eastern slopes are also within the scope of the UNESCO Hydrology Environment Life and Policy (HELP) Network. The Davao HELP Network is focused on building collaboration among watershed stakeholders.
Climate
Typhoon Jelawat (2012) September 20, 2012, Typhoon Bopha December 9, 2012, Typhoon Haiyan November 8, 2013,
Flora and Fauna
The mountain is home to over 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic to the area. It is also home to one of the world's largest eagles, the critically endangered Philippine eagle, which is the country’s national bird.
Bodies of Water
The Marble River And Matingao River to Connect of the Kabacan River its Join the Pulangi River which empties into the Mindanao River in Cotabato City
The Lake Venado, of section of North Cotabato its no outflow from the lake. The lake usually loses two-thirds of its size during dry months and Summer due to evaporation. Large Size during the Raining Season
The Lake Maag and Lake Jordan located Section of Davao Del Sur
The Tudaya Falls Located Barangay Santa Cruz Davao del Sur to Drain of Sibulan River that empties into Davao Gulf
Lake Agko is a steaming blue and Boiling Mud lake where hot and cold springs converge. It stands at an elevation of 4,200 feet above sea level.
Marbel Falls, Mawig Falls,
Geothermal energy
The Mt. Apo 1 and Mt. Apo 2 geothermal plants, each possess a rated capacity of 54.24 megawatts. Owned and operated by Energy Development Corp., the power plants were commissioned in February 1997 (Mt. Apo 1) and June 1999 (Mt. Apo 2) respectively, under a build-operate owner contract arrangement. Located in Barangay Ilomavis, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato is the Mindanao Geothermal Production Field with a power output of 108.48Â MW, currently the only power plant of its kind in Mindanao.
The Philippine National Oil Company geothermal plant supplies electricity to Kidapawan and its neighboring provinces, its completion boosted the city's economy.
Indigenous peoples
Six indigenous groups, the Manobos, Bagobo, Ubos, Atas, K’Iagans and Tagacaolo, live in the area of Mount Apo. They consider the mountain to be sacred ground and a place of worship. A number of genealogies of Lumad leaders in South Central Mindanao trace their roots to Mount Apo. For the Lumads, the term "Apo" was coined from the name of their great grandparent Apo Sandawa.
Hiking activity
At 2,956 meters (9,698Â ft), Mount Apo is the highest Mountain & volcano in the Philippines. This majestic peak is one of the country's most popular climbing destinations.
Several trails lead to the summit, coming from North Cotabato and Davao provinces. Arguably the easiest route to the National Park is through Kidapawan City with an average hike taking 3â€"4 days roundtrip. In the classification system used by local popular mountaineering website PinoyMountaineer.com, the difficulty of the hike is 7 out of 9. Various sights along the trail include Lake Venado, the highest lake in the Philippines, the solfataras and the old crater near its summit. The mountain may be climbed year-round or one can register and join the city's Summer Climb or the Annual October Trek / Climb.
Gallery
See also
- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
- List of active volcanoes in the Philippines
- List of inactive volcanoes in the Philippines
- List of potentially active volcanoes in the Philippines
- List of geothermal power plants in the Philippines
- List of protected areas of the Philippines
- List of Southeast Asian mountains
- ASEAN Heritage Parks
References
External links
- Global Volcanism Program: Apo
- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Mount Apo Page
- PinoyMountaineer: Mt. Apo Kidapawan-Magpet Trail
- PinoyMountaineer: Mt. Apo Kapatagan-Kidapawan Traverse Trail
- Mount Apo on Summitpost
- UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List
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