CALAMBA CITY (PIA) — Popular hiking spot Mt. Pico De Loro found in the Palay-Palay-Mataas-na-Gulod protected landscape in Cavite province has started welcoming back hikers and mountaineers on January 12 or six years after it was closed down for rehabilitation.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR)-Calabarzon through its Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) earlier hosted a soft opening last December 21 and 22 and tested PAMO’s personnel and tour guides in accommodating enthusiasts.
The protected landscape covering an approximate area of 3,972.70 hectares was declared a national park and said to be the last remaining lowland rainforest in Cavite known for the hiking destination Mt. Pico de Loro.
The park’s Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) said the two-day dry run attracted a total of 143 hikers who all booked online through https://mppmngnp.com/.
The park will be opened from Wednesdays thru Saturdays with a maximum of 90 hikers per day. It will only accommodate those who reserved or booked online.
The protected area was closed in October 2016 for rehabilitation from voluminous solid wastes, soil erosion and degradation. Authorities also cited uncontrolled vendors along the trail, campsite, and summit and unregulated number of hikers.
The DENR said the closure gave way to the clean-up, rehabilitation, and improvement of Mt. Pico de Loro.
Stalls for food vendors and souvenir items were constructed at the DENR park station where the jump-off point is located. Concrete stairs and steps were also constructed along the eroded portions of Mt. Pico de Loro to control soil erosion and mountain degradation.
DENR CALABARZON said online booking can be done through the website mppmngnp.com and announcements can be seen at the official Facebook page of PAMB-MPPMNGPL @picoPAMB. (PB/DENR IV-A)
