THE tourism secretary supported the reopening of Mt. Apo Natural Park to further boost ecotourism activities but was quick to add that a stricter policy must be imposed to protect the country's highest peak.
"I'm in favor of reopening it because mountain climbing is one of the activities na pinupuntahan ng mga tourists but kailangan pangalagaan [ang Mt. Apo] (that the tourists often do but Mt. Apo needs to be protected)," Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo told VoxPop Davao.
After a year, Protected Area Management Board, the highest policy-making body for Mt. Apo, lifted the indefinite closure of Mt. Apo last month to develop ecotourism, culture, and the traditional arts.
The officials, thus, considered the reopening of Mt. Apo to also provide livelihood to residents who are relying on the tourism and economic benefits of Mt. Apo.
The reopening of the Asean's Heritage Park was also considered to prevent illegal logging activities since some people were reportedly taking advantage on the absence of climbers.
But its reopening was still opposed by various mountaineering enthusiasts and local environment advocates as they said that it's too early to open the area again to the public considering that Mt. Apo is still under rehabilitation.