VINTAR WILDERNESS PARK
Mount Aganmala Wilderness Park Proposal Project Submission

Fig I. Mount Aganmala – Looking towards east. Left corner is Gubang. Right of the picture is the town of Carasi, northwest is the town of Adams, and east is the province of Kalinga-Apayao.

Vintar’s Mount Aganmala Wildernes Park Proposal Summary

The area that is bounded by Carasi, Adams and Gubang should be designated as municipal managed wilderness park. The park as wilderness would serve as a reminder of the land we have forever changed and a symbol of the land we have tried to protect. Vintar is an ideal tropical area in which to make wilderness, as the town has a very particular relationship with nature and its inhabitants.

Preface: We are losing the Battle

As a son of two very provincial Vintarinians, my family’s ancestors made pilgrimages to the mountain regions of Surong Valley, by foot and carabao drawn wooden carts that were exhaustively prepared for, sometimes for months beforehand. The roads follow the contours of the mountain region along the banks of the Bislak river. Not until last year, I have never been north of Bucana, the Dam. My knowledge of Surong is limited to stories, I heard as a boy, told around the dinner tables, and fishing campsites. I heard about great fishing grounds, wild boars, ugsa, sunggo, beautiful wild birds, large bats and soaring Siwawers. I heard about towering trees with their canopies completely covering the sun, and creating their own climate. I heard about mists hovering the side of the mountains where it is rainy and wet all year round. I longed for and seeked out stories of the wild and talked to people venturing out to Surong. Although wilderness interests me for its pureness, primitiveness, or promise, I am more concerned of its preservation. I am not worried about the past either, or the future, but it is the present that eludes us so far. The future will take care of itself, if we take care of the present. And that's where the problem lies.

The geographical scope of our tropical forest being cut down is staggering. As a result, during monsoon rains, countless lives and properties are lost because of landslides and floods. Our town is under siege every year, and we have seen a great portion of our rice fields being washed away by the torrid currents of the Bislak river, once it overflows. If the weather pattern does not change, heavy rainfall in our region will continue, and we will see more destruction. The outlook is very bleak, unless something has to be done.

I. Defining Vintar and Wilderness

What defines Vintar? One word: Siwawer. It is a hawk-eagle that hunts for fish, rats, snakes and small birds. It has brownish plumes and has reigned over the skies of Vintar for years until the advent of the 20th century. Its hunting skill is legendary, its free spirit ruled the skies of Vintar, and its superlative beauty in the skies is unsurpassed. We, the inhabitants of the land under its skies adapted its characteristics, hence we are known as siwawers. See Siwawer's view of Vintar. Never published before.

However, its existence is now at risk, because of the destruction of its habitat, and source of food. We too are at risk. The forest and river that has sustained the Siwawer and us for hundreds of years is the same forest and river that is threathening our basic existence today. During rainfall seasons, the forest watershed can no longer hold the water from cascading into turbulent currents that directly slam into the town proper. As a result, we are losing a great deal of rice, vegetable and arable lands, including fish habitats.

Like the Siwawer, we too have spread our wings over the globe. Almost every family in Vintar have someone overseas earning a living and helping the domestic economy to prosper. We go where we want to, and jobs take us to places we've never even heard of. We end up all over the globe. But, we always come back to Vintar, not because we want to, but because we want to be born again!

I propose that Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park be designated as a wilderness park to help us restore our eco-system, be born again, and once more define Vintar, and the Siwawer as one.

I propose that Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park be designated as one of the categories used by the Philippine government to describe its land. The National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 established the Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) to oversee the maintenance of national forest, wildlife refuge, and parks. The act sets forth the following criteria to define protected areas:

National park refers to a forest reservation essentially of natural wilderness character which has been withdrawn from settlement...

Natural monument is a relatively small area focused on protection of small features to protect or preserve nationally significant natural features...

Natural biotic area is an area set aside to allow the way of life of societies living in harmony with the environment to adapt to modem technology at their pace…

Natural park is a relatively large area not materially altered by human activity where extractive resource uses are not allowed and maintained to protect outstanding natural and scenic areas...

Protected landscapes/seascapes are areas of national significance which are characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land...

Resource reserve is an extensive and relatively isolated and uninhabited area normally with difficult access designated as such to protect natural resources of the area...

Strict nature reserve is an area possessing some outstanding ecosystem, features and/or species of flora and fauna of national scientific importance...

Wildlife sanctuary comprises an area which assures the natural conditions necessary to protect ties or physical features of the environment...

Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park almost certainly would qualify as wilderness as the above criteria have been applied over the last decade. The wilderness we've designated thus far is land we consider to be still pure, not land that only relatively recently became land at all or that recently served as timberland for timber companies. Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park qualifies, however, if we acknowledge the relative and symbolic nature of the wilderness concept as defined by DENR: "National Park refers to a forest reservation essentially of natural wilderness character which has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation except in conformity with approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve the area or preserve the scenery, the natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and to provide enjoyment of these features in such areas."

II. Managing Wilderness

Fig II. Land snail Family: Bradybaenidae Genus: Helicostyla Species: sphaerica

Found in Mount Aganmala.

DENR’s mandate accepts the fundamental responsibility for the existence and well being of systems of protected wilderness areas. It regards such areas as important components of national strategies for conservation and sustainable development. However, the actual responsibility for management of individual protected areas does not rest with DENR alone. It could also rest with central, regional or local government, non governmental organizations, the private sector or the local community. In practice today, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), a staff bureau of the DENR, has the "primary responsibility for the establishment and management of protected areas and the conservation of wildlife resources."

Once Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park is designated wilderness, the land areas would be under the care of the PAWB. However, the Secretary of the DENR can deputize field officers from the Vintar municipal government or non-governmental organizations (NGO) to expedite the management of the park. The test is whether the designated authority is capable of achieving the management objectives set forth by DENR.

Whatever the type of management maybe, experience shows that the success of managing wilderness areas depends greatly on the good will and support of the local community. It is imperative that the managing authority will need to employ the cooperation of the local people, such as the indigenous people of Gubang, to secure compliance with management objectives.

It would be a mistake to think that the Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park is an isolated unit. Ecologically, economically, politically and culturally, it is linked to the areas sorrounding it, such as Carasi, Adams and Kalinga-Apayao. For this reason, the planning and management of the park areas must be incorporated within regional planning of all communities concerned, and supported by their policies. For instance, on its south eastern slope, at the side of Carasi, the Rigid Mining Aggregates has applied for a 30-hectare small-scale mining in Barangay Birbira, Carasi, Ilocos Norte. But, according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) record, Rigid is pushing for an additional 2,000 hectares to mine, thereby making their operations as large-scale mining.

Park management, therefore would not only include plans relative to mining operation but would also look at rehabilitation, regeneration, revegetation and reforestation of mineralized areas that has been mined and excavated.

Human access to Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park will be restricted to "primitive means" only. Visitors could enter the Park on foot, on horseback, or by non-motorized boats thru the river. Mechanized access would not be permitted. This means no cars, no trucks, no motor bikes.

Because of its location, there would be a potential number of visitors everyday. It can be access by way of Carasi, Adams or Gubang. Once, trails are constructed it could become a popular tourist destination, and other major attractions could be setup and organized such as: tubing down the river, bird watching, kayaking, trekking and camping. Fees will be charged, and supporting labor to maintain the park would come from neighboring barrios.

With OFW's coming home in droves for a visit, the Park could ignite an exodus to the highlands of Vintar. One can only assume that the novelty of a patch of wilderness in Surong, can rival that of a nature’s preserve, like the ones found in places where they work abroad.

Protecting Nature makes economic sense. Vintar is entering a new economy, where income is produced outside of the country. The agrarain economy is slowly being reinforced by OFW's foreign remittances. In this new economy, preserving Vintar's natural wonders is essential for our town's on-going health and growth. It is no doubt it is a good investment for now and tomorrow. The Park will sustain numerous jobs directly or indirectly and will spawn domestic small businesses, such as tourist souveniers, food canteens, bed and breakfast cottages, etc. These values are important to Vintar residents and essential to our tourism industry. For each peso spent on the Park, we will see a return of about nine times in visitor expenditures. Therefore, by protecting wilderness areas as parks, we secure places for recreation and a future for our growing tourism industry while ensuring a healthy environment.

III. Making Wilderness

Fig III. Mount Aganmala looking north. Gubang is at its western slope. Carasi – Southern slope, Kalinga_Apayao - eastern slope, and Adams – northwest slope.

What is wilderness except something to be saved? Is there worth in wilderness that goes beyond its potential for human rest, recreation, or education? Is there worth inherent in the designation "wilderness" that we could feel as Mt. Aganmala Wildernes Park retaines its designation even as it become less and less technically wilderness? What is wilderness except something to be created?

"Wilderness. It is a place, an experience, a tradition, a remembering, and a future. It is an ancient forest homeland, a living refuge for wildlife, a sanctuary for endangered species and biodiversity. Wilderness is the very archive of life. The essence of purity, it serves as a guarantor for fresh water, clean air, and health. Vast and free, wilderness provides a wild place to play, a space for solitude. It offers the chance for renewal in Nature, reconnection with the land, reunion with the spirit."

Ric Careless,
Executive Director, BC Spaces for Nature

Mount Aganmala Wildernes Park's location has much potential. It is bounded by Carasi in the south, Kalinga-Apayao in the east, and Adams in the north. At the bottom of its western slope is Gubang. It rises over 5600 feet and can be seen with its majestic peak from the shores of the China sea, and the Babuyan Islands. If you are in town, and looking northeast towards Bucana and Baguinsusu, the dark bell shape peak, at the right of Baguinsusu is Mount Aganmala. (The peak left of Baguinsusu is Mount Masadsadac.)

The main tributary of the Bislak river starts at the western slopes of Mount Aganmala. Its watersheds recieves a tremendous amount of precipitation during rainy season. Much of the volume of the Bislak river comes directly from its slopes. During dry season, streams and water pools are formed in the river , and they become home to bukto, palileng, ican, shrimps, tadpoles, lamoyut and various aquatic plants.

The forest is home of exotic birds creating songs seemingly just for you. There are scores of butterflies in their natural habitat, and many species of birds along with a wildlife population of deers, wild boars, monkeys and snakes and landsnails. Pine trees and ipil-ipil dot the banks of the river and the icing on the cake is the close up view of Mt. Aganmala's peak, Vintar's crown jewel.

Vintar's tropical waters, whether they be rivers or streams, are almost as rich in animal species as the rainforests that surround them. However, they too, are increasingly threatened by our activities, including pollution, siltation resulting from deforestation, and over-harvesting of animal and plant resident species.

Vintar's society is not sustainable when we undermine the resource base upon which its future prosperity depends. Yet this is what has been happening; it's not the exception. Consider the erosion of our rice fields, the collapse of agriculture and the resources crisis in fishing and logging and deforestation. Put simply, our excessive human impact on our natural eco-system simply wears them out. In fact, the poor fit between us and our natural environment, the crisis of sustainability, exists in varying ways and degrees everywhere we look. It not only seems to be a permanent feature on Vintar's agenda, for all practical purposes, it is THE agenda.

I have the feeling that our local government does not have the political will to make the radical changes that the environment requires. This is not only a moral and ethical battle but most importantly, it is a survival issue, and that is why the involvement of Vintarinians, here and abroad are so important.

I believe we need to create for Vintar and ourselves some kind of consciousness about conservation of our eco-system by bringing it into view. Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park could be considered a kind of representative piece of conservation. Ours is an agrarian culture in which land and water represent intense important concepts of our emotional states and well being. Let's make some wilderness for ourselves. Let's bring it into the light. Perhaps it will be a way for us to more comfortably contemplate the wilderness we want but will never see. Mt. Aganmala Wilderness Park could be a monument to all the true wilderness we've lost, to the wilderness we never knew, and to the wilderness that remains due to our foresight.

Vintar.Com Staff
October 31, 2005

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