Samuel Yuri Uchida 
When you take a gander at the Sierra Madre, you are applauding the Philippines’ longest mountain range. It is sanctuary to, and a primary source of life for a vast number of biodiversity and human communities, spanning nearly 500 kilometers in length and encompassing ten provinces in three regions of Luzon. What you really cannot see, beneath the ostensibly blissful beauty, is nature’s ability to sustain and safeguard — including how taking this power for granted can have catastrophic consequences.
Residents of Metro Manila, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, and Bulacan rely on Sierra Madre’s forests for clean water. Sierra Madre also contributes to maintaining stormwater runoff and soil, preventing typhoon-related disasters. Furthermore, its terrain protects Central Luzon and its thickly urbanized cities from typhoons, slowing them down and often shouldering the burden of their force. Sierra Madre, like a loving mother, provides sustenance and protects her children at all costs.
The country has seen real-estate development and land reform implementation over the last few decades. Mountains, on the other hand, have been reduced by illegal land preparation processes such as the Kaingin system, forest fires, and illegal logging. Though built with good intentions, it eventually destroys the habitats of the species.
On September 25, Super Typhoon Karding, with winds of 200 kph, barreled through the Sierra Madre mountain ranges and demonstrated that she is the Northern Luzon’s strongest defense mechanism against typhoons. Furthermore, it is said to have slowed Karding from being a Super Typhoon to a Tropical Depression; afterwards, Karding’s presence was not felt during the crash through Sierra Madre. Apart from Karding, it also slowed and weakened Typhoon Ompong from 200 – 160 kph winds; Typhoon Lawin and Typhoon Karen from Category 5 to Category 3 after slamming the Luzon mountain ranges.
It is ironic that Sierra Madre requires protection from the people it saved. The Kaliwa Dam, a “long-term” solution of the Duterte Administration with a Php 12.4 billion budget, is a man-made imminent threat to Sierra Madre. Though this will alleviate Metro Manila’s water scarcity, it will result in the destruction of biodiversity and preservation of the said mountain ranges because the project will originate at the Kaliwa Watershed, which is a designated wildlife sanctuary. A seed of curiosity has been planted: what is it with humanity that, regardless of how we receive protection, we should destroy what is protecting us?
Environmentalists and locals who witnessed Sierra Madre’s bravery can only make noise until voices are buried beneath cement, gravel, and the ear-splitting sounds of bulldozers – then eyes and mouths are taped once again with money as compensation.
And, a plant of curiosity started to grow. How willing are we to attain development, if development itself will cost us the one and only Sierra Madre?
Chuck Cabarliza | Layout Artist
