Mt. Apo closed to climbers amid tremors

TAGUM CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Davao Region has announced that Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak, is temporarily closed to climbers.

In a social media post, DENR Davao said the temporary closure was initiated by the local governments of Santa Cruz, Digos, and Bansalan in Davao del Sur.

The decision, the agency further said, was a result of the series of tremors that rocked central Mindanao in the last two weeks.

The DENR noted that the Mt. Apo Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which has jurisdiction over the issue, has not declared any closure.

But because of the local governments’ decision, the DENR said it is letting the public know as “the safety of the climbers is of utmost priority.”

Santa Cruz, Bansalan, and Digos are gateways to Mt. Apo, aside from Kidapawan City in Cotabato province.

The DENR said the concerned Davao del Sur local governments have already released an advisory regarding the postponement and rescheduling of all Mt. Apo climbs./lzb