World’s biggest flower abloom anew on mystique mountain, but…
LUCENA CITY—Eight years after pilgrims and trekkers were barred from Mount Banahaw in Quezon province, exotic wildlife species—including the rare “rafflesia” which is considered the world’s biggest flower—have begun to reappear in the hills and gullies of the mystic mountain.
Members of an environmental watchdog, who made an inspection hike to Banahaw during the Holy Week, were ecstatic about their find but lamented that the Cristalino Falls in Dolores town had practically dried up.
Drying up
“The rafflesia has returned to Mt. Banahaw and there were no more recognizable mountain trails due to the return of thick vegetation,” Efrelyn Escultura-Calabano, special project officer of Tanggol Kalikasan-Southern Tagalog (TK-ST), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
However, Calabano said water from the Cristalino Falls was barely trickling beneath vines and shrubs. She recalled that in 2009, the Cristalino Falls was a beautiful sight with cool gushing water.”
Salud Pangan, park superintendent for Banahaw and the adjacent Mount San Cristobal, said the “rafflesia” could reach a diameter of nearly a meter and weigh up to 11 kilos in full bloom.
The rare flower has also been spotted in Mounts Makiling in Laguna, Isarog in Bicol and Apo in Davao.
Disappearing flora
Considered a parasitic flowering plant with a distinctive rotten smell, the rafflesia was discovered in the Indonesian forests by a native guide working for an expedition in 1818. It was named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition.
Calabano cited records showing that the “rafflesia” had long been a part of the mountain’s rich forest flora. It slowly disappeared and became almost extinct as more and more religious pilgrims and picnickers descended on the mountain, which they believe is a mystical place. Widespread destruction is usually noted after the annual Lenten Week, which draws even more visitors. Banahaw is home to many spiritual and religious cults.
“The rafflesia flower that we last spotted in 2006 eventually wilted and died,” Calabano said.
The drying up of Cristalino Falls, on the other hand, could be the result of climate change, the hotter summer season as well as “manmade” stresses, said lawyer Sheila de Leon, TK-ST executive director.
“Definitely, we will recommend further investigation,” she said.
The TK staff noted the absence of the usual throng of devotees and mountain trekkers who usually come during the Holy Week break. They are now restricted to a campsite at the foot of the mountain.
“There were only a little more than 2,000 registered mountain visitors this year,” Calabano said.
Sacred spot
During the inspection, the inspectors found some devotees had sneaked into a “sacred spot” near the Cristalino Falls, which has been declared off-limits to the public.
“We just allowed them to finish their prayers before they were ordered to return to the pilgrimage area at the base of Banahaw,” she said.
In 2004, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) installed barbed wire to seal off several trails leading to areas in the bosom of Banahaw to start a program to rehabilitate the mountain’s natural resources.
In February, the PAMB declared Banahaw and San Cristobal off-limits until 2015 to allow more time for recovery.
