Mountaineers made history for National Freedom Climb
Thousands of mountaineers from all over the country recently made a historical simultaneous summit climb to 50 mountains dubbed as 1st National Freedom Climb which was held last June 12-16. This event was organized by the Philippine National Mountaineering Society (PNMS).
Freedom climb was rooted on the idea to give tribute to our heroes who fought for our freedom from foreign rulers. This is also a tribute to both fallen and unknown heroes who equally contributed in the liberation of the country. The Freedom Climb will also be the biggest clean up drive in Philippine history wherein thousands of mountaineers will clean up natural parks and forest reserves. The main highlight of the climb was the simultaneous flag raising of the Philippine Flag on June 13 at exactly 8 a.m.
In Negros, the Freedom Climb was organized by Climb-Up Outdoor Shop and Green Alert Negros (GAN). GAN was recently subpoenaed by the Park Area Superintendent of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park (PaSU-MKNP) because of the group’s “Protest Climb in 2008” protesting the entry of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) inside Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park. GAN recently questioned the irrigation project of the Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto which they believe is illegal since it is constructed inside the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP).
The Negros leg of the Freedom Climb was held in Tinagong Dagat, Northern Negros Natural Park. Tinagong Dagat is one of the famous mountaineering destinations in Negros because of its majestic lagoon and bonsai trees. About 40 trekkers coming from different organizations joined the Freedom Climb in solidarity to the other summit climb in the whole of Philippines.
“This Freedom Climb is not just a symbol of freedom and tribute to our fallen heroes but also a tribute to those mountaineers and environmentalist in the country who is politically harassed, ambushed or sued because they have fought to save the remaining forest cover in their locality. This Freedom Climb is not only to remember our national heroes but also a symbol of liberating our natural resources and watershed areas from the claws of greed, profit and control of private corporations,” stressed RJ Rojo of Green Alert Negros.