Mount Pulag
Encyclopedia
Mount Pulag is the second highest mountain
in the Philippines
. It is Luzon
’s highest peak at 2,922 meters above sea level. The borders between the provinces
of Benguet
, Ifugao
, and Nueva Vizcaya
meet at the mountain's peak.
Because of its high elevation, the climate
on Mount Pulag is temperate with rains predominating the whole year. Rainfall on the mountain averages 4,489 mm yearly with August being the wettest month with an average rainfall of 1,135 mm.
Snow has not fallen on its top in at least the past 100 years.
The mountain hosts 528 documented plant species. It is the natural habitat of the endemic
Dwarf Bamboo, (Yushania niitakayamensis) and the Benguet pine
(Pinus insularis) which dominates the areas of Luzon tropical pine forests
found on the mountainside. Among its native wildlife are 33 bird species and several threatened mammals such as the Philippine Deer, Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat
(“bowet”) and the Long-Haired Fruit Bat. Mount Pulag is the only place that hosts the 4 Cloud Rat
species. It has one of the most diverse biodiversity
of the Philippines
, with the newly found (since 1896) 185 grams Dwarf cloud rat
, Carpomys melanurus, a rare breed (endemic to the Cordillera) and the Koch pitta bird among its endangered denizens.
On February 20, 1987, a large part of the mountain was designated as a National Park with Proclamation No. 75. This act aims to preserve the environment around the mountain due to threats from increased development such as conversion to agricultural lands, timber production, hunting, and increased tourism.
The indigenous people of Benguet consider the mountain to be a sacred place.
and the Ambaguio trail from Nueva Vizcaya
. These trails are managed by the Mount Pulag National Park, under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
.
The national park is open throughout the year. A permit is necessary. Depending on the trail, a climb may take 1–4 days, with the easiest being the Ambangeg trail. The difficulty level of the climb ranges from 3 to 7 out of 9 in the local classification system. No special equipment is required for the climb.
The National Park is inhabited by different tribes such as the Ibaloi
s, Kalanguya, Kankana-ey
s, Karao, Ifugao
s and the Ilocano
s.
It is the third highest mountain in the Philippines
, next to Mount Apo
and Mount Dulang-Dulang
of the Presidential Airlift Wing crashed at 6,900 feet above sea level in the Kabayan-Pulag pass between Mount Mangingihi and Mount Pulag in thick low cloud and fog. All eight aboard, including presidential aides, died in the crash and resultant fire. Mount Pulag guides assisted in locating the wreckage and in the recovery of the bodies.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
’s highest peak at 2,922 meters above sea level. The borders between the provinces
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Benguet
Benguet
Benguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....
, Ifugao
Ifugao
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests...
, and Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...
meet at the mountain's peak.
Because of its high elevation, the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
on Mount Pulag is temperate with rains predominating the whole year. Rainfall on the mountain averages 4,489 mm yearly with August being the wettest month with an average rainfall of 1,135 mm.
Snow has not fallen on its top in at least the past 100 years.
The mountain hosts 528 documented plant species. It is the natural habitat of the endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
Dwarf Bamboo, (Yushania niitakayamensis) and the Benguet pine
Khasi Pine
The Khasi Pine, Pinus kesiya, is one of the most distributed pines in Asia. Its range extends south and east from the Khasi hills in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya from where it got its name to northern Thailand, Burma, Laos, southernmost China, Vietnam and the Philippines...
(Pinus insularis) which dominates the areas of Luzon tropical pine forests
Luzon tropical pine forests
The Luzon tropical pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion of the Philippines in the western Pacific Ocean. These pine forests are home to a large number of the island's endemic plants and animals.-Location and description:...
found on the mountainside. Among its native wildlife are 33 bird species and several threatened mammals such as the Philippine Deer, Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat
Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat
The Giant Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat or Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is a large, endangered species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in pine and mossy forest at altitudes of in the Central Cordillera of Luzon, the Philippines...
(“bowet”) and the Long-Haired Fruit Bat. Mount Pulag is the only place that hosts the 4 Cloud Rat
Cloud rat
The cloud rats are a group of arboreal and folivorous nocturnal rodents native to the forests of the Philippines. There are six known species of cloud rat. These animals have not been studied extensively. The Filipino Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau has begun breeding Northern Luzon...
species. It has one of the most diverse biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, with the newly found (since 1896) 185 grams Dwarf cloud rat
Dwarf cloud rat
Dwarf cloud rat may refer to:*Short-footed Luzon Tree Rat*Cloud rat#Dwarf cloud rat*Greater dwarf cloud rat...
, Carpomys melanurus, a rare breed (endemic to the Cordillera) and the Koch pitta bird among its endangered denizens.
On February 20, 1987, a large part of the mountain was designated as a National Park with Proclamation No. 75. This act aims to preserve the environment around the mountain due to threats from increased development such as conversion to agricultural lands, timber production, hunting, and increased tourism.
The indigenous people of Benguet consider the mountain to be a sacred place.
Hiking activity
As the highest mountain in Luzon, Mount Pulag attracts a lot of mountain climbers. Highlights of the climb include the montane forests and the grassland summit with its "sea of clouds" phenomenon. There are four major trails up the summit: the Ambangeg, Akiki, and Tawangan trails from BenguetBenguet
Benguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....
and the Ambaguio trail from Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...
. These trails are managed by the Mount Pulag National Park, under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of the country's natural resources.-History:The Department of Environment and Natural...
.
The national park is open throughout the year. A permit is necessary. Depending on the trail, a climb may take 1–4 days, with the easiest being the Ambangeg trail. The difficulty level of the climb ranges from 3 to 7 out of 9 in the local classification system. No special equipment is required for the climb.
The National Park is inhabited by different tribes such as the Ibaloi
Ibaloi
The Ibaloi or Nabaloi is an indigenous ethnic group found in the northern Philippines. The Ibaloi are one of the indigenous peoples collectively known as Igorot, who live in the mountains of the Cordillera Central on the island of Luzon...
s, Kalanguya, Kankana-ey
Igorot
Cordillerans are the people of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. The word, Igorot is a misnomer term invented by the Spaniards in mockery against the Nortnern Luzon tribes. The word ‘Igorot’ also as coined and applied by the Spaniards means a savage, head-hunting and...
s, Karao, Ifugao
Ifugao
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests...
s and the Ilocano
Ilocano people
The Ilocano or Ilokano people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Aside from being referred to as Ilocanos, from "i"-from, and "looc"-bay, they also refer to themselves as Samtoy, from the Ilocano phrase "sao mi ditoy", meaning 'our language here.' The word "Ilocano" came from...
s.
It is the third highest mountain in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, next to Mount Apo
Mount Apo
Mount Apo is a large solfataric, potentially-active stratovolcano in the island of Mindanao, Philippines. With an altitude of , it is the highest mountain in the country and is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur province in Region XI and Cotabato province in Region XII...
and Mount Dulang-Dulang
Mount Dulang-dulang
Mount Dulang-dulang, dubbed by Filipino mountaineers as "D2", is one of the high elevation peaks in the Kitanglad Mountain Range, located in the north central portion of the province of Bukidnon in the island of Mindanao...
Presidential helicopter crash
On 7 April 2009 a Philippine Air Force (PAF) Bell 412Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
of the Presidential Airlift Wing crashed at 6,900 feet above sea level in the Kabayan-Pulag pass between Mount Mangingihi and Mount Pulag in thick low cloud and fog. All eight aboard, including presidential aides, died in the crash and resultant fire. Mount Pulag guides assisted in locating the wreckage and in the recovery of the bodies.
External links
- Mt. Pulag, Pinoy mountaineer.