Also known as the "backbone of Luzon,” Sierra Madre is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. With a length of over 540 kilometers ranging from the province of Cagayan down to the province of Quezon, spanning ten provinces. It is home to high biodiversity of flora and fauna, compromises of numerous watersheds and major river systems, and acts as natural shield that protects mainland Luzon against typhoons.
The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, is the largest protected area in the country where different endemic tree species,orchids such as Dendrobium aclinia, and a lot more species can be found. Also, it is habitat for numerous endemic animals including Northern Sierra Madre Forest monitor lizard (Varanus bitatawa) which belongs to the three frugivorous lizards that are only found in the country, Sierra Madre shrew mouse, and Sierra Madre forest mouse. The forest cover is composed of diffrent tree species including Almaciga, Kamagong, and our national tree–Narra. Critically endangered species can also be found in fragmented locations:the Isabela oriole, Philippine crocodile,and the Philippine eagle. Watersheds and river systems that plays a vital role in biodiversity and supplies water to different parts of Luzon can be located in this area.
Sierra Madre is Luzon's natural barrier against typhoons coming from the Pacific Ocean. Because of its large surface area, composed of many slopes and curves, it is able to weaken typhoon once it hits this region and able to curb the effects of an imminent disaster. In 2018, typhoon Ompong (with an international name Mangkhut) might be the strongest typhoon to hit the country with devastating effects that is hampered by this natural barrier. Ompong's wind speed slowed to 160 kph from 220 kph sustained winds after hitting the mountain range with a supertyphoon category. Typhoon Ompong is just one of countless typhoons and cyclones that the Sierra Madre protected Luzon from.
Sierra Madre is going through a lot of unprecedented human-induced environmental changes. These will threaten the flora and fauna, denude watersheds and river systems, and will cause adverse effects like flashfloods, landslides and siltation which are observable these times during calamities just like typhoons. The "backbone of Luzon” that is protecting us also needs our protection especially against human activities such as illegal logging, mining, slash-and-burn farming, charcoal production and intentional burning, and major constructions like Kaliwa Dam.
Please, sign the petition. Let our voices be heard.
https://www.change.org/p/president-rodrigo-duterte-stop-kaliwa-dam-save-our-future
Nice job