Lost Grounds

The loss is more than a loss of destination for adventure lovers. It is a take on centuries of time, resources and worst of all lives. It is a deprivation not only of the affected communities but also of the whole nation.

Polilio, Infanta, Real in Quezon and Dingalan, Gabaldon, Baler in Aurora by land seem worlds’ apart. To go to Polilio, you take the Rizal, Laguna route entering Siniloan. Gateway to Gabaldon and Baler is via Bulacan and Nueva Ecija before Cabanatuan. Looking at the Luzon map, both places are at the east coast of the Philippines connected by the Sierra Madre range and the Pacific Ocean. Linked to Infanta and Baler at the extreme North is Palanan Isabela but little is known about the place as it is not accessible by land.

Once upon a time, both places are alternative destinations to the highly commercialized and populated beaches of Batangas, Cavite and Zambales. In the 90’s Quezon and Aurora fit the Lonely Planet’s character of a travel adventure: remote, exotic, natural and still accessible.

Then, only trucks, 4X4s can bring you to the east coast. Reaching the ocean takes hours of bumpy ride if not days. With the road infrastructure initiated by the government in the mid 90’s, these places have become accessible via almost any type of vehicle. Real has become the favorite of cyclists and motored bikers and trike riders. Baler became popular as the surfing capital made popular by Action Asia and Apocalypse Now. Initially I thought these roads were meant to bring the produce of the remote dwellers closer to the center with these eco tourism benefits just trimmings. Only after Yoyong and Waling did I realize that these roads were meant to speed up the denudation of the forests. Cut trees can easily be transported to the mainstream and out of the country.

Like most outdoor lovers, we received this tragedy with sadness, despair and even helplessness. Once our pristine playgrounds that give us natural high have now become danger grounds. One is no longer safe. Even a drizzle can now kill. Little did we know that the flash floods that claimed the lives of 6 “excursionists/campers” in Siniloan in November 2000 was just a foreboding of the damage that has been done to our forests; denudation beyond the threshold which will no longer hold the soils and the water.

Seeing the aerial coverage of the news stations and hearing the personal accounts of friends who attempted to trek through broken roads and ridges in mud and water, the message is clear. There are no more resources for us to relish in our time.  All have been lost.

We lost our playground. We have fewer destinations to go to. A small price compared to the livelihood and lives loss. And nothing compared to the loss of time and natural resources. Has our crusading been totally useless?  I hope not.

Chito.Razon 8 Dec 04