DENR suspends Mt. Pico de Loro hikes for cleanup, rehabilitation

LUCENA CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has temporarily suspended hiking activities at Mt. Pico de Loro from Aug. 21 to Sept. 12 to allow cleanup, repairs and rehabilitation following damage caused by recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon, or “habagat.”

In a public advisory issued Thursday, Aug. 20, the DENR Region IV-A said the suspension covers all hiking activities within Mt. Pico de Loro and the Mounts Palay-Palay/Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape (MPPMNGPL).

The rehabilitation will include inspection and repair of hiking trails, removal of fallen trees and other obstructions, and other measures to ensure the safety of hikers before the protected area is reopened.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: DENR reopens Mt. Pico de Loro after 6-year rehab

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

“We ask for your understanding and cooperation during this temporary suspension,” the DENR Region IV-A said.

Mt. Pico de Loro, named after a rock formation resembling a parrot’s beak, is a popular hiking destination within the MPPMNGPL, which spans Ternate and Maragondon in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas.

The protected landscape has three main peaks — Mt. Palay-Palay, Mt. Mataas-na-Gulod and Pico de Loro — which are among its major attractions.

The area was previously closed to the public in October 2016 due to concerns over increasing amounts of trash, the growing number of vendors along trails, campsites, and the summit, unregulated visitor numbers, soil erosion, and overall environmental degradation.

After nearly six years of rehabilitation, the protected area reopened to the public in January 2023. /das