Rules and Regulations on Mountaineering at Mt. Kanla-on Natural Park

(PAMB Res. No. 17, Series of 1999; as amended by Res. No. 25, Series of 2000)

1.       Officials trails and entry/exit areas are Wasay in Murcia; Guintubdan in La Carlota and Bago Cities; Mapot in Canlaon City and Mananawin in La Castellana and Canlaon City.

2.       A maximum of Ten (10) members, including expedition team leader, but excluding the mandatory guides (2) and optional porter per expedition group.  Only one expedition party per trail will be allowed in a given time.

3.       Mountaineering is open during the months of March to May and October to December.  The months of January, February, June, July, August, and September are low season wherein only one expedition party per trail per month is allowed.  In the event, however, that PAGASA declares weather disturbance and/or PHIVOLCS declares volcanic activity, the area shall be closed automatically from mountaineering.

4.       Mandatory requirements include the following:

Climbing permit, which shall be secured from the Office of the Protected Area Superintendent following submission of required information such as Letter of Intent, Individual Date Sheet, route itinerary, and Waiver of Responsibility of the climbing party members.  Booking shall be made at least three months prior to the expedition schedule.  No one is allowed to enter the park for mountaineering without the approved permit from the Protected Area Superintendent;

Payment of expedition fee and insurance for the members of the climbing party;

Climbing equipment to include individual hard hat, sleeping bag, tent, pressure stove for cooking, and personal first aid kit;

Expedition party is required to have at least one MKNP accredited guide.  The hiring of porter services is optional but for purposes of convenience and to increase the margin of safety and security factor, the management recommends the hiring of porter services.  Payments for guide and porter services shall be given to the concerned;

All expeditions are required to provide themselves with their own food rations subject to inspection and approval.  Only ready to cook foods are allowed;

Climbing parties are required to carry down their disposed/garbage as per inventoried (carry in - carry out policy).  All are expected to strictly observe the basic rules and ethics on environmental conservation;

Each member of the expedition party is required to execute notarized waiver of responsibility.

5.       Prohibited acts as covered by the NIPAS Law

Hunting, destroying, disturbing, or mere possession of any plants or animals or products derived there from without a permit from the PAMB;

Dumping of any waste products detrimental to the protected area or to the plants and animals or inhabitants therein;

Use of any motorized equipment without a permit from the PAMB;

Mutilating, defacing or destroying objects of natural beauty or objects of interest to cultural communities and of scenic value;

Damaging and leaving roads and trails in a damaged condition;

Squatting, mineral locating, or otherwise occupying any land;

Constructing or maintaining any kind of structure, fence or depositing in ground or in bodies of water;

Altering, removing, destroying or defacing boundary marks or signs.

6.       The penalties provided for in the NIPAS Law shall be imposed to whomever violate the law, and provided further, that the PAMB is hereby empowered to exercise its powers and functions over the entire park jurisdiction.  The PAMB therefore constrained to strictly implement the provisions stipulated in this rules & regulations governing mountaineering to Mt. Kanla-on and impose penalties for violations thereof.  Penalties for violation of any or all of the provisions stipulated in this rules and regulations shall range from the imposition of severe fines, to black-listing of the expedition and/or its member(s), to legal prosecution as may be deemed necessary or as the case may be as determined by the PAMB.

PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT MOUNT KANLA-ON NATURAL PARK IS:

1. A protected area and a component of the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1005.  As such, its legal management and territorial jurisdiction lies over the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) under the supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).  The PAMB is mandated by law to decide matters relating to planning, peripheral protection, and general administration of the area in accordance with the general management planning strategy.  The PAMB exercises the authority, control, and regulatory functions over the entire 24,388 hectares Natural Park to include, but not limited to, Ecotourism-oriented activities.
2. One of the most active volcanoes in the country and is considered by the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) as one of the most unpredictable in terms of its volcanically eruptive nature.  PHIVOLCS has designated the four-kilometer radius from the crater center as a PERMANENT DANGER ZONE within which all human activities are thereby declared RESTRICTED.
3.  Is a wildlife habitat where various species of flora and fauna inhabits, many of which are already in critical state.  Studies show that the trails and campsites leading to the summit of the volcano are also traversing the strict protection zone of the park and wildlife habitat.