Itogon forest fires halt tourism
BAGUIO CITY — All tourism-related activities in Itogon, Benguet have been suspended due to forest fires that have continued to rage for more than two weeks now.
By issuing Executive Order 2024-10, Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas has ordered the temporary halt to tourism activities within the mountains of villages of Tinongdan and Dalupirip, where fires have ravaged the forest cover in the midst of a dry spell since Jan. 18.
Latest reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Benguet and the Itogon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), cited a huge fire that razed bush areas at Sitio Palangshe, Barangay Dalupirip and Sitio Simpa in Barangay Ampucao from Jan. 28 to 31.
On Feb. 2, the fire spread to the vicinity of Ambasa and Mt. Ugo in Barangay Tinongdan.
The BFP investigation into what started the fire has yet to conclude whether or not there was an attempt at kaingin or swidden farm expansion in the area.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) had already stepped in to help suppress the fires with water drops from its helicopters since last month as initial estimates put the extent of the fire at 20 hectares.
Meanwhile, police, firefighters and residents of Atok town are also fighting a mountain fire in Camp 30 which started Sunday afternoon. — Artemio A. Dumlao