| Sierra Madre | |
|---|---|
 View south of the northern Sierra Madre from the peak ofMount Cagua inCagayan | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Guiwan |
| Elevation | 1,950 m (6,400 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 540 km (340 mi) North to south |
| Width | 56 km (35 mi) east to west |
| Area | 16,260 km2 (6,280 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
.svg)  Sierra Madre Location of the center of the range in the Philippines | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Province | |
| Region | |
| Range coordinates | 16°3′N121°35′E / 16.050°N 121.583°E /16.050; 121.583 |
| Borders on | Pacific Ocean |
TheSierra Madre is the longestmountain range in thePhilippines. Spanning over 540 kilometers (340 mi), it runs from theprovince ofCagayan down to the province ofQuezon in a north-south direction on the eastern portion ofLuzon, the largest island of the archipelago. It is bordered by thePacific Ocean to the east,Cagayan Valley to the northwest,Central Luzon to the midwest, andCalabarzon to the southwest. Some communities east of the mountain range, along the coast, are less developed and so remote that they can only be accessed by taking a plane or a boat.[1]
The country's largest protected area, theNorthern Sierra Madre Natural Park, is situated at the northern part of the range in the province ofIsabela. The park is in theUNESCO tentative list forWorld Heritage List inscription. Environmentalists, scholars, and scientists have been urging the government to include the other parks within the Sierra Madre mountains for aUNESCO site that would include the whole mountain range fromCagayan province toQuezon province.[2]
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In the north, the range starts in theprovince ofCagayan and ends in the south in the province ofQuezon. In the province ofNueva Vizcaya, theCaraballo Mountains lies between Sierra Madre andCordillera Central.
The mountain range is widely believed to serve as a typhoon barrier for Luzon. However, it is only truly effective for Cagayan Valley where wind exposure and rainfall brought on by the typhoon are both reduced. For the rest of Luzon along its western slopes such as in Metro Manila, rainfall is actually enhanced by orographic lifting.[3][4]
The range's highest point is unclear, and several peaks are attributed as the highest. Mount Anacuao inAurora province stands at 6,069 feet (1,850 m), while Mount Cetaceo in Cagayan is of similar altitude. However, an expedition in September and October 2012 toMount Guiwan (Nueva Vizcaya) preliminarily measured an altitude of 6,283 feet (1,915 m) on the summit.[5]
List of highest peaks along the mountain range by elevation.
6,400 ft (2,000 m)
List of major rivers along the mountain range by length.
Twoecoregions cover the Sierra Madre. TheLuzon rain forests cover the lower slopes of the range, and are characterized bydipterocarp trees. TheLuzon montane rain forests cover the portions of the range above 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) elevation, and are characterized bylaurel forests ofoak andlaurel trees.
Sierra Madre is home to IndigenousDumagat-Remontado communities[6] who haveancestral domain claims covering parts of the mountain range.[7][8]
Some coastal communities east of the Sierra Madre mountains, especially fromPalanan, Isabela heading north to near the northernmost tip of mainland Cagayan, are remote and isolated with no roads connecting them to towns west of the mountain range. Towns like Palanan, Divilacan andMaconacon, Isabela can only be reached by plane fromCauayan or a boat ride from Aurora province, south of Isabela or from Santa Ana, Cagayan, north of the province.Ilagan–Divilacan Road traversing the Sierra Madre mountain is about to be completed.[9][10]
The Sierra Madre mountain range is rich in genetic, species, and habitat diversity,[11] supplying food, water, and shelter to millions of people.[12] The mountain range hosts multiple watersheds and some of the Philippines' oldest forests.[13] These forests are some of the country's largest remaining forest blocks, including an old-growth dipterocarp forest, montane forests, and extensive lowland forests.[13]
Sierra Madre's forests and watersheds are home to some of the country's richest wildlife communities.[13] More than 291 species of birds and 25 endemic mammals may be found within the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park alone.[12]
Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, the largest protected area in Sierra Madre range, is home to endemic dipterocarp trees belonging to theHopea andShorea genera, orchids such asDendrobium aclinia, the leguminous tree,Milletia longipes and a member of the citrus family,Swinglea glutinosa as well.[14]
In the forest, in April 2010, theendemic lizard speciesNorthern Sierra Madre Forest monitor lizard –Varanus bitatawa (common name:Butikaw) was described to science, although theAeta andIlongotindigenous peoples have known and used it as a food source. TheNorthern Sierra Madre forest monitor lizard is one of the threefrugivorous lizards in theVaranidae family along withV. olivaceus andV. mabitang. All of the three frugivorous lizards are found only in the Philippines.[15]
Endemic mammals in Sierra Madre are theSierra Madre shrew mouse andSierra Madre forest mouse.[16]
Pterocarpus indicus ("Narra"), the national tree of the Philippines,Agathis dammara ("Almaciga"), andDiospyros blancoi ("Kamagong") can be found on the Sierra Madre range.[17]
Isabela oriole,Philippine eagle, andPhilippine crocodile are critically endangered species that can be found in fragmented locations.[17]
The Sierra Madre mountain rangeforesthabitat is threatened by human activities. Settlers living at the lower portions of the slopes generally are supported by work in logging and charcoal-making. Some portions of the forest cover are alreadysecond growth forest. Forest degradation of at least 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) per year caused by illegal tree cutting,slash-and-burn farming, fuel-wood collection, illegal hunting, and residential expansion.[17]
A gold and copper mine in the municipality ofKasibu,Nueva Vizcaya, has been operated by theOceanaGold Corporation, which is based in Australia. The Didipio mine is a large-scaleopen-pit mine in a remote location, and local residents claim the company has severely damaged both the environment for miles around the site, and suppressed the long-standing farming economy.[18] Oceana continues to assert a right to operate despite the expiration of its permit, and opposition by organized local residents, the Catholic Church, and worldwide environmental groups.[19]
The Kaliwa dam project through a project called "New Centennial Water Source" in Sitio Cablao, Brgy. Pagsangahan,General Nakar, Quezon / Sitio Queborosa, Brgy. Magsaysay,Infanta, Quezon is threatening the endangered species living in the sparse remaining forest of Sierra Madre and indigenous people's lives in that area.[20] This project replaced theKaliwa Low Dam that did not materialize and under the new administration, Rodrigo Duterte approved the Chinese-funded proposal. Aside from the destruction of ecologically important forests, the dam also faces controversy for fulfillment of its financial requirement through a Chinese loan with a 2.0% interest rate rather than a Japanese loan with a 1.25% interest rate.[21][failed verification] The project continues to face strong opposition from the public yet the government is eager to continue.[22] Construction of Kaliwa dam began in 2022.[23]
The Mabuwaya Foundation is a non-governmental organization that aims to protect and conserve the Philippine crocodiles and other endemic and threatened species. They mainly work in the towns of Divilican and San Mariano in Isabela.[24][25]
On June 19, 2012, in light of the onslaught ofTropical Storm Ondoy on September 26, 2009,Philippine presidentBenigno Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 413, declaring every September 26 as "Save Sierra Madre Day" in an effort to raise awareness on the benefits that the Sierra Madre brings and the risks and dangers of neglecting it. The proclamation also calls "all sectors of society and the government" to join hands in pursuing activities geared toward the conservation of the Sierra Madre, and to plan, prepare, and conduct activities in observance of Save Sierra Madre Day.[26]
Media related toSierra Madre (Philippines) at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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