BY KIM ATIENZA
In the midst of this renewed typhoon season, people have been saying that we have around us a natural typhoon barrier.
Referred to is the Sierra Madre mountain range, which unfortunately has been the target of many illegal logging activity.
The Sierra Madre, with a total length of 500 kilometers, runs from the north, in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, to the south, in the province of Quezon.
It is the longest mountain in the country.
The Sierra Madre is Luzon’s natural shield against even the strongest of typhoons.
In the past, it has been known to have weakened strong storms.
How can the Sierra Madre protect us against typhoons?
Its large surface area is dotted with many slopes and curves that can help break the eye of the typhoon.
“This can result in slower wind speed,” says HARIBON Foundation.
Haribon also laments that such natural protection against storms continues to be destroyed.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), more than 161,240 hectares of mountains were destroyed in 2010 alone.
We should save Sierra Madre before it’s too late.
TRIVIA PA MORE (Various Sources): The Philippines is home to the Center of Marine Biodiversity in the world. It is located along Verde Island Passage in Batangas.
According to CNN, this spot has “nearly 60 per cent of the world’s known shore fish, as well as over 300 species of coral.”
The area’s rich flora and fauna has over 7, 492 species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.
