Thank You Sierra Madre Mountain Range For Protecting Us
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range may have just saved us from Super Typhoon Karding.
Social media is abuzz about the Sierra Madre mountain range, one of the longest mountain ranges in Luzon. Perhaps we’ve only heard about it in our kids’ textbooks as one of the most beautiful sights in the country. But why should the rest of the Philippines care about this mountain range besides its beauty? Here’s what we know so far about the mountain range.
1. Sierra Madre Mountain Range serves as a “natural” barrier.
According to the Department of Science in a study of theirs done in 2016, the way the Sierra Madre Mountain Range is formed “slows down” typhoons and tropical cyclones because of its structure. This happens because there’s friction and thus, forces typhoons to focus more on creating rain, which can still be stopped by the mountains. Thus, any village behind the mountain range may suffer some damages but not as severe as if the mountain range were destroyed.
2. It’s home to a lot of animals and plants.
Many of us want to see nature which is what the Sierra Madre Mountain Range houses a majority of. Our national bird, the Philippine Eagle, finds its home there along with many other animals and plants. It’s a real nature trip for families and kids who want to see the beauty of the Philippine Ecosystem and a real-life Science lesson. This is definitely a hiking trail for families who want to see the Philippines’ natural beauty.
3. It serves as a home to many families up in the north.
When properties are too expensive to buy, some of us would rather go for the “nature will provide” route. The Sierra Madre Mountain range serves as a home to many families, especially those among the indigenous people or specifically the Dumagat-Remontados. These people managed to escape colonization to a certain extent, preserving much of the roots of Philippine culture.
What’s happening to the Sierra Madre Mountain Range?
In order to address the water shortage in Metro Manila, there was a plan to build the proposed Kaliwa Dam. The dam, supposedly a concrete-gravity one, may end up cutting down trees and displacing many families who are already struggling to deal with the damage of Typhoon Karding. However, it would have been a lot worse if the mountain range were to be changed in any way. Mother Nature is still a mother after all. While she looks out for us, we have to look out for her, too.
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