And this has been proven by numerous studies (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2010; Bille et al., 2012; Roe et al., 2015). Biodiversity conservation can be a route out of poverty.
To hit two birds with one stone, the government and conservationists can work with local communities (and pay them fairly) in the rehabilitation of Mt. Apo. That way, both biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction can be done together.
So I ask again: If mountains could speak, what would they say? If they had a voice, what is the message? And if Mt. Apo can indeed speak, will we ever listen? If we’re not careful, history will repeat itself and there’s no one to blame but us.
Lora Monina P. Arquiza
[Lora Monina P. Arquiza is a fourth year BS Architecture student from the University of the Philippines in Mindanao. She is interested in culturally responsive school design for indigenous peoples and wishes to explore this topic as her undergraduate thesis.]
