News

Bacolod City, May 14, 1998 - Militant environmentalists have defied warnings from thePhilippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to stay away from Mount Kanlaon, which continues to show signs of abnormal activity. 

Members of  Green Alert Negros are scheduled to push through with their Centennial Protest Climb on May 16 to denounce the unabated environmental destruction of Negros Island. 

"We will embrace even death to save Mount Kanlaon. Our action is of no legality, but of life and survival of our children and our children's children," said Green Alert official Rusty Binas. 

Governor Rafael Cosculluela is requiring the climbers to sign a waiver. "If Green Alert protesters want to risk dying by staging a protest at Kanlaon Volcano, they can do so but they should sign a waiver that the provincial government is not responsible for their climb." 

The Phivolcs is advising the public to refrain from climbing the volcano, and had identified a four-kilometer perimeter permanent danger zone around the volcano's crater because of  possible explosions. 

The Protected Area Management Board has, on the other hand, declared the Kanlaon Park off limits to the public because of the danger of forest fires. 

Green Alert countered that if PAMB is sincere in protecting the park, it should not endorse the proposed geothermal exploration of the mountain. 
------------------------------------------------------ 
This is the NEWSFLASH Mailing List for the PHLIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE. 
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/ 
(c) Copyright 1998.  All rights reserved. 

Take me back to the News Page