Mt. Banahaw stays closed as Lent begins; strict rules imposed
LUCENA CITY—With the start of the Lenten season, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reminded religious pilgrims and tourists that Mt. Banahaw and nearby Mt. San Cristobal in Quezon and Laguna provinces remain off-limits to the public.
In an interview on Thursday, DENR forest ranger Magtanggol Barrion said the Protected Area Management Office of the Mts. Banahaw–San Cristobal Protected Landscape will strictly enforce regulations within the protected zones in the villages of Kinabuhayan and Sta. Lucia in Dolores, Quezon.
Devotees and religious groups planning to visit the area during Holy Week are required to secure permits at least one week before their intended visit.
The DENR closed the inner sanctuaries of Banahaw in 2004 to allow the mountain to recover from years of heavy foot traffic and environmental degradation.
Prior to the closure, more than half a million visitors climbed the mountain during Holy Week.
