The CALL TO SAVE THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD done at Mt. Apo, Philippines in February 25, 2002 was in response to the alarming destruction of mountains. It was the outcome of the series of calls made by the HDI Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development to save the environment. It started with the “Call to Save Fresh and Marine Waters” in 1997 and followed by series of calls to save the environment inland that culminated with the "Call to Save the Mountains of the World" that includes "underwater mountains" (seamounts) that dot the bottom of the oceans. Today these efforts have transcended into a CALL TO SAVE HUMANITY AND PLANET EARTH that calls for people to foster peace consciousness, human development and the preservation of Mother Nature.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE:

The "Call to Save the Mountains of the World" done at the Philippines' tallest peak at Mt. Apo, in February 25, 2002 was a respond to the grim reality that people around the world are living in critical times as a result of people's irresponsible and uncaring actions on the earth’s natural processes. Despite of this reality, people have remained heartless and living witnesses of beaten-up mountain ranges, denuded with trees, fouled with destructive wastes, exploited and vandalized. Thus around the world, there’s a rapid depletion of the mountain’s life-giving resources due to perverse economic incentives and political motives, inappropriate technology and land tenurial insecurity, greed and indifference that indicators of global ecological problems are unfolding before us in catastrophic dimension.

The unbreakable interdependence of nature’s ecosystem and the all encompassing repercussions of the increasing devastation of our mountains demand resolute and coordinated interventions from all nations, government agencies, private institutions and organizations, local and international bodies and every citizens of the world. For a shattered component of this delicate chain of nature’s bio-processes could adversely affect the ecosystem and the world’s environment, destroy our very existence regardless of race, creed, nationality or territory.

Thus the Call to Save the Mountains of the World calls upon all those who have the power, the opportunity and the dedication to initiate, support and maintain local, national and global interaction where resources, expertise, lessons and experiences are collectively pooled, institutionally arranged and effectively utilized for a common direction – to save the mountains of the world. Further calls everyone to expand its expression of justice, compassion and harmony to the natural realm of mother earth, for just like human beings mountains too are pained by countless neglects and abuses. Further for people to awaken their human heart with its healing and transforming power and re-establish a productive and sustaining relationship between the legitimate demands of civilization and uncompromising reverence to the fragile resources of nature.

THE CALL TO SAVE MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD was conceived by the Human Development International Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development that capsulated the series of calls it made to save the environment that originated with the Call to Save Fresh and Marine Waters in 1997 at Davao Gulf (www.geocities.com/hdi_news and www.geocities.com/hdforum05). It coincided with the United Nations declaration of the International Year of the Mountain in 2002 where the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), was designated as the lead agency in the celebration. HDI has collaborated with FAO in the translation of IYM materials into the local dialect. FAO sent reference materials on mountains that formed part of the materials used by John Ryan Largo, the HDI Founder in drafting the call. The call manuscript took time to make since it was subjected to consultation and brainstorming. Then when it was finalized copies were sent to partner institutions and stakeholders for comments. Governor Many Pinol of the Province of Cotabato, Ermelo Libre of the Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc., and others made suggestions that were incorporated in the final call document.

HDI invited the Office of the President Republic of the Philippines, the Office of the Mayor in Davao City, the United Nations Development Programme – United Nations Volunteers, the Philippine National Volunteers Service Coordinating Agency, the National Youth Commission, the Japanese Overseas Cooperating Volunteers, and others to join the call at the country’s highest summit. Likewise assistance was sought from Ferdie Santos, the Supervisor of the Environment Management Department of the Philippine National Oil Corporation - Kidapawan Geothermal Plant, HDI stalwart partner in its Mt. Apo activities. Santos recommended the participation of Mount Apo Foundation, Inc., (MAFI), the foundation PNOC established to help uplift the socio-economic well being of the indigenous people and residents living within a specified radius from its geothermal plant at Mt. Apo. This led Ermelo Libre, MAFI its Executive Director to invite stakeholders at Cotabato Province to participate in the call. Governor Manny Pinol of Cotabato Province did not only express support but volunteered to join and lead the call with other leaders.

Tribal Chieftains of indigenous people and Heads of various participating organizations were given part in the call which they translated in their local dialects. The National Youth Commissioner Girlie Amarillo together with Merlyn Espeso, the UNV Field Coordinator from Manila spoke in Tagalog. HDI Youth Volunteer Maya Flaminda Vandenbroeck spoke in Dutch and a JOCV Volunteer spoke in Japanese (Japanese Overseas Cooperating Volunteer). The historic Call to Save the Mountains of the World was broadcasted live that morning of February 25, 2002 that reverberated with solemnity and urgency at the Philippines' highest summit. Simultaneously similar call was done on a mountain facing Mt. Apo at Puting Bato, the highest peak at Samal Island at Davao Gulf (now the Island Garden City of Samal) by another team of HDI Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development. The Founder as the Commander of the 104rth Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron and the Chief of Staff of the PCGA Southeastern Mindanao; Board of Director of the Save Davao Gulf Foundation, Inc., and the Davao Gulf Management Council initiated a region wide clean up from Davao Gulf to inland and the mountains as part of the call activity that was supported by schools, media and others.

Behind the Scenes: A Test to One’s Dedication to save mountains

In any remarkable undertakings sacrifices are always made that are often drowned by the triumph, - and the Call to Save the Mountains of the World was no exception. Hours before a multitude of people gathered at the country’s highest summit for the historic call, - a human saga that almost marred the event took place that put courage; determination, human endurance and strong belief to save mountains into extreme test. The tedious months of preparations weakened stamina of John Ryan Largo, HDI Chairperson and his staff prior to the climb who were expected to climb the peak in one day instead of the normal 2-day ascent from the designated jump off site at PNOC Geothermal Plant.

The HDI Vanguard Corps contingent led by Marnellie Millanes, Nelson Sollano and Maya Vanderbroecke left for the peak before sunrise on February 24, 2005 (a day prior to the event) as to ensure that they reach the summit hours before dusk and be able to brief call participants. Joining them were representatives from UNDP-UNV, NYC, JOCV and others from Manila. A few kilometers behind them was the HDI Founder accompanied by three HDI Vanguard Corps’ veteran climbers Merwin Mingo, Ivy Castilliones and Nelmar Millianes. Halfway on the climb, the Founder started to vomit due to "stress ulcer" as he trudged the steep mountainous trail under the piercing heat of the sun. His companions went to his aid and supported him as he laboriously climbed in pain where every step siphoned his energy that forced them to stop and rest frequently. With the pace they were moving Merwin anticipated a night approach to the summit, - a situation that most climbers dreaded, for it will expose climbers to dangers; temperature that can abruptly drop to zero and cold gale howling winds that usually battered the peak at night.

HDI contingent reached the peak hours before dusk and unknown to them was the knowledge that their Founder and his 3 companions were far behind and in serious trouble. Despite weakened strength and agonizing pain, the Founder was determined to reach the peak. Midway to the peak as they scaled thick undergrowth came in haste 10 rescuers carrying a person on a stretcher down the mountain that needs medical help. Merwin immediately talked to the rescuers and requested them to come back to assist the group who was already suffering of exhaustion.

After a long and tedious climb they were able to get out from the thick underbrush to an open area, - marking the final approach to the summit that usually took two hours to traverse. But this time it’s different because the situation has changed; - the founder’s physical condition has deteriorated and his companions’ stamina has waned after long struggle to assist him climbed that far. Worst it was getting dark and they have to maneuver the almost a kilometer of muddy precipitous sloop before reaching the rock boulders that will lead them to the summit. Unknown to them that said patch of land has been cleared for tree planting earlier and for two consecutive days hundreds of climbers passed this area mashing it into a muddy and slippery slope where one wrong step can send one sliding below to death. As they started to scale, they immediately came to realize that every step was tricky, laborious and took time that found them often sliding as they lost grip or balance. It was not the usual climb that they do having climbed the mountains many times, this time it was unfolding to become a nightmare that found them fighting for their lives as they pushed or pulled their leader up! They have more than to bear under such situation and suddenly the temperature dropped to almost zero accompanied by rain and gale winds that aggravated their predicament. By 8 in the evening and three hours behind their expected time of arrival at the peak they have only covered a short distance and their leader’s condition has deteriorated. His three companions were shivering from cold and near to exhaustion and collapse. Effects of high altitude at 9,000 ft., has also affected them as they laboriously gasped for oxygen in the thin air environment.

The howling winds and the heavy fog made the night looked awry and sinister worst they were relying on intuition and experience in setting direction as they itched forward in darkness towards that small slit opening on the massive rock formation at the peak that would give them access to the summit and the campsite. It was at this point that rescuers whom they met along the trail came in a dash to help. They put harnessed ropes on the Founder and a life line connected to two rescuers ahead who pulled the Founder up while two rescuers stayed on his side to keep him walking and another was pushing his back. It was a tricky maneuver under the cover of darkness and heavy fogs that rescuers also found themselves slipping and falling. Before their eyes a human drama of extreme human endurance was unfolding whom they were both the actors and the audience. Everyone was chilling under the extreme coldness and the Founder in pain can barely walk and was falling into sleep that rescuers have to tap him often to prevent him from sleeping. Hypothermia started to sip and manifest in the group due to extreme coldness as they were not properly clothed for such condition. Then whistles can be heard in a distant under that pit black darkness and glaring head lamps can be seen moving down from the peak as rescue team from the summit scampered to look for the lost group. Using light signals that often obliterated by heavy fog, and whistle the rescuers met the beleaguered group at past 11:00 in the evening who brought hot coffee and meals. The Founder despite his serious condition has never showed signs of giving up – instead his spirit to reach the summit has intensified when he saw the courage and sacrifices made by the rescuers and members of the HDI Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development to come to his rescue so the Call to Save the Mountains of the World can be made into reality. At past one in the morning the group reached the peak’ campsite where a physician rushed to check the Founder’s condition and gave him medication. Through the night Merwin and Ivy kept vigil alternately on the Founder as he slept and at one time they call the doctor noticing breathing difficulties. As they felt the rattling of the tent battered by the howling gale winds outside both gazed point blank as they reminisced the ordeal and the extraordinary determination exhibited by their leader to see things through which he has displayed in many daring activities of the HDI Vanguard Corps. Just barely five hours after the group has sought refuge at the peak campsite, - the HISTORIC CALL TO SAVE THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD was made and unknown to many was the human saga that befell to the person who has conceived the call, his companions and rescuers that almost marred the event.

COMMENDATION:

Because of loyalty and heroic acts displayed by MERWIN MINGO, IVY CASTILLONES, NELMAR MILLANES on those challenging hours they were awarded the most coveted citation, - the Founder’s Citation Award of the Human Development International Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development. The same citation given to ARTHUR ABOGADO and NATNAT LUGAS who has stayed with the Founder at close quarter during the final approach to the peak and his companions in the High Bound Rescue Team for their display of courage and heroism as they stood with the HDI Founder in that death defying ordeal challenge of a lifetime at the peak. The High Bound Rescue Team as a group was also cited. The Human Development International deeply expressed its gratitude for the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices of these young people who have risked their lives on a cause to save mountains. Recognition was also given to MARNELLIE MILLANES, NELSON SOLLANO, and MAYA FLAMINDA VANDERBROECKE for organizing the participants and the program during the call event at the peak.

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