CLARK FREEPORT – The new route taken by the ill-fated foreign tourists who died after being swept off by strong currents on the slopes of Mt.Pinatubo last Thursday was built by a Korean investor without the needed permits from government agencies.
Director Ronnie Tiotuico of the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that the new route, dubbed as “Skyway” was developed some two years ago by Korean investors who established the Pinatubo Development Corp. (PDC) in Barangay Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac.
The Skyway, he said, was built “without the necessary clearances from government agencies concerned such as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the Department of Environment and |Natural Resources (DENR) or the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).”
Tiotuico said he did not expect Phivolcs to approve the Skyway, amid its earlier advisory declaring that “no other way except what nature has provided should be used for trekking” up to Mt. Pinatubo’s crater-lake summit which is being promoted by the government as a tourist destination.
He said Phivolcs recommends on the “streambed” of the O’Donnel river, which emanates from the upper reaches of Mt. Pinatubo as the safest route to the summit. This, he said, is the reason why trekking to the volcano is supposed to be totally prohibited during the rainy season, as the O’Donnel river becomes active in channeling waters from the slopes during the rainy month.
Tiotuico lamented that the Skyway was even promoted by the PDC as an “all-season trail”.
No one from the PDC could be contacted, as its office in Barangay Sta. Juliana was closed yesterday.
Two French nationals and a Belgian died at the O’Donnel river on the volcanic slopes last Thursday after swelling waters in the river swept them off. Five other French nationals and three Koreans survived.
The foreign tourists initially registered with the PDC which reportedly gave them the permit for their volcano trek on board three vehicles provided by the Angeles 4×4 Club.
“Going up by the streambed requires one hour drive and two hours of walking to reach the summit. The Skyway required only a one-hour drive and 30 minutes of walking towards the crater lake,” Tiotuico said, but noted that the latter route is without safety features such as signages at dangerous turns.
He said there had already been several cases of accidents along the Skyway but no deaths were reported until last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Jose Caparas, commander of the Army’s 3rd Mechanized Batallion under the Light Armor Division based in Tarlac, lamented unauthorized intervention apparently by the PDC is the conduct of search and rescue operations for the tourists last Thursday.
Caparas, who headed the army rescue team, said confusion arose during the operations as the PDC failed to coordinate with government rescue teams while barking out its own instructions on what to do.
He said that last Friday morning, one of the rescue helicopters which was supposed to pick up an injured French national on the slopes, was gone.
Later on the injured tourist, along with four other French nationals and three Koreans who were reported trapped, showed up near the base of the rescue teams in Sta. Juliana.
“I am glad they were safe, but my point is that such rescue missions must be systematic and coordinated. If any untoward thing happened to these tourists who survived, my unit would be blamed,” he said.
Caparas said the PDC apparently carried out instructions to the foreigners through the radio equipment of the drivers of the vehicles used for the trek.
At the same time, Capas Mayor Rey Catacutan, who earlier said the tourists should have been prevented from trekking up to Mt. Pinatubo by a Philippine Air Force (PAF) team stationed at the Crow Valley area in his town, said that he was “not really blaming the Air Force” for last Thursday’s tragedy.
“The fact is I even plan to formally honor a certain Lt. Layan who was injured during the rescue operations,” he said.
This, even as Tiotuico said he is also interested in finding out who owned the hut where the stranded tourists stayed on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo Thursday night. He said the hut owner gave the tourists warm soup and dried clothes and hosted them overnight.
Tiotuico also said he would like to know who also accommodated the tourists a carabao-driven cart for them to cross the O’Donnel river the following day.
These events were relayed by French national Helene Radjou, one of the survivors, noted Tiotuico who said he plans to cite the unknown persons for the help they extended to the tourists.
The tourists who stayed in the hut and crossed the river on a carabao cart later surfaced in Sta. Juliana, surprising rescuers.
Director Ronnie Tiotuico of the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said that the new route, dubbed as “Skyway” was developed some two years ago by Korean investors who established the Pinatubo Development Corp. (PDC) in Barangay Sta. Juliana in Capas, Tarlac.
The Skyway, he said, was built “without the necessary clearances from government agencies concerned such as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the Department of Environment and |Natural Resources (DENR) or the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).”
Tiotuico said he did not expect Phivolcs to approve the Skyway, amid its earlier advisory declaring that “no other way except what nature has provided should be used for trekking” up to Mt. Pinatubo’s crater-lake summit which is being promoted by the government as a tourist destination.
He said Phivolcs recommends on the “streambed” of the O’Donnel river, which emanates from the upper reaches of Mt. Pinatubo as the safest route to the summit. This, he said, is the reason why trekking to the volcano is supposed to be totally prohibited during the rainy season, as the O’Donnel river becomes active in channeling waters from the slopes during the rainy month.
Tiotuico lamented that the Skyway was even promoted by the PDC as an “all-season trail”.
No one from the PDC could be contacted, as its office in Barangay Sta. Juliana was closed yesterday.
Two French nationals and a Belgian died at the O’Donnel river on the volcanic slopes last Thursday after swelling waters in the river swept them off. Five other French nationals and three Koreans survived.
The foreign tourists initially registered with the PDC which reportedly gave them the permit for their volcano trek on board three vehicles provided by the Angeles 4×4 Club.
“Going up by the streambed requires one hour drive and two hours of walking to reach the summit. The Skyway required only a one-hour drive and 30 minutes of walking towards the crater lake,” Tiotuico said, but noted that the latter route is without safety features such as signages at dangerous turns.
He said there had already been several cases of accidents along the Skyway but no deaths were reported until last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Jose Caparas, commander of the Army’s 3rd Mechanized Batallion under the Light Armor Division based in Tarlac, lamented unauthorized intervention apparently by the PDC is the conduct of search and rescue operations for the tourists last Thursday.
Caparas, who headed the army rescue team, said confusion arose during the operations as the PDC failed to coordinate with government rescue teams while barking out its own instructions on what to do.
He said that last Friday morning, one of the rescue helicopters which was supposed to pick up an injured French national on the slopes, was gone.
Later on the injured tourist, along with four other French nationals and three Koreans who were reported trapped, showed up near the base of the rescue teams in Sta. Juliana.
“I am glad they were safe, but my point is that such rescue missions must be systematic and coordinated. If any untoward thing happened to these tourists who survived, my unit would be blamed,” he said.
Caparas said the PDC apparently carried out instructions to the foreigners through the radio equipment of the drivers of the vehicles used for the trek.
At the same time, Capas Mayor Rey Catacutan, who earlier said the tourists should have been prevented from trekking up to Mt. Pinatubo by a Philippine Air Force (PAF) team stationed at the Crow Valley area in his town, said that he was “not really blaming the Air Force” for last Thursday’s tragedy.
“The fact is I even plan to formally honor a certain Lt. Layan who was injured during the rescue operations,” he said.
This, even as Tiotuico said he is also interested in finding out who owned the hut where the stranded tourists stayed on the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo Thursday night. He said the hut owner gave the tourists warm soup and dried clothes and hosted them overnight.
Tiotuico also said he would like to know who also accommodated the tourists a carabao-driven cart for them to cross the O’Donnel river the following day.
These events were relayed by French national Helene Radjou, one of the survivors, noted Tiotuico who said he plans to cite the unknown persons for the help they extended to the tourists.
The tourists who stayed in the hut and crossed the river on a carabao cart later surfaced in Sta. Juliana, surprising rescuers.
