PROTECTION. Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol visits the Limunsudan Falls on Tuesday. Mindanao's Higaonon tribesmen are appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to help them protect and preserve the hidden giant waterfalls in the boundaries of Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte. (Photo from Sec. Piñol's Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY – Mindanao's Higaonon tribesmen are appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to help them protect and preserve the hidden giant waterfalls in the boundaries of Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Saturday the tribesmen considered the Limunsudan Falls as a sacred place but worries mounted as the waterfalls are reportedly eyed as a potential hydropower generation resource.
“Tribal leader Julius Dimdim, who guided us as we explored the waterfalls, said that it scares the Higaonon tribe as reports that big companies are eyeing the Limunsudan Falls for hydropower generation,” he said.
The Higaonons, a tribe in Northern Mindanao, have lived in the area for hundreds of years and the area around the majestic waterfalls is a sacred place for them.
The Limunsudan Falls is a two-tiered waterfall in the Bayug River which flows down from Bukidnon to Lanao del Norte.
“In fact, before we started taking photos of the falls last Tuesday, the Higaonon religious leader performed a ritual which they said was their way of seeking permission of the spirits,” Piñol said.
He added that Dimdim, who was born in the area, said an American explorer who ignored the tribal belief died soon after visiting the area.
“He said destroying the waterfalls would displease the spirits and it could bring untold miseries of the tribe. Whether this tribal belief is true or not, as chairman of MinDA, I support the position of the Higaonons,” Piñol added.
"We should preserve and protect this wonder of nature so that the next generation of Filipinos will appreciate the blessings that God has given this country. There are more sustainable ways of generating the power needed for development other than destroying this wonder of Nature,” he added. (PNA)
