Despite years of closure and strict environmental regulations, the foot of the “sacred” Mount Banahaw has once again been defaced by piles of garbage left behind by the massive influx of pilgrims and tourists this Holy Week.
On Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) of the Mts. Banahaw–San Cristobal Protected Landscape reported a disappointing harvest of waste from Barangay Kinabuhayan in Dolores, Quezon. The area serves as the primary gateway for devotees who visit the mountain’s famous “puestos” or sacred sites.
In a single clean-up drive conducted on Black Saturday, PAMO staff collected a staggering 42 sacks of assorted garbage. The waste consisted largely of single-use plastics, food wrappers, discarded bottles, and religious paraphernalia.
The volume of trash comes despite the “no permit, no entry” policy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) mandate requiring all visitors to carry out their own trash. “True devotion is not only expressed through prayer, but also through caring for the Lord’s creation,” PAMO stated, expressing frustration over the recurring lack of environmental discipline among visitors.
The garbage problem follows a more dangerous incident earlier in the week. On March 29, a brush fire broke out atop the mountain, scorching approximately 1,000 square meters of grassland in the jurisdictions of Candelaria and Sariaya.
While the inner sanctuaries and peaks have been strictly off-limits to the public since 2004, authorities suspect the fire was caused by unauthorized trekkers or pilgrims using “secret” foot trails to bypass checkpoints. Discarded cigarette butts or unextinguished candles are the primary suspects in the blaze, which was exacerbated by the intense summer heat and dry vegetation.
Dolores Mayor Orlan Calayag had previously appealed to the public to maintain cleanliness as a sign of respect for the town and the Lenten observance. However, the sheer volume of people—estimated in the tens of thousands—often overwhelms the small teams of forest rangers and local volunteers.
Before its 2004 closure, Banahaw drew over half a million visitors during Holy Week, leading to severe ecological degradation. While the peaks remain closed for recovery, the designated “multiple-use zones” in Kinabuhayan and Sta. Lucia continue to bear the brunt of the seasonal crowd.
As tourists begin to leave the province, the DENR and local government units are making a final plea for travelers to take their trash with them. Environmental groups like Tanggol Kalikasan have noted a concerning absence of some traditional volunteer mountaineer groups this year, who usually assist in monitoring the vast 11,000-hectare protected area.
For many, the sight of trash on the slopes of a mountain considered “holy” serves as a stark reminder that the practice of faith in the Philippines still struggles to align with the principles of environmental stewardship.