The summit of Mt Pulag is vegetated with grass. It is a mossy forest. Trees are pushed down the slope. The tree line is made of gnarled shrubs perpetually dwarfened by wind. DENR Protected Area Office, Ambangeg, Benguet: Jump off point of any climb to Mt Pulag via the Ambangeg 'Fun' Trail. Mt. Pulag is considered the 2nd highest mountain in the Philippines, next to Mt. Apo. Mt. Pulag is typically different from the rainforest mountains. At its height at nearly three kilometers (2923 meters) it assumes a semi-temperate climate and an alpine biome.
Dr Abe V Rotor
If the mountain is a giant,
then I’m in Brobdingnag*;
where now I am a pygmy
when I was once a giant,
wishing the goodness I did
to come back to me.
Strange indeed is life:
At one time we are giants,
at another, dwarves,
giving essence to character
more than fairy tale;
but even in fairy tale,
we gain essence in character.
* Land of the giants in “Gulliver’s Travel,” by Jonathan Swift.
Written atop Mt Pulag 1984; acknowledgment: DENR, Internet, Wikipedia for the photograph.
2 comments:
hello sir. although this has nothing to do with your post on pulag, i would like to ask your help regarding hairy catterpillars infesting our talisay tree.
1) could you advise us on how to get rid of the higad? the tree is positioned right above our gate so my children and i are so prone to get "stung" by the higad.
2) our help cut the entire top of the tree without my knowledge and left the trunk. will the tree grow back?
3) despite the leaves and branches being cut off, there are still higad and are crawling all over our gate. what can i do to get rid of them?
would appreciate your insights and thanks for your blog. truly informative and an enjoyable read!
Michelle
mom of 2 small kids.
Save the tree. Higad is seasonal. Smudge the tree, that is, train smoke into its crown, use dry grass and leaves, for an hour daily. Be sure to gather the dead caterpillars and disposed them in fire. You may prune the tree to reduce population, and minimize incident. Should someone get the bristles, melt candle and let the drops solidify on the stuck bristles, then peel off. Put vinegar or calamansi on the affected area - just don't rub.
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