Quezon City, December 10, 2011 -As part of the “Akyat Para Sa Turismo at Kalikasan” Program of the Noble Blue Falcons International (Environmentalists, Peace Crusaders) and in harmony with the celebration of the Christmas Season, seventy-nine Filipino mountaineers from MMAP, Isuzu Gencars- Makati, Uratex Foam, Siomai House, Hotel SOGO, Bagong Henerasyon(BH), Safeway Bus, Leotec Tarpaulins, A Taste of LA Café, Meow Outdoor Group Specials, San Diego Elementary School, DENR-Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Kapel Mountaineers, Pusugo Mountaineers, Tropang Harurot, Busog Mountaineers, Malaya Outdoor Club, North Star Outdoor Leadership, Castle Mountaineers, Talang Mountaineers, Yappak Mountaineering Group and the Noble Blue Falcons Environmental Mountaineers will climb and plant fruit-bearing seedlings at the peaks of Mt. Irid and Mt. Meow (Mt. Tukduan-Banoi)) via Sta. Ines, Rizal, Philippines on December 17-18, 2011.
According to Prof. Leonardo “Onad” Usita, National President of The Noble Blue Falcons International( NBFI), “ Subject of the twin Climb for Christmas and Nature are two of Rizal’s highest peak: Mt. Irid at the height of approx. 1,469 meters above sea level and Mt Meow (Tukduan-Banoi) at the height of approximately 1,200 MASL. This mountaineering event is meant to promote Rizal Sierra Madre mountains to both local and international tourism as an alternative economy to destructive forest-based livelihoods such as logging, kaingin, wood charcoal-making, mining, squatting and quarrying. “
Sis. Aisa B. Serencio, NBFI Coordinator for Mountaineering Affairs claimed that “the activity is a portion of a new mountaineering approach called “Environmental Mountaineering” where there will be a twin climb with four major activities: climb, tree-planting, mountain clean-up and gift-giving to the Dumagat Children in the hinterlands of Rizal Province which is a portion of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. We will bring the spirit of Christmas not only to the mountains but also to our less fortunate fellows. In so doing, we are conquering heights not only for our own glories but for reasons higher than ourselves.”
Founded in March 19, 1996 in the Philippines, Noble Blue Falcons Environmentalists has 422,000 members scattered nationwide with 8,000 Environmental mountaineers helping the provincial Government of Aurora (where it has a National Environmental base) to protect the province’s fast diminishing forest cover thru Task Force Sagip- Kalikasan.
NBFI Environmental Mountaineers hold the Pinoy record of the most number of combined Pinoy and Foreign climbers in a single ascent on a single mountain at 197 (American, French, South Korean and Pinoy mountaineers) in the Philippine International Climb 2011 to Save Sierra in the conquest of Mt. Falcon (Danayag) in Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora, Philippines last April 30-May 1, 2011. At the head count of 422,000 members, The Noble Blue Falcons International is the biggest environmental group in the country today in terms of manpower strength. (Noble Blue Falcons-Aurora)
