The Mountain that Shields

The Sierra Madre mountain range stretches for over 540 km across Luzon, acting as the country’s first line of defence against typhoons and floods. 

Its forests cover roughly 40 % of the Philippines’ remaining forest cover, functioning as a crucial carbon sink and life-supporting ecosystem. But this shield is under threat: deforestation, quarrying, infrastructure and mining are chipping away at its capacity to protect our land, waters and people.

Without the Sierra Madre intact, typhoon impacts will grow stronger, river basins will erode, landslides will increase and communities will lose their protective barrier.