MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net / 22 April 2026) — Malaybalay City recorded 33 forest fires across eight barangays from February to April 15, 2026, damaging an estimated 133.1 hectares, according to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.
City data show that Barangay Can-ayan, the hardest-hit area, logged 10 incidents and sustained the largest damage at 53.1 hectares, accounting for about 40 percent of the total affected area. The fires also impacted around 390 trees, the highest among all barangays.
Casisang followed with seven incidents, burning about 22.5 hectares and affecting 102 trees. Kalasungay, Manalog, and Sumpong each recorded four incidents, though with varying impact. Kalasungay fires damaged 23 hectares, while Manalog recorded 13.5 hectares but affected a higher 200 trees. Sumpong registered minimal damage at 0.5 hectares.
Kibalabag reported two incidents with 5.5 hectares burned, while Kulaman and St. Peter recorded one incident each, affecting 10 hectares and 5 hectares, respectively. Fires in Kulaman also damaged bamboo, gmelina, and falcata plantations.
The clustering of incidents during the dry months highlights elevated fire risk in upland and grassland areas, with damage levels varying depending on vegetation type, terrain, and response conditions.
In 2024, 54 forest fire incidents from February to April 15 burned 539 hectares of tree plantations, averaging about seven hectares lost per day.
CENRO chief Dr. Jessie Suson said the recent fires were “generally intentional open burning for land cultivation that led to forest fires,” in a message to BukidnonNews.Net on April 22.
She reiterated that forest protection remains a priority for the city government.
In 2024, Suson attributed 98 percent of fire incidents to human or man-made causes, noting that while heat conditions helped spread fires, most originated from activities such as open burning.
She identified Patpat, Kalasungay, Can-ayan, Casisang, and Barangay 1 as fire hotspots in 2024, with Can-ayan, Kalasungay, and Casisang remaining on the list this year.
About 95 percent of affected lands in 2024 were within ancestral domains, raising concerns over the long-term ecological and cultural impact of repeated burning. While burned areas represent only a small portion of the city’s forest cover, Suson stressed that the loss of even a single tree carries lasting consequences, as regeneration takes years.
Malaybalay City has over 71,000 hectares of forest land.
Suson outlined the city’s mitigation, preparedness, and response measures to address forest fires.
For mitigation, the City ENRO has deployed foot patrols in vulnerable areas.
For preparedness, the city maintains trained forest firefighters equipped with personal protective equipment (PPEs) and supported by logistics such as transportation, fuel, food, and water.
She also cited the creation of a Forest Fire Management Team and the full alert status of watchtower personnel stationed along key ridges to detect early signs of smoke. These teams use radio communication, establish firebreaks, and conduct coordination meetings.
The city government earlier issued Executive Order No. 81, series of 2025, reconstituting the Forest Fire Incident Management Team (IMT) to strengthen coordination, field response, and resource mobilization.
Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran heads the IMT as Responsible Official, with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office serving as secretariat. The team oversees planning, operations, documentation, and responder safety during fire incidents.
As part of response efforts, Suson said authorities remain on full alert for fire suppression and have intensified community awareness by sending advisories to barangay officials to encourage vigilance.
Amid these recurring fires, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has raised an El Niño Alert, citing a 79 percent probability that El Niño may develop between June and August 2026 and persist until early 2027, signaling shifts in rainfall patterns.
The agency warned that drier-than-usual conditions could trigger dry spells and drought, increasing the risk of forest and grassland fires, and urged both authorities and the public to take precautionary measures. (BukidnonNews.Net)
Photos courtesy of Malaybalay City ENRO
