National parks and protected areas of the Philippines
The Philippines has over 240 national parks and protected areas, encompassing about 15% of the country's land area. They are managed by the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources through its Biodiversity Management Bureau.
Understand
editThe Philippine national park and protected area system date back to the American colonial era. The first national parks established were nature reserves in Bataan (Lamao), Laguna (Caliraya), Negros Occidental (La Carlota), Zamboanga, Pampanga (Mount Arayat) and Isabela. Forests were soon included, starting with Mount Makiling. The first formal national park is Mount Arayat National Park in Pampanga, founded in 1932. Further areas were added since the postwar era, and the present system have been outlined in the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act in 1992.
Under NIPAS, protected areas in the Philippines are categorized as: national parks, protected areas, natural monuments, protected landscapes, protected landscapes and seascapes, protected seascapes, game refuges and bird sanctuaries, resource reserves, managed resource protected areas, marine reserves, watershed forest reserves, natural biotic areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and wilderness areas. Our guide rather goes on a simpler approach, dividing things into national parks and protected landscapes, i.e. all those not categorized as national parks.
National parks
editThere are 94 designated national parks in the Philippines, the latest additions being in Cagayan Valley. A shaded background indicates a park designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Luzon
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Aurora Memorial National Park  | Aurora and Nueva Ecija | 5,676 ha (14,030 acres) | ||
| 2 Balbasang-Balbalan National Park | Kalinga | 1,338 ha (3,310 acres) | ||
| Bangan Hill National Park | Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya | 13.90 ha (34.3 acres) | ||
| 3 Bataan National Park | Bataan | 23,688 ha (58,530 acres) | 1945 | |
| 4 Biak-na-bato National Park | San Miguel, Bulacan | 854 ha (2,110 acres) | ||
| Caramoan National Park | Caramoan, Camarines Sur | 347 ha (860 acres) | ||
| Cassamata Hill National Park | Abra | 67 ha (170 acres) | 1972 | |
| Fuyot Springs National Park | Ilagan, Isabela | 819 ha (2,020 acres) | 1938 | |
| 5 Hundred Islands National Park | Alaminos, Pangasinan | 1,676 ha (4,140 acres) | 1940 | |
| Libmanan Caves National Park | Libmanan, Camarines Sur | 19.40 ha (47.9 acres) | 1934 | |
| 6 Luneta National Park | Ermita, Manila | 58 ha (140 acres) | 1955 | |
| Minalungao National Park | General Tinio, Nueva Ecija | 2,018 ha (4,990 acres) | 1967 | |
| Mount Arayat National Park | Arayat, Pampanga | 3,715 ha (9,180 acres) | 1930 | |
| Mount Data National Park | Benguet and Mountain Province | 5,512 ha (13,620 acres) | ||
| Mount Iglit-Baco National Park | Baco, Mindoro | 5,676 ha (14,030 acres) | ||
| 7 Mount Pulag National Park | Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya | 11,150 ha (27,600 acres) | ||
| Naujan Lake National Park | Naujan, Mindoro | 21,655 ha (53,510 acres) | ||
| Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park | Ilocos Sur | 5,676 ha (14,030 acres) | 1963 | |
| Olongapo, Zambales | 9 ha (22 acres) | |||
| Pagsanjan Gorge National Park | Pagsanjan, Laguna | 153 ha (380 acres) | ||
| Paoay Lake National Park | Paoay, Ilocos Norte | 340 ha (840 acres) | ||
| 8 Quezon Memorial Circle National Park | Quezon City | 23 ha (57 acres) | 1975 |
Visayas
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulabog Putian National Park | Iloilo | 854 ha (2,110 acres) | ||
| Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Springs National Park | Carcar, Cebu | 58 ha (140 acres) | ||
| Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park | Tacloban, Leyte | 364 ha (900 acres) | ||
| McArthur Landing Memorial National Park | Palo, Leyte | 7 ha (17 acres) |
Mindanao
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Butig National Park | Butig, Lanao del Sur | 68 ha (170 acres) | ||
| Lake Dapao National Park | Pualas, Lanao del Sur | 1,500 ha (3,700 acres) | ||
| Mado Hot Spring National Park | Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao | 48 ha (120 acres) | ||
| Mount Dajo National Park | Jolo Island, Sulu | 213 ha (530 acres) | ||
| Pantuwaraya Lake National Park | Marawi, Lanao del Sur | 20 ha (49 acres) |
Palawan
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park | Puerto Princesa, Palawan | 22,202 ha (54,860 acres) |
Protected landscapes
editOur list of protected areas include all the other types of nature reserves under NIPAS, from natural parks to wilderness areas.
Natural parks
editThere are 25 natural parks as of 2010, the last addition being Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.
Luzon
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apo Reef Natural Park | San Jose, Mindoro | 15,792 ha (39,020 acres) | ||
| Bicol Natural Park | Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur | 5,201 ha (12,850 acres) | ||
| Bongsanglay Natural Park | Batuan, Masbate | 48 ha (120 acres) | ||
| Bulusan Natural Park | Sorsogon | 244 ha (600 acres) | ||
| Kalbario-Patapat Natural Park | Ilocos Norte | 3,800 ha (9,400 acres) | 2007 | |
| Mayon Volcano Natural Park | Albay | 5,776 ha (14,270 acres) | 2000 | |
| Mount Isarog National Park | Camarines Sur | 10,112 ha (24,990 acres) | ||
| North Sierra Madre Natural Park | Isabela | 359,486 ha (888,310 acres) |
Natural monuments
editThere are 4 designated natural monuments, which are mostly small features which are protected for their special character.
- 9 Bessang Pass
(693 ha (1,710 acres)) — Ilocos Sur - 10 Chocolate Hills (14,145 ha (34,950 acres)) — Bohol
Protected landscapes
editLuzon
edit| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amro River Protected Landscape | Casiguran, Aurora | 6,471 ha (15,990 acres) | 2000 | |
| Bigbiga Protected Landscape | Narvacan, Ilocos Sur | 136 ha (340 acres) | 2000 | |
| Buenavista, Quezon | 284 ha (700 acres) | 2000 | ||
| Casecnan Protected Landscape | Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya | 88,846 ha (219,540 acres) | ||
| Dinadiawan River Protected Landscape | Dipaculao, Aurora | 244 ha (600 acres) | 2000 | |
| Hinulugang Taktak Protected Landscape | Antipolo, Rizal | 3,800 ha (9,400 acres) | 2000 | |
| Libunao Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 47 ha (120 acres) | 2000 | |
| Lidlidda Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 1,157 ha (2,860 acres) | 2000 | |
| Magapit Protected Landscape | Lal-lo, Cagayan | 3,404 ha (8,410 acres) | 2000 | |
| Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape | Mangatarem, Pangasinan | 1,935 ha (4,780 acres) | 2004 | |
| Maulawin Spring Protected Landscape | Guinayangan, Quezon | 149 ha (370 acres) | 2000 | |
| Mount Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape | Laguna and Quezon | 10,901 ha (26,940 acres) | 2000 | |
| Mount Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape | Cavite and Batangas | 3,973 ha (9,820 acres) | 2007 | |
| Pamitinan Protected Landscape | Rodriguez, Rizal | 600 ha (1,500 acres) | 1996 | |
| Quezon Protected Landscape | Quezon | 938 ha (2,320 acres) | 2003 | |
| Quirino Protected Landscape | Quirino | 164,364 ha (406,150 acres) | 2005 | |
| Roosevelt Protected Landscape | Bataan | 786 ha (1,940 acres) | 2000 | |
| Santa Lucia Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 174 ha (430 acres) | 2000 | |
| Simbahan-Talagas Protected Landscape | Dinalungan, Aurora | 2,267 ha (5,600 acres) | 2000 | |
| Taal Volcano Protected Landscape | Batangas | 62,292 ha (153,930 acres) | 1996 |