Apo Reef, Turtle Islands, and Balinsasayao Twin Lakes further prove how the country is blessed with stunning natural treasures and rich biodiversity.
We have three more reasons to be proud of—and three more reasons to up our environment conservation game. Recently, three nature destinations in the Philippines, Apo Reef, Turtle Islands, and Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, have been listed among ASEAN’s five newest heritage parks.
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) formally announced the addition of five new parks to its network of premiere nature reserves and natural parks in the Southeast Asian region last Friday, November 29. Joining the three Philippine parks are the Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area and Nam Poui National Protected Area in Laos, bringing the total of ASEAN Heritage Parks to 62.
The Philippines now has 14 such parks. The other 11 include the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Inayawan Range National Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range National Park, Mt. Malindang Range National Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mts. Timpoong-Hibok Hibok Natural Monument, Pasonanca National Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Mt. Apo Natural Park. Two of them, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan and Mt. Hamiguitan Range Natural Park in Davao Oriental, are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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First established in 1978, ASEAN Heritage Parks are defined as “protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving in total a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region.” These areas are then established to “generate greater awareness, pride, appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation” of the region’s rich natural heritage, through a regional network of representative protected areas.
Let’s get to know more about these three stunning Philippine destinations and why they must be protected at all cost.
Apo Reef Natural Park
The most popular among the three inductees, it is the largest contiguous coral reef system in the country and the second largest in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The reef is located west of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro and is nestled within the fabled Coral Triangle, which is recognized as the global center of marine biological diversity.
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Apo Reef Natural Park is best known for being a marine biodiversity hotspot. It is home to vibrant coral reefs, pristine lagoons, seagrass beds, various mangroves, and lush beach forests, making it a popular destination among diving enthusiasts.
It is also a sanctuary for over 482 fish species, 63 genera of hard corals, rare marine invertebrates, and rare wildlife such as the endangered green sea turtle, thresher shark, great hammerhead shark, whale shark, reef manta ray, Napoleon wrasse, and the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle. So-called “emblematic species” likewise call the reef home, such as reef sharks, mobula rays, whales, dolphins, and dugongs.
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Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park
The Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, meanwhile, is a habitat of remarkable species such as the endangered Negros shrew, Visayan spotted deer, Visayan leopard cat, the critically endangered Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat, and the Visayan warty pig, as well as endemic species like the endangered golden-crowned flying fox.
The park is located in Negros Oriental and covers an area of 8,016 hectares that serves as home to some 325 fern species, 237 tree species, 27 mammalian fauna, and 209 resident and migrant birds. It also boasts a lush forest and bodies of water such as lakes and waterfalls in San Jose, Sibulan, and Valencia, Negros Oriental.
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park was declared a natural park and protected area in the year 2000, and is listed among the country’s Protected Areas (PAs) under Republic Act 11038 of 2018. It belongs to the 113 legislated PAs throughout the archipelago.
Turtle Islands Wildlife
This sanctuary is known to be the only major nesting habitat of green sea turtles in the Philippines, the only one in Southeast Asia, and the 11th major nesting site in the world. The park is part of the Sulu archipelago in the province of Tawi-Tawi. During peak season from May to July, anywhere between 80 to 150 turtles lay eggs every night. Thirty-four avian species have also been observed on the entire Turtle Islands.
Turtle Islands is classified as “Extremely High” for biodiversity conservation by UNESCO and is included on its tentative list of World Heritage Sites. It was declared a Turtle Island Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) through a Memorandum of Agreement between the Philippines and Malaysia in 1996. It is also included in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia Marine Sea Turtle Site network.
Strengthening connectivity of significant ecosystems
“For four decades, the ASEAN Heritage Parks Program has remained relevant and continues to grow—as an outstanding showcase of ‘ONE ASEAN’ regional cooperation and commitment of the ASEAN Member States to preserve and restore its immense natural wealth,” ACB acting executive director Clarissa Arida said, as reported by the Philippine News Agency.
“The AHP Programme stayed true to its purpose of strengthening the connectivity of highly significant ecosystems in the region and in improving protected area management,” she added.
Arida explained that being part of the AHP network provides protected areas with opportunities to share good practices, participate in regional capacity development and awareness-raising activities, and get assistance in enhancing protected area management operations, among others.
The newly named AHPs cover 11.6 million hectares of legally gazetted protected areas representing terrestrial, marine, and wetland ecosystems.
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