Protected Areas in the Philippines

This is a list of protected areas of the Philippines administered by the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources' Biodiversity Management Bureau under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992. As of 2012, there are 240 protected
areas in the Philippines covering a total area of 35,700 square kilometres (13,800 sq mi) –
11.9% of the Philippines' total land area.
Protected areas in the Philippines are managed according to the following classifications
described in Section 4 of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS
Act).
Types of Protection:
o Natural parks are relatively large areas not materially altered by human activity where
extractive resource uses are not allowed and maintained to protect outstanding natural
and scenic areas of national or international significance for scientific, educational and
recreational use.
o A natural monument is a relatively small area focused on protection of small features to
protect or preserve nationally significant natural features on account of their special
interest or unique characteristics.
o Bird sanctuaries/strict nature reserve is an area possessing some outstanding
ecosystem, features and/or species of flora and fauna of national scientific importance
maintained to protect nature and maintain processes in an undisturbed state in order to
have ecologically representative examples of the natural environment available for
scientific study, environmental monitoring, education, and for the maintenance of
genetic resources in a dynamic and evolutionary state.
o Protected landscapes/seascapes are areas of national significance which are
characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing
opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation and tourism within the normal
lifestyle and economic activity of these areas.

1. Tubbataha Reef

 Sulu Sea
 Protected as natural park
 The Tubbataha Reef is situated on the Cagayan Ridge, composing of extinct
underwater volcanoes.
 The marine and bird sanctuary consists of two huge atolls (named the North
Atoll and South Atoll)
  When the volcanoes became extinct and the islands subsided over a long time,
only the corals remain, growing towards the sunlight. The very big corals seen
today surrounding the lagoons are originally the fringing reefs.
 In December 1993, the UNESCO declared the Tubbataha Reefs National Park as a
World Heritage Site
 It is also a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine
species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles.
 Over 1000 species of marine life inhabit the reef with many considered as
endangered. Animal species found include manta rays, lionfish, sea turtles,
clownfish, and sharks. Tubbataha has become a popular site for seasoned sport
divers because of its coral "walls" where the shallow coral reef abruptly ends
giving way to great depths. These "walls" are also habitats for many colonies of
fish.
 Vivid corals cover more than two-thirds of the area and the waters around the
reef are places of refuge for numerous marine lives
 The national park and the rest of the Philippine archipelago is part of the Coral
Triangle, recognized as a center of marine biodiversity containing 75% of the
described coral species and 40% of the world's reef fish. The area is under a
grave threat due to overfishing and destructive fishing practices. Research of
scientists visiting the reefs since the 1980s revealed that the Tubbataha Reefs
Natural Park contains no less than 600 fish species, 360 coral species, 11 shark
species, 13 dolphin and whale species, and 100 bird species. The reefs also serve
as a nesting ground for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles.
 In 1999, Ramsar listed Tubbataha as one of the Wetlands of International
Importance. In 2008, the reef was nominated at the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

2. Chocolate Hills

 Bohol
 Protected as a natural monument
 There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over
an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi).
 They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry
season, hence the name.
  The Chocolate Hills is a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in
the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in
the province.They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist
destinations in the Philippines; they have been declared the country's third
National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World
Heritage List.
 a natural monument to protect and maintain its natural beauty and to provide
restraining mechanisms for inappropriate exploitation.
 natural monument proclamation bans "activity of any kind which will alter,
mutilate, deface or destroy the hills
 Resource reserve is an extensive and relatively isolated and uninhabited area
normally with difficult access designated as such to protect natural resources of
the area for future use and prevent or contain development activities that could
affect the resource pending the establishment of objectives which are based
upon appropriate knowledge and planning.

3. Olango Island Group

 It is a group of islands found in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and
is a part of Cebu Province.
 Protected as a bird sanctuary.
 It comprises Olango island and 6 satellite islets namely: Sulpa, Gilutongan,
Nalusuan, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi.
 The island group is divided under the jurisdiction of the city of Lapu-Lapu and
the municipality of Cordova. It lies 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Mactan Island and is a
major tourist destination in Cebu.
 It is known for its wildlife sanctuary.
 Olango Island is a diverse coastal ecosystem consisting of extensive coralline
sandflats, mangroves, seagrass beds, and offshore coral reefs.
 The island's mangroves are most extensive in the Cebu province, and its offshore
corals are home to scores of various marine species. The island is virtually flat,
and it is surrounded by warm seas and partly sheltered from monsoons and
strong trade winds.
 Olango Island, situated off Mactan Island in Cebu, is one of the seven best-known
flyways in the world for migrating birds. Its main attraction is its 920-hectare
Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary,a haven for migratory birds from Siberia,
Northern China, and Japan.
 There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while
the rest are resident birds of the island.
  Then President Corazon Aquino declared the 1,020 hectares tidal flats in Olango
a protected area under Proclamation No. 903 on May 14, 1992. It was included
on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 1 July 1994. It is
the Philippines' first wetland of international importance for waterfowl.
 The island of Olango is also known for its dive sites. Tourists can dive in three
different sites around the island.
 Situated in the northern tip of the island is Mabini Point. Descending to around
35m at the drop-off, one can watch sharks, including hammerheads and the
occasional whale shark. Currents around the site are strong and unpredictable.
 Olango Island has one of the deepest wall dives around. Baring is along the
North-Western side of the island and the wall starts at 60 ft/20m and ends down
to about 220 ft/73m before disappearing on a gradual slope. Grey reef sharks,
tuna, barracuda, snappers and jacks can be found around the area.
 Slightly further south is Santa Rosa. The dive starts with a sandy bottom covered
in soft corals, leading to a drop-off at 15m, descending to 50m. There is a good
variety of reef fish in the shallows here, while further down are fusiliers, catfish,
jacks, snappers and sweetlips, among others.

4. El Nido

 Palawan
 Protected as a resource reserve; managed resource protected area
 It is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, limestone cliffs and as the
gateway to the Bacuit archipelago.
 El Nido is currently ranked #4 in Condé Nast Traveler's list of "20 Most Beautiful
Beaches in the World."
 CNNGo (CNN) has called it the Best Beach and Island destination in the
Philippines for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem."
 The so-called El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the largest
marine sanctuary in the entire Philippines. The Protected Area status accords
the areas of El Nido and portions of its neighboring town of Taytay a place
among the eight priority sitesin the country in need of conservation. The
Protected Area covers a total of 903.21 square kilometers,of which 40% are
terrestrial and 60% marine.
  El Nido, being one of the most diverse ecosystem in the country, is protected for
its unique flora and fauna, and pristine geologic formations. These include:
o limestone cliffs, the home of the swiftlets
o 50 white sand beaches
o 5 types of forest (the lowland evergreen rainforests found in the mainland
and islands such as Miniloc, Lagen and Pangulasian; semi-deciduous
forests; forests over limestone; beach forests; and, the mangrove forests
found mostly around major rivers and creeks in the mainland)
o 3 major marine habitats
o 16 endemic and 10 threatened species of birds (including the Palawan
hornbill, the Palawan shama, the Palawan tit, Palawan scops owl, and the
Palawan peacock pheasant)
o 6 species of marine mammals endemic to Palawan (including dolphins and
its native dugong)
o the Palawan tree shrew, the Palawan stink badger, the Palawan spiny rat,
the Palawan anteater, and the northern Palawan tree squirrel
o 4 species of endangered marine turtles (hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback
and green sea turtles)
o 100 species of corals, 45 of which belongs to the genera of hard corals
o 813 species of fish

5. Mayon Volcano

 Albay, Bicol
 Protected as a natural park
 Renowned as the "perfect cone" because of its symmetric conical shape, the
volcano and its surrounding landscape was declared a national park on July 20
of 1938. I t was reclassified a Natural Park and renamed as the Mayon Volcano
Natural Park in 2000.
 Mayon is a classic stratovolcano with a small central summit crater. The cone is
considered the world's most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetry,which
was formed through layers of lava flows and pyroclastic surges from past
eruptions and erosion. The upper slopes of the basaltic-andesitic stratovolcano
are steep, averaging 35–40 degrees.
  Local folklore refers to the volcano being named after the legendary princess-
heroine Daragang Magayon (English: Beautiful Lady)
 Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines, erupting over 51 times in
the past 400 years.
 The protected area was first declared as Mayon Volcano National Park, with an
initial area of 5,458.65 hectares (13,488.6 acres), on July 20, 1938 by
Proclamation no. 292 during the Commonwealth presidency of Manuel L.
Quezon. In 1992, the Republic Act No. 7586 or the National Integrated Protected
Areas System (NIPAS) Act was established to create, designate, classify and
administered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, all the
protected areas of the country for the present and future generations of the
Filipino people. Under NIPAS, the Mayon Volcano National Park was reclassified
and renamed as Mayon Volcano Natural Park with the signing of Proclamation
No. 412 on November 21, 2000.

6. Taal Volcano

 Batangas
 Protected as a landscape
 is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
 It is the second most active volcano in the Philippines with 33 historical
eruptions.
 Viewed from Tagaytay Ridge, Taal Volcano and Lake presents one of the most
picturesque and attractive views in the Philippines.
 The crater lake on Volcano Island is the largest lake on an island in a lake on an
island in the world. Moreover, this lake contains Vulcan Point, a small rocky
island that projects from the surface of the crater lake, which was the remnant of
the old crater floor that is now surrounded by the 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) wide
lake, now referred to as the Main Crater Lake. Vulcan Point is often cited as the
largest third-order island (island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island) in
the world, though this is also claimed to be an unnamed Canadian island located
within Victoria Island.
 Therefore, Taal has an island within a lake, that is on an island within a lake, that
is on an island: Vulcan Point Island is within Main Crater Lake, which is on
Volcano Island, which is within Taal Lake, which is on the main Philippine Island,
Luzon.
Sources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protected_areas_of_the_Philippines
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubbataha_Reef
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Hills
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olango_Island_Group
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Nido,_Palawan
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon_Volcano_Natural_Park
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_Volcano