 Mount Apo is a large solfataric, potentially-active stratovolcano in the island

of Mindanao, Philippines.

 With an altitude of 2,954 m (9,692 ft), Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the country and is
located between Davao City, Davao del Sur province and Cotabato province.
 The peak overlooks Davao City 40 km (25 mi) to the northeast, Digos City 25 km (16 mi) to
the southeast, and Kidapawan City 20 km (12 mi) to the west.
 On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park by President Manuel L. Quezon.
 The first two attempts to reach Mt. Apo’s summit ended in failure: that of Jose Oyanguren
(1852) and Señor Real (1870).
 The first recorded successful expedition was led by Don Joaquin Rajal in October 10, 1880.
Prior to the climb, Rajal had to secure the permission of the Bagobo chieftain, Datu Manig. It
is said that the Datu demanded that human sacrifice be made to please to god
Mandarangan.
 The datu agreed to waive this demand, and the climb commenced on October 6, 1880,
succeeding five days later. Since then, numerous expeditions followed. These and more are
described in colorful narrations by Fr. Miguel Bernad, S.J.
 A note on the etymologies: Mt. Apo is said to be named after a nobleman named Apong,
who was killed while mediating the battle between two suitors of his daughter Saribu.
Another proposed origin of the name is from the word Apo itself, which in Filipino tongues
means “master” or “grandfather”.
 Six indigenous peoples consider Mt. Apo as their ancestral domain and home, namely:
Manobos, Bagobo, Ubos, Atas and the Tagacaolo. Since time immemorial, these tribes have
lives around the mountain that they also consider as sacred ground. Mt. Apo is their place of
worship and the burial ground of Apo Sandawa, their great-grandparent. The mountain is the
source of their continual supply of food and medicine, but more so, the foundation of their
spiritual and cultural way of life.
 Mt. Apo, as the highest mountain in the Philippines, attracts a lot of attention from hikers all
over the world.

The Mount Apo Natural Park (MANP), with a total land area of about 64,000 hectares, is located in south-central
Mindanao spanning the provinces of North Cotabato in Region 12, and Davao Sur and Davao City in Region 11.
With an altitude of 2,954 meters above sea level, it is the highest mountain and one of the most popular nature-
based tourism sites in the country. MANP was declared a Protected Area and a component of the National
Protected Areas System under Republic Act No. 9237 in 2003.

MANP has great economic significance in the two regions, providing various ecosystem services (e.g., water for
domestic use and irrigation, source for energy generation) to 3 cities and 4 municipalities with over 390,000
households. It is inhabited by several indigenous tribes, mainly by Manobos, Bagobos, and Klata. They consider Mt.
Apo a sacred mountain and the burial ground of Apo Sandawa, their great forefather.

MANP is included in the UN List of National Parks and Equivalent Reserves and acknowledged as an ASEAN
Heritage Site. A Key Biodiversity Area it is home to over 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic. MANP also
houses one of the world’s largest eagles, the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.

In 2010, total forest cover in MANP was at 14,900 hectares or 30% of total land area. However, continued forest
and habitat degradation is prevalent as forest land is being converted for agricultural use and human settlements
expand. Additional threats to forest health, such as illegal tree cutting primarily for household use and charcoal
making, result in a serious net forest loss of about 1,400 hectares per year.
Mount Apo, active volcano, south central Mindanao, 20 miles (32 km) west of
Davao City; it is the highest point in the Philippines, rising to 9,692 feet (2,954
metres). Part of the Cordillera Central, it is covered by a forest of tall, tropical
hardwoods; two subsidiary peaks nearly match its height. Mount Apo National
Park, established in 1936, has an area of 199,819 acres (80,864 hectares); it
is the home of the rare Philippine eagle and features numerous peaks and
valleys, as well as Malasita Falls, Sibulao Lake, and the Kisinte Hot Springs.