Three new Philippine Parks added to ASEAN list

Three Philippine Parks Make It on the ASEAN Heritage List

Leana Vibal
Spot.ph
12 December 2024

Good news! In 2024, three Philippine parks were officially recognized as part of the list of ASEAN Heritage Parks, a.k.a. areas of  "outstanding wilderness and biodiversity values."

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, and Apo Reef Natural Park join 11 other Philippine parks on the ASEAN Heritage Park list. This makes the Philippines the country with the most entries on the list, comprising over 22% of the 64 parks recognized. 

What is an ASEAN Heritage Park?

ASEAN Heritage Parks are "protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving in total a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region."

Simply put, these parks are the best examples of the high-impact ecological zones in the region. More importantly, they have established significant sustainable efforts in protected area management and conservation. 

The list started in 1984 with only 11 areas included. It has since grown into 62 zones across Southeast Asia. 

Aside from the prestige of recognition and the validation that you're doing right by the environment, being on the ASEAN Heritage Park list does have its perks, especially for the park administrators and rangers who manage these spots. 

Areas included in the list become part of a network encouraging them to share best practices and experiences on protected area management and participate in capacity-building opportunities. Additionally, they increase their chances of partnering with international conservation partners and get assistance in enhancing their operations. 

Here are the three new ASEAN Heritage Parks from the Philippines:

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

The Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) is a group of islands in the Sulu Archipelago. This key marine biodiversity area is the first trans-frontier protected area for marine turtles in the world, covering waters in both Malaysia and the Philippines. 

Its claim to fame is that it is one of the few remaining major nesting areas for Green Sea Turtles in Southeast Asia. In the worldwide turtle nesting context, it's currently ranked 11. Yearly, especially during peak egg-laying season, over 80 to 100 Green Sea Turtles make their nests and release their eggs along the shores of its beaches. Many Hawksbill Turtles also lay their eggs in this area, albeit their numbers are smaller than the Green Sea Turtles. 

Aside from turtles, the area is known to be home to over 200 species of plants, including 10 mangrove species and 19 species of ferns. This rich foliage has resulted in at least 34 species of birds also calling TIWS their home. There are also a number of bat speceis, 12 reptiles, and about 281 terrestrial plant species have been reported.

Apo Reef Natural Park

Apo Reef Natural Park covers three islands in Occidental Mindoro with the Apo Reef being the largest of the tree.

Apo Reef is the biggest coral reef in the Philippines and ranks as the world’s second-largest connected reef system after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It covers an area of over 34 square kilometers and has two main reefs separated by a 30-meter-deep channel. The area is known to be home to at least 285 marine species, including the angelfish, butterflyfish, dolphins, and sea turtles. 

Aside from the underwater beauty of the Apo Reef Natural Park, there's also a lot to be proud of on land. The two other islands the marine park, Binangaan and Cayos del Bajo, are both known for their limestone structures and coralline formations. There are also a number of known bird species in the area.

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park

Nestled within the Mount Talinis range in Negros Oriental, this 8,016-hectare is includes the crater lakes Balinsasayao and Danao, which are widely believed to have been formed by ancient volcanic activity.

The park ranks second only to Palawan in biodiversity, sheltering 427 critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable species of plants and animals in its dense forests.

Beyond being highly biodiverse, the park is also a place for leisurely hikes, including treks to visit waterfalls and ponds within the reserve.

Aside from these three, two other ASEAN parks were added to the list. These are the Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area and Nam Poui National Protected Area, both in Lao PDR (Laos). Together, these five newly designated areas contribute a collective 11.6 million hectares of legally gazetted protected areas representing terrestrial, marine, and wetland ecosystems.

Other parks in the Philippines named in the ASEAN Heritage Parks list are Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mts. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, Pasonanca Natural Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Mt. Apo Natural Park.