Another Mindanao mountain eyed in ASEAN Heritage Park list

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 4 June) — Another mountain range in Mindanao, the Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park in Misamis Oriental, is being considered for inclusion in the ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) network, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) said.

Mt. Balatukan, as seen from Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental. MindaNews file photo by BOBBY TIMONERA

Mount Balatukan’s possible inclusion was discussed during the 12th AHP Committee held late last month in Bangkok, Thailand.

The AHP Committee also discussed the possible inclusion of three other sites in Malaysia (Tengku Hassanal Wildlife Reserve, Bako National Park, and Lambir Hills National Park) and the Doi Inthanon National Park in Thailand to the AHP network.

Dr. Jerome Montemayor, ACB executive director, stressed the importance of regional collaboration for biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region during his opening remarks at the 12th AHP Committee Meeting.

ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member inter-governmental international organization composed of Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia.

In a statement, Montemayor vowed to ensure a more robust and well-managed network of ASEAN Heritage Parks.

“The AHPs comprise a network of protected areas that best represent the shared natural heritage of the region,” he said.

The AHP, one of ASEAN’s flagship initiatives, was designed to build a network of protected areas that best represent the region’s shared natural heritage.

The 12th Meeting of the ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) Committee on 26 May 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, attended by at least 100 representatives from the ASEAN member-states, ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, ASEAN Heritage Parks Committee, and various partners. Photo courtesy of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand

At least 63 sites in the ASEAN region are listed in the AHP due to their ecological and biological richness and effective protected area management, according to data from the ACB, which serves as AHP program secretariat.

For four decades, the AHP program demonstrated regional cooperation and the commitment of the ASEAN member-states to preserve and restore the parks’ immense natural wealth, Montemayor said.

If Mount Balatukan’s bid is successful, it would be the 15th AHP in the Philippines and the 10th in Mindanao.

Mount Balatukan, located in the eastern part of Misamis Oriental, is recognized as a protected area for its outstanding high conservation category. It is listed as the 103rd Key Biodiversity Area, 91st Important Bird Area and is 121st in the Conservation Priority Area in the Philippines, according to the Mount Balatukan Mountain Range Natural Park’s Facebook page.

In Mindanao, the declared ASEAN Heritage Parks are the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental, Mount Inayawan Range Natural Park in Lanao del Norte, Mount Apo Natural Park in the provinces of Cotabato and Davao del Sur, and Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon.

The rest are Mount Malindang Range Natural Park in the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, Mounts Timpoong – Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument in Camiguin, Pasonanca Natural Park in Zamboanga City, and Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Tawi-Tawi. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)