The Philippines is set to tie Vietnam for the most ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) in the region, with Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park endorsed as the country’s 15th site pending final “ad referendum approval” from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting on the Environment.
In a news release Friday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the pending announcement would increase the current number of protected areas in the ASEAN region to 71.
During the ASEAN Heritage Parks Forum 2026 on Wednesday, the DENR said that being a global biodiversity hotspot, the designation of ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) holds immense ecological, cultural and economic significance for the Philippines.
Currently, the Philippines has 14 declared ASEAN Heritage Parks.
This includes Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Apo Reef Natural Park, Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Mts. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, Pasonanca Natural Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary.
Once Mount Balatukan is approved, the country will have 15 sites, matching Vietnam’s current total, the highest number of AHPs among ASEAN member states.
“When we safeguard our 14, and soon-to-be 15, ASEAN Heritage Parks in the Philippines and the rest of the AHPs across Southeast Asia, we are securing the water systems that irrigate our farmlands, the natural barriers that buffer our coastlines against severe typhoons, the carbon sinks that mitigate global warming, and the ecosystems that drive green and blue economic growth,” ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Jerome Montemayor said during the forum.
Of the 15 sites, 14 are managed under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), while the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve is managed directly by the University of the Philippines Los Baños – Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems.
Mount Balatukan, in Misamis Oriental, was endorsed to become the 70th ASEAN Heritage Park, while Cambodia’s Prek Toal Ramsar Site was endorsed as the 71st.
The two sites are now subject to ad referendum approval by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment following endorsement at the Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment and the Governing Board of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
“The 69, and soon to be 71, ASEAN Heritage Parks managers are brought together regularly, as often as we can, for learning exchange, for sharing of best practices. These are not just national treasures, but beyond the protected areas being treated as our national patrimony, these are also ASEAN-rich heritage and treasures that we should all value as ASEAN citizens,” Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said.
The DENR said Mount Balatukan is recognized as a key biodiversity area and an important bird area, known for its geological importance, rare biodiversity and deep cultural connections.
The growth of AHP sites across the region also included the recently secured recognition for three new sites, including Bako and Lambe in Sarawak, and the Tengku Hasanal Wildlife Reserve in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste, ASEAN’s newest member state, has identified the Nino Konis Santana National Park as a candidate for its first AHP nomination, which officials hope to secure before the end of the Philippine chairmanship.
At present, the ACB said the region’s 69 declared AHPs are composed of 47 terrestrial, 12 marine, and 10 wetland sites, covering approximately 11.9 million hectares of protected areas. (PNA)
