MOUNT HAMIGUITAN, Davao Oriental—Environment and tourism officers in Davao Oriental on Thursday declared Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary as an Asean Heritage Parks (AHP), its second international environmental distinction, to drum up a series and packages of ecotourism activities and researches into the habitat.
The launching came two years after the environmental ministers of the 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) accepted the nomination of Mount Hamiguitan as an AHP and, finally, approved its inclusion in the 15th Informal Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Davao Oriental announced that it was a double honor for the mountain to bring two international distinctions within one year, when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) granted on June 23, 2014, that it be included on its World Heritage List. The AHP nomination was approved in October 2014.
Rolando Inciong, spokesman of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity, said Mount Hamiguitan is the eighth heritage site in the Philippines and among 37 in Southeast Asia. Ruel Colong, protected area superintendent of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, said tourism, environment and local government authorities were already completing the compliance of seven requirements to open up adventure, climb and trekking to the 1,637-meter above sea level mountain that straddles the municipalities of Governor Generoso and San Isidro to its south, and Mati City to its east.
But San Isidro Mayor Justina Yu already warned to limit the entrance to mountain trekking to only one “to avoid the forest fire that hit Mount Apo.” Dolores Valdesco, Davao Oriental provincial environment and natural resources officer, said the three local governments have tapped local communities for livelihood opportunities, including the appointment of residents to serve in the Bantay Gubat, or forest guards.
“San Isidro town, for instance, has approved the regular monthly payment of services of members of the Bantay Gubat to those residing in the town,” she added.
The Mandaya tribal communities around the mountain were also grantwed their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title to protect their communities from private incursions. Dr. Florfe M. Acma, head of the biodiversity unit of the Center of Biodiversity Research and Extension in Mindanao of Central Mindanao University, said Mount Hamiguitan “contains a list of flora and fauna unique from those found in the four other biodiverse mountains in Mindanao.” She said its taxonomy researches have brought them also to Mount Malindang in Misamis Occidental and Mount Apo Natural Park in Davao, both included earlier in the AHP list, and in Mount Kitanglad in Bukidnon and Mount Musuan in Musuan, Bukidnon.
The other AHPs in the Philippines are Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park, Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, Mount Malindang Range Natural Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and Mounts Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument.
Image credits: Manuel T. Cayon