In the Philippines, protected areas are administered by the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992.

As of 2020, there are 244 protected areas in the Philippines, covering a total area of about – 15.4% of the Philippines' total area.

History

The first important legislation that formed the basis of the current system of national parks and protected areas in the Philippines is Act No. 648, enacted in 1903 by the Philippine Commission. This act authorized the civil governor to "reserve for civil public purposes, and from sale or settlement, any part of the public domain not appropriated by law for special public purposes."

A total of eight national reserves had been established on July 26, 1904, pursuant to this law. These are the Lamao Forest Reserve in Bataan, Mariquina Reserve in Rizal, Angat River Reserve in Bulacan, Caliraya Falls Reserve in Laguna, La Carlota Reserve in Negros Occidental, San Ramon Reserve in Zamboanga, Magalang Reserve in Pampanga, and Hacienda San Antonio in Isabela. In the same year, the Forest Act of 1904 (Act No. 1148) was adopted that expanded the scope of protected areas in the Philippines. Among the first of such mountain forest reserves to be declared was Mount Maquiling declared on November 21, 1910.

On February 1, 1932, the National Parks Act (Act No. 3195) was enacted that formally established the national parks system in the country. Mount Arayat became the first national park in the Philippines established on June 27, 1933, following this act.

A series of acts and legislations were passed in the next decades that aimed to further strengthen these policies, including the Revised Forestry Code of 1975 (Presidential Decree No. 705) and Forest Administrative Order No. 7. Following the 1987 Constitution, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act was enacted which further enhanced the administration and classification of protected areas and broadened the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in enforcing its provisions.

Classification Protected areas in the Philippines encompasses of terrestrial areas and of marine areas. They are managed according to the following classifications described in Section 4 of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS Act).

National parks

Natural parks

Natural monuments

Name Area Established Location Bessang Pass 2000 Ilocos Sur Chocolate Hills 1997 Bohol Salinas 2000 Nueva Vizcaya Timpoong and Hibok-Hibok 2004 Camiguin

Protected landscape and seascapes

Name Area Established Location Agoo–Damortis 2000 La Union Alburquerque–Loay–Loboc 1999 Bohol Alibijaban 2025"Republic Act No. 12226". Official Gazette. 2025. Quezon Aliguay Island 1999 Zamboanga del Norte Apo Island 1994 Negros Oriental Baliangao 2000 Misamis Occidental Batanes 1994 Batanes Biri Larosa 2000 Northern Samar Cuatro Islas 2000 Leyte Dumanquilas Bay 1999 Zamboanga del Sur Great and Little Santa Cruz Islands 2000 Zamboanga del Sur Guiuan 1994 Eastern Samar Initao–Libertad 2002 Misamis Oriental Mabini 2000 Davao de Oro Malabungot 2000 Camarines Sur Malampaya Sound 2000 Palawan Murcielagos Island 2000 Zamboanga del Norte Peñablanca 2003 Cagayan Pujada Bay 1994 Davao Oriental Selinog Island 2000 Zamboanga del Norte Siargao Island 1996 Surigao del Norte Talibon Islands 1999 Bohol

Protected landscapes

Name Area Established Location Aliwagwag 2011 Amro River 2000 Aurora Baganga 2000 Davao Oriental Banao 2022 Kalinga Bigbiga 2000 Ilocos Sur Buenavista 2000 Quezon Calbayog Pan-as–Hayiban 1998 Samar Casecnan 2000 Central Cebu 2003 Cebu Dinadiawan River 2000 Aurora Hinulugang Taktak 2000 Rizal José Rizal Memorial 2000 Zamboanga del Norte Libunao 2000 Ilocos Sur Lidlidda 2000 Ilocos Sur Magapit 2000 Cagayan Mainit Hot Springs 2000 Davao de Oro Manleluag Spring 2004 Pangasinan Mati 2005 Davao Oriental Maulawin Spring 2000 Quezon Mimbilisan 1999 Misamis Oriental Mount Arayat 2022 Pampanga Mounts Banahaw–San Cristobal 2009 Mount Masaraga 2025"Republic Act No. 12227" . Official Gazette. 2025. Albay Mount Mantalingajan 2009 Palawan Mount Matutum 1995 South Cotabato Mounts Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod 2007 Mount Pulag 2022 Mount Timolan 2000 Zamboanga del Sur Naga-Kabasalan 2022 Zamboanga Sibugay Pamitinan 1996 Rizal Quezon 2003 Quezon Quirino 2005 Quirino Rajah Sikatuna 2000 Bohol Roosevelt 2000 Bataan Santa Lucia 2000 Ilocos Sur Simbahan–Talagas 2000 Aurora Taal Volcano 1996 Batangas Talaytay 2000 Aurora Tirad Pass 2022 Ilocos Sur Upper Marikina River Basin 2011 Rizal

Protected seascapes

Name Area Established Location Panglao Island 2003 Bohol Sarangani Bay 1996 Sarangani Tañon Strait 1998

Game refuge and bird sanctuaries

Name Area Established Location Calauit Safari Park 1976 Palawan Calavite and FB Harrison 1920 Occidental Mindoro Lake Buluan 2006 Cotabato Lake Malimanga 1980 Zambales Olango Island 1992 Cebu Palawan 1967 Palawan

Resource reserves

Name Area Established Location Siocon 1999 Zamboanga del Norte Upper Agno River Basin 2000

Managed resource protected areas

Name Area Established Location El Nido Managed Resource Protected Area 1998 Palawan

Marine reserves

Name Area Established Location Masinloc and Oyon Bay 1993 Zambales Palaui Island 1994 Cagayan Sagay 2001 Negros Occidental Taklong Island 1990 Guimaras

Watershed forest reserves

Name Area Established Location Aklan River 1990 Aklan Alabat 1987 Quezon Alijawan–Cansuhay–Anibongan River 1992 Bohol Allah Valley 1985 South Cotabato Angat Watershed 1968 Bulacan Aurora 1936 Aurora Bawa 1987 Cagayan Binahaan River 1991 Quezon Calabgan 1992 Aurora Calatrava–San Andres–San Agustin 1982 Romblon Calauag 1939 Quezon Capalonga 1966 Camarines Norte Catanduanes 1987 Catanduanes Dahican 1933 Camarines Norte Dalanas River 1990 Antique Dibalo–Pingit–Zabali–Malayat 1992 Aurora Dipaculao 1987 Aurora Doña Remedios–General Tinio 1988 Dupax 1934 Nueva Vizcaya Ilocos Norte Metro 1934 Ilocos Norte Ilog-Hilabangan 1990 Negros Occidental Infanta 1967 Quezon Jalaur River 1990 Iloilo Kabankalan 1991 Negros Occidental Lake Lanao 1992 Lanao del Sur Libungan 1990 Cotabato Loboc River 1953 Bohol Lopez 1940 Quezon Lower Agno 1983 Benguet Maasin 1923 Iloilo Mahugunao 1932 Misamis Oriental Malagos 1933 Davao del Sur Marcos Highway 1978 Benguet Mariveles (Palanas) 1919 Bataan Mulanay 1938 Quezon Naguilian 1936 La Union Olongapo (Palanas) 1987 Zambales Palawan 1982 Palawan Palompon 1988 Leyte Panay River 1990 Capiz Pantabangan–Carranglan Watershed 1969 Nueva Ecija Polillo 1966 Quezon Santa 1935 Ilocos Sur South Upi 1987 Maguindanao del Sur Talavera 1938 Tanap 1971 Ilocos Norte Tibiang–Damagandong 1938 Quezon Torrijos 1932 Marinduque Tumauini 1994 Isabela Wangag 1987 Cagayan

Natural biotic areas

Name Area Established Location Abasig–Matogdon–Mananap 2000 Camarines Norte Basilan 2000 Basilan Buug 1998 Zamboanga del Sur Lagonoy 2000 Camarines Sur Tugbo 2022 Masbate

Wildlife sanctuaries

 World Heritage Site or part of a World Heritage Site

Name Area Established Location Agusan Marsh 1996 Agusan del Sur Chico Island 2000 Masbate Marinduque 2004 Marinduque Mount Calavite 2000 Occidental Mindoro Mount Hamiguitan Range 2004 Davao Oriental Naro Island 2000 Masbate Rasa Island 2006 Palawan Sicogon Island 2022 Iloilo Turtle Islands 1999 Tawi-Tawi

Wilderness areas

Name Area Established Location Alibijaban 1981 Quezon Awasan Bay Islands 1981 Surigao del Norte Bantayan Island 1981 Cebu Basot–Quinalang–Malabungot Islands 1981 Camarines Sur Caniago Strait Islands 1981 Bohol Cebu Strait Islands 1981 Bohol Dampalit Island 1981 Masbate Guinauyan–Naro–Chico–Pobre Islands 1981 Masbate Isabela 1987 Isabela Majaba-Napayuan Islands 1981 Masbate Panag Bay Islands 1981 Surigao del Norte Rasa Island 1981 Palawan

See also

List of World Heritage Sites in the Philippines List of Ramsar sites in the Philippines Biosphere reserves of the Philippines Environmental issues in the Philippines

References

External links

National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 Protected areas (240) in the Philippines from Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau Mount Kalatungan Range Natural Park Official Site