Makiling forest reserve declared heritage park

MANILA, Philippines - The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve in Los Baños, Laguna has been declared as the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Park.

This developed after environment ministers from the 10 member-states of the regional group approved the nomination of Makiling as a natural park during the 14th Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment held on Sept. 25 in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje made the announcement in a Heritage Parks conference held in the country last Monday.

Paje said Makiling was recognized for its high conservation importance and named one of the country’s 18 centers of plant diversity and 32 key ecotourism sites.

“With its hot springs, gardens and scenery, it has been a prime ecotourism destination, given its proximity to Metro Manila. So the wonder is that, for all its wear and tear, the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve continues to thrive as a habitat for biodiversity, well enough to qualify as an ASEAN Heritage Park,” the DENR chief said.

The Mount Makiling Forest Reserve joins four other ASEAN Heritage Parks in the Philippines, which include Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, and Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park.

Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau director Theresa Mundita-Lim said the declaration of Makiling as an ASEAN Heritage Park will mean opportunities for more support both in the local and international levels.

“This development also means recognition of the efforts of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) together with the DENR and the concerned sectors in protecting the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve,” she said.

In approving the nomination, ASEAN environment ministers noted that Makiling is a well-known destination for scientists and tourists because of the reserve’s prominence as an outdoor laboratory for forestry and its mountain peaks, and boiling mud and hot springs.

Nathaniel Bantayan, director of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, said Mount Makiling is known as a legendary mountain and habitat of many important plant and animal species. The reserve manages to protect and conserve its diverse species, he said.

Meanwhile, John Pulhin, dean of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources of UPLB, whose campus is at the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, said the reserve is home to internationally famous organizations of various concerns and has become a unique national and international center for higher education, science, arts, natural resources conservation and utilization, and tourism.

The certification of declaration as an ASEAN Heritage Park was presented during a ceremony held yesterday at the Makiling Botanical Gardens in Los Baños.

Leading the dignitaries during the presentation of the certificate were Rex Victor Cruz, chancellor of UPLB; Dana Kartakusuma, chairman of the governing board of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity and assistant minister for economy and sustainable development of Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment; and Raman Letchumanan, head of the environment division of the ASEAN Secretariat.

The event was witnessed by managers of the 32 ASEAN Heritage Parks.

The ASEAN Center for Biodiversity serves as secretariat of the ASEAN Heritage Park Program. ASEAN Center for Biodiversity executive director Roberto Oliva said the heritage parks serve as a regional network of national protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving a complete spectrum of representative ecosystem to generate greater awareness, pride, appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation of ASEAN’s rich natural heritage.