Manila: The Philippines is on the brink of tying with Vietnam for the most ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) in the region, as the Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park has been recommended to become the country's 15th site. This endorsement awaits final 'ad referendum approval' from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting on the Environment.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced on Friday that this development will bring the total number of protected areas in the ASEAN region to 71. During the ASEAN Heritage Parks Forum 2026, the DENR emphasized the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of ASEAN Heritage Parks to the Philippines, a recognized global biodiversity hotspot.
The Philippines currently boasts 14 declared ASEAN Heritage Parks, including notable sites such as Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Apo Reef Natural Park, and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Once Mount Balatukan receives approval, the country will equal Vietnam's tally of 15 AHPs, the highest among ASEAN member states.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Jerome Montemayor highlighted the significance of safeguarding these parks, stating, "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."
Of the 15 sites, 14 are managed under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), while the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve is managed by the University of the Philippines Los Ba±os - Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems. Mount Balatukan, located in Misamis Oriental, has been endorsed as the 70th ASEAN Heritage Park, with Cambodia's Prek Toal Ramsar Site as the 71st.
These sites are now pending 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). Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. remarked on the value of these parks, stating, "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."
Mount Balatukan is recognized as a key biodiversity area and an important bird area, renowned for its geological significance, unique biodiversity, and deep cultural connections. The growth of AHP sites in the region also includes the recent recognition of three new sites: Bako and Lambe in Sarawak, and the Tengku Hasanal Wildlife Reserve in Malaysia.
In a related development, Timor-Leste, ASEAN's newest member state, has proposed the Nino Konis Santana National Park as a candidate for its first AHP nomination, with aspirations to secure approval before the conclusion of the Philippine chairmanship. Currently, the ACB reports that the region's 69 declared AHPs consist of 47 terrestrial, 12 marine, and 10 wetland sites, covering approximately 11.9 million hectares of protected areas.
