In the heart of the Mount Malindang Range in Mindanao sits the Mount Malindang Range Natural Park (MMRNP), a 34,000-hectare protected area that is blanketed by lush forest vegetation, blessed with abundant freshwater resources and a diverse species of unique flora and fauna.
The mountain range is named after an inactive volcano, and is shared by three provinces in northern Mindanao—Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.
For the people of these provinces, particularly the Subanen tribe, Mount Malindang is very important in ensuring food and water security.
It fosters resiliency in the face of climate change and ensures sustainable development in the surrounding communities.
Asean Heritage Park
Regional Executive Director Henry A. Adornado of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the MMRNP also brings pride and honor to the people of northern Mindanao, because of its status as an Asean Heritage Park (AHP).
“It is a beautiful [natural] park. It is one of the country’s Asean Heritage Parks,” Adornado told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview on January 9.
A big challenge faced by protectors of the MMRNP, he said, is the fact that human settlers were already living in the area before it was declared a protected area.
“Because there are people there, there are also development projects,” Adornado.
He said the DENR Northern Mindanao Region is closely working with concerned local government units (LGUs) to ensure the sustainable development of MMRNP, including a road project leading to the crater lake of the inactive volcano, which is a tourist magnet.
Adornado said crucial to the development of the lake for ecotourism is protecting and conserving its rich biodiversity, and ensuring that ecotourism activities will not adversely impact the MMRNP’s aesthetics.
National Park and Watershed Reserve
Mount Malindang was declared as a National Park and Watershed Reserve on June 19, 1971, through Republic Act (RA) 6266.
In 1992 it became an initial component of the National Integrated Protected Areas System under RA 7586.
It was legislated as a Protected Area on July 30, 2004, under RA 9304.
Because of its unique features, it was declared as an Asean Heritage Park in 2011.
According to Asean Clearing House Mechanism of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Mount Malindang was declared the 29th Asean Heritage Park.
Its total area is 53,028 hectares with a core zone of 34,694 hectares and a buffer zone of 18,334 hectares.
It comprises seven major peaks, including Mount Malindang as the highest peak.
The mountain range was formed through a series of volcanic activities throughout its long history.
ACB Excutive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim shared why Mount Malindang Range Natural Park was declared an AHP.
“Its unique flora include Calamus merrilii [Palasan cane] and almost a dozen dipterocarp species, such as Shorea contorta [white lauan], Shorea negronensis [red lauan] and Shorea polysperma [tanguile],” Lim told the BusinessMirror in an interview via Messenger on December 26.
Important water source
“The Mount Malindang range also supports 15 watersheds that provide sustainable domestic and agricultural supply of water to the surrounding cities and provinces, such as Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga del Sur,” she explained.
According to Lim, as an AHP, it is considered an important protected area, not only for the Philippines but also for Asean.
With its stature as an AHP, she said, “it is hoped that this regional significance translates into more investments for its protection so that its unique characteristics and ecosystem value can continue to deliver benefits for the local communities around it, for the country and for Asean.”
Rich biodiversity
The MMRNP is rich in biodiversity. Over the years, researchers have recorded a total of 1,284 species of plants, 36 species of mammals, 162 species of birds, 33 species of reptiles and 26 species of amphibians.
These species thrive because several major habitats can be found in the MMRNP—including grassland, dipterocarp forest, lower montane forest, upland wetland, and mossy and associated forest.
Besides the Philippine eagle, significant species in the park include the Philippine brown deer, Philippine tarsier, Philippine macaque, Philippine rufous hornbill, palm civet, civet cat; Draco volans, flying lemur, monitor lizard, Malindang shrew, olive-capped flowerpecker, and Mindanao warty pig.
Ecotourism area
According to Adornado, the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) is developing the MMRNP for ecotourism, consistent with the plan of concerned LGUs that have political jurisdiction over the vast territory.
The travel destinations in the MMRNP have been identified as Oriquieta City, Sapang Dalaga Ozamis City, Don Victoriano, Conception, Sinacaban, Jimenez, Bonifacio, Calamba, Aloran, and Lopez Jaena.
The mystical Lake Duminagat is among the area’s historical landmarks, and a ritual and sacred site of the Subanen tribe that protects the forest. It is a tourist magnet and is being eyed for various eco-tourism projects.
Owing to its several peaks, MMRNP is ideal for hiking, trekking, and nature tripping. It offers various ecotourism activities, including bird watching; hiking through nature trails to see wildlife and various attractions including rivers; and waterfalls.
Breathtaking waterfalls
Forester Noe V. Calipusan Jr., the Protected Area Superintendent of MMRNP, said there are a total of 15 breathtaking waterfalls inside the park, three hot springs and the crater lake, Lake Dumaga.
“We have many ecotourism sites in the park that’s why we are working to develop some of these areas together with concerned LGUs,” Calipusan told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview on January 9.
The MMRNP’s waterfalls are enchanting sights for local and foreign tourists alike, because of their curtain-like crystal clear waters falling from the ravine surrounded by dense forest.
Sustainable tourism
As the MMRNP is being promoted for ecotourism, Calipusan said the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) is strictly enforcing rules and regulations to ensure sustainable tourism.
He said mountaineering activities are strictly regulated, and the PAMO has a checklist of rules for those seeking to visit the various ecotourism sites.
Among the requirements for mountaineering, a letter-request must be submitted to Park Operation Superintendents, specifying the activities or itinerary.
The checklist also includes the list and profile of every participant, photocopies of their respective identification cards with complete address.
The entrance fee for local tourists is P30 for students, for working and non-working climbers, P50, and P250 for foreigners.
The climbers are also required to have tourist guides to ensure their safety and protection.
Calipusan added that ecotourism activities are being developed in close coordination with the respective local tourism offices of the towns and cities in the three provinces.
Through ecotourism, protected areas generate the much-needed revenues to help sustain their operation, including the hiring of Bantay Gubat, or Forest Guards, the implementation of various projects and programs for the communities, and to ensure its sustainable operation to continue keeping the life-support system of nature working.
Image credits: MMRNP Facebook page , Wikimedia Commons