The Mounts Iglit–Baco National Park is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and an
ASEAN Heritage Park
ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) are selected protected areas in the ASEAN region that are known for their unique biodiversity and ecosystems, wilderness and outstanding values in scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism. Its vi ...
located in the island of
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
in central Philippines. The park covers an area of surrounding Mount Iglit and Mount Baco in the central interior of Mindoro. It was established in 1970 by virtue of Republic Act No. 6148. In 2003, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
listed it as one of its four heritage parks in the Philippines. The park has also been nominated in the Tentative List of
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Sites
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
.
Geography
The national park lies in the south-central area of Mindoro and is politically divided between the municipalities of
Sablayan
Sablayan (), officially the Municipality of Sablayan ( tgl, Bayan ng Sablayan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 92,598 people.
It has a total l ...
,
Calintaan,
Rizal and
San Jose in
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro ( tl, Kanlurang Mindoro), officially the Province of Occidental Mindoro, is a province in the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. The province occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro. Its capital is Mambura ...
, and the municipalities of
Bongabong and
Mansalay in
Oriental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro ( tl, Silangang Mindoro), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro, is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by th ...
. It has a rugged terrain composed of slopes, river gorges, mountains and plateaus. In the park's northern portion, Mount Baco rises to an elevation of above sea level. Mount Iglit reaches and can be found south of Mount Baco.
The park is crossed by eight major river systems, including the Lamintao and Anahawin Rivers which empty into the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. It is home to four ethnic groups on the island: the
Batangas Tagalog
Batangas Tagalog (also known as Batangan or Batangueño ) is a dialect of the Tagalog language spoken primarily in the province of Batangas and in portions of Cavite, Quezon, Laguna and on the island of Mindoro. It is characterized by a strong ...
,
Mangyan
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found on the island of Mindoro, southwest of the island of Luzon, the Philippines, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs. The total population may be around 280,001, ...
, Hanunu'o and Bangan.
The Mangyans depend on the park for their subsistence, where they engage in traditional farming and hunting for food. There are also areas of grasslands turned into pastures, as well as areas of
slash-and-burn
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...
agriculture.
The park's vegetation consists primarily of grasslands, lowland
Dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = f ...
forests, and montane rainforests on the higher slopes. In the park's southern portion near the Lamintao River is a block of
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
forest. There is also an area of
Agoho forest along the Anahawin River within the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm ecotourism site. The rest of the lowland portions are open grasslands. The most extensive forests in the national park are in the remote northern portion in the area of Mount Baco.
The tamaraw
![Bubalus mindorensis by Gregg Yan 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Bubalus_mindorensis_by_Gregg_Yan_03.jpg)
The park is the habitat of the endemic
tamaraw
The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (''Bubalus mindorensis'') is a small hoofed mammal belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, howe ...
(''Bubalus mindorensis''), a small, hoofed mammal of the
bovid
The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, ...
family unique to the Philippines. It is one of the most seriously endangered animals in the world. It was for this reason that the park was established, first as a game refuge and bird sanctuary in 1969 with an initial area of , then as a national park increasing its size a year later.
The biggest population of tamaraw can be found in the open grasslands of the national park. It contains the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm, an off-site breeding facility established in 1980 under the Tamaraw Conservation Program in Manoot,
Rizal. In April 2018, 523 tamaraws were spotted in the protected area. This is up from 327 spotted in 2012.
Other flora and fauna
Apart from the tamaraw, other forms of wildlife are also found within the park including the
Mindoro climbing rat,
Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat,
Philippine deer
The Philippine deer (''Rusa marianna''), also known as the Philippine sambar or Philippine brown deer, is a vulnerable deer species endemic to the Philippines. It was first described from introduced populations in the Mariana Islands, hence t ...
, and
wild pigs. A number of bird species also inhabit the park like the
Mindoro imperial pigeon,
Mindoro scops owl,
black-hooded coucal
The black-hooded coucal (''Centropus steerii'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines and is one of the most endangered birds in the country. It is threatened by habitat loss and trapping.
...
,
scarlet-collared flowerpecker and heart pigeon.
Some of the important indigenous plants found in the park are the kalantas tree, tindalo,
almaciga,
kamagong
''Diospyros blancoi'', (synonym ''Diospyros discolor''), commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree, is a tree of the genus ''Diospyros'' of ebony trees and persimmons. It produces edible fruit with a fine, velvet ...
and
jade vine
''Strongylodon macrobotrys'', commonly known as jade vine, emerald vine''The Royal Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants'', ed. Christopher Brickell, Dorling Kindersley, London, 1996, , p987 or turquoise jade vine, is a specie ...
.
See also
*
List of national parks of the Philippines
National Parks of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Liwasan ng Pilipinas) are places of natural or historical value designated for protection and sustainable utilization by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under the National Int ...
*
List of World Heritage Sites in the Philippines
The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated six World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described i ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park
National parks of the Philippines
ASEAN heritage parks
Protected areas established in 1970
1970 establishments in the Philippines
Geography of Occidental Mindoro
Geography of Oriental Mindoro
Tourist attractions in Occidental Mindoro
Tourist attractions in Oriental Mindoro
World Heritage Tentative List for the Philippines