The Pagsanjan Gorge National Park is a national park and tourist zone located in the province of Laguna in the Philippines, approximately southeast of

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. It protects an area of around a series of gorges on the

Bumbungan River The Bumbungan River ( tl, Ilog Bumbungan) is a river in the province of Laguna in the Philippines. It is commonly referred to as the Pagsanjan River because of the popularity of the municipality of Pagsanjan and Pagsanjan Falls, one of the pro ...

which leads to

Pagsanjan Falls Pagsanjan Falls, also known as Cavinti Falls (local name: Magdapio Falls) is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Philippines. Located in the province of Laguna, the falls is one of the major tourist attractions of the region. The three-drop ...

. It is one of the oldest parks in the country and one of two

protected areas 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 ...

in Laguna. It is situated in the municipalities of

Pagsanjan Pagsanjan (pronounced ''PAG-sang-han''), officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan ( tgl, Bayan ng Pagsanjan), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,327 peop ...

Cavinti Cavinti, officially the Municipality of Cavinti ( tgl, Bayan ng Cavinti), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,980 people. It is in the Sierra Madre mount ...

and

Lumban Lumban, officially the Municipality of Lumban ( tgl, Bayan ng Lumban), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It can reach this town Passing Through Rizal Province via Manila East Road or SLEX. According to the 2020 ...

History

The park was first established in 1904 through Executive Order No. 33 signed by Civil Governor

Luke Edward Wright Luke Edward Wright (August 29, 1846 – November 17, 1922) was a United States political figure. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1904 to 1905 and also as Secretary of War from 1908 to 1909. Biography Luke Edward Wright was ...

. The Caliraya Falls Reserve covered and was initially set aside for the development of water power from the falls of the Caliraya River. Executive Order No. 65 by Governor-General

William Cameron Forbes William Cameron Forbes (May 21, 1870 – December 24, 1959) was an American investment banker and diplomat. He served as governor-general of the Philippines from 1909 to 1913 and ambassador of the United States to Japan from 1930 to 1932. He was ...

in 1913 reduced its size to . In 1939, through Proclamation No. 392 signed by President

Manuel Luis Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...

, the reserve was reclassified and renamed to Pagsanjan Gorge National Park with its area further reduced to its present size. The national park was declared a tourist zone in 1976 with the administration and control transferred to the Philippine Tourism Authority.

References

{{authority control National parks of the Philippines Geography of Laguna (province) Tourist attractions in Laguna (province) Protected areas established in 1904 1904 establishments in the Philippines

History

See also

References