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National Integrated Protected Areas System
National Integrated Protected Areas System
National Integrated Protected Areas System
Republic Act 7586 otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System
(NIPAS) Act of 1992 provides the legal framework for the establishment and management of
protected areas in the Philippines. The Law defines protected areas as the identified portions of
land and/or water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance,
managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploration.
The establishment and management of protected areas are part of the international commitments
signed by the Philippine Government such Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar
Convention, World Heritage Convention, Convention on Migratory Species, and the ASEAN
Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
The implementation of the NIPAS Act is currently on its 19th year. It is implemented
originally through DENR Administrative Order No. 25, Series of 1992. The said DENR
Administrative Order was amended pursuant to DAO 2008-26 dated 24 December 2008. This
Administrative Order sets the procedures for the establishment, administration, management and
development of the System.
The NIPAS Act identified 202 initial components comprising of proclaimed national
parks, game refuge and wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves, wilderness areas, mangrove
reserves, watershed reservations, fish sanctuaries, protected landscapes and seascapes, among
others prior to the effectivity of the NIPAS Act. The identified initial components of NIPAS
cover an approximate area of 2.57 million hectares. These areas will be maintained as part of the
NIPAS until such time that they are finally assessed as to their suitability for inclusion to the
System. There are one hundred twelve (112) protected areas formally proclaimed by the
President under the System covering 3.54 million hectares. Seventy (70) out of the 112 are initial
components with an area of 1.97 million hectares and forty-two (42)additional areas with an area
of 1.57 million hectares. Of the 112 proclaimed protected areas, 29 are marine protected areas
with a total area of 1.37 million hectares while 83 are terrestrial protected areas covering an area
of2.17 million hectares.
Nine (9) of the initial components and four (4) additional areas have specific laws for
their establishment under the System. These are Batanes Island Protected Landscape and
Seascape-R2, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park-R2, Mts. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected
Landscape-R4A, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park-R4B, Mt. Kanla-on Natural Park-R6, Sagay
Marine Reserve-R6,Central Cebu Protected Landscape-R7, Mimbilisan Protected LandscapeR10,Mt. Kitanglad Range Protected Area-R10, Mt. Malindang Natural Park-R10, Mt. Apo
Natural Park-R11, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary-R11 andBangan Hill Natural ParkR2.
In terms of administration, the NIPAS Act requires the creation of respective Protected
Area Management Board (PAMB) which is a multi-sectoral and decision making body for each
of the protected area established under the NIPAS. As of June 2011, there are one hundred
seventy-eight (178)protected areas with organized/appointed Management Boards: 97 PAs with
PAMB are proclaimed under the NIPAS (65 PAs are initial components and 32PAs are additional
areas). Out of the 97 proclaimed PAs with PAMB, 2 are under the management of Palawan
Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and City Government of Puerto Princesa, 1 is
under the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB). On the other hand, out of
the 178protected areas with PAMB, 73 protected areas are unproclaimed initial components
and 8 are proposed areas for proclamation under the NIPAS.
With regard to the financing of the System, there are one hundred and forty-nine
(149) protected areas with established Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF), of
which 95 protected areas have active IPAF collections and utilization. As of June 2011, a total
income of Php 204,824,951.22has been generated by the System. On the same period, a total
amount ofPhp 127,212,987.51 was utilized.
Furthermore, there were sixty-eight (68) support policies issued by the DENR including
the newly approved Revised IRR of the NIPAS Act.
In recognition of the importance of the biological diversity of the Philippines, several
protected areas have been designated as World Heritage Sites (Tubbataha Reefs Natural
Park and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park), Ramsar Sites (Olango Island
Wildlife Sanctuary, Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Naujan Lake National Park,
and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park), Transboundary Protected Areas (Turtle Islands Wildlife
Sanctuary) and the ASEAN Heritage Parks (Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park
and Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park).
Classification Of Protected Areas
1. National Parks
National parks refer to forest reservations essentially of natural wilderness character which
have been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation except in
conformity with approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve the
area or preserve the scenery, the natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and
to provide enjoyment of these features in such areas.
Rizal Park also known as Luneta Park or
colloquially Luneta, is a historical urban park located along
Roxas Boulevard, City of Manila, Philippines, adjacent to
the old walled city of Intramuros. Since the Spanish Colonial
Era, Being one of the largest urban park in Asia, It has been
a favourite leisure spot, and is frequented on Sundays
and national holidays. It is one of the
major tourist attractions of the City of Manila.
2. Natural Parks
Natural parks are relatively large areas not materially altered by human activity where
extractive resource uses are not allowed and maintained to protect outstanding natural and scenic
areas of national or international significance for scientific, educational and recreational use.
Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines
situated on the western waters of Occidental
Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait. Encompassing
34 km2 (13 sq mi), it is the world's second-largest contiguous
coral reef system and the largest in the country. The reef and
its surrounding waters are protected areas in the
country administered as the Apo Reef Natural
Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular
dive sites in the country.
3. Natural Monuments
A natural monument is a relatively small area focused on protection of small features to
protect or preserve nationally significant natural features on account of their special interest or
unique characteristics.
6. Resource Reserved
Resource reserve is an extensive and relatively isolated and uninhabited area normally with
difficult access designated as such to protect natural resources of the area for future use and
prevent or contain development activities that could affect the resource pending the
establishment of objectives which are based upon appropriate knowledge and planning.
8. Marine Reserves
Taklong Island is the main island of the Taklong
Island National Marine Reserve located in Nueva
Valencia, Guimaras and off southern end of the island
of Guimaras, in the West Visayas of the Philippines. It has
a marine research lab of the University of the Philippines
Visayas (UPV) based in nearby Iloilo Province. The only
population on the island is one family who are employed as
caretakers on the island. There are also UPV staff, such as
security guards, who rotate on and off the island.
Abasig-Matogdon-Mananap
Basilan Island lies c.20 km south of the tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula of south-western
Mindanao. It is a hilly island, with several peaks that ascend to almost 1,000 m, including
Mt Kebang (Twin Peak) and Mt Mohadji. This IBA includes the forests that remain in the
hilly central part of the island, which are recommended by the DENR-9 for protection
under the NIPAS as the Basilan Natural Biotic Area. An area of 234 ha of primary forest
is reported to remain on Mt Mohadji, which also has patches of secondary forest which
cover a total area of 2,500 ha. These areas were logged more than 20 years ago, but have
now regenerated. Most of this is lowland forest, with limited areas of mossy forest around
the highest peaks.