Mt. Apo Natural Park

Year of Declaration:  1984
Area (hectares): 64,052.59
Area and Location:

Region 12: City of Kidapawan and Municipalities of Makilala and Magpet, Province of Cotabato;  Region 11: Municipalities of Bansalan and Sta. Cruz and City of Digos, Province of Davao del Sur; and the City of Davao.

 

Description:

Country’s highest mountain at 3,143.6 meters; dormant volcano; on its upper slopes are hundreds  of sulphur vents; last stronghold of the remaining population of the rare and endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi); an important watershed and one  of the Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines. 

 

Habitat Types:

Waterfalls; rivers and creeks; mountain lakes; lowland forests to low montane forest; high montane forest; summit or scrub forest

 

Unique Flora:

Dipterocarp species like lauan (Pentacme contorta), apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus), and guijo (Shorea guiso); Syzygium species; epiphytes (orchids) which include the waling-waling (Euanthe sanderiana); Ericaceae and Rhododendron; almaciga (Agathis philipinensis); manggachapui (Vatica manggachapui); Nepenthes sp.

 

Unique Fauna:

Philippine eagle; abukay (Cacatua haematopygia); Mindoro scops owl (Otus mirus); lesser eagle owl (Mimizu kugurneyi); Mindanao lorikeet (Tricoglosus johnstoniae); writhed hornbill (Aceros leucocephalus); and Philippine brown deer (Cervus marianusapoensis).

 

Ecotourism Destination and Activities:

Lake Agco (The Blue Lake) and Lake Venado, famous campsites  for mountaineers and a stopover towards the peak; Lakes  Maag and Jordan found in the summit; the most scenic waterfalls  (Tudaya, Mabbu and Tagibaka); hot springs; seven indigenous groups living at the lower slopes of the mountain which they consider as sacred ground and their ancestral domain; orchid farms and gardens; Buddhist and To temples; and hiking trails.

 

Biological Richness: • 800 species of flora
• 629 vascular and non-vascular species
• 572 ferns and angiosperms
• 57 bryophytes or mosses
• 37 species with economic value
• 378 species of fauna
• 53 species of mammals
• 272 species of birds
• 17 species of amphibians
• 36 species of reptiles