Another natural wonder in the Philippines may soon be included in the list of world protected heritage sites.
Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental, one of the habitats of the rare Philippine eagle, is among the 32 sites nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is set to consider the inscription of the new sites during its session from June 16 to 27 in Cambodia.
“Mount Hamiguitan is highly significant” to the Philippines’ status as the 7th of the “17 biologically rich countries of the world,” UNESCO said in its website.
The 6,834-hectare forest, which is known for its bonsai forest, which includes 100-year-old trees, was declared a protected area under Philippine laws in 2004.
“[T]he mountain is inhabited by five endangered species, 27 rare species, 44 endemic species and 59 economically important species,” UNESCO said, citing reports from the Philippine government.
“At the national level, this sanctuary is a conservation interest. At a global scale, it is known to be a habitat of globally important species of plants and animals,” it added.
If named a world heritage site, Mount Hamiguitan will bring to six the total number of UN-protected areas in the Philippines.
The other five are the Tubbataha Reef, the Cordillera Rice Terraces, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, the town of Vigan, and local baroque churches.
“Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary belongs to the 15 biogeographic zones in the Philippines considered to have the highest land-based biological diversity in terms of flora and fauna per unit area,” UNESCO said.
“This site is therefore nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its outstanding universal significance,” it added.
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