This is a list of protected areas of the Philippines administered by the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...

(DENR)'s Biodiversity Management Bureau under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992. As of 2020, there are 244 protected areas in 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 ...

covering a total area of about – 15.4% of the Philippines' total area.

History

The first important legislation that formed the basis of the current system of national parks and protected areas in the Philippines is Act No. 648, enacted in 1903 by the

Philippine Commission The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines. The first Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Presi ...

. This act authorized the civil governor to "reserve for civil public purposes, and from sale or settlement, any part of the public domain not appropriated by law for special public purposes." A total of eight national reserves had been established on July 26, 1904, pursuant to this law. These are the Lamao Forest Reserve in

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

Mariquina Reserve The Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape is a protected area in the Province of Rizal in the Philippines, which forms the upper area of the drainage basin of the Marikina River. The term "Marikina Watershed" is sometimes used to specif ...

in Rizal, Angat River Reserve in

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...

, Caliraya Falls Reserve in Laguna, La Carlota Reserve in

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...

, San Ramon Reserve in Zamboanga, Magalang Reserve in

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

, and Hacienda San Antonio in Isabela. In the same year, the Forest Act of 1904 (''Act No. 1148'') was adopted that expanded the scope of protected areas in the Philippines. Among the first of such mountain forest reserves to be declared was Mount Maquiling declared on November 21, 1910. On February 1, 1932, the National Parks Act (''Act No. 3195'') was enacted that formally established the national parks system in the country.

Mount Arayat Mount Arayat is a potentially active stratovolcano located in the province of Pampanga on the island of Luzon, Philippines, rising to a height of . The volcano has a breached crater on its northwest side with a smaller andesitic dome in the ...

became the first national park in the Philippines established on June 27, 1933, following this act. A series of acts and legislations were passed in the next decades that aimed to further strengthen these policies, including the Revised Forestry Code of 1975 (''Presidential Decree No. 705'') and Forest Administrative Order No. 7. Following the

1987 Constitution The Constitution of the Philippines ( Filipino: ''Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas'' or ''Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas'', Spanish: ''Constitución de la República de Filipinas'') is the constitution or the supreme law of the Republic of the Philippin ...

, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act was enacted which further enhanced the administration and classification of protected areas, and broadened the mandate of the

in enforcing its provisions.

Classification

Protected areas in the Philippines encompasses of terrestrial areas and of marine areas. They are managed according to the following classifications described in Section 4 of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS Act).

National parks

Natural parks

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

or part of a World Heritage Site

Natural monuments

Protected landscape and seascapes

Protected landscapes

Carmen, Fields in Bohol, Nature of Bohol Island, Philippines

Jose Rizal Shrine, Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte

Protected seascapes

Game refuge and bird sanctuaries

Resource reserves

Managed resource protected areas

Marine reserves

Watershed forest reserves

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Natural biotic areas

Wildlife sanctuaries