protected landscape
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The enlisting of such areas is part ...
area of forested limestone hills, grasslands and natural springs in the island province of
Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol (; ), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It is home to Bohola ...
in the
Central Visayas
Central Visayas (; or ) is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. With only two Provinces of the Philippines, provinces: Cebu and Bohol, as well as three Cities of the Phi ...
region of the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It is the largest remaining tract of natural forest in Bohol and one of the Philippines' top birdwatching sites. The park was initially gazetted a
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in 1987 covering approximately . In 2000, it was reestablished as a protected landscape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System covering its present area of . The park is one of the island's major tourist attractions located just south of the famous
Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills (, , or ) are a geological formation in the Philippine province of Bohol.Bohol chieftain who entered into a blood-compact with Spanish conquistador
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi (12 June 1502 – 20 August 1572), also known as ''Adelantado, El Adelantado'' and ''El Viejo'' (The Elder), was a Spanish conquistador who financed and led an expedition to conquer the Philippines, Philippine islan ...
on the island in 1565.
Description
The Rajah Sikatuna park occupies the low mountain range in the south of Bohol island which corresponds geographically with the municipalities of
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
,
Sierra Bullones
Sierra Bullones, officially the Municipality of Sierra Bullones (; ), is a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,095 people.
It is from Tagbilaran.
Sierra Bullones celebrat ...
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
Loboc
Loboc, officially the Municipality of Loboc (; ), is a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,418 people.
Located east of Tagbilaran, Loboc is widely known for its lunch c ...
and Batuan. It is characterized by rolling hills with remnants of natural forest on steep limestone terrain surrounded by plantation forest, denuded hills and grasslands. The park has an average elevation of and is composed of 60% limestone forest, 15% grassland, 5% plantations, and 10% permanent agricultural areas. It also contains the Bilar Peak, one of the highest in the province at above sea level, as well as 4 mountain springs that supply water to the surrounding communities namely, the Logarita, Anislag, Mabugnao and Aghuban springs.
The park has more than 30 kilometers of marked trails for wildlife observation, over 100 caves, a camping area and a swimming pool. At the summit of Bilar Peak, an observation tower has been constructed providing panoramic views of the park and surrounding countryside, including the nearby island of Panglao and even
Cebu
Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
. Near the park's entrance is a tunnel that leads to Magsaysay Park, a cleared area situated next to a ranger station and the Logarita spring. The park charges an entrance fee of P100.
Wildlife
The Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape is an important bird area being home to over 120 bird species, many of which are endemic to the Philippines, which include the endangered streaked reed warbler and
Philippine cockatoo
The red-vented cockatoo (''Cacatua haematuropygia''), also known as the Philippine cockatoo and locally katala, abukay, agay, or kalangay, is a species of cockatoo. It is endemic to the Philippines, formerly found throughout the entire country, bu ...
Samar hornbill
The Samar hornbill (''Penelopides samarensis'') is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests on the islands of Samar, Calicoan, Leyte and Bohol in the east-central Philippines. As is the case with all Philippine ta ...
,
Mindanao bleeding-heart
The Mindanao bleeding-heart (''Gallicolumba crinigera''), also known as Bartlett's bleeding heart dove, Barlett's bleeding heart pigeon and the hair-breasted bleeding heart, is a species of bird in the Columbidae, pigeon family (biology), family. ...
,
Philippine eagle-owl
The Philippine eagle-owl (''Ketupa philippensis'') is a vulnerable species of owl belonging to the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, L ...
Philippine frogmouth
The Philippine frogmouth (''Batrachostomus septimus'') is a nocturnal bird that can be found throughout the Philippine archipelago. It is common in lowland forests and maturing second growth. There is little information about the bird. It feeds ...
,
azure-breasted pitta
The azure-breasted pitta (''Pitta steerii'') is a species of bird in the family Pittidae. It is a striking and colorful bird having colors of red, azure, green, black and white, It is endemic to the islands of Mindanao, Bohol, Leyte and Samar in ...
rufous-lored kingfisher
The rufous-lored kingfisher (''Todiramphus winchelli)'', also known as Winchell's kingfisher, is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, its natural habitat consists of tropical moist lowland for ...
yellow-breasted tailorbird
The yellow-breasted tailorbird (''Orthotomus samarensis'') is a species of passerine bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. This species is endemic to Philippines on the islands of B ...
Philippine fairy-bluebird
The Philippine fairy-bluebird (''Irena cyanogastra'') is a species of bird in the family Fairy-bluebird, Irenidae. It is Endemism, endemic to the Philippines being found in the islands of Luzon, Mindanao, Samar and Bohol.
Its natural habitats a ...
Philippine tarsier
The Philippine tarsier (''Carlito syrichta''), known locally as ''mawumag'' in Cebuano and other Visayan languages, and ''magô'' in Waray, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archip ...
,
long-tailed macaque
The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque or cynomolgus macaque, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. As a synanthropic species, the crab-eating macaque thrives near human settleme ...
,
Philippine flying lemur
The Philippine flying lemur or Philippine colugo (''Cynocephalus volans''), known locally as ''kagwang'', is one of two species of colugo or "flying lemurs". It is monotypic of its genus. Although it is called "flying lemur", the Philippine fl ...
,
Malayan civet
The Malayan civet (''Viverra tangalunga''), also known as the Malay civet and Oriental civet, is a viverrid native to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra, Bangka, Borneo, the Riau Archipelago, and the Philippines. It is listed as "L ...
,
Asian palm civet
The Asian palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad range o ...
and
Philippine warty pig
The Philippine warty pig (''Sus philippensis'') is one of four known species in the pig genus ('' Sus'') endemic to the Philippines. They have tufts of hair on the top of their head and on the lower sides of their jaws, as well as four warts on t ...
. It is also a habitat of some rodent species, such as the
Philippine forest rat
The Philippine forest rat (''Rattus everetti'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country ...
swiftlet
Swiftlets are birds from the four genera ''Aerodramus'', ''Collocalia'', ''Hydrochous'' and ''Schoutedenapus'', which form the tribe (biology), tribe Collocaliini within the swift (bird), swift family (biology), family Apodidae. The group contain ...
s. Its forest cover is dominated by native
dipterocarp
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants with 22 genera and about 695 known species of mainly lowland tropical forest trees. Their distribution is pantropical, from northern South America to Africa, the Seychelles, India, Indochina, Indo ...
The park is located approximately east of the island's capital and largest city,
Tagbilaran
Tagbilaran, officially the City of Tagbilaran (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...
. It is easily accessible via an 8-kilometer road from the Loay Interior Road in Bilar which also leads to the Chocolate Hills, from either the Tagbilaran–Corella–Sikatuna–Loboc Road or the Tagbilaran East Road from Panglao.
See also
*
Central Cebu Protected Landscape
The Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) is a protected area located in the mountains and drainage basins of central Cebu in the Philippines.
The CCPL covers what used to be known as the Central Cebu National Park, Buhisan Dam, Mananga Wate ...
*
Olango Island Group
The Olango Island Group is a group of islands found in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It comprises Olango island and 6 satellite islets namely: Caubian, Camungi, Caohagan, Gilutongan, Nalusuan, Pangan-an, and Sulpa. The island g ...