The Roosevelt Protected Landscape, also known as ''Roosevelt Park'', is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

in the

Central Luzon Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...

region 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 ...

. It occupies an area of of grasslands and

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

in northern

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 ...

province near

Olongapo Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...

and the

Subic Bay Freeport Zone The Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, often shorterned as Subic Bay or Subic, is a special economic zone and freeport area covering portions of the city of Olongapo and the town of Subic in Zambales, and the towns of Morong and Hermo ...

. The park was established as Roosevelt National Park covering an area of on 30 March 1933 through Proclamation No. 567 signed by Governor-General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. In 1965, the national park was reduced to . On 23 April 2000, the park was reclassified as a protected landscape area and was further reduced to its present area of .

Location

The Roosevelt Protected Landscape area sits on a narrow valley at the foot of Mount Santa Rita and Mount Malasimbo in the Zambales Mountain Range at the border between the municipalities of

Dinalupihan Dinalupihan, officially the Municipality of Dinalupihan ( tl, Bayan ng Dinalupihan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,209 people. Dinalupihan, the only ...

and Hermosa in Bataan. It spans the Dinalupihan villages of Roosevelt and Payangan, and the Hermosa village of Tipo just east of Subic Bay near the boundary with the city of

Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), signed as E1 and E4 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is controlled-access toll expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Fro ...

(SCTEx) and Jose Abad Santos Avenue (also known as Olongapo–Gapan Road) traverse the southern part of the protected area with the Tipo Toll Barrier that connects SCTEx to the

Subic Freeport Expressway The Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX), formerly referred to as the Subic–Tipo Expressway and North Luzon Expressway Segment 7 (NLEX Segment 7), is a four-lane expressway that connects the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway to the Subic Freeport ...

close to park's southwestern edge.

Topography and ecology

The park is bisected by several streams, including the Cucubog and Olongi rivers. It is composed of 87% grassland dominated by cogon and ''

talahib ''Saccharum spontaneum'' (wild sugarcane, Kans grass) is a grass native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots. In the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands, a l ...

'', and 13% remnants of old growth forest and

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus '' Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Un ...

and

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...

plantations. The park is a habitat for several endangered species and game animals which include pythons,

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are reco ...

s, cloud rats, quails,

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania ...

s, flycatchers and fruit bats.

References

{{Protected areas in Central Luzon Protected landscapes of the Philippines Landforms of Bataan Tourist attractions in Bataan Protected areas established in 1933 1933 establishments in the Philippines

Location

Topography and ecology

See also

References