The Philippines has over 240 national parks and protected areas, encompassing about 15% of the country's land area. They are managed by the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources through its Biodiversity Management Bureau.
The Philippine national park and protected area system date back to the American colonial era. The first national parks established were nature reserves in Bataan (Lamao), Laguna (Caliraya), Negros Occidental (La Carlota), Zamboanga, Pampanga (Mount Arayat) and Isabela. Forests were soon included, starting with Mount Makiling. The first formal national park is Mount Arayat National Park in Pampanga, founded in 1932. Further areas were added since the postwar era, and the present system have been outlined in the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act in 1992.
Under NIPAS, protected areas in the Philippines are categorized as: national parks, protected areas, natural monuments, protected landscapes, protected landscapes and seascapes, protected seascapes, game refuges and bird sanctuaries, resource reserves, managed resource protected areas, marine reserves, watershed forest reserves, natural biotic areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and wilderness areas. Our guide rather goes on a simpler approach, dividing things into national parks and protected landscapes, i.e. all those not categorized as national parks.
There are 94 designated national parks in the Philippines, the latest additions being in Cagayan Valley. A shaded <span style="background-color:#CCFFFF">background</span> indicates a park designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulabog Putian National Park | Iloilo | |||
| Guadalupe Mabugnao Mainit Hot Springs National Park | Carcar, Cebu | |||
| Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park | Tacloban, Leyte | |||
| McArthur Landing Memorial National Park | Palo, Leyte |
| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Butig National Park | Butig, Lanao del Sur | |||
| Lake Dapao National Park | Pualas, Lanao del Sur | |||
| Mado Hot Spring National Park | Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao | |||
| Mount Dajo National Park | Jolo Island, Sulu | |||
| Pantuwaraya Lake National Park | Marawi, Lanao del Sur |
| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park | Puerto Princesa, Palawan |
Our list of protected areas include all the other types of nature reserves under NIPAS, from natural parks to wilderness areas.
There are 25 natural parks as of 2010, the last addition being Tubbataha Reef Natural Park.
| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apo Reef Natural Park | San Jose, Mindoro | |||
| Bicol Natural Park | Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur | |||
| Bongsanglay Natural Park | Batuan, Masbate | |||
| Bulusan Natural Park | Sorsogon | |||
| Kalbario-Patapat Natural Park | Ilocos Norte | 2007 | ||
| Mayon Volcano Natural Park | Albay | 2000 | ||
| Mount Isarog National Park | Camarines Sur | |||
| North Sierra Madre Natural Park | Isabela |
There are 4 designated natural monuments, which are mostly small features which are protected for their special character.
| Name | Location | Image | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amro River Protected Landscape | Casiguran, Aurora | 2000 | ||
| Bigbiga Protected Landscape | Narvacan, Ilocos Sur | 2000 | ||
| Buenavista Protected Landscape | Buenavista, Quezon | 2000 | ||
| Casecnan Protected Landscape | Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya | |||
| Dinadiawan River Protected Landscape | Dipaculao, Aurora | 2000 | ||
| Hinulugang Taktak Protected Landscape | Antipolo, Rizal | 2000 | ||
| Libunao Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 2000 | ||
| Lidlidda Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 2000 | ||
| Magapit Protected Landscape | Lal-lo, Cagayan | 2000 | ||
| Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape | Mangatarem, Pangasinan | 2004 | ||
| Maulawin Spring Protected Landscape | Guinayangan, Quezon | 2000 | ||
| Mount Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape | Laguna and Quezon | 2000 | ||
| Mount Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape | Cavite and Batangas | 2007 | ||
| Pamitinan Protected Landscape | Rodriguez, Rizal | 1996 | ||
| Quezon Protected Landscape | Quezon | 2003 | ||
| Quirino Protected Landscape | Quirino | 2005 | ||
| Roosevelt Protected Landscape | Bataan | 2000 | ||
| Santa Lucia Protected Landscape | Ilocos Sur | 2000 | ||
| Simbahan-Talagas Protected Landscape | Dinalungan, Aurora | 2000 | ||
| Taal Volcano Protected Landscape | Batangas | 1996 |