Mounts Iglit–Baco Natural Park
Protected area home to the critically endangered tamaraw.
Deep in the interior of Mindoro island in the central Philippines, Mounts Iglit–Baco Natural Park (MIBNP) spans rugged terrain of slopes, river gorges, mountains, and plateaus. First set aside as a national park in 1970 under Republic Act No. 6148, it originally covered 75,445 hectares around Mount Iglit and Mount Baco. In 2018, the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act reclassified it as a "Natural Park" and expanded its boundaries to 106,656 hectares. The park is also an ASEAN Heritage Park—one of only four in the Philippines as of 2003—and was nominated to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2006.
The park lies in south-central Mindoro, split across eight municipalities: Sablayan, Calintaan, Rizal, and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro, and Bongabong, Bansud, Gloria, and Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro. Sablayan holds the largest share of the park at 68%, while Mansalay accounts for just 1.2%. Most park facilities are in Calintaan, which covers 9% of the area. Mount Baco, in the northern part, rises to 2,488 meters, and Mount Iglit, just south of it, reaches 2,364 meters. Ten major river systems—including the Mongpong, Patrick, Mag-asawang tubig, Bongabong, Lamintao, Anahawin, and Busuanga—cut through the park, draining into the Sibuyan Sea and South China Sea.
At least six ethnic groups call the park home: Batangas, Tagalog, Mangyan, Bisaya, Bicolano, and Ilocano. Among them are five Mangyan groups—Bangon, Buhid, Hanunuo, Tadyawan, and TaoBuid—each with its own language, culture, and traditions. The park also borders ancestral domains of the Taobuid, Buhid, and Bangon, whose ways of life are deeply tied to the land. These communities rely on the park for subsistence, practicing traditional farming and hunting. Some areas have been converted to grasslands for pasture, while others are used for slash-and-burn kaingin agriculture.
Vegetation in MIBNP is mostly grasslands, lowland Dipterocarp forests, and montane rainforests on higher slopes. Near the Lamintao River in the south lies a 367-hectare Acacia forest. Along the Anahawin River, within the Mindoro Biodiversity Rescue and Conservation Center (formerly the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm), there is an Agoho forest. This center is the birthplace of Kali (Kalikasan Bagong Sibol), the only tamaraw bred in captivity that survived to adulthood. Most lowland areas are open grasslands,
- established
- 1970 (as national park); 2018 (as natural park)
- area
- 106,656 hectares (263,550 acres) as of 2018
- location
- Mindoro island, central Philippines
- designation
- ASEAN Heritage Park (2003); nominated to UNESCO Tentative List (2006)
- key_species
- Critically endangered tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis)
- endemic_species
- 25 known Mindoro endemic species
Lore & Background
The park was first established in 1969 as a game refuge and bird sanctuary covering 8,956 hectares, then as a national park on November 11, 1970, by Republic Act No. 6148, covering 75,445 hectares. In 2018, the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Act increased its area to 106,656 hectares and redesignated it as a natural park. The park lies in south-central Mindoro, spanning municipalities in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, with rugged terrain including Mount Baco (2,488 m) and Mount Iglit (2,364 m), and ten major river systems.
The park is home to at least six ethnic groups, including five Mangyan groups (Bangon, Buhid, Hanunuo, Tadyawan, and TaoBuid), whose ancestral domains overlap with the protected area. These communities practice traditional farming and hunting, and their cultures are deeply entwined with the park's natural rhythms. The park's vegetation includes grasslands, lowland Dipterocarp forests, montane rainforests, and a 367-hectare Acacia forest near the Lamintao River.
Reader's Guide
Mounts Iglit–Baco Natural Park holds critical significance as the primary refuge for the tamaraw, a species declared by the IUCN in 1996 as one of the top 10 endangered species on Earth and upgraded to critically endangered in 2002. The tamaraw population, estimated at less than 600 individuals, is concentrated in a restricted 'no hunting agreement area' within the park. Conservation efforts include annual tamaraw population counts, biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem restoration, and patrolling using the SMART tool, supported by partners such as the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, World Wildlife Fund, and local universities. The park also hosts 25 known Mindoro endemic species and is one of 228 Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines, containing four Important Bird Areas. Despite forest cover decline to less than 3% of primary forests, the park remains a vital stronghold for biodiversity and indigenous culture, and is fast becoming an attraction for various audiences.
Did You Know?
- The park was first established as a game refuge and bird sanctuary in 1969 with an initial area of 8,956 hectares.
- More than 80% of the tamaraw population is presumed to be in a single sub-population within a restricted 'no hunting agreement area' of about 2,500 hectares.
- The park hosts four Important Bird Areas: PH041: Iglit, PH042: Siburan, PH043: Malpalon, and PH044: Mt. Hitding.
- The only tamaraw bred in captivity that survived to maturity, named 'Kali', was born at the Tamaraw Gene Pool Farm within the park.
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