Salinas Natural Monument

Lore & Background

The monument centers on a mountain of salt mines in the barangay of Salinas, Bambang, near the confluence of the Magat River and Santa Cruz River. This once snow-white travertine mountain formed over millions of years from a natural spring containing sulfate and carbonate salts. The 1990 Luzon earthquake diverted the underground water, causing the whitish mounds to dry and turn gray. Today, the site is used for terraced fishponds raising tilapia, African sharptooth catfish, and giant freshwater prawn.

Reader's Guide

The Salinas Natural Monument holds significance as one of four protected areas in landlocked Nueva Vizcaya, preserving both geological salt formations and forest habitat for Philippine deer. Its history reflects shifting conservation priorities: from a forest reserve under Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison in 1914, to a deer refuge under Governor-General Leonard Wood in 1926, to a natural monument under President Joseph Estrada in 2000, and finally a national park under President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018. The site's salt springs were a popular attraction during Spanish and American colonial periods, and its transformation after the 1990 earthquake illustrates the impact of tectonic activity on natural resources. Accessible via a 15-kilometer road from the Pan-Philippine Highway, it remains a key ecological and historical landmark in the region.

Did You Know?

• The Salinas Natural Monument was originally established as the Salinas Forest Reserve on May 18, 1914.
• The mountain of salt was formed by a natural spring containing sulfate and carbonate salts over millions of years.
• The 1990 Luzon earthquake caused the underground water to be diverted, turning the whitish salt mounds gray.
• The monument is home to numerous Philippine deer and spans parts of two municipalities: Bambang and Kayapa.