Negros Oriental twin lakes park joins elite ASEAN heritage list

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park joins Apo Reef Natural Park and Mount Inayawan Range Natural Park as the country’s newest ASEAN Heritage Parks, bringing the total number of sites in the Philippines to 14

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park (BTLNP) in Negros Oriental has been formally included in the list of Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Parks, with environmentalists calling it a rare boost amid recent typhoons, floods and a molasses spill that hit Negros Island.

Officials announced the designation during the 9th Wildlife Festival in Dumaguete City on November 28-29. Although the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity’s decision to confer the title was made as early as September 2024, the formal turnover of the certificate and marker took place on November 21, coinciding with the park’s 25th anniversary as a protected area.

BTLNP spans 8,016 hectares across the towns of Sibulan, Valencia and San Jose. It joins Apo Reef Natural Park in Sablayan, Oriental Mindoro, and the Mount Inayawan Range Natural Park in Northern Mindanao as the country’s newest ASEAN Heritage Parks.

The country now has 14 sites under the ASEAN conservation program.

The other ASEAN Heritage Parks in the country are as follows:

• Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur
• Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Sulu
• Mounts Timpoong and Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument in Camiguin
• Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental
• Mount Malindang Range Natural Park in Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte and Sur
• Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park between Occidental and Oriental Mindoro
• Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon
• Mount Apo Natural Park in Soccsksargen and the Davao Region
• Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in Palawan
• Pasonanca Natural Park in the Zamboanga Peninsula
• Mount Makiling Forest Reserve in Laguna

Stunning natural beauty

An environmentalist pointed out the ecological importance of the Balinsasayao park, saying its rich species diversity and strong community involvement helped secure its recent ASEAN Heritage Park status.

Philip Godfrey Jakosalem, operations manager of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation described the area as “a stunning natural beauty of the forest with unique features within – the twin lakes – which are only separated by a mountain ridge.” (READ: 8 PH lakes to add to your travel bucket list)

BTLNP was declared a protected area under Presidential Proclamation No. 414 on November 21, 2000, and is one of three natural parks on Negros Island, together with the North Negros Natural Park and Mount Kanlaon Natural Park. It is the only site among them that has achieved ASEAN Heritage Park recognition. (READ: Did you know that the Philippines has over a hundred national parks?)

More than 100 volunteers help maintain the 8,016-hectare park, which hosts numerous endemic species, including several listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered. These include the Visayan tarictic hornbill, Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat, flame-templed babbler and white-throated jungle flycatcher.

Species under the IUCN’s “least concern” category found in the area include the yellow-breasted fruit dove, Philippine frogmouth and white-bellied woodpecker, although the frogmouth is considered globally threatened. Other wildlife recorded in the park include the flaming sunbird, the transparent “tusok” moth, the osprey, and Amyema lisae, a yellow-flowered mistletoe species named after PhilBio director Lisa Paguntalan.

Jakosalem said the twin lakes of Balinsasayao and Danao, known for their calm waters and “enchanted aura,” remain key attractions for visitors, who frequent the area for boating and paddling.

With the ASEAN Heritage Park designation, he said the challenge for managers is balancing tourism and conservation. “With an AHP now in our midst, we need to take good care of this BTLNP so the new generations can inherit this,” he said.

Crown jewel

Charlie Fabre, director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Negros Island Region (DENR NIR), said the protected area has become the “crown jewel” of Negros Island following its designation as an ASEAN Heritage Park.

Fabre said the recognition reflects the long-running conservation work of communities surrounding the park. 

“The sustainable efforts of the people within the community in preserving wildlife and protecting BTLNP as a whole really paid off,” Fabre told Rappler on Monday, December 1. “This is the first natural park on Negros Island to be declared AHP. This is our crown in our quest for environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.” – Rappler.com