The Philippines now has 15 sites recognized under the ASEAN Heritage Parks program, tying Vietnam for the highest number of protected areas in the regional biodiversity network.

The ASEAN Heritage Parks program, first envisioned in 1978 and formally established through the 1984 ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks and Reserves, has grown from 11 original sites to 71 across Southeast Asia.

Fourteen of the Philippines’ 15 heritage parks are managed under the National Integrated Protected Areas System, while the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve is managed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños–Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems.

Dr. Jerome Montemayor, executive director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, said protecting the parks also helps preserve resources that support agriculture, coastal communities and climate resilience.

“When we safeguard our 14, and soon to be 15, ASEAN Heritage Parks in the Philippines and the rest of the AHPs across Southeast Asia, we are securing the water systems that irrigate our farmlands, the natural barriers that buffer our coastlines against severe typhoons, the carbon sinks that mitigate global warming, and the ecosystems that drive green and blue economic growth,” Montemayor said.

DENR Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said the parks should be viewed as shared ASEAN assets, with managers regularly exchanging knowledge and practices.

“The 69, and soon to be 71, ASEAN Heritage Parks managers are brought together regularly, as often as we can, for learning exchange, for sharing of best practices,” Adobo said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia recently added three sites to the network, while Timor-Leste is pursuing recognition for Nino Konis Santana National Park as its first ASEAN Heritage Park.

As the lead ASEAN member state for protected areas under the ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, the Philippines is helping guide the network ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila in November.