Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain in the province of Davao Oriental, Philippines. It stands 1,620 meters (5,315 feet) tall. The mountain and its surrounding area are home to one of the most diverse groups of wildlife in the country. Animals such as the Philippine eagle and several types of Nepenthes plants live there. Some Nepenthes, like Nepenthes peltata and Nepenthes micramphora, are found only in this region. The mountain has a protected forest covering about 2,000 hectares. This forest includes a unique pygmy forest with very old trees growing in ultramafic soil, which is home to many rare, endangered, and special plant and animal species.

The Mount Hamiguitan range, covering 6,834 hectares (68.34 square kilometers), was named a national park and wildlife sanctuary in 2003. In 2014, the park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first site in Mindanao and the sixth in the Philippines to receive this recognition.

Mount Hamiguitan is part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor. Protecting the mountain involves teamwork between the provincial government of Davao Oriental, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local communities, and indigenous people.

Geography

Mount Hamiguitan is located in the province of Davao Oriental, which is in the southeast part of the island of Mindanao, Philippines. The mountain covers parts of the areas known as Mati, San Isidro, and Governor Generoso.

Flora and fauna

A study of plant life in the mountain and nearby areas found that the mountain forest has the most different plant species, with 462 types. The dipterocarp forest has 338 species, the mossy forest has 246 species, and the agro-system has 246 species. The mountain is also home to 45 orchid species, 23 of which are found only in the Philippines. Common plants found on Mount Hamiguitan include the following:

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, at least 11 vertebrate species are endangered. The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development (PCARRD) reported that the mountain has five endangered species, 27 rare species, 44 species found only in the Philippines, and 59 species that are important for economic use. The following species live in the area:

Designations

In 2004, Mount Hamiguitan was named a wildlife sanctuary by the Mount Hamiguitan Law. This law was passed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because of the work of Senator Loren Legarda. In June 2014, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Before this, the site was already named an ASEAN Heritage Park.