And speaking of blessings, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental has been included in the Unesco World Heritage list—the first for Mindanao. The awaited announcement was made in Doha last June 23 by the World Heritage Committee.
The wildlife sanctuary joins an impressive list of over 1,000 sites in over 160 countries such as the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Spanning 6,834 hectares, it is a haven for rare species of flora and fauna, including 100-year-old “pygmy” or “bonsai” trees and the golden crown flying fox, among many others. Perhaps the sanctuary’s best symbol is the Philippine eagle, which is threatened elsewhere but nest and roost there, and hopefully will soon thrive again. What could be a clearer sign that Filipinos are earnestly working to save their natural treasures?
Hamiguitan, which was declared a protected area in 2004 through Republic Act No. 9303, is an important part of why the Philippines is considered the seventh among the world’s 17 most biologically rich countries. This wildlife sanctuary is an intrinsic part of our country’s natural beauty, with the vast, deep forest and its endemic life forms representing a wealth of resources that need to be protected and conserved.
The inclusion of Hamiguitan in the Unesco World Heritage List will help ensure its protection and conservation, through the efforts of scientists, researchers and various institutions from all over the world. The wildlife sanctuary is a worthy addition to the other World Heritage sites in the Philippines: the baroque churches in Vigan City, Cordillera Rice Terraces, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Hamiguitan is a bountiful part of our national patrimony. Its conservation, said Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon, “is the Filipino people’s gift to the rest of humanity.”