Bataan National Park

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Bataan National Park
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Bataan National Park near Mabayo, Morong
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Location in the Philippines
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Bataan National Park (Philippines)
Location Bataan, Philippines
Nearest city Balanga, Bataan, Philippines
Coordinates 14°39′N120°36′E / 14.650°N 120.600°E / 14.650; 120.600 Coordinates: 14°39′N120°36′E / 14.650°N 120.600°E / 14.650; 120.600
Area23,688 hectares (58,530 acres)
EstablishedDecember 1, 1945;76 years ago (1945-12-01)5
Governing body Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Bataan National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located in the mountainous interior of Bataan province in the Central Luzon Region. The park straddles the northern half of Bataan Peninsula near its border with Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. The park was first established in 1945 under Proclamation No. 24 with an initial area of 31,000 hectares and included portions in Subic, Zambales. The park was reduced in 1987 to its present size of 23,688 hectares (58,530 acres) and is now wholly located in Bataan province. The park encompasses the Bataan towns and cities of Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga, Bagac and Morong. [1]

Contents

Mount Natib with its 6 by 7 km (3.7 by 4.3 mi) wide forested acorn-shaped caldera is located in the middle of the park. Activities in the park include nature viewing, bird watching, and trekking to its several peaks and waterfalls. [2] The park is located 101 kilometres (63 mi) from Manila, its mountains can be seen across Manila Bay from the city.

Topography and ecology

Bataan National Park is covered by tropical jungle and mountain terrains with significant geological features such as rivers, springs and waterfalls. Pasukulan and Dunsulan falls are found within the park, as are important species of flowers and ground orchids. It is also home to several wild monkeys and other varieties of insects and birds. [3]

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The Zambales Mountains is a mountain range on western Luzon island in the Philippines. The mountains separate Luzon's central plain from the South China Sea. Its most prominent section is known as the Cabusilan Mountain Range composed of Mount Pinatubo, Mount Negron and Mount Cuadrado, which are believed to be remnants of the ancestral Pinatubo peak. The highest elevation in the Zambales Mountains is Mount Tapulao, also known as High Peak, in Zambales province which rises to 2,037 metres (6,683 ft).

Bataan Province in Central Luzon, Philippines

Bataan, officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest local government unit in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.

Zambales Province in Central Luzon, Philippines

Zambales, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba, which is located in the middle of the province. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north and northeast, Tarlac to the east, Pampanga to the southeast, Bataan to the south and the South China Sea to the west. With a total land area of 3,830.83 square kilometres (1,479.09 sq mi), Zambales is the second largest among the seven provinces of Central Luzon after Nueva Ecija. The province is noted for its mangoes, which are abundant from January to April.

Central Luzon Administrative region of the Philippines

Central Luzon, designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, primarily serving to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plains of the island of Luzon, for administrative convenience. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Granary of the Philippines". Its provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

Olongapo Highly urbanized city in Central Luzon, Philippines

Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales but governed independently from the province, it has a population of 260,317 people according to the 2020 census. 

Abucay Municipality in Central Luzon, Philippines

Abucay, officially the Municipality of Abucay,, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,984 people. 

Dinalupihan Municipality in Central Luzon, Philippines

Dinalupihan, officially the Municipality of Dinalupihan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,209 people. 

Morong, Bataan Municipality in Central Luzon, Philippines

Morong, officially the Municipality of Morong, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,394 people. 

Orani Municipality in Central Luzon, Philippines

Orani, officially the Municipality of Orani, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 70,342 people. 

Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone Special economic zone in Central Luzon, Philippines

The Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, often shorterned as Subic Bay or Subic, is a special economic zone and freeport area covering portions of Olongapo and Subic in Zambales, and Morong and Hermosa in Bataan. The relatively developed and fenced area is called the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ).

Mount Natib Dormant volcano in Bataan, Philippines

Mount Natib is a dormant stratovolcano and caldera complex in the province of Bataan on western Luzon Island of the Philippines. The volcano complex occupies the northern portion of the Bataan Peninsula. The mountain and adjacent surrounding is a protected area first declared as the Bataan National Park in 1945.

Mount Mariveles

Mount Mariveles is a dormant stratovolcano and the highest point in the province of Bataan in the Philippines. Mariveles and the adjacent Mount Natib comprise 80.9 percent of the total land area of the province. The mountain and adjacent cones lie opposite the city of Manila across Manila Bay, providing a beautiful setting for the sunsets seen from the city.

Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape

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Roosevelt Protected Landscape

The Roosevelt Protected Landscape, also known as Roosevelt Park, is a protected area in the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. It occupies an area of 786.04 hectares of grasslands and old-growth forest in northern Bataan province near Olongapo and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The park was established as Roosevelt National Park covering an area of 1,485 hectares on 30 March 1933 through Proclamation No. 567 signed by Governor-General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. In 1965, the national park was reduced to 1,334 hectares. On 23 April 2000, the park was reclassified as a protected landscape area and was further reduced to its present area of 786.04 hectares.

Mounts Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape

The Mounts Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape is a 3,973.13-hectare (9,817.8-acre) protected area encompassing the Palay-Palay Mountain Range in southwestern Luzon island near Manila in the Philippines. It was established on 26 October 1976 as a national park and game refuge and bird sanctuary covering an initial area of 4,000 hectares. In 2007, the national park was designated as a protected landscape area under the National Integrated Protected Areas System through Proclamation No. 1315 signed by President Gloria Arroyo. The park is the last remaining lowland rainforest in the province of Cavite and is well known for Mount Pico de Loro, a popular destination for mountaineers and hikers from Metro Manila.

Quezon Protected Landscape

The Quezon Protected Landscape is a protected area in the Republic of the Philippines, spanning the municipalities of Pagbilao, Padre Burgos and Atimonan in Quezon province. The park is situated north of the narrowest section of Luzon in Quezon province, located about 164 km (102 mi) southeast of Metro Manila.

Mounts Banahaw–San Cristobal Protected Landscape

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Angat Watershed Forest Reserve

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Jose Abad Santos Avenue

Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA), also known as the Olongapo–Gapan Road and the Gapan–San Fernando–Olongapo Road, is a two-to-thirteen-lane 118-kilometer (73 mi) major highway spanning the provinces of Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Zambales in Central Luzon, Philippines. The highway is designated as National Route 3 (N3) of the Philippine highway network.

Upper Agno River Basin Resource Reserve

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References

  1. "Region 3 – Protected Areas". Department of Environment of Natural Resources Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  2. "Ecotourism Sites in Region 3" Archived December 31, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Biodiversity Management Bureau. Retrieved on December 31, 2014.
  3. "National Parks in Luzon". VisitPhilippines.org. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.

See also