Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao expected to join World Heritage List
MANILA, Philippines - The government expects Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental to join the list of the country's five world heritage sites following the nomination of the mountain range in the World Heritage List, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Tuesday.
The Philippines nominated Mt. Hamiguitan in the list due to its massive biodiversity- it is home to 1,380 species of flora and fauna, 341 of which are endemic to the Philippines.
The critically endangered Philippine eagle and Philippine cockatoo, as well as the Philippine mahogany (Shorea polysperma), yakal (Shorea astylosa) and orchid Paphiopedilum adductum can be found in the mountain range.
The country was formally requested to submit information on the mountain range in the ongoing 37th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Present in Cambodia to lead the Philippine nomination was Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Office National Commissioners (UNACOM) for Culture Michael Manalo and Eric Zerrudo, and UNACOM experts for world heritage concerns Augusto Villalon, Joycelyn Manghaya and Dr. Domingo Madulid.
"The Mount Hamiguitan nomination was therefore referred for discussion possibly in next year's World Heritage Committee meeting. It is expected that once the Philippines submits all the requested additional information before February 2014, consideration for inscription will be undertaken in June 2014," DFA said.
The country already has five areas listed in the prestigious World Heritage List: the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, Historic Town of Vigan and Baroque Churches of the Philippines.
The list includes 967 properties of cultural, natural or mixed sites, deemed to have an outstanding universal value to humanity.
