TWO outstanding protected areas of regional importance – Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park in the Philippines and Prek Toal Ramsar Site in Cambodia – have been endorsed to become the 70th and 71st ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs), demonstrating the region’s commitment to safeguarding its rich natural resources.
The endorsement comes after discussions at the Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) and the Meeting of the Governing Board of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). With support from the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the two sites are now for ad referendum approval of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment.
As part of the AHP nomination review process, the ACB coordinated with technical evaluators, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines, and the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia in conducting field evaluation missions of both sites earlier this year.
Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park in the Philippines is a recognized Key Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area. It is known for its high endemicity across various taxonomic groups and is home to critically endangered flora and fauna, including Philippine Eagle (Phitecophaga jefferyi) and Rafflesia (Rafflesia verrucosa). In addition, the natural park is also culturally significant and a sacred site for Higaonon tribe.
On the other hand, Prek Toal Ramsar Site in Cambodia is renowned as the region’s largest waterbird breeding area and the largest core area of UNESCO’s Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. It is sustained by the unique Mekong flood-pulse system, which drives seasonal hydrological dynamics. It is also known for the exceptional ethno-biological heritage of long-established adaptive floating villages.
According to ACB executive director Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor, “This marks a step closer to our goal of expanding our network of AHPs across the region. From 11 AHPs when the programme was launched in 1984, we now have 69 AHPs. This is a testament to the region’s commitment to preserving and restoring its immense natural wealth by strengthening connectivity, improving management, sharing best practices, capacity building, and the development of innovative awareness-raising activities.”
At present, the region’s 69 declared AHPs are composed of 47 terrestrial, 12 marine, and 10 wetland AHPs, covering approximately 11.9 million hectares of protected areas. The ACB, as the AHP Secretariat, has received three more AHP nominations from Lao PDR and Thailand and is currently in the process of evaluating documents and coordinating with the concerned government agencies.
Governing Board Meeting of the ACB
Ahead of this year’s ASOEN Meeting, the Governing Board of the ACB (GB ACB) convened on 10 August 2026 via teleconferencing. Hosted by the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the annual GB ACB meeting is an opportunity to present progress and discuss matters that are crucial to the operations of the ACB.
Opening the meeting as Chair of the GB ACB, ASOEN chair Atty. Jonas R. Leones, undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), highlighted the Centre’s enduring impact in the region. “The Philippines has been a proud host of the ACB since its establishment in 2005. For more than 20 years, the ACB, through its flagship initiatives and programmes, has continuously raised the banner in facilitating cooperation and coordination for the conservation of the unique natural treasures in Southeast Asia,” Atty. Leones shared.
As this year’s host, Myanmar celebrated the region’s unity and continued commitment. Mr. Chit Oo, director of the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, said, “Although we are meeting virtually today, it is a great pleasure for Myanmar to host this meeting and to join all of you once again as we reaffirm our shared commitment to conserving ASEAN’s rich biological diversity and strengthening regional cooperation.” Director Oo also commended the ACB for its efforts in facilitating technical cooperation, capacity building, knowledge exchange, biodiversity information management, and regional initiatives that contribute significantly to the achievement of global and regional frameworks.
The 26th GB ACB Meeting offered a platform to brief the AMS on the status of several flagship initiatives such as the AHP Programme, the ASEAN Biodiversity Dashboard, and the development of the fourth edition of the ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook, the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes, the ASEAN Green Initiative, and the ASEAN Youth Biodiversity Programme and several activities related to mainstreaming biodiversity into different sectors. It also discussed the status of the ACB’s ongoing projects such as the Small Grants Programme by the ACB, the Effectively Managing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in Large Marine Ecosystems in the ASEAN Region, and the Enhancing Conservation and Restoration of Wetlands and Peatlands in ASEAN as Effective Sinks and Reservoirs of Greenhouse Gases, among others.
In addition to the endorsement of Mount Balatukan Range Natural Park and Prek Toal Ramsar Site, the GB ACB also endorsed the AHP Regional Action Plan (2026-2035) to the 37th ASOEN Meeting. It also discussed the AHP Forum being organised with the DENR in September as part of the activities of the ASEAN Chairship of the Philippines.
The meeting likewise discussed the ASEAN Joint Statement on Biodiversity and the participation of the ACB as well as the setting up of the ASEAN Pavilion at the 17th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October this year. It was also an opportunity to present and discuss the Centre’s policies and its resource mobilisation strategy to support the Centre’s initiatives and ensure the sustainability of its operations.
“We thank the members of the GB ACB and the ASEAN Secretariat for their valuable inputs as we continue navigating the future of the ACB, and as it continues to fulfil its mandate of facilitating cooperation and coordination among the ASEAN Member States and numerous like-minded partners for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use,” ACB Executive Director Montemayor said.
