Critical Habitats – refer to areas outside protected areas under Republic Act No. 7586 that are known habitats of threatened species. These areas are designated as critical areas based on scientific data taking into consideration species endemicity and/or richness, presence of man-made pressures and threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area, among others. Currently there are nine (9) critical habitats declared/proclaimed through legal instruments covering almost 60,000 has. They are areas declared for protection of specific species and ecosystems. The latest addition is the Mangatarem Critical Habitat in the province of Pangasinan, declared on February 2021.
In recognition of the the importance of Critical Habitats (CH) as an efficient practice for conservation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued Department Administrative Order 2007-02 that specifies the procedures in Critical Habitat Establishment, which include:
- Identification and validation of threatened species.
- Population estimate and rapid habitat assessment, community consultation, review and recommendation by DENR.
- Declaration of areas as CH by DENR and/or local government units (LGU) and ground truthing.
NINE PROCLAIMED / DECLARED CRITICAL HABITATS
| CRITICAL HABITAT (NAME) | LEGAL INSTRUMENT No and Date | REGION | TOTAL AREA | THREATENED SPECIES |
| 1.Rafflesia schadenbergiana Critical Habitat | DAO No. 2011 – 02 Feb. 23, 2011 | 10 | 2 hectares (more or less) | Rafflesia schadenbergiana |
| 2. Cabusao Wetland Critical Habitat | DAO No. 2011 -10 Aug. 23, 2011 | 5 | 26.93 has. | Philippine Wild Duck (Anas luzonica) |
| 3. Malasi Tree Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Critical Habitat | DAO No. 2012 – 01 Feb. 7, 2012 D | 2 | 178 has. | Philippine Wild Duck (Anas luzonica) and other Waterbird Species |
| 4. Carmen Critical Habitat | DAO No. 2012 – 08 Oct. 8, 2012 | Caraga | 5,756.20 has. | Marine turtles |
| 5. Adams Wildlife Critical Habitat | DAO No. 2013 – 23 Dec. 9, 2013 | 1 | 3,253.26 has | Philippine falconet, Philippine hanging parakeet, Philippine brown deer, Philippine warty pig, Northern Luzon cloud rat, Jade vine, Giant tree ferns, dipterocap trees and other threatened species of flora and fauna |
| 6. Magsaysay Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Turtles | DAO No. 2016 – 02 Jan. 22, 2016 | 10 | 612.872 has. | Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbrata) |
| 7.Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat | PCSD Resolution No. 17-612 December 15, 2017 | 4B | 41,350 has. | Palawan pangolin (Manis culionensis), Palawan fying fox (Acerodon leucotis), Red-vented cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), Grey imperial pigeon (Ducula pickeringii), Chinese egret (Egretta eulophotes), Palawan forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis) Curran pitogo (Cycas currannii), Palawan medinilla (Medinilla palawanensis), Amorphophallus palawanensis, and Nepenthes mira |
| 8. Dumaran Critical Habitat | PCSD Resolution No. 14-513 October 28, 2014 | 4B | 1,628 has. | Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) and Philippine pond turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis) |
| 9. Mangatarem Critical Habitat | DAO 2020-17 | 1 | 4,422.8 has. | Philippine deer (Rusa marianna), Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis), Philippine duck (Anas luzonica), Flame-breasted fruit dove (Ptilinopus marchei), Philippine eagle owl (Bubo philippensis), Luzon scops owl (Otus longicornis), and Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax). Flora species also include the threatened oi-ói (Diospyros philippinensis), kalíngag (Cinnamomum mercadoi), malabayábas (Tristaniopsis decorticata) |
Some PhilCHM partner NGO’s are actively working with local governments and communities to establish Critical Habitats in their respective project sites. Haribon Foundation for example is working in the following areas to name a few:
- Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija (Philippine Eagles in Mt. Dingalan)
- Sebaste, Antique (The Big Five of the Central Panay Mountain Range)
- Zambales, Pangasinan (Scientific poster on CH in Pangasinan)
- Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro
Download List of Critical Habitats