- Mt. Apo off limits until Aug. 31: PAMB
THE MOUNT Apo Natural Park (MANP) will have an off-season from June 1-Aug. 31, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Davao announced.
All trekking and camping activities on all open trails in the area will be prohibited.
Trekking activities will resume on Sept. 1, 2025.
These include access trails to MANP from Kidapawan City and the towns of Makilala and Magpet of Cotabato province, Digos City, Bansalan, and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur.
The order is implemented simultaneously with Region 12 to ensure the rehabilitation, disaster prevention, and biodiversity preservation, protection, and development of MANP.
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), the highest policy-making body in Mt. Apo, started to implement the yearly “Off Season,” specifically from June to August, pursuant to PAMB En Banc Resolution No. 08, series of 2021.
“The entire season prohibits all trekking and camping activities to give time for Mt. Apo to breathe and to likewise allow the wildlife species to enjoy their habitat without disturbance,” DENR-Davao said, stressing the mountain’s ecological importance and unique biodiversity.
MANP covers a total land area of 64,000 hectares, spanning the provinces of Cotabato in Region 12, and Davao del Sur and Davao City in Region 11.
It is the highest mountain in the country with an altitude of 2,954 meters above sea level.
MANP was declared a protected area and a component of the National Protected Areas System under Republic Act 9237 in 2003.
In 2024, the 20th City Council approved on the third and final reading the ordinance entitled “Mt. Apo Geopark of 2024,” declaring Mt. Apo as a geopark.
Councilor Temujin Ocampo, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chair, said the measure is a step toward including Mt. Apo in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, UNESCO Global Geopark.
