CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law RA 12237, officially declaring Mt. Sawtooth in the towns of Mayantoc and San Jose in Tarlac as a protected area under the category of Protected Landscape within the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
This makes Mt. Sawtooth the only legislated protected area in the entire province of Tarlac, ensuing the creation of a protected area management board (PAMB) and the designation of a protected area superintendent under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to oversee its governance and sustainable management.
The PAMB will be composed of representatives from national and local government units, indigenous communities, non-government organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector.
A dedicated protected area management office will also be created to implement conservation programs and manage day-to-day operations.
“This declaration is a testament to our commitment to safeguarding the country’s natural heritage. Mt. Sawtooth is not only a vital ecological corridor but also a symbol of community-led stewardship and inter-agency collaboration,” DENR 3 executive director Ralph Pablo said.
The Mt. Sawtooth Protected Landscape (MSPL) encompasses approximately 12,676 hectares of biologically rich terrain and is home to a wide array of native and endemic species.
A protected area suitability assessment, along with a biological survey conducted in 2019 by the Institute of Biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, confirmed the presence of the mottled-winged flying fox, orange-fingered myotis, and Rhyncomys tapulao.
The area also supports globally threatened species, including the golden-capped fruit bat, northern rufous hornbill, Philippine deer, Luzon bleeding-heart, Luzon ranged frog, and warty pig.
RA 12237 further provides for the delineation of buffer zones, the mobilization of scientific and technical support, and the establishment of a dedicated trust fund to finance protection, rehabilitation, and long-term management efforts within the MSPL.
The enactment of this legislation reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to biodiversity conservation and climate resilience, and marks a significant step forward in protecting one of Central Luzon’s most treasured landscapes. DENR-PR
