Apo Reef Natural Park Rapid Site Assessment

Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP) is managed by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) composed of local and national stakeholders and organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The implementer of the management is the Protected Area Supervising Unit based in the town proper of the municipality of Sablayan, Mindoro Occidental.

Anchored on the framework set by the NIPAS Act, active participation of local communities and other stakeholders is an essential element in the effective protected area management and sustainable resource utilization in the Natural Park. To achieve ARNP’s resource management and conservation objectives, it is therefore crucial for the PA managers to gain better appreciation and understanding of the diversity of stakeholders, their livelihood activities, resource use practices, and their dependence on the natural resources in ARNP. Hence, a rapid site assessment and profile updating of the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the stakeholder communities and the institutional framework in the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP) was carried out from April to May 2014.

The biodiversity assessments in the ARNP were also conducted on April 2014 to establish and update the database on the biodiversity and health status of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna.

This report presents key findings on the physical, biological, social, economic, cultural, and institutional sectors of ARNP. The main objective of the assessment is to update and enrich knowledge and understanding about ARNP features in order to improve the management of the protected area, and thus increase chances of achieving sustainable resource use.