Mindanao Association of Museums Eyes Nomination of Mt. Kitanglad as UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Mindanao Association of Museums (MAM) expressed support for the nomination of Mount Kitanglad as a UNESCO World Heritage Site during the recently concluded MAM Summit 2023, held from October 15 to 17 in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Bukidnon State University’s Bukidnon Studies Center (BSC) is one of the co-hosts of the summit, which was attended by 22 museums from across Mindanao as part of the National Indigenous People’s Month celebration.

To secure a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List, candidate sites must exhibit outstanding universal value and meet at least one of the ten selection criteria outlined in UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

“If declared a World Heritage Site, the value of Mount Kitanglad will be magnified, particularly in its role not just for Bukidnon but for the entire Mindanao. Mount Kitanglad holds significance not only for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) but also for the entire population of Mindanao, as it is considered a watershed for major rivers in the region,” said BSC Director, Ms. Loreta Sol L. Dinlayan.

MAM also conducted an on-site visit to the foot of Mount Kitanglad, specifically at the picturesque Cinchona Forest Reserve Station in the municipality of Lantapan, Bukidnon.

During the summit, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) supported the endorsement of Mount Kitanglad’s inclusion in the UNESCO list.

“We are encouraging Mindanao to really make an effort to be included in this list. We assure you, on behalf of the NCCA, na kapag kayo ay nagkaroon ng inisyatibo para maisama dito sa mga listahan na ito, ay gagabayan namin kayo, tutulongan namin kayo, at susuportahan namin kayo para tayo ay magkaroon ng international recognition,” said Dr. Ivan Anthony S. Henares, NCCA Head for National Committee on Sites and Mountains.

With a height of 2,899 meters above sea level, Mt. Kitanglad is one of the five peaks in the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKRNP). It spans portions of eight municipalities in Bukidnon and stands as the ancestral domain of three prominent indigenous tribes: Talaandig, Higaonon, and Bukidnon.

Mount Kitanglad hosts over 600 rare and endemic species, among them the critically endangered Philippine Eagle and the conservation-dependent Philippine Tarsier. Mount Kitanglad is also home to Rafflesia schadenbergiana, the second largest flower in the world.

In 2009, MKRNP was declared an ASEAN Heritage Park.