The Sierra Madre Mountain Range, known as the country’s longest and most biodiverse mountain range, is a vital stronghold for the critically endangered Philippine Eagle—an irreplaceable symbol of our natural heritage and a guardian of forest ecosystems that sustain life for both wildlife and people. 

Near its center is Mt. Mingan, home to some of the last remaining Philippine Eagles in the wild. This is the Central Sierra Madre Mountain Range or CSMMR, where the municipalities of Gabaldon, Bongabon, and Laur established a 10,791 hectare Critical Habitat for the Philippine Eagle during a previous Haribon project.

This area is under threat from illegal and destructive activities. Stronger legal protection and community-based conservation efforts are urgently needed to protect biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.

Objectives

To empower Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to conserve the Critical Habitat and work toward national recognition of CSMMR as a Protected Area, while promoting forest governance, nature-based solutions, and develop biodiversity-friendly enterprises to strengthen climate resilience of the local communities.

Project duration

June 2025 to June 2028

Project supporter

World Land Trust

2025 updates:

• 4 Local Government accreditations secured
• 2 Indigenous Cultural Communities engaged
• 1 formal Community Resolution received from the Alta ICCs/IPs for the protection of the Digmala Ancestral Domain.

Join us in conserving the center of the Sierra Madre where Philippine Eagles can still be found. Email us at hello@haribon.org.ph.