Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This IBA is in a range of low hills on the border between the densely populated provinces of Cavite and Batangas. The proposed National Park has three peaks, Palay-palay, Rico de Loro and Mataas na Gulod. The last remaining lowland evergreen rainforest in the Province of Cavite is on Mt Palay-palay in the northern portion of the park, and this habitat is reported to cover c.60% of the park. It is mainly forest on limestone. There are also areas of arable land, small settlements and rural gardens, and some kaingin.
There is no information available on the birds of the Mt Palay-palay / Mataas na Gulod National Park, but there are a few old records of threatened and restricted-range species from nearby. This IBA is likely to support several of the lowland specialist birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area, and it may prove to have a similar avifauna to that of Mt Makiling (PH022).
Non-bird biodiversity: No mammalian and herpetofauna surveys have been done in the area.
This IBA is in a range of low hills on the border between the densely populated provinces of Cavite and Batangas. The proposed National Park has three peaks, Palay-palay, Rico de Loro and Mataas na Gulod. The last remaining lowland evergreen rainforest in the Province of Cavite is on Mt Palay-palay in the northern portion of the park, and this habitat is reported to cover c.60% of the park. It is mainly forest on limestone. There are also areas of arable land, small settlements and rural gardens, and some kaingin.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There are some settlements in the park, and the remaining forests there are under pressure from agricultural expansion and kaingin, the collection of forest products, and further infrastructure developments.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Local communities are currently targeting some areas of open grassland and secondary growth for reforestation activities.
There are waterfalls and creeks in the park, which give it potential for increased use for recreation and tourism.
Surveys are required in this IBA, to investigate both the extent and quality of the remaining habitats, and whether it supports important populations of threatened and restricted-range birds and other biodiversity.
Mts Palay-Palay-Mataas Na Gulod National Park was declared by virtue of Proclamation No. 1594 on 26 October 1976. It is proposed as a Protected Landscape under the NIPAS.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mounts Palay-Palay-Mataas Na Gulod National Park (Philippines). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mounts-palay-palay-mataas-na-gulod-national-park-iba-philippines on 23/12/2024.
