Davao Del Sur, Davao City and Cotabato Province,
Rising some 9,691 ft. above sea level, the slopes of
Mt. Apo
beckon. It is the Philippines’ tallest peak, complete with its own set of
obstacles and challenges. But don’t be daunted—as any veteran outdoorsman
will tell you: the rewards up there are definitely worth the long grueling climb.
Mt. Apo towers over the whole Philippine archipelago being the highest mountain
of the country. Its base is known to be larger than the island of Singapore. In
1982, the United Nations listed Mt. Apo in its National Parks and Equivalent Reserves
while the 1984 ASEAN Declaration on Heritage, Parks and Reserves named it as an
ASEAN Heritage Site.
The park is also regarded as the last stronghold of the remaining population of
the rare and endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), which, aside
from being the symbol of environmental preservation in the country, has been declared
as the national bird. This majestic raptor, mates for life and can live for half a century.
