Bantay Bukid park rangers: Guardians of Mt. Apo’s natural treasures

Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP), the Philippines’ highest peak, is more than a climber’s dream — it is a sanctuary of rich biodiversity, including the critically endangered Philippine Eagle, Apo Myna, Apo Sunbird, and pitcher plant, to name a few. At the heart of its protection are the Bantay Bukid volunteers — forest guardians rooted in the indigenous communities of Davao City.

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“Considering that Mt. Apo is a protected area, the work of the Bantay Bukid is a vital support to the DENR’s mandate to protect and conserve the country's natural wealth, the Philippines’ highest mountain and its biodiversity,” said DENR-XI Regional Executive Director Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan.

Formed in 2014 through the initiative by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), the Bantay Bukid was created to help monitor the Philippine Eagle's habitat in Mt. Apo. Two years later, the City Government of Davao formally adopted the program, which was expanded to include forest and watershed protection. Community volunteers, many of whom are indigenous peoples, were then tapped to serve as forest guards.

As a protected area, Mt. Apo is home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are rare or endangered. To safeguard these ecological treasures, the park rangers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region XI (DENR-XI) now complement Davao City's Bantay Bukid volunteers in patrolling, monitoring and enforcing environmental laws to preserve the park's biodiversity across its 65,900.90-hectare landscape.