THE Protected Area Management Office of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS) has prohibited trekkers, researchers, and visitors from bringing in or using wet wipes and single-use plastic materials anywhere within the protected area, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Davao Region said in a public advisory posted on its official Facebook page.
DENR-Davao said the move, formalized through MHRWS-PAMB Resolution No. 2026-20, follows repeated concerns raised in the Protected Area Management Office's twice-a-year review of how ecotourism activities affect the sanctuary.
"Wet wipes are composed of non-biodegradable plastic fibers and chemical resins that do not decompose in forest environments," DENR-Davao said in the advisory, adding that single-use plastics — including PET bottles, sachets, and disposable cutlery — significantly contribute to the degradation of the protected area and its water sources.
Under the new policy, all trekkers, researchers, and visitors are required to attend a mandatory pre-climb orientation, during which the ban will be discussed.
Strict baggage inspection will also be imposed before visitors are allowed to enter the protected area, with accredited porters and guides tasked with helping enforce compliance on the trail.
Violators will be penalized under existing national laws, particularly Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, DENR-Davao said.
Mt. Hamiguitan was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2014, becoming the first in Mindanao and the sixth in the Philippines. It was declared a protected area under Republic Act No. 9303, or the Mt. Hamiguitan Wildlife Sanctuary Act of 2004, placing it under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas).
The sanctuary is known for its pygmy forest and endemic species, including the critically endangered Philippine eagle and the Philippine cockatoo.
To recall, DENR-Davao earlier announced the sanctuary's annual off-season closure from July 1 to September 30, 2026, to allow the site to rest and regenerate, with only research activities approved under MHRWS-PAMB Resolution No. 2024-26 allowed to enter during the period. GRS
