Mount Isarog

Mount Isarog is a potentially active stratovolcano located in the province of Camarines

Sur, Philippines, on the island of Luzon. It has an elevation of 2,000 metres above mean sea level.[1]
The peak of the mountain marks the point where the borders of five municipalities and one city meet
(listed in clockwise direction, starting north): Goa, Tigaon, Ocampo, Pili, Naga City, and Calabanga.
Mount Isarog was where local troops of the Philippine Army and Constabulary units and Bicolano
guerrillas hid during the Japanese Period. In the 1970s, with the leadership of Romulo Jallores and
his brother, they established the New People's Army in the Bicol region at the foot of this mountain.[4]

History[edit]
Legal History[edit]
It was made a public land through the Proclamation No. 157 on March 28, 2015. Towns around it is
classified as timberland forest with an area of 13,433 hectares.
On August 17, 1935, General Frank Murphy established the Mt. Isarog Forest Reserve which
reduced the size of the area to 10,112. But it was revoked by President Manuel L. Quezon when he
signed Proclamation No. 293 titled "Establishment of Mt. Isarog as a National Park."
On June 1, 1992, with the passage of Republic Act 7586 known as the National Integrated Protected
Areas System or NIPAS, Mt. Isarog was National Integrated Protected Area Programme. On June
20, 2002, by virtue of Proclamation No. 214, Mt. Isarog became a protected area under the natural
park.

Biodiversity[edit]
Mt. Isarog has a rich diversity. It displays four major types of natural habitat or vegetation; from the
warm grassland and lowland forest to the wet and cool climate of montane forest.

The lowland forest is noted for its tall canopy. The uppermost layer towers between 3040 meters
and sometimes even reach 60 meters. Many of these trees belong to the dipterocarp family. The
second canopy layer (between 2330 meters) has the sustain bamboos (Bambusa), arborescent
palms (Calamus), climbing bammboo (Schizostacyum), climbing pandans (Freycinetia) and vascular
epiphytes such as orchids and ferns.
The grassland (parang) is dominated by cogon (imperata cylindrica) and talahib (saccharum ovatum)
grasses.The topography and the soil condition of the area limited the growth of trees giving rise to
the grassland.
The montane forest has two-oken because layered canopy trees ranging from 1225 meters with
noticeable canopy gaps due to the absence of large trees.
The mossy forest is has a canopy with a small height of 2 to 6 meters only. The canopy is broken
because of the high winds and steep terrain. It is inhabited by bamboo, pandan, orchids, ferns
pitcher plants and other epiphytes. Trees in this level is covered with moss.

Endemic[edit]
Isarog Shrew rat (rhyncomys isarogensis) was first discovered in 1988 in Mount Isarog. Although it
has no direct economic value, its presence in Mount Isarog is a barometer of wealth and
management of its natural resources. It is now listed as endangered in the Red Data Book of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature.[5]
Mt. Isarog is included as a proctected area backed with the presence of endemic rodents
(archboldomys luzonensis, chrotomys gonzalesi and rhyncomys isarogensis) and other endemic
mammal and 15 bird species endemic to Luzon.
Isarog Cloud Frog was first described by scientists in 1997 in Mt. Isarog. They have identified one
and possibly three new frog species, 8 species of snakes and 19 species of lizards.
Mt. Isarog also has the rare Mt. Isarog Forest Skink (sphenomorphus knollmanae) that occurs
nowhere else in the world.[5]