Pasonanca Natural Park

The Pasonanca Natural Park is a protected area that preserves a major watershed in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao in the Zamboanga Peninsula. It contains the headwaters of the Tumaga River in the southern Zamboanga Cordillera mountain range that serves the water requirements of some 800,000 residents in Zamboanga City. It was named after the village of Pasonanca located in the city's northern fringes where the Pasonanca Park, a public eco-park, and the Abong-Abong Park, a pilgrimage site, can also be found.The natural park is managed as part of the Philippines' National Integrated Protected Areas System. It was initially established in 1987 as the Pasonanca Watershed Forest Reserve encompassing an initial area of declared through Proclamation No. 199 issued by President Corazon Aquino. In 1999, through Proclamation No. 132 issued by President Joseph Estrada, the park was enlarged and reclassified as a natural park. It has the largest remaining block of old growth lowland dipterocarp forest in Zamboanga.DescriptionThe Pasonanca Natural Park covers an area of and a buffer zone of in the southern end of the Zamboanga Cordillera mountain range that runs north to south serving as the backbone for the peninsula of Zamboanga. It is contained within the local government areas of Pasonanca, Lunzuran, Lumayang Cacao, Lapacan, Lamisan, Bungiao, La Paz, Balurno and Dulian in Zamboanga City and parts of the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte. Mount Pulong Bato is a prominent peak located within the park rising to 360m. It is crossed by Tumaga River and its tributaries which serve the bulk of the water supply for the Zamboanga City Water District through a diversion dam. The park also contains several rock formations, springs and waterfalls including the Dulian Falls.