MANILA, Philippines — A biosphere reserve in the Philippines is on the list of 11 new reserves, after it was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on Friday.
Located in Apayao province, the yApayaos Biosphere Reserve consists of two distinct regions — Lower and Upper Apayao.
“This biosphere reserve in the Province of Apayao is divided into two distinct regions: the Upper Apayao sports rugged terrain with towering peaks, plateaus and valleys, whereas the Lower Apayao features flatlands adorned with rolling hills and plateaus,” Unesco said in its website. “Stretching 180 kilometers, the majestic Apayao River serves as a vital watershed, nurturing 18 tributaries across the province.”
The name “yApayaos”, as described by Unesco, was “a name that encompasses both the people and diverse flora and fauna living in the area”.
Unesco also mentioned the biosphere reserve’s ethnolinguistic groups and its 10 Indigenous Cultural Communities, that also included the Isneg community, which comprises 30 percent of its population of 124,366.
The yApayaos biosphere reserve, which spans 3,960 square kilometers, also engages in rice and corn cultivation, with ecotourism also progressing in Apayao.
Other biosphere reserves in the list include the Changnyeong Biosphere Reserve in South Korea, the Julian Alps Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in Italy and Slovenia, Kempen-Broek Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in Belgium and the Netherlands, and the Val d’Aran and the Irati Biosphere Reserves in Spain.
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