Biak-na-Bato National Park

Biak-na-Bato National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located almost entirely within Barangay Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan from where it derives its name. The park also extends to the nearby municipalities of San Ildefonso and Doña Remedios Trinidad covering a total area of 2,117 hectares. It was declared a national park in 1937 by President Manuel Luis Quezon by virtue of its association with the history and site of the Biak-na-Bato Republic. The park consists of a cave network and a system of rivers and trails of both historical and ecological importance. Situated only 80 kilometers northeast from Manila, it is fast becoming a popular weekend eco-adventure destination for the city dwellers.Topography and ecologyBiak-na-Bato National Park is centered on a mountain gorge sliced by the Balaong River in the Sierra Madre mountain range. More than a hundred caves of varying sizes and crystalline mineral formations are spread across the park. Among the most explored caves are the Aguinaldo Cave, once the headquarters of President Emilio Aguinaldo, and the Bahay Paniki or Bat Cave, said to be home of at least six species of winged mammals: kabag-kabag, ngusong kabayo, bungisngis, sibsib, bayakan and pakibu. Nido birds or swiftlets also call the park home, as do monkeys, wild boars, eagles, monitor lizards, and other species of birds that nest in towering trees. Orchids, trees, shrubs, ferns, bushes and bokawe (buho) are some of the flora than can be found in the park.