List of World Heritage Sites in the Philippines The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

has designated fi!e World Heritage Sites in the Philippines" The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of i#portance to cultural or natural heritage as descri$ed in the UNESCO World Heritage Con!ention" The Philippines, follo%ing its ratification of the con!ention on Thursda&, Septe#$er '(, '()*, #ade its historical and natural sites eligi$le for inclusion on the list" The Philippines had its first sites included in '((+, and since '(((, has fi!e sites on the list" Of those fi!e sites, three are cultural and t%o natural" T%ent&,nine other properties ha!e also $een su$#itted to the Tentati!e List for possi$le no#ination in the future World Heritage List
Site Historic To%n of 0igan Location 1locos Sur T&pe(criteria Cultural2(ii (i! -escription Esta$lished in the '3th centur&, 0igan is the $est,preser!ed e4a#ple of a planned Spanish colonial to%n in 5sia" 1ts architecture reflects the co#ing together of cultural ele#ents fro# else%here in the Philippines, fro# China and fro# Europe, resulting in a culture and to%nscape that ha!e no parallel an&%here in East and South,East 5sia" This par8 features a spectacular li#estone 8arst landscap e %ith an underground ri!er" One of the ri!er9s distinguishing features is that it e#erges directl& into the sea, and its lo%er portion is su$:ect to tidal influences" The area also represents a significant ha$itat for $iodi!ersit& conser!ation" The site contains a full 9#ountain,to,sea9 ecos&ste# and has so#e of the #ost i#portant forests in 5sia" ;or 7,666 &ears, the high rice fields of .ear '((( /ef *67

Puerto Princesa Su$terrane an /i!er National Par8

Pala%an

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/ice Terraces

1fugao

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of the Philippine Cordilleras

San 5gustin Church =iag,ao Church Paoa& Church Santa =aria Church

the 1fugao ha!e follo%ed the contours of the #ountains" The fruit of 8no%ledge handed do%n fro# one generation to the ne4t, and the e4pression of sacred traditions and a delicate social $alance, the& ha!e helped to create a landscape of great $eaut& that e4presses the har#on& $et%een hu#an8ind and the en!iron#ent" 1ntra#uros,=a Cultural2(ii (i! >aro?ue Churches of the nila Philippines These four churches, the 1loilo first of %hich %as $uilt $& the Spanish in the late 1locos Norte '3th centur&, are located in =anila, Santa =aria, 1locos Sur Paoa& and =iag,ao" Their uni?ue architectural st&le is a reinterpretation of European >aro?ue $& Chinese and Philippine crafts#en" Tu$$ataha Sulu Sea Natural2(!ii /eefs Natural (i4 (4 Par8

'((+

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The Tu$$ataha /eef =arine Par8 co!ers '+6,67) ha, including the North and South /eefs" 1t is a uni?ue e4a#ple of an atoll reef %ith a !er& high densit& of #arine species@ the North 1slet ser!ing as a nesting site for $irds

'(( +

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and #arine turtles" The site is an e4cellent e4a#ple of a pristine cor al reef %ith a spectacular '66,# perpendicul ar %all, e4tensi!e lagoons and t%o coral islands"

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