Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park
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IUCN category II (national park)
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The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park in Diddadungan, Palanan, Isabela
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.svg)
 Location within the Philippines
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| Location | Isabela, Philippines |
| Nearest city | Ilagan |
| Coordinates | 17°18′29″N 122°5′10″E / 17.30806°N 122.08611°ECoordinates: 17°18′29″N 122°5′10″E / 17.30806°N 122.08611°E |
| Area | 359,486 hectares (888,310 acres) |
| Established | September 7, 1979 (Wilderness area) March 10, 1997 (Natural park) |
| Governing body | Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park is the largest protected area of the Philippines covering the northern range of the Sierra Madre mountains of eastern Luzon. The park is located in the eastern part of the province of Isabela in Cagayan Valley (Region II) containing a total of 359,486 hectares (888,310 acres). It was first declared a wilderness reserve encompassing an area within a 45 kilometres (28 mi) radius of Palanan Point known as the Palanan Wilderness Area through Letter of Instructions No. 917-A signed by President Ferdinand Marcos on 7 September 1979. On 10 March 1997, the area was converted into a natural park with the signing of Proclamation No. 978 by President Fidel Ramos.
The park is considered the richest in terms of genetic, species and habitat diversity in the Philippines. It is one of the country's ten priority protected areas managed by its own Protected Area Management Board headed by the Regional Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for Region II under the rules set forth in Article III of Republic Act 9125, also known as the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP) Act of 2001. In 2006, the protected area was added to the Philippines' tentative list of potential World Heritage Sites.
The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park lies in the midsection of the Sierra Madre mountain range which stretches from the province of Aurora to Cagayan. It consists of 287,861 hectares (711,320 acres) of land area and 71,652 hectares (177,060 acres) of coastline water area corresponding geographically with the Isabela municipalities of Palanan, Divilacan and Maconacon, as well as portions of San Mariano, Dinapigue, San Pablo, Cabagan, Tumauini and the city of Ilagan. It is bounded on the north by the Dikatayan River, on the south by the Disabungan River, on the west by Cagayan Valley, and on the east by the Philippine Sea.
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