World Heritage site is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) selects a landmark or area for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Places as diverse and unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in the USA, or the Acropolis in Greece are examples of the 1007 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List to date.
3 of the 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines are natural sites categorized as Protected Area under NIPAS.
The following are the 6 (3 cultural sites and 3 natural sites) UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines:
- Historic Town of Vigan (1999)
- Baroque Churches of the Philippines (1993)
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (1995)
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999)
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (1993) and
- Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary.
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