The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has officially opened a new Tamaraw Conservation Center in the municipality of Victoria, marking a significant expansion of efforts to protect the Philippines’ critically endangered dwarf buffalo.
The facility, situated within the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor, is designed to serve as a strategic hub for research, habitat monitoring, and community-based conservation initiatives. It aims to bolster the existing Tamaraw Conservation Program (TCP), which has historically focused its primary operations in the Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park.
According to the DENR, the center will facilitate the training of “Bantay Tamaraw” rangers—many of whom are members of local Indigenous Mangyan communities—to enhance wildlife law enforcement and biodiversity protection.
The facility is also expected to house specialized equipment and serve as an education center for residents and students to learn about the island’s unique endemic species.
The tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) is found only on the island of Mindoro and is currently classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Recent population estimates suggest that only 500 to 600 individuals remain in the wild, facing persistent threats from habitat loss and poaching.
Government officials stated that the opening of the center is part of a broader 10-year management plan to create a “metapopulation” strategy, ensuring that multiple pockets of
tamaraw populations across the island are secured to prevent the species’ extinction.
The project was completed through the collaboration of the DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project and local government units, reflecting an intensified commitment to preserving the “Crown Jewel” of Philippine biodiversity.
