Several protected areas are found within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the longest in the Philippines, at 680km-420mi from Cagayan province in the north to Quezon province in the south. One of the protected areas found in the mountain range is the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, also the country's largest protected area.

It is a biodiverse site, a home to a number of PH "flagship" species like the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) and the Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis). The enclosed photo is one of the many crocodile lakes found along the western side of the park, close to the buffer zone. The crocodiles are currently under the care of the PH environment, the local communities and the Mabuwaya Foundation, a conservation NGO.