June 26, 2026 | News by PISD
26 June 2026, Calapan City – Tamaraw population in Oriental Mindoro rose to 12%, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) MIMAROPA recorded 425 Tamaraws during the 2026 Annual Tamaraw Population Count last April 15 to 20 at the Mounts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP).
The data gathered this year under DENR’s Tamaraw Conservation Program Office (TCPO) through DENR’s Simultaneous Multi-Vantage Point Count Method was higher to the 380 Tamaraw record last year, covering solely the population within the MIBNP.
Moreover, other confirmed Tamaraw habitats are being monitored in the proposed Siburan–Aruyan–Dangari–Iyason–Kinarawan (SADIK) Critical Habitat in Sablayan and the Upper Amnay Watershed located near the boundary of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro.
DENR also reported that this year’s figures were found in all vantage points within MIBNP including areas that had no recorded counts last year, indicating that Tamaraw population is continuously growing in the island.
Conservation and protection of said critically endangered species in Mindoro are ensured and sustained through DENR’s initiatives, in partnership with the MIBNP Protected Area Management Office, representatives from local governments, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, indigenous communities, and other partner agencies.
Tamaraw (Bubalus Mindorensis) is a small and rare species of buffalo endemic animal in Mindoro.
Source: DENR – MIMAROPA