Cordillera Central (Luzon) Sierra Madre Mountains, the longest mountain range in the country, through the Caraballo Mountains in Nueva Vizcaya province. During Spanish colonial period, the whole range was called "Nueva Provincia", (New Province). The Cordillera Central is the highest mountain range in the Philippines. It comprises about 1/6 of the whole Luzon island with a total area of . The highest mountain in the range, Mount Pulag, is also the highest mountain on Luzon Island at . It is officially the third highest mountain in the country after Mount Dulang-dulang and Mount Apo on Mindanao Island, the second largest island of the
Mount Apo is said to be named after a nobleman named Apong, who was killed while mediating the battle between two suitors of his daughter Saribu. Apo is various local languages mean "grandfather", "master", "grandson", and "wise elder". On May 9, 1936, Mount Apo was declared a national park with "Proclamation No. 59" by President Manuel L. Quezon, followed by "Proclamation No. 35" of May 8, 1966, then "Proclamation No. 882" of September 24, 1996. On February 3, 2004, the approval of "Republic Act No. 9237" established Mount Apo as a protected area under the category of "natural park" with an area