Mount Apo the mountain to be sacred ground and a place of worship. A number of genealogies of Lumad leaders in South Central Mindanao trace their roots to Mount Apo. For the Lumads, the term "Apo" was coined from the name of their great grandparent "Apo Sandawawa". At , Mount Apo is the highest mountain & volcano in the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular climbing destinations. Several trails lead to the summit, coming from North Cotabato and Davao provinces. Arguably the easiest route to the National Park is through Kidapawan with an average hike taking 3–4 days roundtrip.
Apo Island has a land area of approximately 74 hectares and rises to a height of 120 meters (390 feet) above sea level at its highest point. It can be reached by a 30-minute motorized boat ride from the village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental. Apo Island was a community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented by the global science community. The project was started when Dr. Angel Alcala, a marine scientist from the Silliman University Marine Laboratory introduced to the local fishermen the importance of creating a marine sanctuary in the area. Initially, there was hesitation on