Masungi Georeserve

Baras, Rizal, Philippines

Masungi Georeserve

Georeserve

Since July 2025

Masungi Georeserve safeguards the rainforests of Rizal through a geotourism model that protects its unique limestone landscapes while uplifting surrounding communities. Visitors immerse themselves in nature, contributing to the preservation of its biodiversity, heritage, and local livelihoods for generations to come.

Masungi Georeserve safeguards the rainforests of Rizal through a geotourism model that protects its rare limestone landscapes while creating lasting benefits for nature and local communities. Each visit directly contributes to conservation efforts that restore fragile ecosystems, supports the livelihoods of surrounding villages, celebrates the area’s rich cultural heritage, and fosters responsible commerce that sustains these initiatives.

Guests meander through lush forest trails and among 60-million-year-old rock formations, encountering rare wildlife and native plants while hearing stories deeply rooted in the land’s history. Along the way, they pause to enjoy light refreshments before completing a journey that offers renewal for the soul and ensures this sanctuary’s biodiversity, heritage, and community continue to thrive for generations.

CONSERVATION

Masungi Georeserve safeguards over 2,700 hectares of rainforest and karst terrain in the Upper Marikina Watershed, restoring degraded slopes through assisted natural regeneration and native tree planting.

The Georeserve applies careful land management to protect its 60-million-year-old limestone formations, preserving ecological balance while enabling responsible visitor access through geotourism.

COMMUNITY

Masungi partners with local and indigenous communities, creating livelihood opportunities in conservation, guiding, and native seedling cultivation.

Community members are trained in environmental stewardship and visitor engagement, enabling them to share their knowledge and actively participate in protecting the landscape.

CULTURE

Masungi preserves the heritage of the Sierra Madre by sharing stories, traditions, and indigenous knowledge connected to the land. Guided experiences reveal the deep interconnection between history, nature, and culture in the area.

Visitors encounter cultural elements throughout their journey, from local craftsmanship to traditional conservation practices, enriching their understanding of the site’s significance.

COMMERCE

Masungi’s sustainable geotourism model generates funds for continued reforestation and protection efforts, fostering a self-sustaining cycle that benefits both nature and people.

The Georeserve boosts the local economy by sourcing supplies from community partners, employing local workers, and promoting fair and ethical trade.

Masungi Georeserve Highlights

The Discovery Trail at Masungi Georeserve allows visitors to explore the conservation area and encounter the karst terrain up close. A park ranger will guide them along the trek, offering a deeper understanding of the landscape.
The Legacy Trail offers an immersion in the greater Masungi Geopark Project, where comprehensive forest restoration efforts are currently under way. Visitors and volunteers can directly take part in bringing life back to degraded land and caring for the area.
First-hand experiences in branch pruning, weeding, mulching, compost circle building, and tree planting or nurturing (depending on the season and site availability) are to be expected. Well-deserved minalot meals will be served afterwards. Visitors and volunteers will also have the chance to interact and rest among the last few remaining pine tree stands in the project area.
The Garden Picnic allows visitors to sit in the Rock Garden, an affiliate park space within the Garden Cottages next to the Masungi Georeserve, where they can relax in a rustic garden setting.
The experience begins with a 20-minute stroll showcasing the area’s trees, followed by a designated picnic space for your party to enjoy for the rest of the day, and a tea tasting featuring select native plants. The guided activities last for 40 minutes, after which visitors are free to enjoy the surroundings at their own pace.
The Sunrise Trail is a guided morning ascent that reaches one of the highest and most scenic points of the georeserve in under an hour. Winding through over 600 carved stone steps, the trail passes ancient limestone formations and secondary forests before opening to a 360-degree view of the karst landscape—just in time for daybreak.
Though shorter in duration, this trail is no less profound. Once walked as a pilgrimage, it still carries the spirit of intention and reflection. Each step offers an opportunity to reconnect with the land, the self, and something greater. It is a trail that mirrors the quiet unfolding of the morning—from darkness to light, from stillness to clarity.