The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park was awarded as one of the protected areas in the Philippines with laudable initiatives and innovative practices in environmental protection in the recently-held Protected Area Awards and Recognition (PAR). The awarding ceremony was held in Tagaytay City on 1 October 2013. Tubbataha bagged the first place in the partnership category for its exemplary work in engaging Other Government Agencies in the total effectiveness of its law enforcement.
The Park was also awarded a plaque for being a finalist in the enforcement category of the PAR.
The first PAR was given by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to key players in protected areas at field level in recognition of their important contributions in addressing the challenges of environmental conservation. The PAR was one of the side events in the 4th ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference held on 1 to 4 October 2013 in partnership with the DENR and the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity.