Mount APO is a potentially active volcano located on the island of Mindanao in 40 km North-East of Davao city. The word "APO" in the language of the local population means "ancestor". This is the highest point of the island and across the country – 2954 meters. Geologically, the volcano consists of an ancient crater Petty McKinley and young stratovolcano APO. In its crater with a diameter of 500 meters is a small lake. Date of last eruption of mount APO is unknown.

Today, the volcano is one of the most popular among climbers and mountaineers – the easiest way to the summit takes about 2 days, the most difficult – from 7 to 9 days. And the first conqueror of mount APO was Joaquin Rahal, the Spanish Governor of Davao, who ascended the mountain on 10 October 1880. On the way to the top of tourists pass by the lake Venado is one of the highest lakes in the country, the ancient crater of Solfatara – fumaroles that erupt sulfur gases.

The mountain was included in the national Park of mount APO, where an area of 55 thousand hectares you can find evergreen dipterocarpus forests of rare and endemic plant species. The Park was established in 1936, and in 2004 it included two of the buffer zone area of 2, 5 and 6, 5 thousand ha. In 2009 the Department of environment and natural resources of the Philippines has applied for the inclusion of the Park mount APO in the list of world Natural Heritage as a center of endemism in Mindanao. In the Park we can distinguish three typical forest formations – tropical floodplain rainforest, mountain forest and montane forest, each of which differs in species composition. Only birds in mount APO dwells 272 species, including 111 species are endemic. Here you can also find the world's largest eagle, the Philippine, which is considered a national symbol of the Philippines.