The whole range was declared a national park by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 677 on December 4, 1990 known as the Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park. In 1994, it was chosen as one of the 10 priority sites under the World Bank through the Conservation of Priority Protected Areas Project. Mount Kitanglad and its outlying area was proclaimed a protected area under the natural park category through Presidential Proclamation 896 dated October 24, 1996. On November 9, 2000, the park finally became a full-pledge protected area when Congress approved R.A. 8978 also known as the Mt. Kitanglad Range Protected Area Act of 2000.