Co-Mngmt and Individual Property Rights: Conserving Mt. Palali in Nueva Vizcaya

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Mitchell Cameron
6 years ago
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It forms part of the Caraballo Mountain Range that connects Sierra Madre Mountain Range with the Cordillera Mountain Range.

1 Co-Mngmt and Individual Property Rights: Conserving Mt. Palali in Nueva Vizcaya Mount Palali, with an altitude of 1,717 meters above sea level (masl), is one of the emerging natural destinations of local and foreign tourists in Northern Luzon. It forms part of the Caraballo Mountain Range that connects Sierra Madre Mountain Range with the Cordillera Mountain Range. Situated within the political boundaries of Solano, Kasibu, Quezon, Bambang, and Bayombong in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Mt. Palali serves as an important ecological landmark for a number of reasons. Several decades ago, this mountain is both home and sanctuary to the Bugkalots, Ifugaos and Gaddangs as their area for hunting and daily sustenance. It also houses native trees such as white lauan, kalomata, and ballugo, to name a few. Furthermore, this mountain is connected to Magat River and functions as one of its headwater sources flowing through the province and transcending to its neighboring provinces of Isabela and Cagayan. When you re on top of this mountain and the weather is pleasant, you ll be lucky enough to witness a sea of clouds! An ecstatic, yet very common statement about the majestic Mt. Palali of Nueva Vizcaya.

2 Scenic view of Mt. Palali from the lowland agricultural area. An Rubenecia/PTFCF From Being Majestic, Mt. Palali is in Peril The mountain, unfortunately, was not spared from forest degradation that the country has experienced back in the 1960s up to the 1980s. Known biologists had observed abrupt modifications and fragmentation of its natural landscape (Duya, 2006). Their studies were echoed by accounts of upland communities and local stakeholders. Particularly for Bayombong, the municipality has for so long faced perennial problems of unsustainable gathering of non-timber forest products (like rattan); unscrupulous timber poaching and tree cutting for charcoal; wildlife collection (particularly of wild orchids); and unabated expansion of kaingin (slash-and-burn practices), settlements and agricultural areas due to rapid population growth. All these put pressure to the remaining forests of Mt. Palali and generated negative impacts to its rich biodiversity. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) couldn t seem to control these challenges, let alone the local government units within Mt. Palali. Yet hope springs eternal and, indeed, the local communities began to hope, because with the prodding of non-government organizations, the academe, and other key partners, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Bayombong finally stepped up to the challenge of transforming and creating definitive, concrete actions to pay back the enormous benefits that Mt. Palali has given them. From there, hope sprang that the sea of clouds and the ocean of biodiversity will continue to be witnessed. They have finally found their allies, their champions.

The restoration of Mt. Palali was made possible through the concerted efforts of local government units, DENR, NGOs, the academe and community members, among others.

3 The restoration of Mt. Palali was made possible through the concerted efforts of local government units, DENR, NGOs, the academe and community members, among others. FRENDS Handholding for an Effective Forest and Forestland Management Strategy Efforts to save Mt. Palali started out in 2009 when Mayor John Severino G. Bagasao of Bayombong together with his local Sangguniang Bayan members finally met and discussed the alarming issue. From the meeting they realized that they couldn t do everything on their own. Coincidentally, the Nueva Vizcaya Consortium on Forests and Forestlands Management, where the Friends of the Environment for Development and Sustainability Inc. (FRENDS) is a member organization, had the same view of what has been happening to Mt. Palali. Ms. Teresita S. Acosta, Executive Director of FRENDS has long been a resident of Bayombong and her environmental concern has grown steadily as she accounted, almost every day, one could see smoke or patches of burning trees brought about by the kaingin (slash-and-burn practices) and charcoal-making activities of residents. FRENDS, with technical and financial assistance from Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation Inc. (PTFCF) heeded the call of their local chief executive (LCE) in Bayombong to support the protection and rehabilitation of Mt Palali. From then on, the Bayombong LGU has tapped the technical expertise of FRENDS and worked closely with them in coming up with a strategy to reverse forest degradation in the area. Initially, they worked together to formulate their municipal Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP), a document that is a product of numerous workshops, meetings, and participatory consultations involving key stakeholders in the locality people s organizations/community members, local government agencies, NGOs, and the academe, among others. The FLUP was ratified, adopted through an ordinance, and affirmed by the DENR on 14 December 2010.

4 FLUP and Co-Management Agreement Process in Bayombong The formulation of their FLUP has led to the institutionalization of LGU s intention to manage its forests and forestlands (FFL), an important precursor of the Co-Management Agreement between LGU Bayombong and the DENR for the Bansing sub-watershed within Mt. Palali. The Co-Management Agreement marked the serious intention of LGU Bayombong to safeguard Mt. Palali. It was signed on 10 February 2011, just a couple of months after the FLUP affirmation, between the LGU and DENR. As a result, Bayombong was formally awarded with co-management area of 1,331 hectares of open access areas within the Bansing sub-watershed. Efforts did not stop there, as the LGU, with technical assistance and full support from FRENDS and the academe initiated the preparation of the Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for Bansing sub-watershed. The IRMP was deemed important as it spelled out how a local government unit would manage the awarded co-management areas, particularly the guidelines for the Individual Property Rights (IPR) awarding. With the ultimate objective of closing the open access areas and effectively managing it, Bayombong LGU worked for the formulation of their IRMP utilizing a transparent, accountable, and participatory process. A series of community and stakeholder consultations; information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns; mapping; profiling and analysis of the watershed were undertaken. With the policy support of the Municipal and Barangay LGUs in Bayombong, they later on approved it and moved forward with creating the IPR Agreement policy, again with the active involvement of POs and community members, which later on became the main beneficiaries of this initiative. The Bayombong LGU was at first daunted by the arduous process but they realized that social preparation was a key factor. They conducted a series of capacity building activities for the POs/community members to prepare them for the tasks of being forest managers. They likewise involved POs in the tedious and grueling process of policy formulation, site assessment, and even planning for their own farm development.

5 Reaping the fruits of Strengthened Handholding for Mt. Palali From the years of handholding and hard work, the well-capacitated and effective members of POs have been organized in Bayombong. From being unregistered forest occupants, they have been organized and registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and are now part of Bantay Kalikasan teams organized by the LGU. A total of hectares of the LGUs CoManagement land have been planted with Dipterocarp and indigenous tree species that are now being maintained by the individual IPR holders. At least five (5) creeks that have been declared by the BLGUs and MLGU of Bayombong through ordinances have passed as the Source Water Protection Areas (SWPA). Several livelihood opportunities have been given to the POs, which are currently providing additional income. Numerous policies for the sustained management of the FFL have been put in place, leading to an observed reduction of unlawful forest practices and resource utilization in the locality. Sustaining What Turned Out as a Good Start Since the promulgation of their FLUP, Bayombong has then regularly appropriated 5% of their local development fund to thoroughly implement what were stipulated in their action plans. Bayombong has realized that local communities can be effective partners in forest conservation with enough capacity building and social preparation. They are now reaping their hard work and investments. IPR awarding to POs became an incentive mechanism by which more effective conservation and management of the forest and biodiversity of Mt. Palali was achieved. Nung maaprubahan na ang aming IPR, nawala yung takot namin na bukas o sa mga susunod na araw ay bigla na lang kaming paalisin sa mga lugar na kinatatayuan namin at masayang ang mga pinaghirapan namin [When our IPR was approved, we no longer feared that one day we might just be evicted from the land we are occupying and all our efforts will go to waste], said Adonis Julian, PO President of Magapuy-Kalanguya Upland Farmers Association (MAKAUFA).

6 LGU Bayombong and POs conducting farm plan evaluation in Bansing sub-watershed. Marilyn Juan/MENRO What the Process have Taught the Stakeholders For almost half a decade of being part of a long partnership for an improved forest management, every stakeholder has learned a lesson or two. The LGU has seen the importance of social preparation and an inclusive, holistic approach to forest management by going through the entire process of FLUP and Co-Management Agreement formulation. On the part of the POs, their relationship with the LGU has gradually solidified. In previous years, they were hesitant to approach and trust their LGU, but with concerted efforts from LGU, NGOs, academe and POs, intentions were understood and for the first time, community members started to feel the sincerity of Bayombong LGU in their commitment to save Mt. Palali and help communities in the process. Moreover, the level of awareness of the POs and the local community members in general have gradually increased and it was observed by Hon. Delfin Mariano, the former barangay chairman of Paitan and former PO president of Paitan Upland Farmers Association, as he attested, Kung dati ay dalawa lang ang nagpapaliwanag na kailangan nating magtanim at alagaaan ang kabundukan, ngayon ay marami nang gumagawa nito [If previously, only two people were explaining that we need to plant and protect the mountain ranges, today there are more people doing this]. With their participation in formulating the IPR policies and even the FLUP, Hon. Mariano mentioned that it really helped them as POs to truly understand the objective of the program and clearly defined their respective roles. It further allowed them to efficiently and effectively do their part for their respective IPRs and ensured that the forest of Mt. Palali along with its biodiversity are maintained; and their livelihood and socio-economic well-being are secured at the same time.

Bayombong s Strategy towards an Improved Forest Management So what worked? It was no secret that Bayombong LGU moved forward with openness in pursuing the objectives of their program.

7 Bayombong s Strategy towards an Improved Forest Management So what worked? It was no secret that Bayombong LGU moved forward with openness in pursuing the objectives of their program. Bayombong LGU has diligently followed the step-by-step approach from FLUP, Co-Management Agreement and IRMP formulation to developing the IPR Agreement, down to the process of awarding. Their serious commitment to their objectives also transcended, and although these [objectives] were not achieved overnight, they nevertheless stayed faithful to the process and hoped that doing so would enable them to reach their ultimate goal. True enough, they soon started realizing their dreams. Following the signing of the Co-management agreement, the LGU immediately created a Project Management Unit to effectively manage and monitor the status of the IPRs that were issued to partner communities. The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) was established, and albeit having limited human resources, under the leadership of a very active and hardworking designated MENR Officer, they were able to obtain the trust and confidence of their LCE in their suggested policies that effectively matched and strengthened their efforts to protect the mountain. It was important to note that among the municipalities in the province, Bayombong was the first to have settled its inter-municipality boundary conflicts and now has a clearer understanding of their available resources and how to safeguard them. Forging good working relationships and gaining full trust and support of the NGOs and key stakeholders was also pivotal to their forest management strategy. Even from the outset, these NGOs gave very generous and unwavering technical assistance in the development of FLUP, Co-Management Agreement, and IRMP; all the way to IPR distribution and monitoring. On the other hand, IPR awarding boosted the POs confidence and sense of ownership over the land they are developing. This sense of ownership, coupled with livelihood creation led to a more effective and confident pool of forest stewards, capable of uplifting their living conditions within the premises of an equally and ecologically important watershed area. More importantly, the responsive, like-minded, and sustainable developmentoriented local legislators and leaders made a big difference; and the continuity of this kind of governance was seen as an important ingredient to their forest management successes. These leaders allocated funds for the development and implementation of their forest land use plan; and maintained what was established as a handholding and collaboration of all of its stakeholders, all for the protection of Mt. Palali. Positive Gains Achieved yet Continuing Efforts Left Much to be Desired Despite positive outcomes from LGU s relentless efforts and collaborative undertakings, challenges remain up to the present, demanding close attention by the LGUs and key stakeholders. In barangay Magapuy for instance, only four IPRs have been awarded because of lingering boundary conflicts between land claimants. Several accounts and incident reports, and illegal gathering of non-timber forest products in Mt. Palali have been recorded, and from these reports, it was found out that intruders were coming from the adjacent municipality of Bambang. The current pool of Bantay Kalikasan of the Bayombong LGU were unmatched to these intruders as they have not yet been deputized by DENR and they are limited in number to cover Mt. Palali within their local jurisdiction. Moreover, conflicts in tenure issuance and status continue to exist, and so did a number of POs that clamor for their own IPR.

8 There s A Bright Future Ahead for Bayombong and Mt. Palali Now that they have clearly seen the way towards the effective management of Mt. Palali and its watersheds, LGU Bayombong sets its sight to a much bigger task. At present, they are looking at expanding their CoManagement Agreement by applying for the effective manage-ment of Magat sub-watershed, across the mighty Magat River on the western side of the municipality and is one of the four subwatersheds in Bayombong. Their efforts towards effective forest management are beyond what they first imagined. Bayombong LGU relentlessly believes in the power of numbers and their collaborative endeavors have become testament to this statement. Hence, they realized that the continuing challenges in Mt. Palali need not only their active participation, but that as well of other neighboring municipalities to finally realize their stake and contribute similarly to what they have done for this important ecological area. Sustaining the initiative also clearly means cutting across political boundaries to spread the advocacy. Bayombong Mayor Ramon Cabauatan Jr. is keen on conducting a formal dialogue with the local government of Bambang to encourage the LGU to gain lessons from their past efforts with the hope of inspiring them to start doing the same. In addition, the LGU has already started exploring the possibility of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms by their water users through their local water districts to ensure that sufficient funds are being plowed back to Mt. Palali and the management of watershed as a whole. This is already being practiced in various localities in the country and even in other countries. Last but not the least, for Bayombong LGU, it is important to note that there is still a big window of opportunity [and challenge] to develop and diversify livelihood, particularly to gradually shift to non-forest based and small enterprises in order to reduce pressure and threats to the existing forest and forestland resources. (Dazzle Labapis/PTFCF)

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