2024-2025 Annual Report

Launching the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation (PCP4NbS) Program

In 2024, Forest Foundation Philippines, with support from the Government of Canada, officially launched the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation (PCP4NbS), marking the beginning of a five-year program that aims to strengthen the climate resilience of communities, particularly rural and Indigenous women, while ensuring co-benefits from, and for, natural resources and healthy ecosystems. The launch brought together representatives from the Government of Canada, the Philippine government, civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), local communities, the academe, and development partners. The event introduced the Program’s vision, objectives, focal landscapes, and grant opportunities, while reaffirming the importance of working together to support NbS across the Philippines.

Grants for NbS

In 2025, the Foundation, with support from the Government of Canada, approved 17 grants totaling PHP 80.5 M for NbS under the PCP4NbS Program. These grants support locally-led NbS initiatives across 7,400 hectares of upland, coastal, and marine ecosystems to strengthen the climate resilience of communities and ecosystems in the Philippines. The Foundation also continues to advance gender equality in climate action, with three grants awarded to women-led organizations, while all 17 projects integrate gender-responsive objectives, participation, and monitoring.

Building the Evidence for NbS

To ensure that NbS interventions are grounded in local contexts and scientific evidence, the Foundation completed 18 baseline studies across its priority landscapes and seascapes. These studies informed the co-development and implementation of climate adaptation interventions, and strengthened the Program’s grantmaking and capacity development strategies. The baseline assessments included Vulnerability and Risk Assessments, Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Assessments, Marine Biodiversity Assessments, and Learning Needs Assessments. Together, these studies provide critical evidence for designing high-integrity, gender-responsive NbS.

Strengthening Capacities and Communities of Practice

The Foundation continued to strengthen the capacities of its grantees, community organizations, and local partners by facilitating learning exchanges, and establishing Communities of Practice (CoP) on NbS. These platforms promote peer learning, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among practitioners implementing NbS across the country. In November 2025, the Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Guelph and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), organized Global Classroom sessions focused on gender-responsive NbS. The initiative connected Philippine practitioners with international experts to exchange experiences and strengthen the implementation of inclusive NbS approaches.

Strengthening Partnerships to Mainstream NbS

In 2025, the Foundation organized PUNLA: A Multistakeholder Forum on Nature-based Solutions, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Nature-based Solutions  (NbS) Support Network. The Forum engaged nearly 5,000 participants through in-person sessions, Zoom, and Facebook livestreams. The event brought together representatives from government, civil society organizations, IPs, local communities, the academe, development partners, youth groups, and the private sector to strengthen collaboration and promote a shared understanding, and adoption of high-integrity, gender-responsive NbS. During the Forum, the participants also committed to support the institutionalization and scaling up of NbS in the Philippines.

Advancing NbS Policies

The Foundation promoted NbS through national and international platforms as it organized advocacy activities during Terra Madre Asia & Pacific 2025 and the 9th National Wildlife Festival, helping raise public awareness on the role of NbS in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Additionally, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (UPLB-INREM), the Foundation supported the 5th International Conference on Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (INREM): Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience and Sustainability. Beyond these events, the Foundation continued to collaborate with the NbS Support Network, convened by the DENR Climate Change Service, to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, support knowledge generation, and advance policy dialogue on high-integrity, gender-responsive NbS in the Philippines.

Strengthening International Collaboration

In 2025, the Foundation marked another milestone as an official member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Together with fellow IUCN members in the Philippines, the Foundation supported the establishment and launch of the IUCN National Committee Philippines during PUNLA in Manila and at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The establishment of the National Committee strengthens collaboration among Philippine IUCN members, and reinforces the country’s contribution to global conservation efforts and the advancement of NbS.