2023 Annual Report

Expanding Roots for Forest and Climate Resilience in Palawan

In northern Palawan’s Calamianes Islands, a partnership with CordAid assessed the vulnerabilities of four major watersheds to climate change. Additional funding from the Sun Life Foundation supported water security and climate adaptation efforts.

Meanwhile, in central Palawan, project support for the Sabang Sea Ferry Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SSFMPC) was extended to improve tourism services at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) and aid the recovery of 500 hectares of limestone forests.

Further south, in the Victoria Anepahan Mountain Range (VAMR), the Foundation supported the Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives, Inc. (IDEAS), Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) Philippines, and the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) to enhance forest protection across 50,000 hectares of forestlands, restore 100 hectares with native trees, and support forest-based livelihoods for 200 indigenous forest-dependent families.

Lastly, in the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape (MMPL), the Foundation provided grant support through the MMPL Endowment Fund to enhance forest protection and law enforcement in the area. The project will strengthen the forest rangers’ capacity for monitoring and patrolling, raise stakeholder awareness on the conservation value of MMPL, and strengthen the governance capacities of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).

Local Communities Empowered to Grow their Own Roots in Sierra Madre

Under its first Results Framework, the Foundation partnered with the Community Forest Foundation Quirino (CFFQ) to empower eight People’s Organizations (POs) in managing their Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) areas. In 2022, the Foundation directly supported four of these POs in implementing forest restoration projects. By 2023, grants were awarded to extend support to three more POs – Mataddi Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (MFAC), Quirino Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (QFMPC), and Wasid Ilongot Tribe Association (WITA) in enhancing their roles in sustainable forest management, economic development, and effective partnerships.

Deep Dive on Watershed Management in Eastern Samar

In 2022, a stakeholder consultation by the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) highlighted community concerns over Homonhon Island’s declining water supply and quality. The study recommended a comprehensive watershed assessment to guide a management plan for adoption by various stakeholders. With continued support from the Foundation, in 2023, initiatives for watershed protection and co-management were launched across five barangays – Casuguran, Canawayon, Culasi, Pagbabangnan, and Cagusuan. The project aligns with the local government’s goal to safeguard 530 hectares of watershed areas as a vital water source, while conserving the island’s remaining forests in partnership with Mineral Production Sharing Agreement holders. Following a multi-stakeholder approach, the project integrates citizen science, combining technical, scientific, and social methodologies to drive sustainable, community-led conservation efforts.

Forest-based Artisans and Weavers Branch Out

Rooting from its partnership with the British Council Philippines in 2021 to strengthen the voices of artisans and weavers practicing sustainable resource management within indigenous and local forest-dependent communities, the Foundation further supported champions of indigenous knowledge systems and cultural heritage in each of its focal landscapes:

• Sierra Madre: Panublix Innovations.  Their project developed a business model, highlighting the synergy between social enterprise and community collaboration for bamboo textile linked to conservation work in Isabela.
  
• Palawan: Life College. Their project supported the enhancement of community livelihoods by focusing on 3S (Skill, Soil, and Society).
• Samar & Leyte: Carmen Lopez. Her project capacitated the next generation of weavers in Samar and Leyte.
• Mindanao:  Emmanuelle Andaya. Together with the Kalandang Women Weavers in Bukidnon, her project raised awareness about the textiles of the community and opened new markets for them.

These champions also worked with UK artists to exhibit their crafts in London and Manila. Titled “Re-story-ation,” the exhibit aimed to explore society’s interconnectedness with the forests through the lens of weavers, artisans, and indigenous communities.

Cultivating Ties for the Sustainable Management of Forests

The Foundation rekindled its ties with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), bearing fruit with a project to protect the stewards of the forest through establishing environmental and social safeguards, and facilitating forest carbon-sharing benefits for indigenous peoples and their ancestral domains. It also renewed its partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines, signifying more exciting and creative projects for forest conservation.

Nurturing Roots of Hope

The Foundation joined the multi-sectoral Philippine chapter of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA), which aims to halt loss, restore half, and double the protection of the country’s mangroves. It also supported consultation workshops in the northeastern and southwestern Mindanao for the updating of the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). Lastly, the Foundation also led a panel discussion on “Harnessing Nature-based Solutions: Stories of Climate Adaptation in the Philippines” in partnership with the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau at the COP 28 in Dubai.

Strengthening Bonds with the Private Sector

New partners in forest conservation in 2023 included HOSPECO, Samsung, Kicks Rigout, IHG Hotels and Resorts, Sun Life Foundation, and National University Laguna Mountaineers, which leveraged approximately US$ 19,741 in additional funding for the Foundation’s grantees in its landscapes.

Bearing Fruit: Best Friends of the Forest (#BFFMovement) 2.0

The Foundation awarded three grants to student groups from Bulacan State University, University of the Philippines Tacloban College, and the University of Science and Technology Southern through Edukasyon.ph as part of the Best Friends of the Forest program to grow conservation advocates among the youth in the landscapes.

Nurturing Seeds of Knowledge

In 2023, the Foundation released several knowledge products contributing to the growing knowledge of forestry in the Philippines such as the Ultramafic Flora of the Philippines, 6th National Report to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Flora and Fauna of Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape (MMPL) Field Guides, and Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park Online Knowledge Platform, among others.

Fostering Transdisciplinary Research and Knowledge Co-creation

Under the partnership with Thailand’s RECOFTC, the Foundation supported two Philippine-based researchers from the College of Forestry and Natural Resources of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. This is part of the second phase of its Explore 2.0 Project, which aims to enhance forest landscape governance in the Asia-Pacific region.

On the other hand, through its partnership with the Association of Asian Studies (AAS), the Foundation also supported two social science research projects with strong links to forest conservation in the landscapes of Sierra Madre.