Forest Foundation Philippines organized its 4th Partners’ Meeting for Palawan. This year’s theme, “Growing Futures: Sustainable Landscapes, Empowered Communities,” is the last partners’ meeting in the landscape for the Foundation’s 2017-2021 grant program.
It served as a platform for its grantees and partners to share their lessons learned, best practices, and key strategies in implementing forest conservation projects in the landscape. Aside from these, livelihood products and learning opportunities were also shared during the meeting.
It was attended by the Foundation’s grantees: Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship; Bayan Academy; C3 Philippines; Calamianes Resilience Network; Center for Conservation Innovation Philippines; Community Crafts Association of the Philippines; Cordaid Philippines; Edukasyon.ph; Environmental Legal Assistance Center; Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives; Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Program Philippines; Pro-Seeds Development Association; Roots Collective; and Tanggapang Panligal ng Katutubong Pilipino.
Government agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders were also consulted to chart potential pathways beyond the implementation of Foundation’s 5-year Results Framework. In partnership with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, the stakeholders discussed current challenges in forest protection and conservation, and mapped out potential areas for collaborative action.
Representatives from the following government agencies and organizations shared their plans and programs, and recommendations for the Foundation’s next 5-year grant program: Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; Calamianes Resilience Network; City Environment and Natural Resources Office; Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Department of Interior and Local Government; Department of Tourism; Department of Trade and Industry; National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; National and Economic Development Authority; Office of the Provincial Agriculturist; Palawan Council for Sustainable Development; Palawan Federation of CBSTs; Palawan State University; Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office; United Nations Development Programme Philippines; USAID Philippines; and Western Philippines University.
Since 2017, the Foundation has been implementing its Results Framework in the forested landscape of Palawan. Its overall, long-term goal is the protection and sustainable management of Philippine forests and its biodiversity.
Forest Foundation Philippines, established in 2002 under Tropical Forest Conservation Agreement signed by the governments of the United States of America and the Philippines, is a non-profit organization that provides grants to organizations that empower the people to protect and conserve the forests.
