Forest Foundation Philippines, in partnership with Daluhay Daloy ng Buhay and Cagayan Valley Program on Environment and Development, its grantees, organized the 3rd Partners’ Meeting for Sierra Madre. 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: Cagayan Valley Program on Environment and Development; Community Forestry Foundation Quirino; Dimasalang Egongot Tribe Farmers and Weavers Association; Environmental Science for Social Change; Edukasyon.ph; Geographic Innovations for Development Solutions; Dr. Gideon Lasco; Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources; Miriam College – Environmental Studies Institute; Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Program Asia; Philippines Parks and Biodiversity Conservation Service; Sitio Maguli Marginal Farmers Producers Cooperative; Sustainable Environment for Rural Development Association; Tabsing Kolektib; and University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources.
Government agencies, local government units, academic institutions, and other stakeholders were also consulted during the landscape meeting to chart potential pathways beyond the implementation of Foundation’s 5-year Results Framework. Together, they discussed current challenges in forest protection and conservation, and mapped out potential areas for collaborative action.
Representatives from the following agencies and organizations shared their plans and programs, and recommendations for the Foundation’s next 5-year grant program: Cagayan State University – Gonzaga; Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soil and Water Management;Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – Region 2; Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Region 2 and 3; Department of Tourism – Region 2; Department of Trade and Industry – Region 2 and 3; Local Government Unit representatives from Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya; Municipal Environmental and Natural Resources Office of Casiguran; National Commission on Indigenous Peoples – Region 2 and 3; National Economic Development Authority – Region 2 and 3; National Irrigation Administration; Nueva Vizcaya State University; Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office of Cagayan and Isabela; United Nations Development Programme Philippines – Climate Action Programme Team; and University of the Philippines Foundation.
Since 2017, the Foundation has been implementing its Results Framework in the forested landscape of Sierra Madre. 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.
