Forest Foundation Philippines and ICTSI Foundation signed a partnership to plant 25,000 native trees in the Victoria-Anepahan Mountain Range (VAMR), further strengthening forest restoration efforts in one of the most ecologically significant forests of Palawan.
Spanning approximately 164,000 hectares, across the municipalities of Narra, Quezon, and Aborlan, and the City of Puerto Princesa, VAMR is among the largest Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Palawan. The mountain range sustains 34 watersheds that supply water for residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial uses, making it critical to both ecological stability and local economies.
Since 2019, the Foundation has worked with its grantee, the Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives (IDEAS), alongside partners Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Programme Philippines (NTFP-EP Philippines) and Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), to support communities in protecting and sustainably managing the forests of VAMR. Anchored in a rights-based approach, the initiative recognizes that at least 80% of the mountain range is covered by ancestral domains, underscoring the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) as stewards of their lands.
The Foundation’s ongoing grant supports the planting and maintenance of 100 hectares of forests. Through the ICTSI Foundation partnership, an additional 33 hectares will be restored within priority conservation areas inside ancestral domains. These sites include sacred and culturally significant areas, ecologically critical landscapes, such as watersheds and old-growth forests, and lands previously degraded due to agricultural use. Accessibility and clear site boundaries were also key considerations in the selection process.
Support from the ICTSI Native Tree Growing Project will be concentrated in the ancestral domains of Kamuning IPS, Nagkakaisang Tribu ng Daan (NTD), Nagkakaisang Tribung Pala’wan ng Suring (NTPS), Samahan ng mga Katutubong Tagbanua sa Mariwara (SKTM), Samahan ng mga Mangunguma Dot Isugod (SMDI), and Samahan ng Katutubo ng Bubusawin (SKB).
Through this partnership, forest restoration in VAMR will contribute to biodiversity conservation, while strengthening indigenous leadership and sustainable livelihoods.
