Manila, Philippines — Forest Foundation Philippines, with support from the Government of Canada, recently awarded almost PhP 28 million in grants to non-government and peoples organizations, for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation in Calamianes Islands in Palawan, Camarines Sur, and Davao.
The recently approved grants bring the total to 17 NbS grants for local organizations, amounting to PhP 80 million (or CA$ 1.9 million) under the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Adaptation (PCP4NbS). These projects will demonstrate how NbS can strengthen climate change adaptation and reduce adverse impacts on vulnerable Filipino communities and ecosystems, marking steps forward in mainstreaming community-led, gender-responsive NbS across upland, coastal, and marine ecosystems for climate resilience.
These grants support community-led implementation of NbS from ridge to reef, directly benefiting 1,900+ women and men, and indirectly benefiting over 17,300 individuals to adapt to climate impacts across 7,200+ hectares of forests, riverbanks, coasts, and seas, through community-based agroforestry and riparian restoration, eco-tourism and community-led marine protected area management, mangrove protection, and establishment of local conservation areas.
Grants for the following NbS projects are approved:
| Project | Grantee |
|---|---|
| Site-based Grant in Davao | |
| FOREST CARE (Forestry and Ecosystem Restoration through Sustainable Tree Cultivation and Community-based Agroforestry for Resilience and Equity) | City of Mati Peoples Council, Inc. |
| Site-based Grants in Calamianes Islands, Palawan | |
| Establishment and Community-led Management of the Dinuksulan Local Conservation Area as a Nature-based Solution for Climate Resilience | Communities for Resilience (CFR) |
| KABAYAN: Kalipunan ng mga Babae para sa Natural na Yaman ng Baldat | Culion Foundation, Inc. (CFI) |
| Site-based Grants in Camarines Sur | |
| Fostering Gender-Inclusive and Community-Led Coastal Nature-Based Solutions with Livelihood Diversification | Ateneo de Naga University |
| Community-led Mangrove Initiatives for Climate Resiliency in Siruma Coastal Communities in Buang and Delehi Watersheds | Institute of Social Order, Inc. (ISO) |
NbS are cost-effective actions that protect, regenerate, and enhance ecosystems while responding to the needs of communities and safeguarding biodiversity. The grants will support innovative, community-led NbS projects aimed at reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience in biodiversity-rich areas most affected by climate change. The program centers on evidence-based co-design and co-development of gender-responsive approaches as key to NbS projects that address challenges faced by diverse Filipino communities.
The Government of Canada committed PhP 332 million (CA$8 million) for program implementation from 2024 to 2028. This fund, managed by Forest Foundation Philippines, supports local organizations in implementing holistic, community-based, and gender-responsive initiatives based on NbS principles, to adapt to climate impacts.
In 2026, Forest Foundation will release requests for proposals that will generate public support for community-based, gender-responsive NbS that will result in long-term benefits for both people and the environment. Forest Foundation Philippines and the Government of Canada continue to invite stakeholders to join in promoting NbS as an effective response to climate adaptation across the country.
Visit the PCP4NbS microsite (www.pcp4nbs.forestfoundation.ph) and social media channels (@forestfoundationph on Facebook and Instagram, and @pcp4nbs on X) for more information about the program and its ongoing and upcoming grants.
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About Forest Foundation Philippines:
Established in 2002, Forest Foundation Philippines is a non-profit organization founded under two bilateral agreements between the Philippines and the United States of America through the US Tropical Forest Agreements. This allows Forest Foundation Philippines to use the country’s debt for funding for forest protection and conservation activities, through a ‘debt-for-nature’ agreement. Forest Foundation Philippines has supported 472 projects between 2005 to 2016 under the First Tropical Forest Conservation Agreement (TFCA I). This effort collectively improved the management of roughly 1.5 million hectares (HA) of forest lands throughout the country, resulting in approximately 4,200 HA of forests that are supported by 40 community-conserved areas and over 60 community enterprises in the process.
The follow-up Second Tropical Conservation Agreement (TFCA II) led to the development of the 2017 – 2021 Results Framework that enabled the Foundation to support over 300 projects focused on the protection and sustainable management of the Philippines’ most critical landscapes. The effort resulted in the restoration of 1,243 HA of forests, and improvement management of over 1 million HA of forestlands while empowering 211 community-based organizations.
