April-June 2010 Issue no.

42

www.haribon.org.ph

The best of Philippine biodiversity

Biodiversity is Life Biodiversity is Our Life

Haring ibon
The best of Philippine biodiversity
A quarterly magazine on biodiversity conservation by the Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Inc. Haring Ibon is intended for its members, staff, networks and the general public. Its pages aim to heighten awareness and appreciation of our fragile ecosystems and threatened species, and how our ways - from national policies to individual lifestyles - impact on these. Analyses, views, researches, community stories and photo essays hope to offer a reader-friendly resource.
EDITORIAL BOARD Anabelle e. Plantilla Blas Troy R. Tabaranza Jr. noel A. Resurreccion Christine G. Cenal Belinda dela Paz Mithi Laya s. Gonzales Je-el C. ong Mike edrial Aira simon Ryan G. Palacol Alyansa Tigil Mina Ma. Victoria A. Boncayao Dymphna Chairmaine Deguito Aizan Joy Q. Hingpit Pedro J. Martinez Weng Matabang Don Geoff e. Tabaranza Conrado Vargas Lyn urriza

As Haribons media partner for creating public awareness on biodiversity conservation, The Manila Times generously provides Haribon a regular opinion column and free space for feature stories and announcements. Read the only in the Philippines endemic species feature every Monday, Haribon Corner every Tuesday, nature for Life column every saturday and the Green Revolution page every sunday.

EDITORIAL TEAM Managing Editor Layout & Design CONTRIBUTORS

CIRCULATION Membership

Networks, Corporate Partners and Donors Christine G. Cenal General Public Yasmin Ponce

Haribon is the BirdLife International partner in the Philippines and a World Conservation Union member.

Haring Ibon is registered with the national Library Bibliographic services Division, Issn no. 0117-1259. Philippine Copyright by Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of natural Resources, Inc. with the national office located at 2/F santos and sons Bldg., 973 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City, 1109 Philippines; Tel. (632) 434-4642 / 911-6089; Fax: (632) 434-4696; www.haribon. org.ph; e-mail: communication@haribon.org.ph.
We welcome contributions in the form of articles, photographs, artworks and letters to the editor. The opinions and views expressed by the writers and artists do not necessarily reflect the official views of Haribon and its partners or donors. For contributions and advertisements, membership and donations, call Haribon at 911-6089.

InsIde
5 8 10
the 40th earth day celebration
By Anabelle E. Plantilla By Pedro J. Martinez By Aira Simon

Vol.42
15
revitalization of mining industry
By Alyansa Tigil Mina

a spaniard in mindanao bamboo production

19 22 24 27

a worthwhile journey from manleluag to kitanglad

By Weng Matabang

13

giant pitcher plant discovered in central palawan

By Don Geoff E. Tabaranza

intervention in reina
By Conrado Vargas

a straight walk along a crooked road

By Ma. Victoria Patricia A. Boncayao

not just a graduate, but also a champion

By Dymphna Chairmaine Deguito & Aizan Joy Q. Hingpit

33 A dAy In A lIfe 3 VoIces & numbers 4 GIft trees 30 people & eVents 34 membershIp 36 punonG pInoy serIes

photo by Elvira arnuco

bamboo potting

message

from the Chief Operating Officer

he United Nations (UN) launched 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). BirdLife International welcomes this UN decision to focus on biodiversity. But CEO Dr. Marco Lambertini shows a clear paradox. On one hand the value of our natural ecosystem has never been better recognized, and on the other hand the destruction of our habitats has never been faster and the threats to biodiversity never been greater! Added to this absurdity, he says we have also never been more aware of our own impact on environment, yet we have not found a way to convert knowledge, awareness and recognition into actions and into responsibilities for the planet. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, reminds us in his message that the world leaders in 2002 during the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to substantially reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Now, we know already that the biodiversity target will not be met. Its now 2010, and because biodiversity is still rapidly declining, its clear that we have missed the target!, says Dr. Lambertini. He suggests that our message to the world when CBD meets for the Conference of Parties 10 in Japan in October 2010 should be: Let us not fail them again! Lets commit to real binding targets to achieve real change. Ban

Ki-moon adds: We need new vision and new effort. Business as usual is not an option! Biodiversity loss and vanishing ecosystems are easily appreciated in the Phili ppines. We have so many unique species that are critically threatened because their habitats are rapidly declining. But because our lives depend on biodiversity and the ecosystems, the signal is clear we are in trouble! Just remember Ondoy and Pepeng,and you understand what we mean. Lets respond to the call of the UN Secretary General to join hands together to protect life on earth. After all Biodiversity is Life. Biodiversity is our Life.

Blas R. Tabaranza, Jr. Chief Operating Officer Haribon Foundation

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15

nEW SPECiES of MAMMAlS HAVE BEEn DESCriBED SinCE 1998 uP To THE PrESEnT.
Heaney et al. 2010/www. fieldmuseum.org/ PHiliPPine_mammals

numbers

2010 is international Year of BiodiversitY, how can You thank nature for providing us with lifes essentials?
We can thank nature by respecting it and by nurturing it. We have little choice - this is the world we are living in so lets leave it in better condition for our children than when we received it from our forefathers. nature is a wonderful creation - enjoy it, thank it, and nurture it! Those who want to take care of nature must connect with other individuals and institutions who share this advocacy. We can thank nature by joining organizations like Haribon. At the end of the day, caring for the environment is caring for ourselves and for one another.

58

MAMMAlS SPECiES ArE EiTHEr THrEATEnED or nEAr-THrEATEnED.

world Conservation union (iuCn) red list 2008

Michael hansson, haribon MeMber

79
PErCEnT of THE 104 AMPHiBiAnS ArE EnDEMiC To THE CounTry.
world Conservation union (iuCn) red list 2010

Vic arguelles, haribon MeMber

i can thank nature by learning its various make up and how it contributes toward the balance of life on earth. This way we can appreciate its various facets, identify how we can help preserve it and begin to love Gods creation more.

Give back what we have received from Mother nature, replenish what we have taken and encourage everyone else to do the same.

azea Valdez, haribon MeMber

nature has given us everything. yet what have we done in return? We have defaced, destroyed and abused nature for our own selfish ends. This 2010, we can show our gratitude by not being apathetic about matters concerning nature, by making a stand and preserving nature for generations to come

92
THrEATEnED BirD SPECiES; rAnkED 5TH PlACE AMonG THE ToP TEn CounTriES WiTH THrEATEnED BirDS.
Birdlife, 2010

ed chaVez, haribon MeMber

There are hundreds of little ways to show our gratitude to Mother nature. if each person would conscientiously practice even only a handful of things, these can go a long way. i always try to think in simple and practical terms - nothing thats hard to do or would cost money.

159
EnDEMiC BirDS WiTH THE MoST EnDEMiCS founD in MinDAnAo AnD THE EASTErn ViSAyAS.
KoCH et al., 2010

Florence zapico, haribon MeMber

By singing songs of gratitude to Mother nature. i write songs about environmental protection and awareness and perform them with the kaya Green Band, which i cofounded with Bob k and the kaya Shaman in 1996. The kaya natural anthem is entitled: Alamin

ruth MedFord, haribon MeMber

i believe i can show my appreciation by doing what i can in promoting good stewardship of the blessings God provides through nature, as well as by striving to keep a lifestyle with a symbiotic relationship with the environment. Such actions, though simple and small, will start a domino effect that can help make our Earth - with its multitude shapes of life pulsing within - a pleasing home for uncountable generations to come.

2
nEW SPECiES (nAME of SPECiES) AnD 1 SuBSPECiES of WATEr MoniTor lizArD rECEnTly DESCriBED in THE PHiliPPinES.
Birdlife, 2010

rudy abu , haribon MeMber

The simple act of keeping a small candy wrapper in your pocket until you find a trash can is like thanking nature in your own simple way. Planting trees in your backyard and recycling stuff are like giving back a thank you to nature.

geraldine carpizo, haribon MeMber

Quojie pearl Madarang, haribon MeMber

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PhP100 plants one seedling. Be part of the solution. With every tree planted, the beat of life continues.
Global problems may be big but they can be tackled by individual actions. Each of us can do something about our degraded environment from forests to the seas. Planting a native tree alleviates climate change and more importantly, it nurtures back to full health our natural ecoysystems. Natural ecosystems (i.e forests, mangroves, coral reefs), which embrace everything you can lay your eyes upon, provide the very basics for life. We use natures products everyday (water, food, medicine, materials for clothing, shelter, commerical and industrial goods). Its services make it possible for us to stay alive: an intact forest prevents flood, filter our air and water, harbors watersheds, locks up large amounts of carbon released in the air; rivers and oceans are sources of fish we eat; mangroves nurse fish, prawns, crabs and shrimps and are also our natural barriers against rising sea level, strong wave surges and storms. Over the past 20 years, our forests have been destroyed through deforestation (roughly 100,000-150,000 has/year) and in doing so, we have risked our own quality of life, gambled with the stability of the climate and local weather, threatened the existence of other species and undermined the forests valuable products and ecological services. For a donation of Php100 per Gift Tree, you can support our tree planting activities. Any occasion, when you give a gift to plant native trees, youll delight your loved ones. A gift that endures a lifetime and helps make a lasting difference now and for future generations. Your gift directly benefits Haribons ROAD to 2020, a campaign that aims to plant native trees to restore 1 million hectares of forests in the Philippines by year 2020. Our forest restoration activities are in our project sites and watershed areas in Luzon and Mindanao. You are welcome to plant your seedlings with us. The survival of each ecosystem means the survival of everything in our planet, including us.

Give Gift Trees

Plant Native Trees. Restore Our Forests. Join the ROAD to 2020 campaign!
Visit www.haribon.org.ph for frequently asked questions.
I want to donate and adopt seedlings now! _____ 200 Pesos = 2 seedling _____ 400 Pesos = 4 seedlings _____ 600 Pesos = 6 seedlings _____ 1,000 Pesos = 10 seedlings _____ 1,200 Pesos = 12 seedlings _____ 1,400 Pesos = 14 seedlings _____ 1,800 Pesos = 18 seedlings _____ 2,000 Pesos = 20 seedlings
To order, please fill-up this form and mail to Haribon Foundation, 2/F Santos & Sons Bldg., 973 Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City. For more details, visit to www. haribon.org.ph or call 434.4642 or email act@haribon. org.ph.

my gift trees for:

date: ______________ name: __________________________________________ address:_________________________________________

______________________________________________ I will donate: (pls. specify) ________Pesos = _______seedlings landline: ________________mobile no: _________________ i will join the tree planting activity. fax no:______________ e-mail: _______________________ i will not join the tree planting activity.

The 40 Earth Day Celebration

th
by anabEllE E. plantilla

working with people

abovE: bj forbEs, haribons junior ambassador; angElou dE lEon, Exhibit guEst; thErEsa mundita lim, protEctEd arEas and wildlifE burEau (pawb) dirEctor; matthiEu pEnot, EuropEan unions EnvironmEnt & sustainablE dEvElopmEnt officEr; and Eurick EvardonE, haribons junior ambassador officially opEnnEd thE haribons Exhibit through ribbon cutting cErEmony.

elebrated worldwide, the 40th Earth Day held on April 22, is designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. The green celebration was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970. Our partner, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has been home to Earth Day activities since 2005. Through the years, CCP has staged a kaleidoscope of artistic events such as installation art, interpretative dance, music and short films. This year's theme is "Luntiang Lungsod, Luntiang Sining" which showcased a variety of activities that took place at the CCP. An early morning bikathon was held at the grounds led by child star, BJ Forbes, who has been promoting Haribon's cause for the past 5 years! BJ's environmental awareness and knowledge has grown through the years. This year, he is also CCP's Earth Day "face", enjoining young people like him to be aware

of the need to protect the environment and do small acts for Mother Earth. BJ later joined the human mural where hundreds of people came in different colored shirts to form the Earth Day logo. Immediately after the human mural, we all rushed towards the shoreline at the back of the CCP to watch poetry on water wherein verses about the environment, written on flimsy cloth, were paraded by various dragon boat teams along Manila Bay. Maan Hontiveros delivered a short but very educational and hands-on lecture about zero waste management. Being a practitioner herself, she demonstrated how to make compost out of kitchen waste which she said has driven away the cockroaches from her house. To showcase earth-friendly activities, the Caliraya Water Hyacinth and Pandan weavers, a women's organization based within the confines of the Caliraya Watershed in Laguna,

photos by haribon

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working with people

displayed their crafts (bags, slippers and the like) made from water lily. The women demonstrated their skills in turning the "plant pest" into works of beauty and function. Some visitors even tried their hand in making slippers. Their group was organized by the National Power Corporation, the government agency that manages Caliraya Watershed. Aside from this organization, it has also helped form other peoples organizations in Caliraya to champion environmental protection and showcase that livelihood can be derived from nature. Incidentally, the Caliraya watershed provides a portion of Metro Manila's power supply from the hydroelectricity it generates. Hydroelectric power is one of the cleanest and cheapest forms of energy. Thus, it is very important for us to leave our forests standing and not cut them down. Other crafts like hats made from non-timber forest products and recycled items were also featured that day.
bElow (lEft-right): matthiEu pEnot dElivErs an opEning rEmarks; thE participants rEcEiving information, Education and communication (iEc) matErials and writing thEir wishEs on lEavEs; and guEsts viEwing thE Exhibit panEls.

ube, sago, bilo-bilo and camote cooked in fresh coconut milk is a very good way to explain biodiversity. The more ingredients, the better it tastes. The absence of one ingredient renders this popular gustatory delight unsatisfactory. I also remember the home-made peanut butter which never lasted for more than 2 days! In the afternoon, Haribon opened its European Commissionsupported exhibit entitled "Ibalik nag Kalikasan, Itanim ang Kinabukasan" which featured more than a dozen photo panels highlighting the importance of biodiversity in our everyday lives. Biodiversity is the totality of life forms and has three levels: genes, species and ecosystems. The United Nations has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity and has aggressively promoted biodiversity and its protection. Biodiversity provides us everything we need to survive: food, clean water and air, medicines, shelter and a lot of ecological services like climate modification that we cannot even accurately value. "Itanim Mo" was the call that was engraved in each of the photo panels. It is an urgent plea for us to restore our forests that is our life support system. We should always keep biodiversity close to our hearts for without it our stomachs will be empty, our minds bereft of the knowledge and wonders

We should always keep biodiversity in our hearts...

What is an event without food. The restaurants in nearby Harbor Square featured at least one dish in their menus that was slow-cooked. "Back to the basics," said Chris Millado who was in charge of CCP's Earth Day activities this year. And so these slow-cooked food brought back childhood memories when there were less junk food and more of the simple fare that was lovingly and painstakingly prepared by my grandmother and mother. Ginataan, a medley of saging na saba, gabi,

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working with people

that nature brings and our spirit dead because of the absence of the essence of life itself. That evening, I rushed to the Green ReFashion contest held in SM Marikina which featured 24 designs made from scrap materials and recyclable items. Organized by CPM Events Management the event promotes the need to re-use, reduce and recycle materials. Young designers from La Salle College International, School of Fashion and the Art, FEU College of Fine Arts and the Technological University of the Philippines participated. The apparel were all wearable and looked brand new! Funds raised from this event were donated to Haribon's ROAD to 2020 Campaign, its flagship forest restoration campaign. Child actress Bea Binene graced the event. Like BJ Forbes, Bea is always present in Haribon events actively promoting and advocating that we are all responsible in protecting our natural home. Earth Day should be like Christmas; it should be celebrated everyday. During Christmas, we exchange gifts; during Earth Day, we give the gift of life.

abovE (countEr clockwisE from top): thE napocor officErs linEd-up to posE with thE haribons Exhibit; angElou dE lEon and hEr friEnd hanging thEir lEavEs; bj forbEs and his friEnds hanging thiEr lEavEs also; and anabEllE E. plantilla, haribons organizational sustainability group dirEctor, dirEctor thErEsa mundita lim, matthiEu pEnot and alEjandro florEs, haribons board of trustEE mEmbEr.

About the Author

Anabelle E. Plantilla is Haribons Director for the Organizational Sustainability Group. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: orgsus@haribon.org.ph

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working with people

A Spaniard in Mindanao
by pEdro j. martinEz
abovE (lEft-right): pEdro posEs with thE community in surigao dEl sur; and pEdro with kaampaka, a pEoplEs organization of fishErfolks.

he landing was somewhat rough. The clattering of the planes wheels after making contact with the damaged runway, made me realize that I had just arrived in Butuan and that the end of that tri p was just the beginning of a new adventure. Well, I was only partially right since that was not the end of the tri p. I still had 5 hours of unpaved roads before reaching our final destination, the place where I was going to spend the next 7 months of my life; the not-soknown city called Tandag, in Surigao del Sur. Oh, forgive me please. I havent introduced myself yet. My name is Pedro Martinez, and even though it sounds Fili pino, I am not Pinoy. I came from Valencia, Spain. But do not panic, I am not another colonizer; I am just a scholar from the Spanish Government who was given the chance of doing his on-the-job-training (OJT) in a conservation and development project in the Phili ppines. I studied economic development in college, and then I was assigned as an intern in the Spanish nongovernment organization (NGO) Cives Mundi,

to help them with their project in Surigao del Sur, from August 2009 until the end of April 2010. The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), through Cives Mundi, was the funding agency of the Governance and Local Development for Endangered (GOLDEN) Landscapes and Seascapes Project, which was fully designed and implemented by Haribon Foundation. The project aim is to protect from abusive practices, the endangered tropical rainforests, mangroves and coastal areas of Surigao del Sur, specifically Mount Hilong-hilong and Diwata ranges, as well as the marine ecosystems of Lanuza Bay. When I arrived in Tandag with Anabelle Plantilla Haribons project manager, and Borja Serrador Cives Mundis regional coordinator to Asia, I was first introduced to the site staff and then we started a meeting where the project was discussed in detail. I still remember the feeling I got back then: I did not understand anything at all. Words like barangay, purok, P.O., DENR, MENRO, and bantay-

photos by haribon

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working with people

dagat sounded like Chinese to me. However, only two months after that, I was using them when talking as if I had been doing it since I was born. My terms of reference with Cives Mundi were to assist Haribon in the implementation of the livelihood component of the project, and to act as a link between the two NGOs. Since the regional coordinator went back to the regional office in Cambodia, I became the only expatriate from my NGO in the Phili ppines. I spent the first three months visiting the four communities we were working with and joining all the meetings and activities that I could, in order to understand the project thoroughly. During that time, and thanks to Noel Resurreccion Haribons Site Action Manager, and the four community organizers, I got to meet all the stakeholders of the project from members of the Peoples Organizations (POs) to mayors and politicians,and also became familiar with the Fili pino culture and values key factors to understand why and how some issues could have a big impact on the project outcome. After that learning period, I started to work in the livelihood component of the project until the end of my stay. I have very good memories of the time I spent with the community. I remember now that discussion we had with the members of Kadagatan Ampingan Pagmata Katawhan (KAAMPAKA), an organization of fisherfolk that patrols voluntarily the Marine Sanctuary of Barangay Burgos in the Munici pality of Cortes. They were conveying to us that they were afraid because some illegal fishers were armed with harpoons and had threatened the volunteer guardians when they tried to apprehend them. So they asked us for guns. We told them that the solution was not to provide them with guns to deter the illegal fishers from entering the sanctuary. The solution is to address the needs of those who need to steal or do other illegal activities in order to survive, and also to increase the local governments involvement in the patrolling activities and to get support from the police as well. The discussion went on until the sun started to set in the horizon, transforming its beams into twilight, just before the night fell. It was indeed a great talk, and a great sunset. Another nice memory that I will always treasure is the time I spent in Sitio Ebuan,in the munici pality of Lanuza. Sitio Ebuan is located in the mountains,and you need a 40-minute ride on a habal-habal to get there since the road cannot accommodate four-wheeled vehicles. There are more than 70 indigenous households from the Manobo and Mamanua tribes living in the purok (village). I especially like this site because of the beauty of the landscapes, the amusing sky on its starry nights and the large quantity of children playing around that bring so much life to the place. In March this year, I moved from Mindanao to Quezon City and worked in the head office of Haribon. I also had a very good time there, and had the chance to get to know and work with almost all the staff of the organization. But all beginnings come to end sooner or later,and at the start of May, I had to take a plane back to Europe. Now, from my desk here in Valencia, I am writing these lines thanking all my colleagues and friends from Haribon for giving me the chance to become one of the green heroes who protect nature, and preserve life.

...thanking all my colleagues and friends from Haribon for giving me the chance to become one of the green heroes who protect nature, and preserve life.

About the Author

Pedro J. Martinez is a Cives Mundis Intern. For comments or inquiries you may email him at: pedro_me@hotmail.com

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working with people

BamBoo production
May Possibly Augment Income of Forest-dependent Communities

by aira simon
abovE: participants lEarn thE propEr tEchniquE of bamboo potting.

rom furniture, musical instruments, handicrafts, paper, construction materials to delicious adobong labong, bamboo is certainly one of the most versatile plant species. Scientifically, it is actually a grass from the family Gramineae and tribe Bambusoceae. Its characteristic of having woody culms makes it a perfect substitute for hardwoods in terms of livelihood. The tall and sturdy stems of bamboo serve as windbreakers during storms and its large roots prevent soil erosion. It consumes higher amount of nitrogen and produces 35% more oxygen than other plants. In a feasibility study commissioned by Haribon in Sitio Dampay, Paluig, Zambales, bamboo production came out as an attainable project

for the community. The residents of the said barangay were already generating income from making barbeque sticks out of bamboos but their lack of knowledge in bamboo maintenance makes it difficult to maximize their resources. Aside from making wooden sticks, the people rely on providing labor services to rice field owners. The evident need for a sustainable livelihood prompted Haribon Foundation to conduct a training on Bamboo production with the help of the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC), an institution that has been researching on bamboo development for more than two decades. The Peoples Organizations Training on Bamboo was held on June 22-25, 2010 at the Farmers Training Center PAC, Magalang Pampanga. The participants in the four-

photos by Elvira arnuco

10

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With the varied uses of bamboo and its quick-growing trait, the training course intends to provide useful knowledge about bamboo plantation to address the participants needs for sustainable livelihood.
day seminar includes members of Kilusang Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran sa Kanayunan ng Dampay (4KD) in Palauig, Zambales, representatives from Kabalikat ng Manleluag sa Pangangalaga ng Kalikasan (KAMAPAKA) in Mangatarem, Pangasinan and Peoples Organizations in Gen. Nakar, Quezon Province. With the varied uses of bamboo and its quick-growing trait, the training course intends to provide useful knowledge about bamboo plantation to address the participants needs for sustainable livelihood, and in the long run, reduce pressure on the forest resources in the Zambales Mountains and Mt. Irid-Angelo in General Nakar. The seminar was loaded with valuable information and insightful discussions about bamboo production such as Bamboo propagation techniques, plantation and management, harvesting and post-harvest practices, and bamboo-based intercropping systems in uplands. The participants also toured the Bamboo Nursery, Bambusetum and Bamboo Plantation of PAC. According to Elvira Arnuco, Haribons Community Organizer for Palauig, Zambales, PAC is still working on expanding their Bamboo species, They have limited number of bamboo species but they are trying to grow more, Arnuco also said that PAC had greatly helped in discussing the difference between having a Bambusetum and Bamboo Production, Bambusetum is for showcasing different species unlike Bamboo Production which is intended to help the family economically, assuming that they were able to follow the right process from nursery establishment to actual planting and maintenance. Arnuco claimed that PAC has done a great job in demonstrating the right way of planting Bamboos because of their indepth knowledge and complete equipment.

abovE (top-bottom): participants listEn to thE sEminar about bamboo plantation; tour of thE bamboo nursEry; practicum in bamboo cutting; and participants got thEir hands dirty in bamboo potting

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working with people

community in bamboo production. The training not only helped improve the knowledge and skills of the participants in practicing bamboo management, but it encouraged them to explore the different opportunities and economical benefits of having a sustainable bamboo production. Rhem Napay, Haribons Forester said, the training was a very productive activity and it will surely help the community in having a sustainable livelihood. Bamboos not only proved to be profitable with its varied uses and high market demand, locally and internationally, but it can also be utilized as reforestation species along riverbanks and degraded portions of the forests to protect and conserve the environment.

abovE (top-bottom): participants in thE bamboo nursEry; and a group picturE with somE of thE organizErs of thE training.

On the third day, the participants were ready to get their hands dirty by applying what they learned. The practicum site for bamboo production is located on the Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) area of Sitio Dampay, Palauig, Zambales. The 4KD members need 500 bamboo pottings to cover their allotted area 2.25 hectares for Bamboo production. On the last day of the training, they had an action planning session to further develop their CBFM area by engaging the

About the Author

Aira Simon is Haribons Communication Assistant. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: communication@haribon. org.ph

1

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Giant Pitcher Plant discovered in Central Palawan

by don gEoff E. tabaranza

saving species

he Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. Despite its relatively small land area of about c. 300,000 sq km, the archipelago is home to numerous, highly diverse and unique flora and fauna. Such richness and diversity is a result of the archipelago's biogeographic history. Palawan Island is one of the centers of Philippine biodiversity because of an estimated 3,000-3,500 flowering plant species found mostly only on the island. During the 1990s, Christian missionaries when attempting to install a radio tower reportedly observed large sized pitcher plants at the summit of Mt. Victoria in Central Palawan. This report sparked the interest of Dr. Alastair Robinson of the University of Cambridge. Several years later, in June of 2007, an expedition team led by Dr. Robinson and accompanied by Stewart McPherson, Volker

photos by dr. alastair robinson

Nepenthes attenboroughii

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saving species

abovE: a nEw spEciEs of giant pitchEr plant discovErEd in palawan.

Heinrich, three Tagbanua guides (Rodolpo Quintero, Reynaldo Pesquera and Amancio Quiamco from a nearby village), and Filipino scientists Elizabeth Gironella and Clemencio Pea of the Palawan State University discovered a new giant species of pitcher plant at the peak of Mt. Victoria. The newly discovered pitcher plant is named Nepenthes attenboroughii after the worldrenowned broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough - a keen enthusiast of the genus and patron of Philippine conservation efforts. The species was dedicated to him on the celebration of

red list categories but with such a small estimated population and area of occupancy (<10sq km), the expedition team suggests that the species be listed as Critically Endangered (CR). On February 2010, another giant-sized pitcher plant species was discovered on a different mountain peak near Mt. Victoria during an expedition. It is said to be larger than the N. attenboroughii and will rival N. rajah for the title of world's largest pitcher plant. Early reports have proposed that the new species will be named Nepenthes palawanensis after the botanically diverse island where it is found. These new discoveries of pitcher plants have aroused public interest, and efforts have been initiated for the conservation and protection of their habitat. A nickel mine on the slopes of Mt. Victoria has been shut down in response to the protection of these newly discovered species. The members of the expedition team and conservation organizations have started working on a proposal to recognize the area as a UN World Heritage Site.

These new discoveries of pitcher plants have aroused public interest, and efforts have been initiated for the conservation and protection of their habitat.
his 80th birthday.
references Catibog-sinha, C.s., and l.r. Heaney. 2006. Philippine Biodiversity: Principles and Practice. Quezon City: Haribon foundation for the Conservation of natural resources, inc. madulid, d.a. 2002. a Pictorial guide to the noteworthy Plants of Palawan. Palawan tropical forestry Protection Programme and the Palawan Council for sustainable development in Partnership with the european union. mittermeier, r.a., robles-gil, P., Hoffmann, m., Pilgrim, J., Brooks, t., mittermeier, C.g., lamoreux, J. and g.a.B. da fonseca. 2004. Hotspots revisited. mexico: CemeX. robinson, a.s., a.s. fleischmann, s.r. mcPherson, v.B. Heinrich, e.P. gironella and C.Q. Pea. 2009. a spectacular new species of nepenthes l. (nepenthaceae) pitcher plant from central Palawan, Philippines. Botanical Journal of the linnean society. 159:195-20 www.redfernnaturalhistory.com

The new species is distinguished from other Nepenthes species by its large bell-shaped pitchers with narrow upright lids. The pitchers of the N.attenboroughii are approximately 30x16cm and capable of holding at least 1.5 liters of water. It is one of the largest species of pitcher plants ever discovered. Nepenthes rajah of Borneo, whose pitcher reportedly holds up to 3.5 liters of water, is regarded as the largest pitcher plant in the world. The pitcher plants grow singly or in sparsely scattered groups with their pitchers resting upon the substrate, large rocks and boulders or among stunted montane vegetation. Only one population is known to exist of a few hundred individuals concentrated around the peak of Mt. Victoria (1,726 masl). N.attenboroughii is not yet listed in any IUCN
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About the Author

Don Geoff E. Tabaranza is Haribons Marine Biologist. For comments or inquiries you may email him at: conservationscience@ haribon.org.ph

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Revitalization of the Mining Industry

A Misplaced Philippine Economic Policy
by alyansa tigil mina
ining Boosting Economic Growth, A Hoax The Medium Term Phili ppine Development Plan (MTPDP) for 2004-2010, Chapter 3, Environment and Natural Resources: the government without considering all the possible impacts of mining to environment and food security of the Phili ppines wants to intensify and revitalize the mining industry in the country. The government targeted a huge number of large scale mining operations for the next 6 years and expected at least $6 billion (Php 288 billion) worth of investments to

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boost the Phili ppine economy and create thousands of direct and indirect mining related jobs. As the MTPDP is nearing its target date of completion, the government is expected to miss almost all of the target outputs and indicators in its medium term plan for the mining industry. As of September 2009, mining investments have totaled $2.1 billion (Php 100.8 billion) since 2004 or just 35% of the total target investments in the MTPDP 2004-2010. The mining industrys contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the Phili ppines in 2008 is just 1.4%.

thE dEvastating EffEcts of mining.

photos from photo Exhibit of philippinE misErEor partnErship, inc.

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abovE (lEft-right): pollutEd watEr duE to mining; and a mining sitE.

The mining industry also failed to meet its MTPDP employment target of 239,000 indirect and direct employment. As of 2008, the government reported that only 13,462 jobs were created by the mining industry or roughly 5.36% accomplishment. The government failed to collect $7 billion (Php 336 billion) in excise taxes. In 2007, the total taxes collected by the government were just $.55 billion (Php 26 billion) or 8% of the total target. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reported only Php 2 billion in paid-up investment in mining. That is why the idea of mining bringing economic growth and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs is a hoax. It is a misplaced economic policy. On the contrary, mining poses serious threat to the asset reform program and its gains. It directly conflicts with sustainable development initiatives. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognizes that mining pollutes land and water sources such as rivers and lakes. Apparently, there is a disjunction between their assessment and recommendations on mining. Mining clearly has environmental impacts

that would affect not only those areas and communities near or within the mining operations. Even if mining mostly takes place on land, it has a great impact on water resources and all other natural resources. According to the Mining, Minerals & Sustainable Development (MMSD), the most obvious impact of mining to biodiversity is the removal of vegetation, which alters the availability of food and shelter for wildlife. On a broader scale, mining may impact biodiversity by changing species composition and structure. The government failed to rehabilitate at least 3 abandoned and inactive mines. Presently, it is only the Phili ppine Pyrite mine in Bagacay in Western Samar that is undergoing rehabilitation. The government also failed to fully address the Marcopper mining tailings spills based on the Mining Ombudsman Case Report. We tried to validate the Mining ombudsman report but there are no updated public documents available with regard to the status of the Marcopper mining tailings spill. Lastly,the only MTPDP target that the government exceeded is its attempt to drumbeat the revitalization of the Phili ppine

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...the most obvious impact of mining to biodiversity is the removal of vegetation, which alters the availability of food and shelter for wildlife.
mining industry. The Chamber of Mines and DENR conducted several events to showcase the Phili ppines as a mining haven but still, investments in mining remain unsubstantial. Mining Poses Significant Risks The revitalization of the mining industry is a misplaced economic policy since the mining industry is still reeling from the impacts of global financial crisis. Statistical and economic history data show that mining has only contributed 1.4% to the GDP. It has not employed more than 250,000 workers which translates to no more than 0.4% of the labor force. There is evidence that the reported investments in mining for the period 2004-2008 have not achieved more than the targeted 40% amount of investments. Large-scale mining poses serous threats to asset reform gains. It continues to displace indigenous peoples from their ancestral domains under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and small farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). In fact, displacements of indigenous peoples and farmers have heightened. PhilDHRRA reported in 2008 that mining and logging applications or operations directly impact more than half of the ancestral domains
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of indigenous peoples. Moreover, the study revealed that 72 % of these extractive activities (mining and logging) located within ancestral domains operate without securing a Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the indigenous peoples. Mining also poses risks to protected areas and critical watersheds under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). It has direct impact on irrigation and agriculture lands of farmers by contaminating munici pal waters and coastal areas under the Fisheries Code. Given its geography, topography and poor regulatory regime, the country is prone to mining disasters and other environmental problems. Tailings waste pollution has contaminated at least 14 major river systems in the country and abandoned mines are now showing signs of acid mine drainage. We have already experienced environmentally devastating mining disasters such as the 1996 Marcopper tragedy in Marinduque, which killed marine life in the 26-kilometer waterway and flooded farmlands and villages along its banks, leaving a clean-up cost of US$80 million. So let us be cautious about our countrys incongruity to accommodate large-mining operations.

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Our recommendations for the next MTPDP (2010-2016) would include: 1. drop the prioritization of revitalizing the mineral industry. eo 270-a must be revoked immediately. given the findings in the report, mining has not contributed significantly to economic growth in terms of tax revenues, substantial investments, or employment. instead, a shift to policy in rural development agrarian reform, agriculture and fisheries development, must be prioritized by government. 2. government must adopt a policy of the whole Philippines is not open to mining, unless certain conditions (e.g., asset reform, social justice, cost-benefit analysis, etc.) reveal that extracting the mineral is the best use and most economically beneficial option. 3. the current Philippine mining act of 1996 (ra 7962) is flawed, given that its conflicts or inconsistencies with other laws are clearly manifested. a new mining law that harmonizes mining policies with other laws (iPra, niPas, lgC, afma, eia/eis, Climate Change act, etc.) must be enacted. 4. as the findings of the assessment reveal, too much risks and negative impacts are being introduced by the current policy on aggressively promoting large-scale mining. given these, a moratorium on large-scale mining operations must be imposed. Permits for pending applications must not be issued, and all large-scale mining operations that have questionable circumstances (resistance of communities, opposition of lgus, flawed procedures, etc.), must be immediately suspended and reviewed. 5. the principles of local autonomy must be respected. lgus who have passed ordinances banning mining or issuing moratoriums against mining in their localities must be respected and upheld. the dilg and the doJ must review and revise their position that a 2-out-of-3 ruling of lgus giving permission is equivalent to consent or endorsement of the lgu. sec. 26 and 27 of the lgC must be absolutely respected, where it states that all lgus to be affected by national development projects (including mining) must give their consent. 6. as part of finalizing the national mining policy, several structural and policies must be put in place. these include: 6.a) finalization of a national industrialization Plan, which will indicate the actual minerals and metal needs of the country, and will contribute to the realization of this industrialization plan. 6.b) Complete, accurate and realistic inventory of the actual mineral reserves. Pin-point the specific locations, types and values of minerals that will be potentially extracted. 6.c) Produce mineral extraction plan that will respond to the actual needs specified in the national industrialization Plan, and consider other alternative (and more beneficial) uses of the targeted mineral lands. 7. the government must sign-up to the extractive industry transparency initiative (eiti), in order to practice and implement transparency and accountability of the revenues of mining companies operating here in the Philippines.

Heed Our CAlls

Social conflicts in mining-hosted communities have escalated. Human rights violations have been documented, and one case has even been elevated and discussed at the UN Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination or UNCERD. In many instances, government enforcement agencies such as the PNP and the AFP are tapped as security forces by these mining companies. In these cases, harassment and even denial of access to ancestral domains and livelihoods have increased. The lack of transparency in many of these mining contracts remains to be a genuine concern. Communities and their support groups are denied access to relevant and pertinent documents regarding the mining applications and mining project details. The government tolerates lack of transparency to attract more investors. In some cases, the actual revenues generated by these mining companies are padded, or subjected to overly generous incentives. This denies the communities and even LGUs of their fair share in the profits of mining.

About the Author

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), an advocacy group and a peoples movement that upholds the rights of the present and future Filipinos against the persisting injustices related to mining, is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations convened by HARIBON Foundation, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center Kasama sa Kalikasan/ Friends fo the Earth Philippines (LRC-KsK/ FoE Phils.) and Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA). For comments or inquiries, you may call ATM at (632) 426.6740

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by wEng matabang
rior to my visit to the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range, I didnt really know much about Bukidnon. All I knew was, it is located in Mindanao and it is famous for those delectable pineapples. I was excited to visit Mt. Kitanglad! The journey was quite long: from Pangasinan, its a 4-hour drive to Manila, then an hours plane ride to Cagayan de Oro, and 2 more hours by land to Bukidnon. It was tiring, but the sight of the rugged mountains of Bukidnon was worth the long tri p. The zigzag road and the cool breeze blowing on our way to Malaybalay

City were reminiscent of Baguio City, except that the trees were denser here. We were given a nice room at the Pelots Pension House in Malaybalay. It was a delight because our accommodation gives us a scenic view of the beautiful Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKRNP). While we were having lunch, we were oriented by the PAMB on the objectives of the cross visit. After a short break, we went to the office of Felix Mirasol, the Park Superintendent of Mt. Kitanglad to listen to the presentation by the PAMB members. We were introduced to the success story of Mt. Kitanglad as a protected area (PA) which really justified

photos by wEng matabang

thE bEautiful scEnEry of mt. kitanglad.

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its being designated as an ASEAN Heritage Park. It has not been easy managing a protected area such as Mt. Kitanglad. As the PAMB said, It wasnt an easy climb. But their unity and passion for protecting the natural park keeps them going. They regard the designation of Mt. Kitanglad as a heritage park a continuing struggle yet a rewarding experience. Mt. Kitanglad was established as a National Park by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 677 on December 14, 1990. Republic Act 8978, otherwise known as the Mt. Kitanglad Protected Area Act of 2000, declared Mt. Kitanglad as a full-fledged protected area. The next day, we toured the protected area. Our first stop was the Chinchona Reforestation Project and Ecotourism Site. We made a courtesy call to Punong Barangay Mildred Paje, of Barangay Kaatuan, Lantapan, Bukidnon. At the Chinchona Reforestation Project, which was about 100 kilometers from the Punong Barangays residence, we were welcomed by the Kitanglad Guard Volunteers (KGV). Jacinto Canbare, the lead forest inspector and leader of the KGV, answered our queries and described their varied experiences as volunteer guards of the 1,994-hectare protected area. He said, the area is composed of 7 barangays, and the main activities of the KGV are guarding the park against illegal mining and cutting of trees, and preventing forest fires. A few government officials give wages and logistics for the KGV. However, the KGV hardly receive regular financial assistance so their wages come irregularly. But because they love Mt. Kitanglad and their community, they continue to work as volunteer guards. The partici pants were moved by the passion of the KGV and they wish the guards of Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape share the same passion. A photo op with the KGV was one thing we didnt miss. Next in the itinerary was Jocels Goat and Vermi Farm. It is a private farm that manufactures fertilizers using African night crawlers. They also make fertilizers out of animal manure and dried leaves. They grow imported breeds of goats, and they have so many fruit-bearing trees and plants. The areas we visited in the PA were quite spread out, but the tri ps were pleasant because of the cool breeze. The sight of multi-cropping along the area was also amusing since I havent seen this practice in Luzon. I figured the climate and the occurrence of storms made all the difference. During lunch, we had a picnic at the town plaza. We had a taste of the Durian-Mango ice cream which was so common in the area. It was cheap but delicious! After lunch, we went to Sidlakpinoy, Inc., a family business which specializes in making bricks made primarily of river suds. These bricks are highly recommended for construction of houses because they are fireproof, durable, cheaper compared to hollow blocks and do not need paint. We were given a quick tour to the brick production area. I wished we had a similar factory of bricks in Pangasinan to provide economical building materials for the poor. Next, we visited the Mt. Kitanglad AgriEcological Techno-Demo Center (MKAETDC), which was another sight to behold. They have a small flower farm, trees of different kinds, man-made water troughs, and lots of fruitbearing trees. Their primary crops are coffee and abaca. The MKAETDC was founded and established by Punong Barangay Benjamin Maputi. The family of Kapitan Maputi made the development of MKAETDC possible. In cooperation with the Malaybalay local government, the farm was further enhanced until it became an eco-park. The MKAETDC won the Gawad Saka Outstanding Farm Family Award last 2006.

...we were able to see the possibilities of developing the Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape.

bElow: group picturE with thE kitanglad guard voluntEErs.

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Back at the Pelots Pension House, we made a recap of the entire day's activities and shared our insights on would be applicable and hopefully helpful interventions for the Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape. We learned a lot, especially from the active volunteerism of the KGV. At the MKAETDC, protecting the area was a consistent passion. The full support of the local government unit for the plans and programs for Mt. Kitanglad was also very beneficial. The PAMB of Mt. Kitanglad has taught us that it is possible for funds to be sourced from different agencies. Also, the ownershi p of the land by the indigenous people (IPs) through tenure was very helpful. After dinner, we were treated to a short but meaningful cultural show by the Bukidnon tribe led by Ba-e Inatlawan Adelina Tarino. They had beautiful deep red traditional costumes, and they danced gracefully. What amazed me more was the fact that the performers were young, perhaps10 to 18 years old. It is good to know that the Lumads have an innate way of ensuring the longevity of their culture by passing on their traditions to the younger generation. On the third day, we visited the Bukidnon Forest Inc. (BFI) where we were met by Mr. Rolando Adorable, Senior Forest Superintendent. The BFI is a semi-private company aimed at continuing sustainable forest management. It covers 39 hectares of land, 21 hectares of which are planted with different kinds of trees. Our last stop was the Center for Ecological Development and Recreation (CEDAR) located at Impalutao, Impasugong, Bukidnon. It is comprised of 1,703 hectares. One of the species grown at CEDAR are giant bamboos from Burma. We went there to learn about comanagement between CEDAR and the LGU. The Memorandum Order was well-crafted. However, there is a need to formulate the implementing mechanism of the agreement. We consolidated our recommendations for the Manleluag Spring Protected Area based on lessons learned from the Mt. Kitanglad cross visit: First, the PAMBs obligations must include the creation of a group similar to the volunteer guards. It would be called Manleluag Spring Guard Volunteers (MSGV) as coined by Federico Sabado from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR) Region I Office. Second, law enforcement should encourage full community partici pation through community organization strengthening. Also, the IPs should be organized and deputized to guard and protect the area. Moreover, the Kabalikat ng Manleluag Pangangalaga ng Kalikasan (KAMAPAKA) must be strengthened, as well as the linkage and coordination among the DENR, LGU, PAMB and the communities around Manleluag. Third, forest-dependent residents should be given opportunities to have feasible livelihoods and transition as protectors of the forests. The partici pants acknowledged the need for technology and capital for this particular recommendation. Funds may initially come from the 20% development fund of the LGU. There is a need to lobby for funding support. The following were also recommended: 3D mapping,an intense awareness campaign, and formulation of more ordinances. Overall, the site visit to Mt. Kitanglad was enriching because we were able to see the possibilities of developing the Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape. The people of Bukidnon inspired us because they have sustained their protected area considering that the Mt. Kitanglad Range is vast, and Manleluag is relatively small. Our plan to develop and maintain Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape will have to be translated into action. It will take many years of persistence and serious efforts to complete the task ahead. But I hope it will succeed and we have our experience from Mt. Kitanglad to credit for it.

abovE (top-bottom): oriEntation program; a talk from thE mt. kitanglad rangE national park (mkrnp) staff; and cultural show by thE bukidnon tribE.

About the Author

Weng Matabang is currently working in the Treasury Office of Mangatarem, Pangasinan. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: purple_valley04@yahoo. com

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Intervention in ReINa
by conrado vargas
abovE: a forum on thE grEat womEn projEct.

y personal thinking and belief is that mainstreaming a Gender and Development (GAD) perspective in general would be a lot easier if we approach it in the context of a real paradigm shift of defining what development is! If we believe that development is a gender issue, then, in the same manner, we should believe that gender is also a development issue. We have been used to hearing that development should be understood in the context of sustainability, hence the buzzword sustainable development. Sustainable development has this simple but very clear and powerful definition and meaning: meeting the needs of the present generations without compromising the capacities of the future generations to meet their own needs. The first paradigm shift is meeting the needs not the wants, the second is establishing and integrating the present and future. More even, the concept of generation encompasses two basic elements in our paradigm shift: (a) that when we speak of

generation, it cuts across all sectors such as gender and age, and (b) and concrete terms with specific habitat that has a carrying capacity. Together with the Provincial Gender & Development (PGAD) Office, ReINa (named after the provinces of Real, Infanta and Nakar) is blessed for having been selected as LGU partners in the implementation of Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women Project) of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) with funding support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The GREAT Women Project is a governance and capacity development project that aims to promote and support a gender-responsive enabling environment for womens economic empowerment, particularly women in microenterprises. The project refers to women having access to and control over high-value productive resources, such as information, credit, loans or financial assistance, service training, markets and

photo by mgac of rEal, quEzon



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technology improving womens jobs and working conditions, while enjoying benefits from wealth-creating opportunities equal with men. The GREAT Women project is one of the concrete GAD interventions. It is now on its second year of implementation. Interestingly, though limited in commissioning the LGU partners, issues on gender, equality, sensitivity and responsiveness are looked at as crosscutting issues. As they are related not only in terms of economic sphere and social protection but to the most pressing issues in the environment, like climate change and the need for strengthening disaster-resilient communities. As the GREAT Women project aimed to strengthen the local enabling environment in laying down more gender-sensitive and gender-responsive government policies, programs, projects and activities (as seen in the enhancement of Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Forest Land Use Plan, Comprehensive Development Plan, Annual Investment Plan and Executive & Legislative Agenda, and etc.), it also tries to build partnerships and alliances with national and local government agencies and civil society (NGOs, POs, Academes, Microfinance & Banking Institutions/Business sectors) organizations to create better conditions for economic growth and to create job opportunities, especially for the women sectors. The battle is to urge elected leaders in our LGUs to do its functions in compliance with Section 22 of RA 7160. This has to be made clear: LGUs have both political and corporate functions. There is no other way for the Philippines to develop but for local governments to perform their responsibilities as corporations. The study also found that the services rendered by local governments to their constituents focus on business development. Now it would be very difficult for an enterprise to be profitable if the systems which include the services of the LGU that would implement it are not entrepreneurial in nature. Hardly would there be programs catered to creating and developing the entrepreneurial mindset among governments. This is the challenge, says Aser Javier, associate professor of the Institute of Development and Management and Governance, College of Public Affairs, University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB). Javier says that lack of policy devoted to local economic development due to the lack of harmony of national government policies and services should also be addressed. Citing a 2005 study, Javier says only 10 percent of the 1,696 total LGUs in the country recognize and practice their corporate mandates, which means that majority of LGUs function to provide only social services. In this case, if this is about livelihood, then the livelihood are actually classified as social services, they provide basic needs of the poor, he points out. Instead, it should be approached from a perspective of creating wealth and to approach it via risk taking, vision building and seeking opportunities, he explains. Thus anybody who aspires to be local chief executive or who aspires to be part of LGU should possess the managerial capacities to enable the local governments function its corporate roles. Its not a choice, the law is very specific on that. Better said than done, all these wont matter for as long as the last paradigm shift does not take place: the personal transformation of valuing each person as unique, co-equal in dignity and status in all specific situations in the family, community, market place, work place, society, in the churches and government at large. This is not only my GAD advocacy but my crusade. For after all, Gender is not just a matter of advocating equality between women & men in the access to and control over everything, it is how we value ourselves as persons.

Gender is not just a matter of advocating equality between women & men in the access to and control over everything, it is how we value ourselves as persons.

About the Author

Conrado Vargas is the Local Area Coordinator in General Nakar Quezon, of Philippine Commission on Women. For comments or inquiries you may email him at: con_27sbh@yahoo.com.ph

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A Straight Walk along a Crooked Road

by ma. victoria patricia a. boncayao

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T
photos by haribon

ime flies easily. Two weeks ago we were only planning for our camp Kalikasan 2010. But now we are all ready: the Luntian Youth Environmental Organization (LYEO) members, our advisers, our companions from the Haribon Foundation who always support us in all our activities, and the students who will be partici pating in the camp from the three schools Mount Carmel High School (MCHS), Paaralang Sekundarya ng Heneral Nakar (PSHN), and Batangan National High School (BNHS). As agreed upon, all partici pants arrived at 6:30 am in front of MCHS gate. Meanwhile, while some partici pants were absorbed in their

conversations,some late comers arrived,Our 3-day Camp Kalikasan will be held in Sitio Pangatloan, Mahabang Lalim, Gen. Nakar, Quezon from April 22 to 24. At 7:00 am, the two dump trucks weve been waiting for arrived at last. A few minutes later, we began bringing our things into the dump trucks. Then we all climbed inside. Our faces were mirrors of excitement, and a little fear. We all grew impatient as the dump trucks made some stop-overs. Minutes ticked by as we are riding close to our destination. The eggs, dried fish, noodles, and rice were suddenly remembered, of course we brought these as our

thE young grEEn warriors of gEnEral nakar, quEzon.

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contribution for our food. As soon as we are in Brgy. Magsaysay, it is forgotten. For all of us were taken by the beauty of the mountains and the freshness and coldness of air that stirred our senses. Soon we all got down with our things from the dump trucks. The ride made our body stiff, so when all of our things are unloaded we stretched our bodies. We stared wide-eyed across the scenery generously spread before us. It was breathtakingly beautiful. But some cant enjoy the scenery for they were feeling dizzy. Time for our picture taking. What could be more beautiful than the image of Gods perfect creation seen in that place? I think none can be compared with that place. We automatically posed for picture-taking. Flash. What a very wonderful picture! Time to get going. We still have two and a half hours of walk ahead of us. As we started to walk eagerly straight along the long and crooked road, something flashed through my mind. Believe one who knows: you will find something greater in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach that which you can never learn from masters. This is quoted from St. Bernard of Claivox. From now on, I know this is true. The road where we were walking that time seemed endless. With its rough surface and downward way we felt really tired. One of us tri pped which made her ankles sore. An evidence of how hard it is to walk along a crooked road. When we reached the end of the long, crooked road overlooking the Agos river, we rested for several minutes. We headed to the left road. It took shorter time to reach the bank of Agos river. Of course to cross the river, we will ride in the two boats. One with rudder and one without rudder. Some of us screamed as we were crossing the river. As soon as we were all in the river bank again, we started to walk again. There are many fields aside from the mountains surrounding the place. We all sighed with relief as we entered the school where we will stay for the camp. We rested and got our things in place. After our delicious lunch we

Camp Kalikasan 2010 is the beginning of our long and straight walk along the crooked road of life to protecting our mother nature as its stewards.

abovE: group discussions and sEminar in camp kalikasan.

started our activities at 1:00 pm. we started with an opening prayer. Then the orientation for the camp was given. We were divided into five small groups. Our first session was about climate change. In the evening after our dinner, we had a short program. Each group had to prepare their presentations. These were drama, song, dance and poem. The villagers welcomed us warmly and gave a short talk. Time to rest and sleep to get ready for tomorrow. We all woke up early. After getting ready, we ate our breakfast. We started our day with the orientation for our activity. The activities planned for the day were tree planting, agroforestry, bio-intensive gardening (BIG), farming, and pagtatain (catching shrimps). Soon we went to our respective areas. After finishing our tasks, we then went to the waterfalls near the site of our camp. The long

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abovE (lEft-right): thE nEw officErs of lyEo; and thE youth gavE food itEms to thE villagErs.

walk from the school to the waterfalls is through a stone path. The waterfalls is very beautiful because of its clear water and rock formations. We enjoyed swimming in the cool waters. After swimming we rested. Lunch time again. After lunch we discussed about the latest activity that we did. Then we started our session about water management. In the afternoon after finishing our sessions we went to the river for pagtatain. The orientation helped us a lot as we are plotting the basket used for pagtatain. We enjoyed the activity. We went back again as we finished, for tomorrow we will count all the shrimps we caught. Our last dinner was very delicious. That night we used the remaining time for a meeting to prepare for the LYEOs Election of Officers. We assigned the alumni as our Election Committee. After election, some slept and other played into the night. Morning came very fast. After breakfast we had our elections. The elections went smoothly. The officers of LYEO for 2010-2011 are the following: President: Pat Boncayao, V. President: Mairizh Pujalte, Secretary: Veberly Bantucan, Treasurer: Frances Acejo, and Auditor: Nicka Prohibido. After reciting our pledges and speeches we went straight to our evaluation. We cleaned our rooms and fixed our things to get ready before we head back home. Soon after, we had our lunch. While the officers of LYEO, Haribon, and our advisers together with some villagers reviewed

our evaluation, we rested. Clearly, Camp Kalikasan was very successful. We thanked the people residing there by sharing with them some food items. Surely the partici pants will always cherish the memories with the villagers. It was mid-afternoon when we went back to the river to once again ride the boat. This time we were not afraid. We took another way that ended to the crooked road again. The walk that time was even more difficult and tiring. Despite it,we managed to reach the dump truck. We had time to rest as we waited for the other partici pants to arrive. Soon were on our way home. The journey home brought relief to our tired bodies. We reached our homes before the sunset. Even if we were saying goodbye, we managed a smile, knowing we will still be walking together as stewards of nature. Camp Kalikasan 2010 is the beginning of our long and straight walk along the crooked road of life towards protecting our mother nature as its stewards.

About the Author

Ma. Victoria Patricia A. Boncayao is the LYEO President. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: communication@haribon. org.ph



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Not Just a Graduate, But also a Champion

by dymphna chairmainE dEguito & aizan joy q. hingpit
thE youth thEatEr group in cagwait, surigao dEl sur sEnding a mEssagE about EnvironmEntal consErvation through cultural shows.

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e started participating in conservation activities when we joined the project activities of Haribon in Cagwait, Surigao Del Sur. Initially, we thought that joining environmental activities would consume our time for studies and for hanging out with friends. Afterward, we realized that being part of the Lihok Kabataan Para sa Kalikasan (LIKKAS) organization is the same as

participating in school activities. It developed and molded our leadership abilities to become responsible youth in our community. We overcame feelings of nervousness every time we have a theater performance depicting messages on conservation during big celebrations in our town. We will never forget such experiences because it felt rewarding to have done something that helped people think twice about abusing our environment.

photos by haribon

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LIKKaS Youth Graduation

by isidro duEnas
For the past three years, Ive been working in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur as a community organizer. I am honored and happy to work among the youth - one of the stakeholders of the project. I talk to them, laugh and share stories with them and do conservation activities such as facilitating awareness raising activities and tree/mangrove planting. The support from the local government unit officials, schools, indigenous peoples, and women organizations made it possible to inspire the youth to fulfill their role in conservation activities. They responded to the call of saving the remaining forests and seascapes. The youth organization in Cagwait called Lihok Kabataan Para sa Kalikasan (LIKKAS) comprised of 25 youth members, was formally organized by the project last April 2009. Though not many, these youth have actively partici pated in every conservation activity like tree planting and utilized the theater training they received from the project to further raise awareness among other stakeholders by performing during local events. As community organizer of this site for the past three years, I feel sad when some of the youth members leave LIKKAS as they complete their secondary education. But I also feel happy because of the opportunity for them to study further and look for greener pastures. Surely, I will miss the times we spent together for conservation work.

saving sites

abovE: thE likkas youth graduatEs.

iving in a small town blessed with a beautiful backdrop of white beach and green, lush forest is an opportunity and honor for me. Cagwait is one of munici palities of Surigao del Sur, which falls under the jurisdiction of the massive Mt. Diwata Range. Timber poaching, slash-and-burn, and other alarming forest-related activities threaten the area. The mountain range is considered as an Important Biodiversity Area (IBA) containing the major watershed for Caraga region as well as various endemic species, including the majestic Phili ppine Eagle. The forest and marine resources of Cagwait are in need of conservation efforts to maintain its economic and ecological functions for the local residents and surrounding communities. The importance of a community organizer to serve as a catalyst of change drove Haribon to implement the Governance and Local Development of Endangered (GOLDEN) Forests, Landscapes and Seascapes. This project is funded by the European Union and the Agencia Espaola de Cooperacin Internacional through Cives Mundi. It aims to protect the endangered tropical rainforest and marine resources by reducing its rate of deforestation and degradation.

About the Author

Isidro Duenas is Haribons Community Organizer for Cagwait, Surigao del Sur. For comments or inquiries you may email him at: communication@haribon. org.ph



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saving sites

To our fellow youth, let us start with what we can do today!

During rehearsals, my fellow youth and I exchange jokes and banter. We all grew up together, and we believe in each others strengths. I will never forget the time when we planted mangrove propagules. It was a little bit tiring but its fulfilling to know that the propagules we planted will provide a home for shrimps, crabs and other marine animals living in the mangrove ecosystem It was fun being with my fellow youth, especially after meetings. We eat our snacks together while talking about everything under the sun. facilitating meetings is quite stressful at times especially when my co-chairman in LIKKAS is absent because I need to conduct the meeting and keep the spirit alive among the youth. But I know that such responsibility comes with being a leader. The project gave us a chance to learn about basic ecology and even hone our skills in conducting basic ecology orientation ourselves. Being part of LIKKAS youth group have taught us many different things and the experiences enriched us as a youth. As a Graduate. Now that I have graduated from LIKKAS, I will always remember the activities that we did with Haribon. We know that after graduation we will take another journey in our lives but we will always remember that wherever we go and whatever we do, conserving the environment should always start within ourselves. To our fellow youth, let us start with what we can do today. We know that graduation is not an end but the beginning of a wider horizon. A horizon that would entail us to do something for our Mother Earth before its too late. We will never forget that environmental conservation is our responsibility as a youth, because our future depends on it. We hope that what we experienced as a LIKKAS member can also be experienced by the future children of our nation.

abovE (top-bottom): somE of thE activitiEs of likkas - bEach clEan up; inviting pEoplE to participatE in thE advocacy; and thE participants of thE bio-quiz. right: planting mangrovE propagulEs.

About the Author

Dymphna Chairmaine Deguito is the LIKKAS Youth President. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: communication@haribon. org.ph Aizan Joy Q. Hingpit is the Brgy. La Purisima, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur SK Chairperson and a LIKKAS member. For comments or inquiries you may email her at: communication@haribon. org.ph

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people & events

by christinE cEnal

Haribon graces SM's Environmental Programs Ms. Teen Earth supported by Haribon Coronation night
Haribon along with Zero Waste Coalition and the Philippine National Commission on Climate Change were invited to grace the coronation night of Ms. Teen Earth on April 25 at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater of the Ateneo University. Representatives of the 3 environmental groups formed part of the board of judges that picked the winners for the 3 categories. The finalists had to answer questions on environment issues and activities. The event was organized and presented by Director Ferdz Custodio. SM City Sta Mesa and SM City San Lazaro have worked together with Haribon Foundation to promote green activities that will ultimately encourage their patrons and clients to actively work for a greener Philippines. On March 27, Haribon participated in the Earth Hour activity at SM City Sta Mesa. On April 7, Haribon also participated in the Green Retail Agenda symposium of SM City Sta. Mesa by giving away Haring Ibon magazines and ROAD to 2020 flyers to owners and staff of retail owners. Through these materials, Haribon is able to inform and educate the public on various programs related to conserving and protecting nature. On June 2, Haribon worked with SM City San Lazaro for an exhibit on biodiversity conservation and in facilitating partners in the environment to talk about recycling and reducing waste in support of SM's Thrash to Cash program. A short program in the afternoon included a talk by Haribon's Anabelle Plantilla on how biodiversity impacts our daily lives. Haribon brought along Alay Kapwa, an organization that uses recycled materials to demonstrate how telephone directory paper can be transformed to bags and boxes. Alay Kapwa also produces wallets and bags made out of plastic fruit juice packaging and candles using organic oils from native plants. SM San Lazaro through Haribon also invited Neil Ching of Fernbelly, Inc, to talk about Treehugger ballpens and pencils that have been recently introduced to the market. The barrel of Treehugger ballpens and pencils are made from rolled newspapers and are 95% environment-friendly. For every Fernbelly ballpen or pencil bought, a percentage of sales goes to funding activities under ROAD to 2020.

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Rizal Provincial Government formalizes partnership with Haribon for ROAD To 2020
One of the activities undertaken during Rizal Province's founding anniversary celebration led by Governor Casimiro Jun-Jun Ynares III and his Provincial Board members was the signing of a MOA with Haribon for the land provision of its ROAD to 2020 program which aims to restore 1 million hectares of forest by year 2020 using native tree species. Under this program, various companies led by GMA Network have planted native tree seedlings at the hilly portion of Barangay Cuyambay in Tanay, Rizal. A total of 6,000 seedlings of native tree species have already been planted since October 24, 2009. Signatories to the MOA for Rizal Province were Governor Ynares and Vice Governor Frisco San Juan and for Haribon were Atty. Himerio Joey Garcia IV, Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BOT); and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Blas R. Tabaranza, Jr. The tree-planting site in Barangay Cuyambay is managed by Dr. Reynaldo Bonita of the Department of Agriculture Rizal province and his staff led by Danilo Rumbawa and Joel de Jesus.

RC Sailboat Regatta at Nuvali's Montecito

Ayala Land Premier opened Montecito to the public on May 23 defining its wide space and tranquility. The event was also a venue to promote 3 organizations and their causes: Haribon, Habitat for Humanity, and Pusod. The day-long activity was capped with a regatta of remote-controlled sailboats- a sport with very low impact on the environment. Team Isuzu-Alabang, which chose Haribon as its beneficiary, won the top prize. Isuzu-Alabang is one of the companies under the Ayala Group. The event was conceptualized by Geiser-Maclang PR Agency and organized by Ideashop. Montecito has an area of 60 hectares, is set at the heart of Nuvali, and overlooks Mt. Makiling, Mount Banahaw and the Tagaytay ridge. For guided tours, please email ask@ ayalalandpremier.com.

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people & events

Treehugger partners with Haribon's Give A Gift tree campaign

In the drive towards restoring our indigenous forests, Haribon Foundation teamed up with Fernbelly Incorporated for a product line called Treehugger, a merchandise of specialized pens and other writing instruments that aim to build awareness of our responsibilities in the environment. The Treehugger line is comprised of quality pens and highlighters, made out of recycled cartons and biodegradable, corn-based plastics. Pencils are made from perma-bound recycled newspapers. Every pen and pencil purchased through Haribon Foundation contributes to the reforestation of our forests through the Give a Gift tree campaign. The treehugger product line is available at your favorite bookstores at an affordable price, which means that one doesnt need to spend more to do their part for the environment and live a sustainable lifestyle. On the side of each pen, the tagline: The World Needs Saving. Im Doing My Part. is imprinted. It reminds us the power of our choices and what we can do to promote change. Neil Ching and Jaime Paraiso, the founders of Treehugger products say: We want to give people the ability to make a difference by starting with little changes that wouldnt affect the comforts of their lifestyle. We think that this is the most feasible way for all of us to take part in building a sustainable future. Every 10-year-old boy using a Treehugger pen made entirely out of earth-friendly material is reminded of his responsibility to the environment and his ability to live a green lifestyle without sacrificing too much. But still, a mindset for a more sustainable future is molded within him. At the same time, everybody from every walk of life use pens, not just kids. Every Treehugger pen serves as a reminder about our responsibility to the world we live in. We dont have to wait for tomorrow to do something about the growing threats in nature, we can make a substantial difference now. As the importance of sustaining our environment becomes more apparent in our surroundings, we should look for ways to do our own part in changing the world. The individuals behind Treehugger, with the help of Haribon Foundation, believe that the road towards empowering people to save our environment is not so hard at all. It all boils down to our choices, starting with choosing something as simple as the right pen. Treehugger pens, pencils and highlighter products are available at all Major National Bookstore Branches in Metro Manila, and all Powerbooks and Fully Booked branches nationwide. For inquiries email: fernbellyproducts@yahoo.com

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Of A Site Conservation Action cum Environmental Planning Specialist

a day in a life...

AM
4 6 7 8 9

by mithi laya gonzalEs

:30 Time to wake up and get ready for the Forest Land Use Planning (FLUP) barangay consultation in Barangay Pagsangahan of General Nakar. :00 At the munici pal hall of General Nakar, we still have to wait for the other members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) from the local government unit (LGU) and DENR. I hope the representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) will be able to attend. The community consultations are being conducted in 19 barangays of General Nakar to enhance the awareness of the communities on FLUP, gather socio-economic data,and build the capabilities of the T WG. :00 Finally, were complete and all set to go! From General Nakar we have to go to Barangay Magsaysay of Infanta via the newly constructed Marikina-Infanta road. :00 Its time to hike to Barangay Pagsangahan where we will be having the consultation. As we hike along Agos River, I can hear the revving sound of a chainsaw from afar. Its no longer unusual to hear it on-site but I still cringe thinking of the poor trees being cut down. :00 We are now crossing Kaliwa River to go to Barangay Pagsangahan. Some of the TWG members are wary of crossing the knee-deep river while others are enjoying the mini-adventure. The river is already heavily silted and filled with algae. What will happen to this river when the Laiban dam pushes through? Will it still be alive when that time comes? :00 Start of the FLUP consultation with forty partici pants coming from different sectors in the barangay. The morning session of the consultation is an orientation on Biodiversity, Climate Change and FLUP. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) will be conducted in the afternoon. Each TWG member has a role in the days activity either as a host, presentor, FGD facilitator or documentor. :00 Open forum time A Barangay Kagawad is raising a concern about the absence of other sources of livelihood to minimize their dependency on forest resources extraction. Livelihood is always one of the major concerns being raised by the communities in consultations. Hopefully, with the FLUP formulation and implementation, the communities issues and concerns will be addressed.

recommendations on specific topics about the forests. The Socio-Economic group will discuss about the social and economic condition of the community in relation to forest utilization and forestland use. The Community Mapping group will map out the landmarks, road network, infrastructure, natural resources and tenurial instruments within the barangay using the topographic map.

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:00 After the exhaustive group discussions,the results will be presented in plenary. Unfortunately, Kuya Jim, JP, Ariane and I have to go back to Infanta for a meeting with the members of the Project Management Team of Haribon. :00 Whew! Our two-hour hike (mostly uphill!) from Barangay Pagsangahan to the Infanta-Marikina highway is a good but challenging work out. Kuya Jim and JPs antics and Nanay Myrnas stories helped in making us endure the long hike. :00 While having dinner at MMs eatery in Infanta, were discussing about the conduct of the FLUP community consultations. The eateries here in Infanta close early so we have to finish our dinner soon. :00 We continue with our discussion and observations in the conduct of the FLUP consultations at the staff house. The information, education and communication (IEC) in the barangays about biodiversity and climate change needs to be heightened. The radio stations should be tapped to reach more communities and impart Haribons advocacies and the importance of the FLUP. The mentoring of the FLUP TWG members should be further enhanced for the conduct of the succeeding FLUP activities. Being the point person for all the planning activities of the GOLDEN Forests Project, I have to ensure that all observations and recommendations should be taken into account, conveyed to partners concerned and put into action. :00 Its time to rest. I can no longer keep awake to listen to JPs account of their tradition every May. I need to get sleep to have energy for another FLUP consultation tomorrow in Barangay Mahabang Lalim. The day of a Site Conservation Action Specialist does not usually begin at 8AM and end at 5PM. It goes beyond the normal daily working hours It is a passion and a commitment.

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PM

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:00 It would be nice to have a siesta after a palatable lunch of ginataang gulay with sardines and steaming hot rice, but we already have to conduct the FGDs and divide the partici pants into three groups: IEC, Socio-Economic and Community Mapping. The IEC group will discuss about the perceptions, knowledge and

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membership

April
APR 1 Johnace dela Serna APR 3 Bianca Nicole Cervania APR 5 Noel Resurreccion APR 6 Pablito Anas Joy Inojales APR 8 Reynaldo Avila Jonathan Jaime Guerrero APR 10 Nino Lopez Rosenelie Barcelon-Nanez APR 13 Jed Ramon Macabuhay Michael Supe

Happy Birthday!
APR 15 Jose Nazario Cruz APR 18 Benedicto Jr. Cervania Peter Widmann Annabelle Piramide APR 21 Shanta Laura Velasquez APR 22 Ma. Lizza Torres APR 23 Elpidio Paligutan APR 24 Annalyn Castalla APR 25 Cesar Tongco APR 27 Richard John Glory Eugene Ares APR 29 Toby Ignacio APR 30 Michael Edrial Romela Lorilla

May
MAY 3 Learni Escote MAY 4 Adolfo Jr. Aran Maricel Fortuno Michael Clores MAY 6 Je-el Ong MAY 8 Jobert Abiva May Ofrasio MAY 10 Maribeth Baril Maria Luz Torre MAY 12 Lucille Flores MAY 14 Henedina Rosales Belinda De la Paz MAY 16 April Jerome Quinto MAY 17 Rosario Paragas MAY 18 Ma. Lourdes Luna Johann Ken Juguan MAY 19 Thomas Brooks MAY 20 Marc Ian Zubiri MAY 21 Rodrigo Galay Leonardo III Avila MAY 22 Ma. Grace Carpizo MAY 26 Eleuterio Dumogho Prima Portia Lanorio MAY 27 Brianne Ong MAY 30 Gerard Carpizo Pilarcita Geluz MAY 31 Ferdinand Repollo Olivia Flordeliza Renato Roly Enriquez

June
JUN 1 Chona Tibayan-Bandelaria Gerardo Cabochan Jr. Rene Bajit JUN 2 Natividad Lacdan JUN 4 Fe Maggay JUN 5 Kristel Consolacion Mae Pechon JUN 7 Raymond Lorenzo Arguelles Robert Charles Capistrano JUN 9 Arlie Jo Endonila Joanna Paula Abano Ryan Guevarra Tito Arbatin, Jr. JUN 10 Alfredo Romano JUN 11 Carla Aiza Caparino Anabelle Plantilla JUN 12 Louie Sarmiento JUN 13 Melisa Therese Malingan-Sapdoy JUN 14 Leah Duldulao Anica Hackmann JUN 17 Rebecca Jose JUN 19 Arnold Esguerra JUN 22 Suzette Abrera Raul Rodriguez JUN 24 Jesus Francisco JUN 27 Michelle Bracamonte JUN 28 Gareth Derek Go JUN 29 Mithi Laya Gonzales

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pterocarpus indicus Willid

The narra is native to the Philippines and is found not only along tidal creeks and rocky shores, mostly in evergreen forest, but also in seasonal forest up to 600 meters in altitude. This tree may grow in higher altitudes, as well, when planted. narra can grow to 40 meters fall and 45cm diameter at breast height. The trunk is fluted and knotted with many plank-like buttresses. The bark is finely flaking and streaked cream and brown. The leaves are eggshaped, thin and bright green to brown and the flower is yellow and fragrant. on february 1, 1934, Governor General frank Murphy issued Proclamation 652, which made the narra national tree of the Philippines and stated because of its popularity, aesthetic value, hardiness, rapidity of growth, nativity and history, i hereby declare the tree known as narra (Pterocarpus vidalianus rolfe) to be the national tree of the Philippine islands. The timber of narra is used mainly as a structural timber for light and heavy construction, joists, rafters, beams and interior finish. it is also used for bridges, piles, posts, railway sleepers, shafts and mine timber. This tree is threatened because of logging.

Narra

Source; Schulte, Andreas. (2002) Rainforestation Farming: Option for rural development and biodiversity conservation in the humid tropics of Southeast Asia.

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ROAD to 2020 UPDATE

Bring back our natural forests. Plant Native Trees.

TargeT: 1,000,000 hectares

PLanTed: 282.36 hectares (as of July 31, 2010)

999,717.64 hectares to GO!

For more information about ROAD to 2020 or how you can donate online or adopt a seedling, visit www.haribon.org. ph or email: act@ haribon.org.ph. You can also call at (632) 434.4642/ 911.6089, (+63) 922.815.1941.
Data source: Forest Cover of 1988 - DENR Haribon Foundation, Inc.

Legend Forest Cover Closed canopy Open canopy

Forest of Mangatarem, Pangasinan Photo by: Haribon