USAID-EcoGov aids ARMM LGUs in environmental stewardship thru FLUP

COTABATO CITY – The Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Program of the United States Agency for International Developments (USAID) assists two (2) local government units in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the proper environmental stewardship and management through the implementation of Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) scheme – a component of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) program.

The local governments of Wao in Lanao del Sur and Upi in Maguindanao have yielded productive gains in their implementation of FLUP which highlight the preservation of forests and forest lands not only to allay climate change and promote ecological balance, but also, to boost the economic and social well-being of the people.

The FLUP serves as a guide to all sectors in monitoring activities and conversion in the forest and forestlands. As such, illegal activities such as kaingin, poaching, and illegal loggings are immediately responded. The local governments laid concrete resolutions to respond on various threats particularly in the watershed and open access areas through transparent, accountable and participatory forest land use planning process.

Wao has 19,000 hectares of forests and forestlands where 2,000 hectares are watershed areas while Upi has 20,000 hectares of forest and forestlands where half is already under the stewardship of Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA).

As stipulated in the FLUP implementing rules and regulations (IRR), the two (2) local governments sealed a Co-Management Agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the region (DENR-ARMM) and legitimate farmer organizations that would ensure direct stewardship of its watershed and open access areas.

Wao Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Lominog Polayagan, “Open access areas in our forests are unsupervised that’s why anybody could enter and make illegal activities. Some areas have tenures but tenants neglected its responsibility. This contributes to deforestation and near-extinction of our remaining forest resources.”

On May 2008, the local government of Wao, DENR-ARMM and Banga Farmers and Watershed Development Cooperative (BFWDC) signed a Co-Management Agreement to guarantee proper stewardship of its 2,000 hectare-water shed areas. The 130 members of BFWDC already received Individual Property Rights (IPR) to ensure security of tenure of their tilled lands.

This year, on May 18, local government of Upi had signed the same agreement with DENR-ARMM and now preparing for an ordinance [already passed the first hearing] to pave way in issuing IPR to legitimate farmers.

The FLUP has paved way for the two (2) municipalities to establish farm-to-market roads, nursery, monitoring station and farmers’ training center. They had also employed forest rangers to ensure monitoring of illegal activities in the watershed and open access areas.

Local officials encourage the farmers to pursue the inter-cropping scheme where aside from corn and coffee, farmers could plant other crops especially rubber and fruit trees that could contribute in the restoration of forest and forestlands of Upi and Wao.

“After 10 years, the people will glimpse the fruit of their continuous effort of protecting and preserving our forest and forestlands. They will harvest what they sow now,” Wao and Upi Chief Executives, Elvino Balicao Jr. and Ramon Piang said.

On the other hand, ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan extend gratitude to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s CLUP program, where FLUP was carved, and to the Local Governments of Wao and Upi and their constituents who exerted untiring efforts in pushing autonomous regional government’s thrust in maintaining the existing natural forest.

The FLUP aims to enhance the ecological and environmental functions of the forests and forest lands, and to improve biodiversity while increasing resource capacity to support the livelihood of the people in upland areas. (BPI-ARMM)