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Impact, Updates

A Conservation Promise

The women of Presidential Proclamation No. 1636 (PP 1636) sealed their commitment for activities safeguarding forest and Protected Areas (PA) through Local Conservation Agreements (LCAs).

Dec 20, 2023

As of December 2023, HARIBON’s Women Go project helped nine (9) women organizations in PP 1636 in completing their LCAs. For these women, this project milestone not only ensures their obligation when implementing biodiversity-friendly enterprises (BDFEs) and conservation activities, but it is also a pledge to their appreciation and love for nature.
Why are Local Conservation Agreements important in conservation?
Securing LCAs is a conservation strategy adopted and upgraded by HARIBON. The LCA is an incentive-based, binding agreement between HARIBON’s Women Go project and a specific women organization which offers direct socio-economic benefits in return for conservation action to be adopted or implemented by the partner organization. The LCA between HARIBON from women leaders required a stringent process and thorough set of requirements showing they have passed standards of an initiative’s sustainability, including LCAs being a prerequisite for BDFEs. An example of a condition is the use of organic farming technology in their cassava production. In return, the Women Go project provided seed fund to kickstart the partner organization's BDFE.

Such allowances and privileges would increase women’s confidence in their abilities, encourage them that their voices matter, and in turn boost their efficiency in leading and participating in PA management discussions.
HARIBON initiated and drafted the guidelines for creation of the LCAs with the women’s organizations. Below are the objectives initially formulated by HARIBON and agreed upon by both the organization and the women groups:

  • Uplift the role of rural women in their communities and provide them with opportunities to improve community and family well-being
  • Recognize the importance of protecting and conserving their natural resources so that they will continue to enjoy the benefits of having a healthy forest ecosystem, particularly the protected area of PP 1636 and nearby forests
  • Go through the process of selecting and planning for a Biodiversity Friendly Enterprise (BDFE) project that will provide their organization and members additional income sources that are not harmful to the environment, reduce forest degradation, and ensure continued protection and conservation of the forest and the protected area of PP 1636
How to successfully formulate an LCA
By the end of 2022, only one (1) organization, the KALIPI Infanta Federation, completed the requirements and forged an LCA, but in 2023, all nine women groups were able to draft their LCAs. In December 2023, the women organizations KALIPI Infanta and KALIPI Cablao finalized and signed theirs, prompting the release of the BDFE project seed funds. To ensure their projects’ sustainability, the women organizations also needed to compile the following documentation requirements for their seed funds’ release:

    1. Accreditation and Recognition of the Women’s Organization
    2. Market and Feasibility Study
    3. Business Plan with project proposal 
    4. BDFE Management Plan including Implementation Plan, monitoring and evaluation mechanism, and BDFE policies
    5. List of items to be purchased using the seed fund
    6. Bank account information
    7. Signed Local Conservation Agreement
The Women Go project supported the nine women groups in creating their own LCAs through the following activities:

    1. Conducting organization development activities including strategic planning and policy formulation
    2. Registration and accreditation of organizations with relevant government agencies
    3. Identification of sustainable livelihood options that are consistent with Protected Area Management 
    4. Implementing capacity building programs for women on Protected Area Governance
    5. Implementing basic life skills activities and training
    6. Implementing sustainable livelihood activities; and
    7. BDFE planning
What promises are included in an LCA?
Parties involved in local conservation agreements, in this case, the women of PP 1636, agreed to take on the following responsibilities:

On natural resource management

    1. Conduct yearly awareness raising activities to communities/barangays covered by the organization on the following topics:
      1. PP 1636 and the importance of protected areas
      2. Biodiversity and forest conservation and related topics
      3. Waste management
    2. Promote an environment-friendly lifestyle among members and champion biodiversity conservation in the community
    3. Ensure that NO members engage in illegal activities that contribute to forest degradation such as kaingin, charcoal-making, etc.
    4. Initiate protected area or natural resource conservation activities specifically needed by their barangays or municipalities, to name a few:
      1. For KALIPI Infanta: Establishment and management of a 1-hectare forest restoration site at KM 12, Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon Province; Promote, organize, and set-up annual tree planting activities in barangays covered by the organization; Promote, organize, and lead setting up of organic or natural vegetable and herbal gardens in barangays and sitios covered by the organization; Lead in the recycling/upcycling of waste materials such as old clothes, plastics, and broken glass that will support the eco-bricks, rags, and tote bag production.
      2. For KALIPI Gumian: Partner with the barangay local government unit (BLGU) of Gumian in managing the Gumian watershed under Proclamation 158 as part of the PP 1636; Serve as the Kababaihang Bantay Kalikasan (Women Forest Rangers) in the monitoring of any illegal activities within the Proclamation 158 watershed located in PP 1636 of Mt. Irid Angelo Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).
      3. For KALIPI Magsaysay: Establish a .5 hectare communal farm of cassava showcasing organic farming system approach; Monitoring and maintenance of KALIPI Infanta Federation’s planted trees in KM 15; Promote, organize, and set up roadside monthly community or atag (cleanup drive) from KM 2 to 4 and KM 12 to 14.
On organizational development and BDFE management

    1. Ensure that all relevant BDFE documents are prepared and signed-off by all officers and understood by all members, including:
    2. Market and Feasibility Study
    3. Business Plan (including project proposal template)
    4. BDFE Management Plan including M&E Tool and BDFE Policies
    5. Ensure financial policies, systems, and procedures are installed and operational
    6. Receive and use a PHP 50,000 seed fund from HARIBON for the purchase of materials and equipment particular to the agreement
    7. Open and maintain a bank account from a legitimate banking institution
    8. Maintain and update financial records and provide regular quarterly financial reports to members and HARIBON
    9. Ensure BDFE policies are in place and implemented to sustain operations
    10. Ensure that BDFE operations and services benefit the majority or at least 60% the the women group’s members
    11. Promote BDFE project to engage, replicate, and expand operations to Barangay and Sitio levels
    12. Provide regular reports on the status of the project to HARIBON, the LGU and other relevant partner agencies
    13. Allocate a portion of the total net income of the BDFE to specific items for the sustainability of the organization and their BDFE projects
In 2022, initiatives to enhance women’s skills in sustainable livelihood included Business Planning Workshops on crafting Market and Feasibility Studies, creation of Business Plans and their management and implementation, and creating Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plans. By the end of the Women Go’s third year, a total of nine (9) BDFE projects were developed and implemented. The team also performed offsite study visits and onsite training demonstrations to develop the technical skills of the BDFE teams and enhance their products.

Sustainable and women-led conservation
The LCAs help HARIBON ensure that implementation and sustainability of the BDFE are smooth and properly initiated by the women organizations. The Women Go project’s BDFE program is being implemented within the protected area of PP 1636 where the focus is on conserving and protecting the key biodiversity areas (KBA) of Mts. Irid-Angelo, thereby avoiding degradation from unregulated human and economic activities, at the same time promoting natural resource conservation and protection.

To further safeguard the sustainability of the BDFEs, the project was formally endorsed on October 5, 2023 to the LGUs of Infanta, Real, and General Nakar through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, the Municipal Gender Office, and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office for monitoring and oversight.

The process that the women went through had been rigorous, and one can only admire their tenacity and perseverance in completing requirements, all while performing their duties as mothers and caretakers of their families and communities, students, teachers, and ultimately leaders of their organizations and communities.

The Women Go project is made possible by the European Union in the Philippines, with the support of the Municipality of Real, Municipality of Infanta, Municipality of General Nakar, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Community Environment & Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Real.

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