It’s a warm morning in June, but a cool breeze greets Haribon members and volunteers as they enter the family garden and farm of Albeniz and Cora Calapine.
This is not the Calapine family’s first rodeo–having been Haribon’s community partner since 2017, they have hosted a number of Haribon Travels, Tree Plantings, and Community Seedling Nursery activities in the past. Most of the members and volunteers are well acquainted with Pangulo Albeniz’s sharp humor and jokes as they climb Mts. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape, making the long hike all the more enjoyable.
But this morning, the only mountain the participants need to worry about is the mound of flour sitting in a metal bowl. Around the table are the women of the San Cristobal Farmers Association (SCFA), preparing golden kalabasa (squash) and other ingredients they will need to make kalabasa noodles.
Laughter and idle chatter fill the air as the volunteers gather around the table, learning how to perfectly steam the vegetables and knead it into the dough. They’re motivated to do well–after all, this will be lunch!
This is not the Calapine family’s first rodeo–having been Haribon’s community partner since 2017, they have hosted a number of Haribon Travels, Tree Plantings, and Community Seedling Nursery activities in the past. Most of the members and volunteers are well acquainted with Pangulo Albeniz’s sharp humor and jokes as they climb Mts. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape, making the long hike all the more enjoyable.
But this morning, the only mountain the participants need to worry about is the mound of flour sitting in a metal bowl. Around the table are the women of the San Cristobal Farmers Association (SCFA), preparing golden kalabasa (squash) and other ingredients they will need to make kalabasa noodles.
Laughter and idle chatter fill the air as the volunteers gather around the table, learning how to perfectly steam the vegetables and knead it into the dough. They’re motivated to do well–after all, this will be lunch!

Kalabasa noodle production is part of a new biodiversity-friendly enterprise of the SCFA, as this is one of the many vegetables they grow on their own farms. Though they lack equipment for larger-scale production, they are resourceful and dedicated to continuing sustainable agricultural practices and food production–a fact that inspired the volunteers.

But noodle-making is not the only thing we are here for; our volunteers and participants are also here to give back to the environment and contribute to our reforestation efforts.
After hanging the noodles out to dry, the group is led by the Calapine family to their backyard farm, where the seedling nursery materials have been laid out. There are only native tree seedlings, which are crucial to Haribon’s rainforestation strategy; Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), Tampoy (Syzygium jambos), Tibig (Ficus nota), Kamagong (Diospyros blancoi), and Hauili (Ficus septica). These seedlings were all collected by SCFA members mere days before the activity; scattered around the roots of their mother trees. The use of these plants, called "wildlings", ensures that the trees planted in our reforestation sites are adapted to the local environment and contribute to the return of biodiversity. Native forest trees serve as shelter and food source to many insect and animal species; in Haribon's reforestation efforts, not just any tree will do.
The group listens as Alekson Calapine, Pangulo Albeniz’s son, explains why native seedlings are so important, and demonstrates the seedling preparation process. As they carefully place the next generation of forest trees into bags where they will grow, Pangulo Albeniz’s grandson plays with the children of the participants; the group is led by his son. From SCFA, a mother-son duo -Nanay Nida and Marvin joined the activity; from the participants, a mother and her daughter. Crouched in the middle of the garden and surrounded by growing vines and people from different walks of life, all getting their hands dirty mixing the soil and bagging the seedlings, there is a sense of interconnectedness. Like the very seedlings in their hands, every volunteer carries a small but powerful potential to become biodiversity champions--especially the youth.
After hanging the noodles out to dry, the group is led by the Calapine family to their backyard farm, where the seedling nursery materials have been laid out. There are only native tree seedlings, which are crucial to Haribon’s rainforestation strategy; Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), Tampoy (Syzygium jambos), Tibig (Ficus nota), Kamagong (Diospyros blancoi), and Hauili (Ficus septica). These seedlings were all collected by SCFA members mere days before the activity; scattered around the roots of their mother trees. The use of these plants, called "wildlings", ensures that the trees planted in our reforestation sites are adapted to the local environment and contribute to the return of biodiversity. Native forest trees serve as shelter and food source to many insect and animal species; in Haribon's reforestation efforts, not just any tree will do.
The group listens as Alekson Calapine, Pangulo Albeniz’s son, explains why native seedlings are so important, and demonstrates the seedling preparation process. As they carefully place the next generation of forest trees into bags where they will grow, Pangulo Albeniz’s grandson plays with the children of the participants; the group is led by his son. From SCFA, a mother-son duo -Nanay Nida and Marvin joined the activity; from the participants, a mother and her daughter. Crouched in the middle of the garden and surrounded by growing vines and people from different walks of life, all getting their hands dirty mixing the soil and bagging the seedlings, there is a sense of interconnectedness. Like the very seedlings in their hands, every volunteer carries a small but powerful potential to become biodiversity champions--especially the youth.



Sweaty, dirty, and with big smiles, the SCFA and volunteers eventually finish bagging the seedlings. They headed back to the noodle-making area, where there was a spread of dishes made from local ingredients–and of course, the noodles were the star of the show. They ate their fill (and brought home a few seedlings) before heading to Pandin Lake for a refreshing afternoon swim.
At the lake, we spotted several birds around the lake; a serene atmosphere that gave us a deeper appreciation for the life supported by a fully grown, untouched forest.
More than a leisure or feel-good activity, Haribon Travels is a way to connect stakeholders and communities, to renew their dedication to protecting our biodiversity and preserving our environment. The core of our Forests For Life Movement is not just the trees, but the people; the only way to secure a sustainable future is by doing it together.
At the lake, we spotted several birds around the lake; a serene atmosphere that gave us a deeper appreciation for the life supported by a fully grown, untouched forest.
More than a leisure or feel-good activity, Haribon Travels is a way to connect stakeholders and communities, to renew their dedication to protecting our biodiversity and preserving our environment. The core of our Forests For Life Movement is not just the trees, but the people; the only way to secure a sustainable future is by doing it together.