Safeguarding Central Panay Mountains: Empowering Stakeholders for Long-Term Conservation

Central Panay Mountains (CPM) is the largest remaining forest on Panay Island. It is one of the 322 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) in the Philippines and a priority site for conservation by the Philippine Government as well as local and international conservation groups. It is home to numerous threatened and endemic species, including the critically endangered Rufous-headed Hornbill, Visayan Warty Pig, and endangered Visayan Spotted Deer and Visayan Hornbill, among others. The area also supports several indigenous cultural communities and serves as a major watershed that drains into the four surrounding provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo.

Despite its ecological and cultural significance, most of the KBA remains unprotected. While some portions have been designated as critical habitats and initial component protected areas, conservation efforts are still fragmented and lack cohesion. The KBA faces threats from hunting, timber poaching, unsustainable farming practices—which are exacerbated by high poverty levels—and conflicting government plans and policies.

To address these challenges, there are ongoing initiatives aimed at legislating the CPM as a Protected Area. In support of this effort, a project funded by the Rainforest Trust, entitled “Safeguarding Central Panay Mountains: Empowering Stakeholders for Long-Term Conservation,” is being implemented by the Haribon Foundation. This project focuses on social preparation of the communities and stakeholders surrounding the proposed protected area. It will assist in lobbying for its formal declaration, to secure effective forest management, strengthen Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in forest protection, monitor biodiversity and threats to the ecosystem, and consolidate the engagement of key stakeholders to promote effective, equitable, and inclusive governance across the KBA.

Impact: 

The Central Panay Mountains (CPM) Key Biodiversity Area is secured and conserved, with safeguards in place in preparation for its full establishment as a Protected Area.

Outcome: 

The Central Panay Mountains (CPM) Key Biodiversity Area is secured and conserved through strengthened engagement of Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IPLC) and key stakeholders in developing safeguards for long-term conservation of biodiversity and threatened species of Panay in preparation for the full establishment of the CPM as a Protected Area.

Outputs:

1. Lobbied the declaration of the Central Panay Mountain Range as a protected area.
2. Strengthened forest governance across the provinces within the CPMR through the establishment of an inclusive Multi-stakeholder Forest Management Council geared towards the formation of Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
3. Conserved CPM through the formulation of the inclusive (initial) Protected Area Management Plan, ensuring alignment with the Philippine Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (PBSAP)  and all local development plans. 
4. Enhanced climate resiliency of forest-dependent communities across key municipalities surrounding CPM through establishing Nature-based solution (NBS) programs, including Biodiversity-friendly enterprises (BDFEs) and Biodiversity-friendly Agricultural Practices (BDFAPs)
5. Mitigated threats to biodiversity through the establishment of a community-led multi-stakeholder forest monitoring and reporting system using applicable technologies

Project Duration

2025-2029