Though we are in the face of a worldwide pandemic, with roots to relationships between people and forest habitats, the passion and creativity of people are still alive and well. Communities wrote poems, while others gained hands-on knowledge on monitoring forest biodiversity in their areas.
The challenge to inform and inspire more people to become champions for our forests continues in this tumultous year.
*Learn more about the FOGOP project here.
Updates from the field
What is a forest defender? Here is a short comic introducing forest defenders among our communities.
January 2020
How much forest are we losing in Philippine Key Biodiversity Areas? This infographic was made soon after the Taal volcano eruption to show the public how much forest was lost in a single year using Taal Volcano island as a visual representation.
See the infographic here.
January 2020
With forest fires making headlines and the dry season approaching, a simple infographic in Filipino was made to spread awareness on forest fire prevention.
See the infographic “Paano nagsisimula ang sunog sa gubat?” in Filipino here.
January 2020
Communities living in and around the Mt. Irid-Angelo KBA begin receiving orientations on how to use the new CAME app at the start of the new year.
February 2020
More communities from the Mt. Irid-Angelo KBA get hands-on knowledge on the new CAME app on the field.
February 2020
Various means of transportation is needed to reach different communities in the Mt. Irid-Angelo KBA. A 1 hour trek through forest and a boat ride is required for some of the locations.
March 2020
A poem in Filipino by Herminio “Datu” Mendoza entitled “Ang Bayan ng Infanta.”
Datu Mendoza is the head Kaksaan (tribe leader) of his pamayanan (tribe) or tribe of Dumagat-Remontado people. He is known as “Datu”, which is another term for leader in multiple Filipino languages.
He is also part of the Bantay Gubat group, working to ensure their shared forest resources are closely guarded.
Read the poem here (in Filipino).
April 2020
A poem in Filipino by Herminio “Datu” Mendoza entitled “Ang Bayan ng Nakar.”
Datu Mendoza is the head Kaksaan (tribe leader) of his pamayanan (tribe) or tribe of Dumagat-Remontado people. He is known as “Datu”, which is another term for leader in multiple Filipino languages.
He is also part of the Bantay Gubat group, working to ensure their shared forest resources are closely guarded.
Read the poem here (in Filipino).
April 2020
Bats have long been carriers of coronaviruses and other illnesses. Because of this they continue to be threatned by negative perceptions and even local exterminations, in addition to habitat loss.
But are bats really to blame for today’s latest outbreak of disease? Or is there something else to the story?
April 2020
A national policy is needed to ensure that there is enough forest resources for present and future generations. The answer is in the Sustainable Forest Management Bill or SFM.
Read the summary.
Read the full Primer.
Read how the SFM contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals.
July 2020
As we involve more and more people in forest conservation, we must revisit the basics. Why are forests important?
July 2020
Read a poem by Haribon Forester Ken Carlo Peñaflor Jr. about a tree that we cannot allow to stand on its own.
July 2020.
Training Specialist Kathleen Zambas pays tribute to Herminio “Datu” Mendoza in “For the love of words and nature”. She sheds light on a leader who loves our sacred homme, as much as he does the words he uses to describe it.
Read more here.
August 2020
A network of NGOs and civil society organizations have banded together to push for the passing of the “Green Bills”. A campaign to highlight these 4 green bills have been published on a special website consolidating the effort to protect people and the environment in the Philippines: greenprint.ph
August 2020
During community consultations the late Datu Pedang of the Mamanwa tribe shared, “Kultura sa kahilom, atong buk-on (let us break the culture of silence).”
His words resonated with us and others who continue support forest governance by the communities themselves.
Watch a Facebook Live roundtable of Indigenous People’s representatives regarding forest governance here.
October 2020.
During community consultations Datu Pedrito Agustin of the Manobo tribe shared, “Ang kalasangan mao ang atong kinabuhi (the forest is our life).”
His words resonated with us and others who continue support forest governance by the communities themselves.
Watch a Facebook Live roundtable of Indigenous People’s representatives regarding forest governance here.
October 2020.
For Indigenous People’s month Haribon organized a Facebook Live roundtable of Indigenous People’s representatives regarding forest governance.
See the video on Facebook here.
Read more about the event here.
October 2020.
Occasional remote check-ins with communities in areas further away are conducted by staff on a regular basis.
October 2020
In the midst of quarantine Bantay Gubat volunteers stay vigilant over their health, and the health of their forests.
October 2020, General Nakar province.
In-person community updates with proper physical distancing and masks continued in Sablayan in the midst of quarantines. Updates on health, safety protocols, and the CAME Ka Patrol app were discussed.
October 2020, Sablayan, Mindoro.
Photo of flooding that hit lowland areas of Mt. Irid-Angelo.
November 2020, Infanta, Quezon province.
Site inspections of communities affected by Typhoon Ulysses began. Fortunately most communities in the Mt. Siburan area had minor damage to crops and buildings, thanks in part to remaining forest acting as windbreakers as well as the distance of their location from the eye of the storm.
November 2020, Sablayan, Mindoro.
Despite restrictions in accepting public volunteers for tree plantings, activities continued with the help of local safety protocols and trained volunteers from the immediate vicinity.
November 2020, Quezon province.
In November, discussions regarding the Kaliwa Dam project continued. Construction of an access road to the dam project continues to threaten the forest areas, as communities gathered in this meeting to express these concerns.
November 2020
Continued destruction of our forests has impaired the country’s natural defense against calamities. A solution that involves everyone is crucial now more than ever.
The Sustainable Forest Management Act (SFMA) aims to ensure that there are enough forest resources for present and future generations.
November 2020
