Participatory Resource

Monitoring for NTFPs: The

Philippine Experience

Kate Mana Galido

Resource Management Officer

NTFP-TF

A collaborative network of Philippine grassroots

non-government organizations and people’s

organizations working with forest-based

communities (especially indigenous

communities)

on NTFP-based livelihoods within the context of

sustainable forest management and

community empowerment

NTFP-TF Partners

1. CustomMade Crafts Center (CMCC)

2. Enterprise Works Worldwide (EWW)

3. Kalahan Educational Foundation (KEF)

Mangyan Mission

4. Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mangyan

Alangan (SANAMA)

5. Kapulungan ng mga Mangyan para sa Lupaing

Ninuno (KPLN)

6. Broad Initiatives for Negros Development (BIND)

7. Father Vincent Cullen Tulugan Learning and

Development Center (FVCTLDC)

8. Agtulawon Mintapod Higaonon Cumadon (AGMIHICU)

9. Nagkakaisang Mga Tribu ng Palawan

MINDORO

BUKIDNON

MAGUINDANAO

NEGROS

PALAWAN

MANILA

SOUTH COTABATO

CORDILLERA

NUEVA VIZCAYA

QUEZON

AKLAN

ZAMBOANGA

110 Major indigenous groups

12 Million population of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines (De Vera, 2007)

NTFPs in the Philippines

Philippines - one of the 17 megadiversity countries

o Rattan-62 species

o Erect palms- buri (Corypha elata), nipa (Nipa fruticans) anahaw (Livistonia roundifolia) and kaong or sugar palm (Arenga pinnata)

o Bamboo- 32 species

o Pandans- more than 40 species

o Resins- almaciga (Agathis philippinensis) Benguet pine (Pinus kesiya), piling liitan (Canarium luzonicum) and apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus)

o Oil

o Vines

o Fibers

o Medicinal plants

o Natural dyes

pe

rce

nt

fo

rest

co

ve

r

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33

Philippines

Change in Forest Cover, 1876-2002

year Data Source: 1876-1987 from Garrity et al. (1993); 1990 from FAO (2001); 1999 from ESSC (1999); 1991, 1996, 2001, 2000 and 2002 from DENR-FMB (2005)

Source: Fernando, 2005

Unfortunately, this natural wealth is being depleted and studies show that the country’s remaining

forest stand is only between 18-19.3% (DENR-FMB, 2003, FAO, 2005)

Policies relating to NTFPs FAO 11, 1970- Definition of NTFPs as ordinary and

minor forest products, requirements for permitting, types of licenses (never been amended since 1970)

PD 705 of 1975 Revised Forestry Code – Basic policy on forestry. States that for any utilization, permit is needed

EO 192 – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has jurisdiction and authority over forest lands and regulation of permits in the same

DAO 4, 1989 – rules and regulations governing rattan Forest charges – RA 7161 RA 8371 of 1997 Indigenous People’s Rights Act

(IPRA)- gave priority to indigenous communities Joint DENR-NCIP AO 01-2008- Sustainable and

Traditional Indigenous Forest Resource Management Systems and Practices (STIFRMSP )

CENRO Applicant PENRO RED OSEC

Return to Sender

FMB

Source: Razal 2007

NTFP Policy in the Philippines From Ramon Razal’s presentation: Fulfilling the Promise of

NTFPs: A Case for Bridging the Science Gap in NTFP Policy

No policy document exists that could apply to the whole range of

NTFPs

Inadequate, inconsistent, and inefficient

Unnecessary, costly and unfair

SOPs/Checpoints

Inventory system- cost of permit processing

Problems, Issues, Gaps and Conflicts

(NTFP forum, 2007) Lengthy requirements, varying interpretations, high transaction

costs (Arquiza and Aquino)

Sustaining NTFP resources- Lack of monitoring, unequal

utilization of resources. Rigorous inventory systems

Do not prioritize indigenous and local community groups in

awarding NTFP licenses

Need to develop more cost effective and appropriate

monitoring mechanisms for NTFPs

Advocacy

Submitted proposed Joint Admin order for NTFPs to the DENR

Fieldtesting Project: Comparison of methodologies and proposed PRM as an option Memorandum of Agreement-

NTFP and DENR in signed in 2009

Quest for a methodology that will ensure

sustainability of NTFPs

DENR’s Resource

Inventory

Simplified NTFP Inventory

System

Participatory Resource

Monitoring

-5% of forested area (for

rattan)- MC 29, 1989

-No specified sampling

intensity for other NTFPs

-Inventory to arrive at

average density per hectare

-Computations for Annual

Allowable Cut (AAC) or

Sustainable Yield Cut (Section

26, Chapter 4, Dao 4 1989)

-Strip transect method is used where forest areas are subdivided into homogeneous blocks (with high concentration of NTFPs being studied) -longest section of this homogeneous block is divided into 100 x10 meter sections -total volume of NTFPs being studied in that block shall be obtained by a blow up factor corresponding to the total estimated areas where these NTFPs occur.

-a system of monitoring to

determine whether

management of the NTFPs is

sustainable (trending)

-Shift towards involving local

communities in the

management of areas of high

biodiversity

-adaptive management as

being a more suitable approach

- PRM calendar based on

criteria and indicators

BMS a model for monitoring in the Philippines

PRM has already been implemented in the Protected Areas of the Philippines, where it has been incorporated into the Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS).

Why not PRM (similar to BMS) for NTFP sustainability monitoring?

Palawan field trials, 2006: honey, almaciga and rattan

Rattan

Criteria Indicators Methods

Rattan species diversity Number of rattan species observed Transect walk*, harvest

records, field diary,

photograph, focus groups

Rattan abundance Number of plants Transect walk

Yield of harvest/unit time Harvest records

Rattan regeneration Number of wildlings Transect walks

Resource condition

Any shoots/stems with signs of

disease, water marks, fungal attack,

insect attack

Transect walks, harvest

records

(clustering rattan species only) Number of shoots/immature

stems/mature stems per cluster

Transect walks, harvest

records

Environmental conditions Number and condition of monkeys

and birds and other wildlife that

help in regeneration

Transect walks, field diaries,

focus groups

Practices are/are not followed Stems cut before flowering/fruiting Focus groups

(clustering rattan species only) Shoots/immature stems damage/cut

by harvesting activities

Transect walks, field diaries,

focus groups

(clustering rattan species only) Length of stump of harvested stem Transect walks, field diaries,

focus groups

How PRM is done:

1. Develop the Resource Management Plan

2. Develop the criteria

3. Develop the indicators

4. Develop the methods

5. Develop the PRM calendar

6. Implement the PRM calendar

7. Evaluation and improvement of PRM

Criteria, indicators

Criteria Rattan Almaciga Honey 1. Enforcement of

Harvesting Protocols

Harvest stems with length of 25 meters

and above.

Do not damage the seedling, shoots,

and juvenile stems.

Do not cut or harvest immature stems

Do not cut trees where the immature

rattan stems attached.

Avoid overcutting around the tree

girth/circumference.

Avoid deep tapping.

The tapping should not exceed 8

inches in length and should be

slanting

Do not burn the hive

Do not hurt or damage the

branch of support tree

Do not harvest the beehives

intended for the spirits.

2. Protection of

sanctuary and reserves

The wildlife such as monkeys, birds

and the rattan are protected and should

not be harvested unless with

permission from the elders/datu.

The harvesting of almaciga inside

the sanctuary and reserve areas is

not allowed without the permission

from datu.

The hives are protected and

harvesting is not allowed.

3. Monitoring of

outsiders or non-

AGMIHICU

The outsiders are not allowed to

harvest rattan and will be punished if

violated this protocol. (if without

permission from the datu)

The outsiders are not allowed to

harvest and will be punished if

violated this rule.

Will not be allowed to harvest if

not inside his gaup. Need to ask

permission from the gaup owner.

4. Environmental

Conditions

Do not cut the support trees Do not open up kaingin in areas with

almaciga.

Do not disturb the hives

Do not cut the flowering trees

Do not cut the trees with leaves

used for flaming

5. Resource condition Yield of harvest/unit time

Regeneration of rattan; number of

wildlings

Yield/ amount of harvested resin

Health of almaciga

Color of leaves (green and not

yellow)

Straight trunk

Absence of termites

Number of wildlings of almaciga

Volume of honey harvested

Number of bee colonies per tree

PRM WORKSHOP OUTPUT showing the indicators developed in

monitoring Honey, Almaciga and Rattan resources for AGMIHICU,

Bukidnon

PRM methods

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

40 m

5m

5m

FGDs/

Meetings

Harvest record

Must be collected at regular intervals

Cost efficient Not overly burdensome- local

culture, fit in the routine activities

Appropriate for supporting management objectives

Analyzed and evaluated results can be used for decision-making

Monitoring calendar developed for Bukidnon METHOD INDICATORS HOW WHO WHERE WHEN and

how much

1)HARVEST RECORD

Rattan

(Balagon)

Harvesting practices:

Harvest stems with length of 25

meters and above.

Do not damage the seedling,

shoots, and juvenile stems.

Do not harvest immature stems

Do not cut trees where the

immature rattan stems attached.

Abundance:

Yield of harvest per unit of time

Regeneration:

Number of wildlings

During harvesting

and submit at the

consolidation

area

Possibly, every

gaup will have

recorder; and

with on the job

training

Knowledgeable

in estimating

and can write

Mintapod

harvesters

(5pax)

Harvesters in

each gaup and

recorder (Victor

Jr. -Honey)

possible 3

harvester

Amusig,

Mintapod,

Mahagwa,

Lagbangan,

Kilubaon,

Naabat

.

(as need

arises)

Aug.-Sept.

Salumayag Avoid cutting around the girth

Avoid deep tapping

Tapping should not exceed 8 inches

in length and should be slanting

Harvest yield

Health of the tree (color of leaves

are green, straight trunk,absence

of termites)

Regeneration

Harvest record

Literate and can

write

Knowledgeabe

in making

estimates

Areas

outside the

Patagonan

Areas

where

Almaciga is

abundant

Once a year

Continuation of monitoring calendar

Methods Indicators How Who Where When

Palayag/

Malabusog

Do no burn the hives

Do not damage the support tree

Harvest yield

Number of hives per tree

Do not harves the hives that are

intended for the spirits

Actual harvesting Knowledgeable

of harvesting

practices and

can be trusted

by the

elders/datu

Anywhere

as long as

outside the

patagonan

August-

September

during

flowering of

the trees

2) PANLAUY/Permanent plot

Balagon

Banay-

mature

Hubalon-

immatura

Do not cut immature stems

Do not harm the juvenile,

shoots and seedlings

Harvest stems with length more

than 25 meters only

Do not cut the support tree

Regeneration of rattan

Harvest yield of rattan

Establishment of

4 x 10 permanent

plot for

regeneration

studies (8

subplots of 5x 5

m)

PRM core

group team

Core group:

Martin, Jun,

Victor,Ronnie,k

enneth

September

MAHAGWA-

2 plots

3)Hunting

trip

Do not harm or damage the

shoots, juvenile and seedlings

Number of seedlings of almaciga

Do not cut the flowering trees

and the trees with leaves being

used in harvesting honey

During visit in the

forest for hunting

wild boar,

monkeys,

rodents, birds;

fishing; and

frogging

Hunters that

are

allowed/truste

d by the elders

At the

middle of

the forest

of

AGMIHICU

Planting

season-

every

March of

the year

Bukidnon PRM

Traditional forest

patrol (Panlauy)

in Mintapod

during rattan

harvesting

-Able to monitor

unsustainable practices

-Datu Amay stopped the

harvesting and fines were

imposed including to

himself (if only one

commits violation,

everyone will be affected)

Results:

Evaluation of the 3 Methods

It became a competition between the 3 methods

Difficulty in comparing precision, simplicity and accuracy for

the 3 methods

Cannot conduct PRM properly without the permits to

harvest

Initial cost comparison: highest cost for DENR’s RI and

lowest cost for PRM

Challenges

PRM is a new concept

Communities need to accept the challenge; commitment

For most IPOs, they have their own traditional ‘PRM’, should use

local terms and be adapted to local customs and practices

PRM is a long process

Needs more time (1-2 years) to complete setting it up in each

community

Strengthen the PRM before comparing with other methods

Sustainability- benefits need to be obvious for the community,

integration with enterprise and Ancestral Domain Sustainable

Development and Protection Plan; and with the permitting systems

Challenges

Capacity of the People’s Organization

Skills and resources (funds, time)

Organizational issues

Commitment

Sustain Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices/

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Easier to do in Bukidnon than Palawan

Maraming Salamat!