Philippines

Programme Summary

The Philippines program has grown significantly in the past few months via the provision of seeds, intensive agro forestry training, livestock management and the diversification of livestock to counter the need to purchase damaging and expensive chemical pesticides. The Philippine Government has unveiled a stimulus package which focuses on agriculture and aims to relocate the urban poor to mountains and hillsides where they will hopefully create a sustainable life for themselves and their families. The Government has assisted partnering organisations with land grants which are contingent upon the reforesting of the land which they have been allotted.

Partners Network

CLIARC - APCSS - 4KD - Loobbunga Forest Garden Pioneer Site - SKMQ Upland Farm Development - Tanaman Foundation - Ramos Clan

Background

The global recession has resulted in massive job losses worldwide, however in the Philippines it has had a drastic effect on the people who have been forced to take refuge in squatter areas as they have been driven out of major cities due to mass unemployment.
The loss of city jobs and the transfer of technology work being outsourced to the larger workforces in China and India who have the infrastructure to support it, has rendered the Philippines becoming desperate.

Due to the loss of technology jobs, many people are attempting to make sustainable livings from selling agricultural products, however deforestation is occurring making this an unsustainable way of life. Barren hillsides adorn the rural areas a as people cut trees for firewood and building material, while slash and burn farming is the generally accepted practice. The lands cannot support the way in which crops are planted which is requiring the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as coral bleaching.

The Response

Partnering organisations have started work on a grass roots level by providing seeds and training to locals on a variety of agro forestry and livestock management techniques. Agricultural education is a must as teaching provides them with the knowledge of how to integrate a variety of species into their farms reducing the need for chemical pesticides and demonstrates how to make organic fertilizers rather than having to spend the little money they have to buy the harmful chemical version. Multi-Purpose Fast Growing (MPFG) trees which hold soils on barren hillsides and which grow quickly creating a sustainable source of firewood have also been integrated into the process  Many new fruit and vegetable species have been introduced as a way to provide a decent source of income as these ‘rare’ species command a premium at local markets.

Summer 2009 welcomed the planting season and work began out-planted seedlings to the various sites. Partnering organisations have been awarded land in many areas as they have successfully reforested the denuded hillsides around Mt. Pinatubo. They are now working to build their labour force by holding training sessions in nearby villages and getting volunteers to assist with the out-planting and creation of nurseries to keep up with the demand for reforestation in the degraded uplands. The project in the Philippines was spearheaded by partnering organisations who were allocated a project coordinator. Much work was undertaken to get seedlings in all of the nurseries out planted in the field as the rainy season has came a bit early for them during spring 2009. The plan is to build the relationship with working partners to enable the program to expand even more in 2010.