10/24/2008

About 200 T’boli families in the uplands of Kiamba, Sarangani Province in South-Central Mindanao can expect higher income after three abaca stripping machines were delivered to them through a grant given by the USAID-funded Philippine Environ-mental Governance Project (EcoGov), which is implemented with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The machines were turned over to the members of the T’boli Falel Community Association, Inc. (TFCAI) last Oct. 14 by Kiamba Mayor Rommel Tomas Falgui and representatives of EcoGov, the DENR, and the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) regional office.

Each machine has a capacity to process as much as 70 kilos of abaca fiber per day. At present, the T’boli community’s daily production output is only10 kilos.

Mayor Falgui thanked USAID and the DENR for the assistance. “Now that our people have a profitable means of livelihood, they will certainly do their share in protecting and conserving our remaining natural forests that are so rich in biodiversity, by helping guard against illegal logging perpetrated by some community members as well as outsiders,” he said.

TFCAI members, who manage around 500 hectares of abaca plantations, are holders of Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA), a kind of land tenure granted by the DENR to people’s organizations. The CBFMA, which covers about 5,000 hectares in all, allows the TFCAI members to engage in income-generating activities, such as abaca plantation, in areas considered as production zone, and in the process become responsible for managing and guarding the forest area.

Investments now coming in the Kiamba uplands are in line with the municipality’s Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) developed with assistance from EcoGov. The FLUP provides the basis for land allocation and identifies areas for investment, such as abaca plantations, and areas for protection.

EcoGov has also brokered partnership between the farmers, the Kiamba municipal government and business groups engaged in rubber business for the planting of rubber trees to ensure sustainable livelihood.

Helping upland communities with their livelihood is a key part of EcoGov’s strategy to protect and conserve biodiversity.

Kiamba is home to various flora and fauna such as bats, birds, monkeys, and wild boars found in the Kiamba forest. It is also a marine sanctuary where turtles, specifically the oliver ridley, lay their eggs.

EcoGov also provides technical assistance on solid waste and wastewater management to Kiamba.

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