Events

Over 80 indigenous peoples’ representatives from 3 provinces in Mindanao, NGOs, government officials and members of the academe attended the three-day conference at SEARSOLIN, Cagayan de Oro City from 1-3 April, 2009. Members of AGHIMICU, a Higaonon community organization in Brgy. Hagpa, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon are proud to share how they are keeping the balance of the forest ecosystem through customary zoning and self-regulation of sanctuaries. 

At present, 70% forest cover of Mt. Kimangkil straddles their ancestral domain of 14,000 hectares.  Representatives of the Subanen tribe in xamboanga del Sur were also there to share their experience in forest corridor governance.

The event was organized by the Ancestral Domain Working Group composed of Anthrowatch, ULAN, NTFP=EP and FPE.  The conference was part of a larger indigenous forest corridor project implemented nationally in eight communities in five sites, with funding support from the European Commission and seeks to empower local communities in the sustainable management of indigenous forest corridors through interdisciplinary strategies such as land titling, livelihood development, law enforcement and conservation. 

Support was also extended by FVTLDC, LRC-KSK, Green Mindanao, Balay Mindanao, KHI, IPA-CDO and the Samdhana Institute.