Nature's Neighbours

  • Status of project

    Ongoing

  • Region

    Southeast Asia

  • Country

    Philippines

  • Topic

    Ecological Restoration

Nature’s Neighbours: Sustainable Coexistence between Indigenous People and Philippine Eagles

Overview

Home to the indigenous Tigwahanon and endemic biodiversity including the Philippine eagle, Mindanao’s Pantaron Mountain Range primary forests have become fragmented by deforestation and unsustainable exploitation. Driven by poverty, local communities have come into conflict with the iconic Philippine eagle, endangered by habitat loss whilst itself perceived as a threat to livestock. To demonstrate coexistence and stewardship through sustainable community co-management, the project combines ecological restoration, livelihood diversification, and ancestral domain rights as a model for integrated forest policy applicable nationwide.

A view of the landscape of San Fernando, Bukidnon

Partners

Funded by the UK government’s Darwin Initiative, this project is implemented in partnership with the Landscape Alliance (formerly International Centre for Research in Agroforestry [ICRAF] Philippines) and the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

This 3.5-year-project started in October 2025 and is expected to run until March 2029.

Project partners meet TICCAD community during welcome ceremony

Output 1: Baseline data

Comprehensive and up-to-date information on the biophysical requirements of the Philippine eagle as well as the socio-economic status, forest resource use, and capacity development needs of local communities in San Fernando Municipality is assessed and synthesised.

Household and KAP surveys conducted in the Tigwahanon Tribe Indigenous Cultural Communities Ancestral Domain (TICCAD) and the Kibongcog Tigwahanon Ancestral Domain (KTAD) (© Landscape Alliance)
  • 1.1 A pre-project survey for up-to-date information of livelihood activities, income sources, and climate vulnerabilities of local communities in the ancestral domain (Year 1)
  • 1.2 Capacity development needs assessment and knowledge and practice (KAP) survey (Year 1)
  • 1.3 Rapid market and value chain assessment of agroforestry products selected together with local stakeholders (Year 1)
  • 1.4 Wildlife, botanic and geographical survey to further inform habitat conservation and connectivity measures (Year 1)
  • 1.5 Computer-based simulation of forest restoration scenarios, forest connectivity, and biodiversity conservation capacity indicator (Years 1-2)
  • 1.6 Land suitability analysis of selected agroforestry species to guide for potential upscale over the ancestral domain and San Fernando municipality (Years 1-2)
  • 1.7 End-of-project assessments to monitor intended project impact (Year 4)
Rafflesia schadenbergiana (EN) and Saurauia copelandii (VU), endemic plant species recorded during the Project’s botanical survey (© Philippine Eagle Foundation)

Output 2: Capacity Building and Public Engagement

Local community members including women, youth, and local authorities are empowered through knowledge and capacity development activities regarding sustainable agroforestry, small-scale agribusiness, and forest restoration, as well as through public engagement activities on the Philippine eagle.

  • 2.1 Train-the-trainer mentorship group on agroforestry and small-scale agribusiness (Years 1-3)
  • 2.2 Train-the-trainer mentorship group on forest restoration and biodiversity conservation (Years 1-3)
  • 2.3 Train-the-farmers by the TOT group which involve at least 500 community members (at least 50% women) (Years 1-4)
  • 2.4 Run the Behaviour Centred Design methodology training for behaviour change with project partners (Years 1-2)
  • 2.5 Design public engagement interventions with project partners and community representatives (Years 1-2)
  • 2.6 Deliver at least 5 public engagement interventions targeting communities, including training wildlife hunters as forest guards, promoting awareness and adoption of conservation-friendly behaviours (Years 2-4)
  • 2.7 Training on first rescue, proper handling, and tracking population of Philippine eagles to forest guards and local government staff (Years 1-4)
Formulating hypotheses in small groups as part of Step 3 Map of the BCD journey

Output 3: Agroforestry and Forest Restoration

Income opportunities are increased and agro-/forest biodiversity is improved through the promotion of market-led, climate-resilient agroforestry, and forest restoration practices.

  • 3.1 Establish learning farms of market-led and climate-resilient agroforestry practices (Years 1-2)
  • 3.2 Engage local communities for the adoption of sustainable agroforestry practices (Years 1-4)
  • 3.3 Establish community-based nurseries of agroforestry trees and employ local community members (Years 1-2)
  • 3.4 Monitor agroforestry adoption and development by local community members (Years 2-4)
  • 3.5 Establish pilot forest restoration models (Years 1-2)
  • 3.6 Multi-stakeholder consultations for developing forest restoration plan (Years 1-4)
  • 3.7 Establish community-based nurseries of forestry trees for reforestation and employ local community members (Years 1-2)
  • 3.8 Monitor the pilot forest restoration models (Years 2-4)
Training of Farmers (ToF) activities in the agroforestry demo plots, with participants from Barangay Nacabuklad and Barangay Kibongcog (© Landscape Alliance)

Output 4: CCDP and Wider Policy

The Community Conservation and Development Plan (CCDP) is developed and approved by the local community, guiding the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) and enhancing the habitat of the Philippine eagle. Project best-practices are then promoted for replication in community-managed forest biodiversity conservation initiatives throughout the Philippines.

  • 4.1 Multi-stakeholder consultations for the development and approval of Community, Conservation, and Development Plan (CCDP) for submission to National Commission on Indigenous People (Years 1-4)
  • 4.2 Identify lesson learned and best-practice recommendations regarding ancestral domain co-management model of forest biodiversity conservation, sustainable agroforestry, and small-scale agribusiness (Year 4)
  • 4.3 Produce supporting communication materials including policy briefs on lessons learned and recommendations regarding the ancestral domain co-management model (Year 4)
  • 4.4 Convene policy consultation workshops with sub-national and national decision makers for the development of and mainstreaming the co-management model (Year 4)