The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera has awarded 14 Community-Based Forest Management-Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program projects for 2020 in the region recently.
Eleven of the projects are under the agroforestry livelihood development while three are in the form of financial assistance to livelihood enterprises.
Under agroforestry, P456,000 was awarded to Linggey Panpianan Farmers Association Inc. based in Abra. In Apayao, P1,288,727 was awarded to Karikitan Integrated Social Forestry Association while P570,400 was awarded to Pentecostal Saranay Association, Inc.
For Benguet, P1,031,250 was given to Karao-Ekip Tribal Regreening; P380,535 was given to Bokod Green Mountain Association; and P677,280 went to Colos Landowners Association Agricultural Cooperative.
The amount of P753,328 was given to Ammacian Taggay Upland Developers Association and P1,346,393 to Cudal Upland Farmers Association Ifugao Inc., both based in Kalinga.
For Ifugao, P788,166 was given to Kiling Community Based Upland Farmers Association Inc.; P732,000 to Maligaya Batallion Calipkip Upland Farmers Association, Inc.; and P564,000 to Bambanay Upland Farmers.
For the financial assistance to livelihood/enterprise projects, 450,000 was given to Cabua-an-Agro-forestland Managers Association Inc. based in Mountain Province; P194,000 to Nagawa Manganese Liw-liw Saddle Agroforestry Association from Benguet; and 450,000 to Licuan-Baay-Bonangonan Association Inc. in Abra.
On the other hand, of the 14,339 certificate of stewardship contracts covering 29,450 hectares were awarded to forest occupants in the Cordillera, the DENR finished the evaluation and assessment of 12,206 CSCs. This shows that 6,681 CSCs are for renewal for another 25 years while 3,392 were given recommendations with remedial measures and shall be re-evaluated after a grace period of one year.
Julius Cawilan, DENR-CAR Conservation Division chief, said the re-evaluation shall be undertaken within the year following the grace period. The result shall be the basis for reconsideration or termination of stewardship agreements.
“About 1,977 CSCs are candidate for cancellation for gross violations such as conversion to other land uses. The cancelled CSCs will be reverted to the government and an appropriate land tenure instrument shall be determined and recommended,” Cawilan added.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph C. Pablo, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Augusto D. Lagon, and Cawilan led the awarding of the projects. – Jhezza Española
December 5, 2023
