Environmental conservation efforts have historically disregarded the concerns and interests of local peoples. This approach not only infringes upon basic human rights and needs, it also hinders the effectiveness of conservation programs. Such narrowly focused policies result in an emphasis on policing the area of concern, rather than viewing it as an opportunity to utilize local knowledge, create jobs, and expand conservation endeavors beyond the boundaries of officially designated protected areas. Challenges to the old conservation standards have prompted fundamental changes to conservation in various parts of the world. One notable example in the Philippines is the transition from colonial-era strict forestry regulations to community-based resource management.
Deforestation has long been a problem in the Philippines. The country's first bureau of forestry was established in 1863 by the Spanish colonial government. With administrative control over vast amounts of land, the bureau's management "consisted in granting timber concessions and policing forestry measures which prohibited and penalized illegal incursions into the forest and the unauthorized exploitation of forest resources" (Bagadion, 2000). The bureau was also responsible for reforestation. Further laws prohibited shifting cultivation, enforced through fines and penalties as extreme as incarceration and expulsion from forest land (Bagadion, 2000). This so called "plant-punish-police" system continued during the American colonial administration and the post-World War II independent Philippine government (Bagadion, 2000).
While the policies were strict, they were unsuccessful in alleviating deforestation. Flaws in the system included lack of resources to enforce the regulations, concessions made to satisfy industrial demands, and the fact that programs ignored the underlying causes of deforestation - including social and economic aspects. Beginning in the 1970s, more enlightened approaches to forest protection slowly shifted legislation and project plans towards incentive-based programs that involved the participation of forest dwellers. This was an unknown world, however, so the Bureau of Forest Development had to learn how to manage and implement programs with participatory strategies. "Transforming from an agency that formerly prosecuted upland farmers as trespassers or squatters, to an agency that would work with the local people as partners was a giant step" (Bagadion, 2000).
National initiatives wrought a new paradigm of participatory conservation in the Philippines. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) currently has a number of projects and programs in place that incorporate community involvement in conservation efforts. The Community-Based Forestry Program "aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the communities through the promotion of social justice, equitable access and sustainable development of forestland resources" (DENR, n.d.). The Low Income Upland Communities Project (LIUCP) partners the DENR with Local Government Units (LGUs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to tackle environmental and socio-economic concerns in an integrated fashion (DENR, n.d.). Foreign assisted programs such as the Peace Corps' Community-Based Conservation of Important Biodiversity Areas (CCIBA) ("Your Assignment", n.d.), and the Philippine-German Community Forestry Project - Quirino (DENR, n.d.) also recognize the importance of conserving natural resources through community participation and environmental awareness. Through these and other activities, local peoples are finally recognized as important cogs in conservation efforts rather than conflicts of interest.
Bagadion, B.C., Jr. (2000). Social and political determinants of successful community-based forestry. In P. Utting (Ed.), Forest policy and politics in the Philippines (pp. 117-143). Manila, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press and the United Research Institute for Social Development.
"DENR - Green Environment." (n.d.). Retrieved 7 October 2003 from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources website: http://www.denr.gov.ph/article/articleview/18/1/23/
"Your Assignment." (n.d.). Peace Corps assignment description: Protected Area Community Educator in the Philippines. Washington, D.C.
| ©2003-2005
Marla Chassels