1 PUSOD Inc. PUSOD Inc. 2011-2012 2011-2012 ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES OF ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES OF MALARAYAT ECOSYSTEM AND DEPENDENT MALARAYAT ECOSYSTEM AND DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE YEAR II COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE YEAR II FINAL REPORT FINAL REPORT With Fund Support from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) With Fund Support from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF)
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PUSOD Inc.PUSOD Inc.2011-20122011-2012
ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES OFADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES OF MALARAYAT ECOSYSTEM AND DEPENDENTMALARAYAT ECOSYSTEM AND DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE YEAR IICOMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE YEAR II
FINAL REPORTFINAL REPORT
With Fund Support from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF)With Fund Support from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF)
1. Identifying Information:
Name of Proponent: Pusod, Incorporated
Unit 19-M, 2nd Floor, Big Ben Complex
J.P. Laurel Highway, Lipa City
www.pusod.org
Project Title: Addressing Vulnerabilities of Malarayat Ecosystem and
The project would like to give profound gratitude and deep regards to the contributions of people and
institutions in the achievement of goals of the Mt Malarayat Forest Reserve conservation project.
Lipa Headwaters Council and members (City Environment and Natural Resource Office, City Planning and
Development Office, Sangguniang Panlungsod, City Agriculture, City Engineering, Metro Lipa Water District,
LIMA Water Corp., DENR and NPC). Sangguniang Barangay and community members of Barangay Sto
Nino and Barangay Talisay, in Lipa City. Deputized Forest Officers (DFOs) and members of Malaraya –
Malepunyo Watershed Protection Council (MMWPC)
The Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) Technical Staff for the support in the water
valuation study.
Our partners in tree planting and other initiatives: De La Salle Lipa, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde,
Pilipinas Kyohritsu Inc., BigBen Complex, Batangas State University - Lipa Campus, STI – Lipa City,
University of Batangas, Canossa Academy, Fernando Air Base, Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines – Sta. Rosa
Plant.
Earthday Network and Geoinfometrics for the assistance in the Rainforestation Program and GIS Training,
respectively.
The Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) for providing financial and technical
support to the project.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mt Malarayat Forest Reserve (MMFR), based on the Proclamation 842, covers approximately 1,210 hectares
of forestlands within the five upland communities in Lipa City. It is the remaining chunk of forest within
the Malaraya-Malepunyo mountain range. The proclamation was declared to protect the watershed and the
mountain range. Through the Department of Justice Resolution signed last November 2009, the jurisdiction
of Malarayat watershed given to the National Power Corporation (NPC) through Executive Order No. 224.
In response to the need to conserve the MMFR as a source of water to Lipenos and as a result of series of
consultations with the stakeholders, the local Government of Lipa initiated the creation of the Lipa
Headwaters Council in 2007. The LHWC shall take the lead in the conservation of Malarayat Watershed.
Conservation initiatives composed of trainings, seminars, and other activities were launched.
The whole mountain range is shared by the provinces of Batangas, Laguna and Quezon. The subwatershed
of the pilot areas directly drains to Padre Garcia, Batangas. Out of five (5) upland communities in the city
of Lipa, Brgys Sto Nino and Talisay communities were selected as pilot sites for the year 1 project. Brgys
Sto Nino and Talisay has a total population of 2,425 and 4,143, respectively.
Mt Malarayat has rich biodiversity. There are approximately 122 plant species, 63 species of birds, 35
species of herpetofauna and 16 mammals, among which the famous alamid (Paradoxus philippinensis) and
the threatened Luzon Bleeding Heart (Gallicolumba platenae) for birds also thrives within the forests of Brgy
Sto Nino and Talisay.
Ironically, as it was reflected in the delineated MFR map that there are obviously no more public land
within the forest reserve, all of which are titled or claimed. There are no more available areas for restoration
in Brgy Sto Nino and Talisay. While it was determined that the grasslands in Brgy Malitlit is a potential
reforestation area. This project focused on nurturing and maintaining the 5 hectares of grassland in Brgys.
Sto Nino and Talisay, planted with indigenous forest trees. Assisted natural regeneration and replanting,
protection and fireline establishment were carried out.
Family – based nurseries worked better for Brgy Sto Nino and Talisay during the first year of the project
than the community – managed nurseries thus families interested to get involved in nursery activities were
given the assistance and provided the needed planting stocks during the project period. A total of 10 families
and households from the pilot barangays benefitted from the supplemental income derived from selling
native tree seedlings.
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The result of the delineation activity in the first year inferred that there are no more available public lands
within the forest reserve thus, the project focused on nurturing the trees planted in the 5 hectares of open
grassland through assisted natural regeneration and replanting, protection and firelines. While the project was
not yet able to solicit the support of the 135 land owners, the project increased the awareness of the
communities and other stakeholders on the importance of the watershed and its conservation. While there
was difficulty in the protection of planted trees in Brgy Talisay due to the accessibility and its location, the
project ensured that maintenance in both barangays were ensured through regular maintenance partnership
with the community and partners from private sector.
Enforcement is among the promising focus of intervention in the future as local community patrol group has
already undertaken series of capacity – building through the expanded – paralegal training in partnership
with Tanggol Kalikasan. The support to the Mt Malarayat Watershed Protection Council MWPC) may
contribute to increased local policy – formulation towards watershed protection that will back-up the
enforcement interventions. Also with the support of NPC in the forest protection activities, it is hoped that
pressure on the remaining forest vegetation is reduced.
It has been proven still that the political environment in Lipa City is not ripe for ecosystem service charges
for water usage as there are still remaining objections on reassigning the use of the current P10 from its
existing use as environmental fee for solid waste management to the funds for watershed conservation. In
the study conducted by ERDB in collaboration with Pusod, showed that households in Lipa City are in
favor the creation of a trust fund and contribute as much as P25 per household per month to ensure that
there is a sustainable supply of water in the future.
Since the Metro Lipa Water District has not fully fulfilled its mandate for watershed protection under the
law. Continuous promotion of watershed conservation to Lipa Headwaters Council members was undertaken
to increase support to conservation interventions for Malarayat ecosystem. The LHWC will be facing more
challenges ahead due to the political climate in Lipa City (May 2013 National Elections, October 2013
Local Elections). With these, programs must involve more private partners while continuously building the
capacity of the LGU.
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TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Project Description 7
Project Highlights 9
Initiatives with other Conservation Partners 19
Sustainability Mechanism and Lessons Learned 21
Management Issues and Concerns 23
Recommendations 24
Annexes 25
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The Mt Malarayat Watershed Conservation Project Year II
I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A.A. IntroductionIntroduction
At the advent of climate change and continuous pressure to watershed and forest ecosystems in the
country, Mt Malarayat Forest Reserve is not exempted in this current general environmental condition. The
project fueled the important activities of the Lipa Headwaters Council, National Power Corporation and
DENR in the implementation of priority actions for Mt Malarayat Forest Reserve amidst the climate change
crisis.
The result of the hydrologic study conducted in the first year of the project concluded that water
received by the watershed is lessened with changing climate and thus immediate interventions to mitigate its
impact to water supply is to be undertaken. The MFR with the chunk of forest left is the source of
groundwater supply to Lipa City. Moreover, the risk and vulnerability assessment focused on the vegetation
cover with implication to biodiversity, watershed capacity and land –use change, yielded that there is a
45% decrease in the closed forest (broadleaved) from 189 hectares to 85 hectares and 4% increase in the
open forest and 60% increase in cultivated lands.
The main objective of the second year remained to be the identification followed by full
comprehension of the vulnerabilities of the watershed ecosystem of Mt. Malarayat and provision of
information to the Lipa Headwaters Council to enable them to address these vulnerabilities and enhance
ecosystem resilience. Specific objectives include continuing research that would point the way towards more
efficient and strategic interventions, community engagement and enhanced local capacities geared towards
protection and responsiveness to the vulnerabilities, institutional arrangements to make these gains
sustainable, and wide public dissemination to gain support.
B. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
The objective of the project is to identify vulnerabilities of the watershed ecosystem of Malarayat
and dependent communities and provide information to the Lipa City Headwaters Council to be able to
address these vulnerabilities and enhance ecosystem resilience. Since climate change impacts are varied, the
project will continue to undertake biodiversity protection and management, identify effective management
systems to address conservation and vulnerability issues, and identify innovative conservation techniques and
approaches to enhance watershed ecosystem and continued provision of environmental services, particularly
water resources to residents and business establishments in Lipa City.
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C. The Bigger Picture
The project fueled the important activities of the Lipa Headwaters Council, National Power
Corporation and DENR in the implementation of priority actions for Mt Malarayat Forest Reserve amidst of
climate change crisis.
Resources from the different stakeholders and key players were pooled and were put to use. Aside
from the financial and technical support from the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation, the
national government agencies such as NAPOCOR and DENR also provided assistance in the decision –
making of important issues in Malarayat Forest Reserve.
The local government of Lipa City is the Chair of the LHWC. However, in the absence of Mayor
Meynard Sabili, Committee Chair for Environment and Health City Councilor Councilor Avior Rocafort
presided most of LHWC meetings. The Lipa Headwaters Council served as the platform in complementing
activities and preventing replication of interventions leading to a more maximized and optimized use of the
government and other financial resources.
The native trees nurseries established in the pilot barangay served as a model to the rest of the 72
barangays for the MAS to Million Project of Lipa City. Barangay Talisay participated in the Rainforestation
Forest Restoration Initiative (RFRI). This served as an encouragement to the communities in finding
additional means of income and as a positive response to the watershed conservation. Moreover, the
biological fencing along the MFR boundaries, which is supposedly one of the components of the next
Malarayat Proposal, was implemented by the City ENRO in partnership with NPC. However, during the
Malarayat Water Forum, a question was raised regarding the introduced species, Delonix regia that is being
used in the biological fencing of MMFR. With this, Pusod, Inc has drafted a letter of inquiry to UPLB
College of Forestry to get their opinion regarding the species mentioned (see Annex).
The NPC promotes co-management of its geothermal reserves. Thus, the MAKBAN Watershed Area
Team, led by its Chief Eliseo Calleja together with the other members of LHWC, conducted an evaluation
of the NPC – managed reforestation site in Brgy Malitlit. The NPC endorsed adoption of the 30-hectare
reforestation plots for maintenance and protection to interested companies and offices.
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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS (Outcome and Expected Results)PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS (Outcome and Expected Results)
The project paved a way for more permanent, dynamic and sustainable watershed conservationThe project paved a way for more permanent, dynamic and sustainable watershed conservation
program. It has offered opportunities for partnership and co-management scheme that is highly likely toprogram. It has offered opportunities for partnership and co-management scheme that is highly likely to
work for the communities and the resource under protection. The participation of additional stakeholders inwork for the communities and the resource under protection. The participation of additional stakeholders in
the arena of management decisions concerning the watershed resources will create balance in the pace andthe arena of management decisions concerning the watershed resources will create balance in the pace and
mobilization of set goals and activities. mobilization of set goals and activities.
1. Restoration of Degraded Areas through Stakeholder Mobilization
The restoration activities opened up for opportunities for public-private partnership in undertaking
the restoration and protection of grassland areas in MFR, with emphasis on the use of native tree
species. The stewardship of the watershed resources is increased. The trust to ecosystem
rehabilitation is somehow realized through the project. While the local practice and perception on
open areas rehabilitation is difficult to alter, the project efforts are slowly gaining the trust and
preference of the local people involved in restoration activities.
The project partnered with the different sectors in the conduct of tree growing activities which
involve planting and maintenance as well as the nursery activities. This provided opportunities for
private companies to appreciate conservation initiatives of the community and thus supporting the
restoration activities as well. Volunteers from academic institutions and colleges in Lipa City and
Manila, STI – Lipa, BSU, University of Batangas, PKI, Bigben Complex, DENR, LHWC and
other partners to conduct replanting and maintenance in the planting sites. Various stakeholders were
mobilized to maintain the trees planted in the grasslands in the two barangays. Tree planting
activities, maintenance operation and foot patrols were conducted in the course of the project
through the support of volunteers from the academe, from the private sector and from the
Sangguniang Barangay.
In Barangay Sto Nino, 2600 seedlings were maintained. The project considers the restoration
activities in the planting sites in Brgy Sto. Nino a success. The native trees used grew well even in
the grassland areas (Annex 1). The project and the community conducted maintenance activities
during the wet season and patrolling and during the dry season. With the continuous maintenance
the grassland area the project and the communities expects that there the area will soon be covered
with forest vegetation. The trees maintained in the grassland area in Barangay Sto Nino include