HOW COULD COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT SITES BECOME THE KEYS TO REFORESTATION?

 HOW COULD COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT SITES BECOME THE KEYS TO REFORESTATION?

Could watershed restoration, environmental protection, indigenous peoples' welfare, and reforestation possibly be combined into one national strategy?

Many people think these are separate programs that should be managed independently. I disagree. In fact, I believe they should be integrated into one comprehensive program. Better still, why stop there? We could also incorporate wildlife protection, rewilding, food security, climate security, and sustainable livelihoods.

Let me clarify one important point. Wildlife protection is not the same as rewilding. Wildlife protection means conserving the animals that still survive in their natural habitats. Rewilding goes one step further by breeding native species and restoring them to the wild where they once thrived.

Likewise, reforestation is not incompatible with agriculture. That is precisely the essence of agroforestry, where trees and crops are grown together to protect the environment while generating income. We should even consider afforestation—the establishment of forests in areas that have long been devoid of trees. Together, reforestation and afforestation contribute not only to biodiversity but also to climate security.

This is why I see Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) sites as strategic assets. The DENR-Forest Management Bureau recently showcased several CBFM people's organizations to demonstrate how forest protection and community enterprises can go hand in hand. Their products include coffee, cacao, bamboo, wild honey, woven handicrafts, natural fibers, teas, and other forest-based products that generate livelihoods without destroying the forest.

What impressed me most is that CBFM shifts forest management from government control alone to community stewardship. When local communities become legal custodians and beneficiaries of the forest, they naturally protect it from illegal logging, forest fires, and destructive practices because their own livelihood depends on its survival.

I believe we can do even more. Upland rice, root crops, fruit trees, bamboo, poultry, and livestock can coexist under properly designed agroforestry systems. Backyard gardening, tree planting, and organic farming can all become integral parts of CBFM communities. The food produced should not only generate income but also help feed poor families.

Mechanization should likewise reach these upland communities. Shredders and tractors, such as those offered by Mr. Ramon Uy, Sr.’s RU Foundry and Machinery, Inc. (RUFMI), could enable farmers to produce their own organic fertilizers and cultivate their land more efficiently. Through the company's Pandayan Program, communities could even fabricate and repair their own farm tools and equipment, reducing maintenance costs while creating local employment.

Our indigenous peoples should also be recognized as valuable partners. Their traditional knowledge of native species, watersheds, and forest ecology has been passed down through generations and should guide many of our restoration efforts.

The challenge before us is no longer simply planting millions of trees. It is building self-sustaining forest communities where environmental protection, food production, livelihood generation, watershed restoration, wildlife conservation, and climate resilience reinforce one another.

What could be better than protecting our forests while also protecting our watersheds, our wildlife, our indigenous communities, and our food security? If we truly want lasting reforestation, Community-Based Forest Management may well hold one of the most important keys.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com  09088877282/08-16-2027