The Rape of the Forest

Albagan’s past…

The condition of the forest in Albagan depicts that of Mt. Matutum in general. Where Albagan, in the past, had lush vegetation of highly diverse species of plants and animals, it now only has three hectares of forestland and eight hectares of plantation forest. This condition was brought about by the practice of illegal cutting of forest trees aggravated by ‘kaingin’ practices of residents. The natural springs were not spared from these destructive activities resulting to gradual drying up of existing springs, which threatened the barangay’s water resources. Added to this was the El Niño phenomenon hitting the place in 1997.

Majesty amidst devastation…

Mt. Matutum, which stands at 2,086 meters overlooking the South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos growth area in Southern Philippines, was once a highly biologically rich environment. In 1964, it was declared as a forest reserve by Presidential Proclamation No. 293 to protect 14,008 hectares of its forest cover from illegal logging, timber poaching, hunting, and other destructive activities. In March 20, 1995, it was declared as a protected landscape through Presidential Proclamation No. 552 under the National Integrated Protected Area System as a way of safeguarding the integrity of the traditional interaction between people and nature that, over time, has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological and cultural value.

Albagan is one of the 13 barangays of Tampakan, in the Province of South Cotabato. Although the natives of the town are the B’laans, majority of the residents are Cebuanos.

During the later part of the 1930s towards the early part of the 1940s, there was an influx of settlers from various parts of the country. This happened through the National Land Settlement Administration that administered and facilitated settlement. Logging concession, that granted timber companies to cut trees in commercial volume over vast tracks of land, came in the 1960s. This devastated the forest environment not only of Albagan, which used to be a sitio of Barangay Lambayong of Tampakan, but of most forested areas in the country. By the turn of the 1970s, when logging concessionaires abandoned logged areas, it became a rehabilitation site with government pouring in social, economic and infrastructure support. An agricultural support program came in 1995 through the Southern Mindanao Agricultural Program of the Department of Agriculture.

Evolution of a village-based enterprise…

In October 2001, the UDP officially entered Barangay Albagan, the third of four barangays that it covers in Tampakan. After a series of activities following the sustainable community development process, an upland barangay association was organized.

In April 2002, the association came up with the community watershed plan as their basis to pursue community development and environmental management work in the barangay. From June to August 2004, the community-based village enterprise development project was implemented through the Mahintana Foundation, Inc. As a result of the thorough organizational diagnosis, the association was able to define their respective roles and identify various potential community-based enterprises and zero in on seedling production and marketing as their priority enterprise.

After the business planning, MFI engaged the four sitios in the barangay into the production of indigenous species such as lawaan, bakan, nato, hindang, igem, among other. They did not find it difficult to implement the seedling production component of the enterprise, since they already had previous knowledge and experience in doing it.

However, the market or buyer for the seedlings was mostly to MFI, the same service provider assisting them. It shows a limitation in the sense that sales may stop if MFI stops buying, either by environmental conditions when time is not suitable for planting or a change in priorities. On the other hand, data on the market reveal that there may be a large market apart from the MFI that waits to be tapped.

A need for alternatives…

Seedling production and marketing is viable for Albagan. However, demand for indigenous seedlings is highly seasonal and vulnerable to the changing priorities of buyers. Although it is a good enterprise, it is deemed that other activities must be done on the side in preparation for slack or lean period. The communities must therefore diversify to survive trying times.