Cagayan de Oro City – The Higaonon are the first peoples, the original peoples of Northern Mindanao. Through generations they have been able to assert their rights to cultural integrity and maintain ecological stability. This concept becomes all the more clear if one takes a closer look at the intact forest ecosystems of the Higaonon in Bukidnon, especially in the areas surrounding Mount Kimangkil.

The Higaonon residing in and around Mt. Kimangkil form a corridor of ancestral domains with good quality forests. The members of AGMIHICU from Bgy Hagpa, Impasugong Bukidnon have kept a balance of the forest ecosystem through customary zonation and self-regulation of sanctuaries and multiple use zones. Through methods of sustainable use of forests, the Higaonon near Kimangkil now stand proud of their expansive forests covering almost 70% of the entire ancestral domain of 14,000 hectares.

Under the leadership of Amay Mantangkilan, the recognized cheiftain of the area, the community delineated these sanctuary areas for greater understanding of these ecosystems for future Higaonon youth and for the general public, especially those that may want to convert the area into other land uses.

The Higaonon, through the efforts of the youth have also documented the natural sanctuary systems through a video entitled “Kalasan”, a Visayan work meaning “Forest”.

The video will be launched and the concept of indigenous forest corridors further explained in the 3 day, Kimangkil Indigenous Peoples Forest Corridor Conference (KIPFCC) held in Searsolin, Cagayan De Oro City. The activity is being organized to take stock of the activities in the area to gain further recognition and support for sustainable development and forest management activities by indigenous peoples. The conference will take place on April 1-3, 2009 and brings together over 80 indigenous representatives, NGOs, government officials, and academe to exchange views on the dissemination and possible expansion of the indigenous forest corridor concept.

Other topics to be discussed during the conference are forest corridor governance drawing from the experience of the Subanen in Zamboanga del Sur, indigenous community conserved areas (ICCAs) and climate change and forests. The Forest Corridor Conference is organized by Anthrowatch, Non-timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia (NTFP-EP), Upholding Life and Nature (ULAN) and the Foundation for Philippine Environment (FPE) in collaboration with Father Vincent Cullen Tulugan Learning and Development Center (FVCTLDC), LRC-KSK, Green Mindanao, Balay Mindanao and Samdhana Institute.

The conference is an activity of a larger indigenous forest corridor project implemented nationally in 8 communities in 5 sites. The project seeks to empower local communities in the sustainable management of indigenous forest corridors through interdisciplinary strategies such as land titling, livelihood development, law enforcement and conservation. The project is supported by the European Commission.

Secretariat

Forest Corridor Conference
Searsolin, Cagayan de Oro City
c/o carlrebuta [at] gmail [dot] com