Situated at the heart of Loob-bunga Uplands, the half-hectare agro-forest garden aims to validate the suitability of various trees and crops in the uplands and to develop appropriate cropping systems that will enhance food sufficiency and generate additional income for the upland resettlers. The farm also intends to demonstrate soil and water conservation techniques appropriate in upland areas that in the long run will improve soil fertility and productivity. Gaia's Farm will also serve as the launching pad for a sustained reforestation program of Botolan forest zone. Being a demonstration site, Gaia's farm forms the nucleus of a 25-hectare agroforestry model farms for sustained upland development program in Botolan and in the longer term, the whole province of Zambales.

A nursery and seed bank is established as a strategic component in support of this goal. The Farm has a pool of agri-technicians that provide continuing hands-on training and technology demonstration to partner farmers and the wider community.

Among the indigenous plants are two species of bamboos (buho and lilit, a crawling variety of bamboo), 2 species of rattan, molave, duhat, bancal and banayuyo. Introduced crops include mango, cashew, gmelina, narra, aguho, mahogany, acacia aurie and mangium. To date, at least 107 plant species and their usage are identified of which 85 species are introduced annual crops, trees and shrubs. There are 23 kinds of fruit trees planted, 13 forest trees, 23 food crops, 26 herbs/ornamentals along with at least 21 identified indigenous species. Efforts to identify existing indigenous species are ongoing, including the collection of endangered species, medicinal plants and hardwood varieties already extinct in the locality. Species from the wild that were successfully propagated were akle and anahaw. Seedlings of ipil, a hardwood specie from Palawan was also planted in the farm.

Prepared by:
GABRIEL P. MONDRAGON
Technician
April 6, 2002

The greening projects in Zambales is now going on as planned, particularly in the Loob-Bunga Resettlement Area. At least 100 hectares are now targeted for planting with ipil-ipil to protect the immediate surroundings of the main water sources of the resettlers. This is the most critical area identified for immediate re-greening as water become very scarce now in the area. The prevailing El Nino has worsened this situation as forest fires continue to destroy most of the surrounding uplands.

Three barangay captains are now supporting the tree planting activities. Support is already requested from the office of Mayor Roger Yap, the new mayor of Botolan. With the mayor's full support, all the 11 barangay captains in the Loob-Bunga Resettlement Area might participate and support the re-greening activities. It is currently being worked out if the local government - barangay and municipal can support the tree planting activities by providing food-for-work assistance.

Aside from the local government units, the project had already secured the participation of at least 1 of the four schools in the resettlement area with about 200 pupils. The school in-charge is very supportive of the project and is willing to make the school a model project site for re-greening activities. Meetings with other teachers in-charge and principals are also on-going. It is hoped that all the 4 primary and secondary schools' support will be secured by school opening in June.

The re-greening project has also gained the support of other NGOs in Loob-Bunga. Already the Community of Learners Foundation, a national NGO focusing on family-based education and early childhood development, had adopted fuelwood production using ipil=ipil for livelihood of COLF program partners. Another potential major partner in the re-greening project is World Vision which have about 400 sponsored children in the resettlement area.

Training has been conducted in three villages in the resettlement area. Three nursery sites have been identified and being prepared. Initially, I am purchasing six kilos of ipil-ipil seeds for sowing by the second to third week of April. With additional resources later on, I plan to propagate and plant at least 20 kilos for this year.

To sustain the agro-forestry efforts in Loob-Bunga, I am initiating the formation of an Agroforestry Technical Support Team composed of at least 5 local volunteers both experience and trained in agroforestry technologies. Later on we plan to set up an Agroforestry Training and Resource Center in the area with the hands-on demonstration projects around the area.
This year we also plan to conduct grafting technology seminars to out-of-school youth and farmers. Seedling production, particularly with mango is a potentially viable livelihood for the resettlers.

The promotion of mango industry development is now gaining momentum with the increasing multisectoral and inter-agency support. We have now the Zambales Mango Industry Development Council. The government through the Department of Agriculture is providing more funds for mango industry development. Last April 4, President Gloria Arroyo spoke at the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University graduation rites and stressed the mango development thrust for Zambales. Thus, the promotion of mango-based agroforestry in Zambales could be a major undertaking from now on.

Another project we plan to undertake this year is to start reclaiming the Bucao River by planting ipil-ipil and other fast growing species in some portions of the river. If this experimental stage would succeed, there is a bigger plan to massively plant along the Bucao River to re-green as large portion as possible in the earliest time. Wind erosion of the lahar deposits along the river is a major health risk among Botolan residents every summer. We can engage the municipal government for this massive project later on when we have successfully proven that certain species can thrive in these lahar areas