Our Work In The Philippines
Population: 256,000
Overview

36,000 hectares of forest were lost in 1999-2000.
Our Project:

The Trees for the Future's environment program in Zambales gained significant headway this year with the establishment of Gaia's Forest Farm, a half-hectare agro-forestry model farm right at the heart of Loob Bunga forest zone. Aside from the continuous seedling production from the nursery, the Forest Farm also served as a hands-on training ground for upland farmers and out-of-school youth. We also established a better working relationship with the local government of Botolan, the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, public schools, NGOs, and civic organizations in Zambales to better address reforestation on the denuded uplands.
Current Status

 
 





burundimap
Click here to view an interactive map
   
Environmental Issues
The dry season in Southeast Asia's mountains is long and hot. This is especially true where the forests have been cleared - that's almost everywhere in the Philippines where only 2% of the original forests remain.

Nature protects these barren lands with a rank grass, Imperata cylindrica, locally called Talahib. It's thick and tough and can grow on poor and degraded soils to a height of more than 10 feet.
When the uplands get hot and dry, it's almost explosive. Then all it takes is one spark. This happened during the "El Niño" in 1998. For weeks, smoke from the fires blackened the skies from Jakarta to Singapore to Manila, killing thousands. Each year the grass fires wipe out hundreds of upland villages and have been the end of many well-intentioned reforestation projects. Orchards of mango and other fruit trees are especially susceptible and, from bad experiences, farmers have learned to build firebreaks to save their fruit.
 
Social Issues
Only 82 percent of the population has access to clean drinking water.
contour planting
technician with banana trees
dave and grace at a project
Contour Planting
Technician with banana trees
Dave and Grace evaluating a project

Our Response
We use "living" firebreaks to protect orchards int he area. They are about 40 feet wide, consisting of about 7 rows of trees that stay green and cool during the dry season. The shaded land beneath them maintains lush undergrowth making a solid, cool and green barrier about 20 feet high. When these breaks are planted in gridworks, they can stop almost any grass fire.

They work because they quickly become solid green walls. One reason for this, and for their popularity in the community, is this undergrowth. Under the protection of these trees people can plant many other food crops: papaya, bananas, pineapple, different root crops. The continuing leaf fall from the trees fertilizes and shades them while holding moisture on the land.

This project, begun by TREES Technician Gabby Mondragon in the northwest Philippines is teaching this technology to the people of the upland villages. He's getting help from nearby Magsaysay Technological University, from various government agencies, and from a fast- growing number of local NGO's. The demonstration farm he started with TREES serves 23 upland villages scattered over an area of thousands of acres. We're helping people work together to turn the brown mountains green again.
 
Program Update

Spring 2009

The Philippines program has grown significantly in the past few months as The Philippine Government unveiled a stimulus package which focuses on agriculture and aims to relocate the urban poor to mountains and hillsides where they would hopefully can create a sustainable life for themselves and their families. The Government has assisted us with land grants which are contingent upon us reforesting the land which they have allotted to us. Spearheading the work in the Philippines is Danny Zabala and other members of TREES Philippines, who are working extra hard to get seedlings in all of the nurseries out planted in the field as the rainy season has come a bit early for them this year. We plan to build our relationship with our working partners to enable us to expand the program even more in 2010.


List of Partnering Organizations  

Institute of Natural Healing

  
Municipal Government Botolan, Zambales
Ramon Magsaysay Technological University
ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI)
Total Rural Development, Inc (TRDI)
Community of Learners' Foundation
Lion's Club
 
Trees for the Future | P.O. Box 7027 | Silver Spring, MD 20907 | 1.800.643.0001 or 1.301.565.0630 | Skype: treesftf