Indigenous Mandaya Community Conservation Planning for the “New-Normal”

PEF Facilitated the planning workshop with Mandaya Women of PM Sobrecarey

On September 26, 2020, Philippine Eagle “Malambugok” – a successfully rehabilitated eagle - was released back to its forest home in Barangay PM Sobrecarey, Caraga Davao Oriental. The Indigenous Mandaya community hosted the eagle release. They also promised to protect the eagle, and the rest of wildlife within their ancestral domain.

In pursuit of this community commitment, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) supported 18 forest guards and leaders, 17 Women, and 19 Youth members of the Indigenous Mandaya community of PM Sobrecarey. From January 14-16, 2021, they crafted their Covid-19 resilient conservation plan for 2021.

The three-day planning-workshop was generously hosted by Hon. Alicia B. Mori, Mayor of Caraga town in Davao Oriental.

Before they brainstormed the community plan, resource persons gave talks on various topics as inputs to the workshop. The resource persons were Dr. Chris Anthony Limen, Municipal Health Officer of Caraga, who shared about “Infection and prevention control of Covid 19”, and Mr. Jhonnel Villegas of Davao Oriental State University, who talked about Gender and Development.

Two more speakers provided inputs. Dr. Esacio Monday Jr. of PM Sobrecarey National High School shared about Indigenous culture and nature connectivity, while Ms. Jimbea Lucino, PEF Manager for Culture-based Conservation expounded on youth volunteerism. Engr. Jun Dela Rosa, Municipal Environment and Natural Resource Officer of Caraga also discussed the LGUs environmental policies.

The event culminated in the selection of officers for each of the Women and Youth association, and the finalization of their 2021 workplan. The women group also identified a priority livelihood activity, which the PEF would support as its Covid-19 emergency response aid to the wives of the forest guards.

The PEF’s culture-based conservation project at PM Sobrecarey is supported by the Australian Alumni Covid 19 Response Grants Scheme of the Australian Embassy, with supplemental funding from the Whitley Fund for Nature-UK and LGU Caraga.