Participatory Rural Appraisal in the Lowland Ecosystem of Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental, Philippines Victor B. Amoroso Alita T. Roxas Emmanuel A. Lariosa Rosa Villa B. Estoista Oliva P. Canencia Danilo C. Mero George R. Arreza Romeo G. Bornales, Jr. Teresita L. Cambel Biodiversity Research Programme (BRP) for Development in Mindanao: Focus on Mt. Malindang and Environs Participatory Rural Appraisal in the Lowland Ecosystem of Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental, Philippines Victor B. Amoroso Alita T. Roxas Emmanuel A. Lariosa Rosa Villa B. Estoista Oliva P. Canencia Danilo C. Mero George R. Arreza Romeo G. Bornales, Jr. Teresita L. Cambel under the Biodiversity Research Programme (BRP) for Development in Mindanao: Focus on Mt. Malindang and Environs The Biodiversity Research Programme (BRP) for Development in Mindanao is a collaborative research programme on biodiversity management and conservation jointly undertaken by Filipino and Dutch researchers in Mt. Malindang and its environs, Misamis Occidental, Philippines. It is committed to undertake and promote participatory and interdisciplinary research that will promote sustainable use of biological resources, and effective decision-making on biodiversity conservation to improve livelihood and cultural opportunities. BRP aims to make biodiversity research more responsive to real-life problems and development needs of the local communities, by introducing a new mode of knowledge generation for biodiversity management and conservation, and to strengthen capacity for biodiversity research and decision-making by empowering the local research partners and other local stakeholders. The participatory rural appraisal in the lowland ecosystem of Mt. Malindang was conducted in 1999. Volume editors: Sylvia Katherine S. Lopez Carina S. Fule With the assistance of: Gerlie D. Rivera Philippine Copyright 2004 by the Biodiversity Research Programme for Development in Mindanao: Focus on Mt. Malindang and Environs. SEAMEO SEARCA, College, Laguna. ISBN 971-560-107-3 Funding for BRP is provided by the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation (DGIS) through the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Contents List of Figures Acronyms Executive Summary 1 l. Introduction 3 ll. Methodology 4 Site selection for the field reconnaisance Field reconnaisance Selection of barangays for the participatory rural appraisal Preparation and validation of checklist and guide questions PRA methods and techniques used Conduct of the PRA Data analysis Community validation meeting lll. General features of the study area 7 Geographic location and accessibility Area, topography and soils Vegetative cover and land use lV. Results and observations 8 Barangay Landing, Baliangao 8 Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga 16 Barangay Unidos, Plaridel 24 Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel 33 Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao 42 Barangay Calaran, Calamba 50 Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba 59 Barangay Mamalad, Calamba 69 Barangay Sixto Velez, Sapang Dalaga 78 Barangay Siloy, Calamba 86 Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran 96 V. Discussions 105 Vl. Training needs, information, education and communication (IEC), data banking, and immediate action for biodiversity conservation research 114 Vll. Problems, opportunities, and researchable areas 115 Vlll. Landscape and lifescape research themes 117 Conserving biodiversity “hotspots” in Mt. Amparo and its adjacent environs through appropriate land use practices 117 Reversing land degradation in the Langaran River watershed 119 lX. Conclusions 121 X. Literature Cited 123 Xl. Appendix Tables 124 List of Figures Fig. 1. The lowland ecosystem 3 Fig. 2. Village and resource use map of Barangay Landing, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 9 Fig. 3. Transect map of Barangay Landing, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 11 Fig. 4. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Landing, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 13 Fig. 5. Commodity flow in Barangay Landing, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 14 Fig. 6. Network analysis in Barangay Landing, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 15 Fig. 7. Village and land use map of Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 17 Fig. 8. Transect map of Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 18 Fig. 9. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 20 Fig. 10. Commodity flow in Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 21 Fig. 11. Network analysis in Barangay Dioyo, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 23 Fig. 12. Village and land use map of Barangay Unidos, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 26 Fig. 13. Transect map of Barangay Unidos, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, highlighting land use: tree plantation 28 Fig. 14. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Unidos, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 29 Fig. 15. Commodity flow in Barangay Unidos, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 30 Fig. 16. Network analysis in Barangay Unidos, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 32 Fig. 17. Village and resource map of Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 34 Fig. 18. Transect map of Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 36 Fig. 19. Quarrying area in Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 37 Fig. 20. Langaran River with a hanging bridge in Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 37 Fig. 21. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 38 Fig. 22. Commodity flow in Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 40 Fig. 23. Network analysis in Barangay Tipolo, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental 41 Fig. 24. Village and resource map of Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 44 Fig. 25. Transect map of Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental, highlighting soil properties along the transect 45 Fig. 26. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 47 Fig. 27. Commodity flow in Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 48 Fig. 28. Network analysis in Barangay Lumipac, Baliangao, Misamis Occidental 49 Fig. 29. Village and resource map of Barangay Calaran, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 51 Fig. 30. Transect map of Barangay Calaran, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 53 Fig. 31. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Calaran, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 54 Fig. 32. Commodity flow in Barangay Calaran, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 56 Fig. 33. Network analysis in Barangay Calaran, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 57 Fig. 34. Village and resource map of Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 60 Fig. 35. Transect map of Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 61 Fig. 36. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 64 Fig. 37. Commodity flow in Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 65 Fig. 38. Network analysis in Barangay Dapacan Alto, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 68 Fig. 39. Village and resource map of Barangay Mamalad, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 70 Fig. 40. Transect map of Barangay Mamalad, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 72 Fig. 41. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Mamalad, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 74 Fig. 42. Commodity flow in Barangay Mamalad, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 75 Fig. 43. Network analysis in Barangay Mamalad, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 76 Fig. 44. Village and resource map of Barangay Sixto Velez, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 79 Fig. 45. Transect map of Barangay Sixto Velez, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 80 Fig. 46. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Sixto Velez, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 82 Fig. 47. Network analysis in Barangay Sixto Velez, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental 84 Fig. 48. Village and resource map of Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 87 Fig. 49. Transect map of Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 88 Fig. 50. Habit of the primitive, rootless vascular plant (Psilotum complanatum) 89 Fig. 51. Habit of the threatened Tmesipteris lanceolata 89 Fig. 52. Mt. Amparo with its vegetation and range 89 Fig. 53. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 92 Fig. 54. Commodity flow in Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 93 Fig. 55. Network analysis in Barangay Siloy, Calamba, Misamis Occidental 95 Fig. 56. Village and resource map of Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran, Misamis Occidental 97 Fig. 57. Transect map of Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran, Misamis Occidental 98 Fig. 58. Cropping calendar and gender relations in labor use in Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran, Misamis Occidental 101 Fig. 59. Commodity flow in Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran, Misamis Occidental 102 Fig. 60. Network analysis in Barangay Sinampongan, Aloran, Misamis Occidental 104 Fig. 61. Coconut and corn are the major crops in the lowland ecosystem 107 Fig. 62. A high-value fruit tree (Garcinia mangostana) in Sixto Velez and Sinampongan 107 Fig. 63. Integrative network analysis 111 Fig. 64. Landscape and lifescape diagram of research theme 1 in the lowland ecosystem 118 Fig. 65. Landscape and lifescape diagram of research theme 2 in the lowland ecosystem 120 Acronyms ARC Agrarian Reform Community BHW Barangay Health Worker BRP Biodiversity Research Programme BSWM Bureau of Soils and Water Management CADC Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claims CARP Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program CASAMA Calaran sa Kaugnayang Magsasaka CIDSS Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services DA Department of Agriculture