DALLAY ANNAWI NGO Employee

allay is worried. Every time she goes back to her hometown in Besao, Mountain DProvince, she sees more and more forest being cleared and converted for agriculture. In Dallay’s area this conversion is for vegetable growing, a multi-million peso industry that historically supplies 75% of the country’s vegetables, now greatly aff ected by the liberalized entry of imported vegetables.

Vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, cabbages and other high value temperate-climate crops are grown in sloping gardens, and not terraced like the famous rice fi elds found in this mountainous region. Th e newly-opened gardens are located in not yet steep areas. Th e conversion is not extensive like the mountain sides of Java in Indonesia, but it is increasing and there is a progression up the mountainside.

Dallay acknowledges that traditionally “land is cleared to grow sweet potato and other products for subsistence and food security. Th en, these lands are allowed rest aft er some time. But the conversion that’s ongoing is making way for permanent crop lands and houses.”

She is particularly worried about Mount Polis, a thickly forested area shared by and , and there is an application for its classifi cation as a watershed but where vegetable gardens are starting to appear.

Dallay is worried that Mount Polis will turn out to be like Mount Data National Park, where deforestation and commercial farming expansion has turned the protected area into a “potato park,” a sad joke amongst the local communities. Despite government proclamations and protection projects initiated since the early 1970s, the deforestation and farm expansion continued. Already, the soils in Mount

Data are getting more acidic and less productive. Mountain forests and vegetable gardens: Why worry? 208 Forest Faces Mountain forests and vegetable gardens: Why worry? unilaterally wield the power to convert forest lands. change, land-use prohibit policies government that those where even authority,concern with the confirms This cover. forest into inroads increased sustainingtherebydispute, political of areas in exploited situationsare these and housing will continue to overtake the supply.remaining forest. Dallay shares that water as such implementation,infrastructure policy of prominence greater services is Unlessthere ecological securing in that not seems but conversion, it land so of advantage the to And involved money is management. there when wins infrastructure resource of part for as up project opened government be to a road a allowed area, the in gardens vegetable owns who staff, government local the of one that learned she recently,Just to water shortages.” due conflicts increasing are there and forests,interior more the to gardeners many tributaries of the Chico River and Pantabangan Dam, there is access by headwatermajorfor a provincesthattownsis mountain,theshareandthe it Polis is near an all-season accessible road, there in is a conversionboundary dispute amongst of area “the situation: Data Mount the with parallels several drawing already is She to faces. Polis initiativesMount that governmentthreat potential the local address together bringing of idea the exploring is management, resource natural in communities and governments local with working group researchenvironmental an with work her of part as Dallay, counterparts in Mountain Province have notdone so. supporting the “disestablishment” of Mount Data as a national park, but their agriculture over forests drove the Benguet provincial board to pass a resolution for drive the Meanwhile, strong farms. their despiteexpand to communitiesfrom pressure Rivers, Chico and Agno, , headwaters the uppermost of the tributaries major of for part as identified area small a fencing tried the within productivity also DENR agricultural The sizes. farm their expand to not but areas, farming identified maximize to where allowed Program were Management farmers Kaingin the expansion to perhaps happened are what They wondering farming located. are farms vegetable the commercial of most where Benguet that nearer especially Park,National acknowledge Data Mount of areas continuesunabatedin officials DENR be be true, that there are lots of opportunities, if people are willing to do manual, “In Mindanao, I was able to visit Agusan del Sur. The storiesI’ve heard seem to is notautomatic. the Seemingly, resources. are there resources are not enough to support but the population or access to the resources resources, limited are there that grant environment. I the match to seem not do houses The limited. though opportunities, thereeconomic areand degraded super“the not forestsareas Dallay reflects that thispoverty in Samar does not seem to match the landscape, in Eastern Samar.” not appear to be that security in the communities I visited in the poorer areas their home. There is strength in thecommunity in the Cordillera.Theredoes landof that piece a others can lend them for timea and where can they build to access family the allow will community larger thehave none, If they land. of piece small a have will family another,ora way one in but Cordillera, the in poverty is There me. indicatorsfor poverty are it, of lack the or livelihood land one can call one’s own. This lack of security in housing and land,plus the the Cordillera. Poverty for me includes a very insecure living area and without in poverty much that seen never have Samar.“I Eastern Borongan, in Oras, Dolores, riversin the along houses the of strongestwerememoriesthoseher Dallay’s work has brought her to areas outside of the and some Cordillera, of in used awaybe that sustains the future. cannotsomehow Culturalpresenthistory decisions. on bear to history their culture, the present communities and personalities cannot bring the wealth of historical rich a have ) and (Besao areas these if even that admits She lookingboth to seem be at short-term benefits at the moment,” notes. Dallay as picture, bigger the see can communities and LGUswhether say cannot I tourists. and But vegetables between balance a be to needs There forests.the “Where I come from, it is difficult to imagine Besao, and alsoSagada, without admits that forest protection cannot effective be without LGU.the Director Executive Regional the involvementand (LGU) unit government There is a push by theDENR’s officeregional in the Cordillera for more local

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