Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022): Participating Institutions: Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (MBCFI) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Philippine National Police (PNP); Philippine Army (PA); Local Government Units of Naujan, Baco, and San Teodoro; Mangyan Mission; Mindoro Ecological and Sustainable Agriculture Federation (MESAFED); Kapulungan Para sa Lupang Ninuno (KPLN); Samahan ng mga Nagkakaisang Mangyan Alangan (SANAMA); Mal-anggatan Iraya Paranawan Kakuyayan, Inc. (MIPK); Samahan ng mga Alangan sa Baco; Halcon Mountaineering Society (HALMS); Sialdang Mountaineering Club Consultant: Errol A. Gatumbato Cover Photo: Emelina Mandia, Ph.D. Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 FOREWORD This conservation and management plan of the Mt. Halcon Range in Oriental Mindoro province is the general output of the planning processes convened and facilitated jointly by the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro and the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. The provincial government issued Executive Order No. 47, entitled “An Executive Order Creating the Technical Working Group to Formulate the Mt. Halcon Conservation and Protection Plan, Defining its Functions and for Other Purposes.” The said EO provided a mandate for the different planning processes to proceed, and defined the framework for the development of this plan. This plan aims to serve as a guide to stakeholders in the management of Mt. Halcon as a biodiversity important site and as a culturally significant area. Representatives from local government units, Indigenous Peoples, non-government organizations, and concerned national government agencies led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, participated in a series of planning workshops conducted for the development of this management plan. The different plans of these stakeholders pertaining to Mt. Halcon, including the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plans of the IPs, were considered and input in this document. It should be noted that since Mt. Halcon has no specific technical spatial coverage, the management planning attempted to define the boundaries of the site based on its biological and physical attributes as a watershed. As such, the different sub- watersheds within the Mt. Halcon Range were delineated and became the management units in the spatial analysis of this plan. The provincial government and MBCFI commissioned a consultant, who has an extensive background on natural resources conservation planning, governance and institutional arrangements, protected area management, and project planning, monitoring and evaluation, to assist in facilitating the different planning exercises and provide technical assistance.. The consultant was tasked to ensure participatory planning processes, and develop the planning framework to make sure that the planning exercises and corresponding output are within the standards of appropriate and applicable regulations in relation to the status of Mt. Halcon as a Key Biodiversity Area of the Philippines. In the preparation of this document, the consultant and MBCFI worked together to review the various planning output, and provided additional notes and input to elaborate more clearly on what was discussed and presented in the planning sessions. The issues and concerns presented during planning are explained further to provide more context, while the goals, objectives, and strategies are presented in detail, based on the listed points of the participants in the strategic planning workshop. 2 Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page No. Foreword 2 List of Acronyms 5 List of Figures 6 List of Tables 6 List of Boxes 7 Executive Summary 8 1. Introduction 16 2. Management Planning Framework 17 2.1. Objectives 17 2.2. Content, Process Flow, and Methods 18 3. Mindoro Bio-Geographic Setting 19 3.1. Mindoro as Biodiversity Important Site 19 3.2. Mindoro as Cultural Heritage Site 24 4. Mt. Halcon Range Conservation Profile 28 4.1. Geo-Physical Characteristics 28 4.1.1. Location 29 4.1.2. Elevation 30 4.1.3. Slope 32 4.1.4. Watershed 35 4.1.5. Geology and Mineral Resources 36 4.1.6. Soil 38 4.1.7. Climate 39 4.1.8. Land Cover 41 4.1.9. Land Tenure Instruments 43 4.2. Biological Resources 45 4.2.1. Flora 45 4.2.2. Fauna 58 4.2.3. Habitat and Life Support Function 59 4.3. Socio-Cultural and Economic Conditions 59 4.3.1. Cultural Significance of Mt. Halcon Range 59 4.3.2. Socio-Economic Profile of LGUs Covering Mt. Halcon 70 Range (Baco, Naujan and San Teodoro) 4.3.2.1. Demographic Characteristics 70 4.3.2.2. Livelihood and Income Sources 74 4.3.2.3. Land Use Categories 76 4.3.2.4. Social Institutions and Services 76 5. Institutional Arrangements 78 5.1. Ancestral Domain Context 78 5.2. Local Government Perspective and Co-Management System 81 5.3. Community-Based Forest Management Framework 82 5.4. Protected Area Management Scheme 83 5.5. Critical Habitat Mechanism 85 6. Conservation and Management Issues, Concerns and Challenges 85 3 Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 7. Mt. Halcon Strategic Plan 89 7.1. Vision 89 7.2. Goals and Objectives 89 7.3. General Strategies and Directions 91 7.3.1. Biodiversity Conservation Program 91 7.3.2. Socio-Cultural and Economic Assistance Program 93 7.3.3. Biologically and Culturally Sensitive Ecotourism 95 Development Program 7.3.4. Institutional Strengthening and Partnership Program 95 7.4. General Work Plan 96 7.4.1. Biodiversity Conservation Program 97 7.4.2. Socio-Cultural and Economic Assistance Program 100 7.4.3. Biologically and Culturally Sensitive Ecotourism 101 Development Program 7.4.4. Institutional Strengthening and Partnership Program 102 8. Proposed Institutional Mechanism for the Management of Mt. 103 Halcon 9. Five-Year Schedule of Activities and Indicative Budget 104 10. Monitoring and Evaluation 113 4 Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 LIST OF ACRONYMS ADSDPP Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan ARNP Apo Reef Natural Park BC Basement Complex CADC Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim CADT Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title CBFM Community-Based Forest Management CBFMP Community-Based Forest Management Program CI Conservation International CLUP Comprehensive Land Use Plan CNA Conservation Needs Assessment CPA Conservation Priority Area CRMF Community Resource Management Framework DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development EBA Endemic Bird Area EIAS Environmental Impact Assessment System EO Executive Order FFI Flora and Fauna International FPIC Free and Prior Informed Consent FTAA Financial Technical Assistance Agreement GIS Geographic Information System IBA Important Bird Area IP Indigenous People/s IPO Indigenous Peoples Organization IPRA Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act IRR Implementing Rules and Regulations KBA Key Biodiversity Area KPLN Kapulungan Para sa Lupang Ninuno LGU Local Government Unit MBCFI Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. MIPK Mal-anggatan Iraya Paranawan Kakuyayan MOA Memorandum of Agreement MKFI Mindoro Kabuhayan Foundation, Inc. MPSA Mineral Production Sharing Agreement NCIP National Commission for Indigenous Peoples NSO National Statistics Office PA Protected Area PAMB Protected Area Management Board PAWB Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau PBCFI Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. PNP Philippine National Police RA Republic Act RED Regional Executive Director RUP Resource Use Permit 5 Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 SANAMA Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Mangyan Alangan UP University of the Philippines LIST OF FIGURES Number Title Figure 3.1.a. Mindoro Land Cover Map Figure 3.1.b. The Philippines' Updated Bio-geographic Zones Figure 3.1.c. Key Biodiversity Areas of the Philippines Figure 3.2.a. Ethno-Linguistic Map of Mindoro Figure 3.2.b. Ancestral Domains in Mindoro Figure 4.1.1. Administrative Coverage Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.2.a. Elevation Gradient of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.2.b. Elevation Gradient Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.3.a. Slope Categories of Mt. Halcon Sub-watersheds (in terms of land area in hectares) Figure 4.1.3.b. Slope Categories of Mt. Halcon Sub-watersheds Shown as Stacked Plots Figure 4.1.3.c. Slope Map of Mt. Halcon Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.5.a. Geology of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.5.b. Geology Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.6. Soil Classification Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.7.a. Annual Precipitation Experienced in Mt. Halcon Range Sub- watersheds Figure 4.1.7.b. Rainfall Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.8. Land Cover Map of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Figure 4.1.9. Land Instruments Map within the Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds LIST OF TABLES Number Title Table 3.1.a. Mindoro Land Cover (2003) Table 3.1.b. Mindoro Key Biodiversity Area Table 3.2.a. Mangyan Tribes and Their Organizations Table 3.2.b. List of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles and Claims in Mindoro Table 4.1. Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds, Land Area and Administrative Coverage Table 4.1.1. Administrative Coverage of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Table 4.1.2. Elevation Gradient of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Table 4.1.7. Annual Mean Precipitation Experienced in Mt. Halcon Range Sub- watersheds Table 4.1.8.a. Land Cover Types of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Table 4.1.8.b. Percentage of Forest Cover of Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Table 4.1.9.a. List of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claims Issued in Mt. Halcon Range Sub-watersheds Table 4.1.9.b. List of Mining Tenements Issued in Mt. Halcon Range Sub- watersheds 6 Mount Halcon Conservation and Management Plan (2012-2022) January 2012 Table 4.2.1.a.