In its vision to promote and restore a sustainable landscape for the Taubuid and the biodiversity at Mts Iglt-Baco Natural Park - MIBNP , the D'ABOVILLE Foundation and Demo Farm Inc has organized a three day workshop in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, exploring the use of social-geography as a tool to document, understand and enhance the land-use system of the Taubuid communities residing within the Protected Area. The workshop is a continuation of the previous modules in para-anthropology and complement the permaculture approach initiated inside the Park, aiming at enhancing the skills and knowledge of DAF team, PAMO staff and Taubuid members to conduct such socio-ecological approach.
The first day of the workshop focused on the history of swidden agriculture from its origins in China, the Middle East, and Mexico more than 11,000 years ago up to the present where this farming system can still be observed in tropical areas of the world. During the second day, the participants learned how to use Google Earth and Inkscape in analyzing land uses and landscapes using available remote sensing data. On the third day, the participants crafted a framework for a sustainable land use and livelihoods system in the context of a natural park and identified priority areas for further investigation. Each participant was assigned a specific topic of research. The results of these specific research activities will feed into the formulation of the Community Conservation Plan (CCP) as spelled out in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (ENIPAS Act of 2018).
The workshop was preceded by a visit to the MIBNP that included discussions with Taobuid elders.
Our resource person for the workshop was Julia Tichit Navarro, a social geographer who graduated from the University of Montpellier in France and who conducted her PhD in Geography and Land Planning, studying urban agriculture of poor communities of Metro Manila.
This activity is supported by Re:wild, UK Aid and the Darwin Initiative.
