By Xavier Science Foundation, Inc
As the impacts of climate change intensify, leaders from across sectors gathered for the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Forum 2025 at the Xavier University Little Theater last 2 October 2025, a landmark event highlighting the critical role of ecosystems in building climate resilience. The forum brings together science, policy, Indigenous knowledge, financing innovations, and cross-sector partnerships to shape a more sustainable future for communities and the environment.
Co-presented by Xavier University, the Xavier Science Foundation (XSF), and various stakeholders, the event convened over 150 representatives from government, academe, civil society, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), and the private sector. The year's discussions focused on the pioneering PES-Kalatungan initiative at Mt Kalatungan in Bukidnon, a vital Key Biodiversity Area.
Established after Typhoon Sendong’s devastation in 2011, the PES-Kalatungan project enables downstream communities to fund reforestation and protection efforts led by Indigenous Peoples. This scheme promotes cross-sector collaboration, integrating science, policy, economy, and culture, to redefine how society values nature's services.
Xavier University President Fr Mars P Tan, SJ, DENR Region X Assistant Regional Director (ARD) Ronald Gadot Sr, and Forest Foundation Philippines Executive Director Atty Jose Andres Canivel emphasized the crucial role of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in tackling modern climate and environmental challenges.
ARD Gadot specifically affirmed the DENR's commitment to strengthening partnerships for forest restoration, watershed protection, and sustainable resource management in Northern Mindanao.
Meanwhile, Atty Canivel spoke about how PES goes beyond conservation financing, serving as a bridge that reconnects people and communities. “What’s important about PES is that it restores connectivity between people and communities. PES allows farmers, indigenous peoples, and people who live here in Cagayan de Oro to come together, work on a common problem, to work on a common solution, even though our circumstances may be different.”
The event was organized collaboratively by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region X and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region X, with support from the Forest Foundation Philippines and the National Land Coalition Philippines.