schoolscolleges2020 hed news

Text by Xyla Mercedita E Gualberto | Photos by Francismer R Gascon

The Philippines has seen a number of development opportunities in the global scene. But despite of this, it still faces one of the common problems that the whole world is confronted with — land depletion.

This is a time of tight competition over land resources due to rising commercial pressures, threats to food security and environmental degradation.

There is a need for the local stakeholders to be equipped with effective and innovative science-based solutions to attain sustainable land use.

With this, Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) through the Institute of Land Governance (ILG) in partnership with the International Land Coalition (ILC), Xavier University and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) spearheaded an intensive two-week training on Participatory GIS-based Zoning on April 13-24 at the Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute (XU-SEARSOLIN).

The training theme “Capacitating Emergent Leaders for Sustainable Land Use” was aimed at enhancing the knowledge, awareness and basic skills of the participants to assist local government units and communities in land use planning, conflict prevention and resolution among land users as well as conduct land mapping and zoning using Geographic Information System.

Land use in Region 10 and in the Philippines

The opening ceremony was graced by representatives from the civil society organizations, the academe and the government offices who are pushing for sustainable land use.

The morning session focused on land use plan in the perspective of local development where Dr Jose P Gatus, former director of the Bureau of Lands and forester Raoul Geollegue, a senior consultant of the Relief International – Enterprise Worldwide Philippines (RI-EWWP) graced the event with their talks on Grassroots Planning: Barangay Land Governance and Ecosystem Perspective in Land Use, respectively.

Both speakers stressed the importance of empowering local leaders and to have the ridge-to-reef consciousness in attaining sustainable land use.

The afternoon session provided the background context of the proposed National Land Use Act (NLUA) to the Philippine Congress. Lawyer Mary Claire Demaisip of KAISAHAN, the legal counsel and adviser to Senator Loren Legarda presented the benefits of NLUA and why it needs support from emergent leaders.

Technical and experiential approaches

Nine emergent leaders from different sectors (academe, tribal group, LGUs, CSOs, among other) formed the first batch of graduates of the zoning course.

In two weeks, modules on land use planning and management in the Philippines, mapping tools and techniques for land use zoning, and a guided practicum were implemented to enhance their understanding and appreciation of how forest activities in the uplands can affect rivers and communities in the lowlands. They also went on a ridge-to-reef fieldtrip.

Moreover, their practicum was held at Barangay Miarayon in Talakag Bukidnon where a participatory community mapping was introduced together with members of the Miarayon -Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan Tribal Association (MILALITTRA). The workshop exercise helped the locals identify the natural resources within their ancestral domain. The map will then be digitized to create a more accurate, integrated map to be used by the MILALITTRA in enhancing their community development plan (CDP).

Jay Martin Ablola, a participant from the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform (ANGOC) said “Para sa akin, first time ko na mapunta sa isang ancestral domain, iba siya d’un sa kinalakahihan ko na highly-urbanized area. Ang maganda din d’un sa mga lecture, bukod na technical siya, experiential din siya. [It is very] personal sa mga lecturer”.

(For me, it is my first time to go to an ancestral domain, which is different from where I was growing up which is in a highly-urbanized area. The beautiful thing about the lectures, aside from they were technical, they were experiential, too. [It is] very personal for the lecturers.”)

The training sought to combine the strength and capacities of the local leaders with that of the GIS technology, encouraging a bottom-up approach in land use planning.

Engr Reanael Tabamo, a participant from the municipality of Kapatagan in Lanao del Norte said, “Nang dahil sa training na ‘to, mas naging knowledgeable ako [kung] ano iyong mga bagay na dapat nating i-consider kapag gumagawa tayo ng land use and zoning plans.

(Because of this training, I became more knowledgeable on the things we need to consider when we make our land use and zoning plans.)

Emergent land use leaders

Two weeks have passed. On April 24, the nine emergent leaders presented their output to a panel of critics and forwarded their recommendations to better improve MILALITTRA’s community development plan. A graduation ceremony then followed with keynote speaker Erpan Faryadi, regional coordinator of ILC-Asia.

Faryadi emphasized the crucial role of the graduates in his speech. “Empowering the new emerging leaders towards sustainable land use in the new era of ASEAN integration will be a pivotal development for each country in this region," he said.

This challenge was answered by the pioneering batch with an oath to be responsible land leaders in their respective fields who will work towards sustainable land use and peaceful progress.

Rajiv Ramos, a participant from the municipality of Picong in Lanao del Sur said in his class address “This Participatory GIS-based Zoning [training] is a good tool towards addressing the pressing issues that involve land governance in the country. ... Land is a source of life and should never be allowed to be a cause of conflict. So as we leave SEARSOLIN, my dear trainees and participants, that is the challenge to us,” he said.

“Hopefully we will return to our respective organizations and communities as emergent leaders — leaders who will engage our community … and will be persistent.”