| Abstrakt: |
ABSTRACTThe experience of the Ikalahan, a tribe living on the high slopes of the mountains in Northern Luzon, Philippines is described from 1973, the date of the creation of the Kalahan Education Foundation (KEF), which was formed to represent the Ikalahan at the signing of two Memoranda of Agreement with the Philippine Government. The one gave them exclusive tenure over nearly 15,000 hectares of ancestral land and the other established their own High School. The Trustees of the KEF, tribal leaders, have followed five principles in the development of strategies to sustain and conserve the ecology of the mountain forests and the culture of the people. These principles are based on an appreciation of the need to maintain a healthy, diverse environment, providing good air and climate, clean water and a good livelihood for all its member species, including humans. The administrative structure of the KEF is described along with its activities, including improvement of the traditional swidden farming for food, the collection and propagation of wild fruits, manufacture and sale of a variety of jams and jellies, propagation of orchids, forestry operations aimed at improving the forest while providing a steady supply of lumber, organic vegetables and fruit. The KEF also provides for the education of the youth and conducts research on the flora and fauna of the area. The KEF model has been a powerful instrument in the development of the Community Based Resource Management Program of the Government which has recognized the success of the KEF through several awards of merit. |
