Sibuyan Island payment for watershed services

In 2000, the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park with 15,000 hectares of forest, was established through a DENR EU-supported program. In 2004, a management plan and draft PA bill was completed. WWF-Philippines also initiated the development of livelihood systems among the Sibuyan Mangyan-Tagabukid, the indigenous group of the area, through farm extension, technological demo farms and credit. The project assisted Sibuyan Mangyan-Tagabukid WWF also assisted the group in obtaining a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title and preparing a management plan covering 7,900 hectares of ancestral land. WWF-Philippines, the San Fernando LGU and the indigenous group agreed on future work on the ancestral domain, which covers the watershed of the San Fernando Municipality. The watershed management program will be supported through a payment scheme for watershed services that will be established with the LGU of San Fernando and a downstream hydro-electric power producer. The project is supported by the LGU of San Fernando and WWF-Philippines.