Assessing the development of a Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) program on agroforestry and livelihood projects of Barangay [village] Bangkal Upland Farmers' Association Incorporated (BBUFAI) [of Abucay, Bataan, Philippines]

The CBFMA area of BBUFAI consisted of 453 ha of land and included three sitios in Barangay Bangkal. The primary source of income for 36 out of the 54 PO [people's organization] members was farming within the CBFM area while those who were self-employed managed small-scale enterprises such as 'sari-sari' (convenient) stores. In terms of sustained organizational management, BBUFAI was quite advanced compared with the other organizations as its officers were mostly professionals and it has already established a large network of connections. The BBFUAI has received support from various partners such as the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and the Provincial Government of Bataan [Philippines] before and after the CBFMP. Some of the projects implemented in the site included community livelihood assistance support program (CLASP), agroforestry plantation project, GMA livelihood project, nursery establishment, and training courses on bamboo production and nursery establishment, bamboo by-product livelihood, and community organizing, among others. Under the ECBFMP, the BBUFAI embarked on several major activities such as PO organizational strengthening, reorientation session, which was a workshop that analyzed the strength, weaknesses, and problems of the BBUFAI that could possibly affect project implementation, and trainings on agroforestry, process documentation, and mushroom culture. Considering that Bangkal was designated as a 'showcase site', tangible outputs were expected. A 24-ha agroforestry project was launched in which the BBUFAI selected 18 participants as individual beneficiaries of agroforestry. Collectively, their individual farm lots covered 16 ha and using the agroforestry funds from DENR, BBUFAI was able to distribute a total of 9538 rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), coffee seedlings, and banana suckers. A 22-ha agroforestry project followed wherein 12 beneficiaries from the first project and eight new participants were chosen. This batch received seedlings of sweet tamarind, citrus, and lanzones in addition to the previous list of seedlings. BBUFAI also recognized mushroom production as potential source of income. Unfortunately, this project did not meet its expectations and has now been discontinued. Both internal and external monitoring had been conducted at the site. BBUFAI has its own 'internal' monitoring system while DENR and ECBFMP conduct 'external' monitoring. Nevertheless, the local DENR-CBFM officers regularly monitored onsite activities.