Dynamics and impacts of tenure system in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines

The municipality of Lake Sebu was declared as protected area and ancestral domain of the T'boli and Ubo indigenous cultural communities. As such, multiple and overlapping tenure instruments cover resource use and land ownership. Having this complex tenure system, the study aimed to describe the dynamics and impacts of tenure system in the three sitios of Barangay [village] Poblacion. Lamsufo, Basak, and Isla Grande were selected to represent the forest, agricultural, and lakeshore communities in Lake Sebu, respectively. To analyze the existing tenure system, the study applied Schlager and Ostrom's bundle of rights, which was further grouped into use, control, and alienation rights. Results of the household survey and rapid tenure assessment show that respondents were dependent on land and water resources for their livelihood and income. Most of the respondents were non-title holders and considered tax declaration as their tenure instrument. Nevertheless, most of them declared possession of use and control rights as provided by their tenure instrument. However, such rights were limited because of the existing statutory rules governing Lake Sebu. Respondents gave different perceptions on the impacts of their tenure instrument on their social, economic, and environmental conditions. Majority perceived positive impacts on social cohesion. However, some believed it did not affect their livelihood and income, while others believed it brought positive impacts. Degradation of the Lake Sebu and depletion of lake water resources were also regarded as the negative impacts of tenure instruments. The Lake Sebu is a natural lake from which the municipality was name after. On the other hand, no impacts were perceived on soil quality and land resources. Respondents also perceived the impacts on water quality and two attributes of social cohesion, namely, sense of belonging and rootedness, were significantly different across study sites. Significant relationship was also obtained between property rights and some variables of impacts. Hence, the study called for the concerted actions of the government and local communities to improve people's awareness of the existing tenure system, and enhance the capacity of local institutions.