Socioeconomic and cultural dimensions of critical resources in Mt. Sambilikan, Diwata Range, Agusan del Sur (Philippines)

As part of the biodiversity research, this study employed the survey, focus group discussion, key informants, and unstructured group interviews among the 224 Manobo (indigenous people/IPs), and the Cebuano residents of the community. The salient findings showed low socioeconomic condition with most residents having a monthly family income of P5,000 and below and doing farming or logging/timber extraction. There is then an apparent low access to social services by most of the residents having had elementary education. The spring/lake/river is their water source, kerosene or oil lamp as their source of light. There are mostly no latrines prevailing among the IPs. With regard to gender dimension, findings demonstrated multiple roles for women and an inequity between genders in accessing to and controlling our resources. As the repository of indigenous knowledge, the Manobo consider land as their source of life and other such resources as the forest (kaguyanganan), water (wahig), land (pasak), and animals (buhian). These therefore need care to provide not only sources for living but also the very primary sources for sustainable development among IPs. However, it was found out that environmental spirits are venorated through ritual performance related to agriculture and health. Arising from the survival factor and the influence of migrants, the natives were found to engage in hunting, wildlife trade, kaingin, overfishing, logging or timber extraction, and mining, as well as the use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides. Due to these extractive resource practices, environmental hazards and social discord have been experienced. Thus wide-ranging economic, political, cultural, peace/order, and environmental concerns therefore need to be addressed. Findings of the study generally showed an interrelationship between the human society and ecological system. It is thus imperative to formulate socioeconomic and cultural strategies/measure for sustained actions towards biological and cultural diversity for the human well-being of the Manobos specifically in Mt.Sambilikan, Diwata Range, Agusan del Sur.