Vulnerability indices for Mangyan indigenous communities in Baco, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

Existing threats on the coupled socio-ecological systems of the indigenous communities is seen to be compounded with climate change and its impacts. Vulnerability of the indigenous peoples to climate change needs to be studied especially that their livelihood and production systems are directly related to changing environmental services. Critical to these needed analyses is the identification of vulnerability assessment frameworks and approaches that are applicable to the Philippine local conditions are specifically appropriate in the context indigenous peoples. Thus, this study developed and compared vulnerability indices applying several methods. Data gathered through a series of surveys from a total of 169 households from two Alangan-Mangyan communities living at the foothold of Mt. Halcon, in Baco, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, were utilized to construct a data set of 31 variables that were grouped into a total of nine vulnerability components namely, Number of Typhoons (T), Plant Diversity (PD), Health (H), Food (F), Water (W), Socio-demographic (SD), Livelihood strategies (LS), Social Network (SN), and Swidden Farms Characteristics (SF) for the composite index approach. These nine sub components were also regrouped into three major components, namely: exposure (E), sensitivity (S) and adaptive capacity (AC) to compute vulnerability following the IPCC framework. Using the same data set, the principal components analysis was ran to represent the unequal weights approach. Using the same data set, the principal component analysis was ran to represent the unequal weights approach. The study has successfully tested various methodological frameworks in implementing vulnerability assessment applicable in the context of indigenous communities in the Philippines, however, comparisons of the calculated vulnerability index scores of the Alangan-Mangyan communities in Banilad and Lantuyang yielded varying results. This led to the difficulty in identifying the most applicable index to be used and thus further refinements to be done are highlighted. Moreover, the developed indices confirmed that weather extremes particularly typhoons, was found to have direct impacts on the ALangan-Mangyans' vulnerability level. Both Pricipal Component Analysis and regression analysis confirm that education, high literacy rate and monthly income would reduce the degree of vulnerability of the Alangan-Mangyans both in Banilad and Lantuyang. To significantly increase their adaptive capacity and reduce their vulnerability, programs that value the Alangan-Mangyans vast yet untapped indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in conjunction with interventions that would enhance their livelihood strategies are needed. The importance of the plant resources among the Alangan-Mangyans' agro-ecosystems totalling to about 130 species accounting of about 1,255 individuals belonging to a total of 44 families provide support mechanisms as food, medicinal, indigenous infrastructure, weaving and adorments purposes could not be understated.