Environmental perception and indigenous knowledge on wildlife in Mt. Data Watershed, Bauko, Mt. Province, Northern Philippines

In the Philippines, the most biologically diverse areas are occupied by indigenous peoples (IPs). Adhering to the principle that IPs are the stewards of their environment, this study examined the influence of environmental perception on sustainable management of Mt. Data watershed in Sinto, Bauko, Mt. Province. The site is a protected area (PA) and forms part of the Kabatangan Ancestral Domain, home of the Kankana-eys. Using an exploratory case study approach, the researcher conducted key informant interviews and validated these findings with the community. It was found from oral accounts of elders that the environmental condition of Mt. Data watershed was drastically changed over the last 50 to 60 years. The area was once thickly forested but at present, forests have been converted into vegetable farms. Alongside this changing land use, wildlife populations also declined. Over the years, the IPs transferred elsewhere and were replaced by migrants. As such, indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP), specifically those concerning wildlife, are confined to elders and have not been transferred to younger generations. There is a danger that IKSP would be lost due to rapid environmental, social, economic, and political changes. Today, although Mt. Data watershed is still considered important by the residents, the resource has become a 'tragic common' commodity due to commercial farming. Ancestral domain residents focused on economic gains and seemed to have forgotten the value of forest conservation and preservation. There is a need to re-open the minds of both migrants and locals in Sinto and make them recall the goodness of a sustainably managed watershed. Their IKSP, which adheres to the principles of sustainable development, should be revived and strengthened so that the once rich ecosystem may be restored. Results of the study emphasize the need to conserve Mt. Data watershed and bring back its goodness as remembered by elders. The researcher recommends that the Philippine PA system be reviewed. The coldspots approach which zeroes in on areas where there are many people and heavily degraded ecosystems may be useful to rehabilitate Mt. Data. As people see more clearly their reliance on the watershed, they will be more inclined to support conservation projects. In the long run, biodiversity will also be preserved but not at the expense of displacing the locals and/or migrants.