The consultation/planning workshop identified various stakeholders in the study area.

The list of
stakeholders was ranked in accordance with their importance in the forest and/or forestland through
ranking. All these stakeholders were mentioned and observed by the participants during the six
consultation meetings conducted. These were the Local Government Units (LGUs), farmers, fishermen,
Community Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA)/ Certificate of Stewardship Contract (CSC)
holder, CivSO), resort owners, private land owners, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), academe, and Lobo Water District and Fabrica Masaguitsit Water District.

Rank
List of Stakeholder Sub-Watershed A Sub-Watershed B
Interest Power
3 1 LGUs √ √
1 3 Farmers √ √
2 3 Fishermen X √
1 2 CBFMA/CSC holder √ √
2 3 CSO √ √
4 4 Resorts owners x √
1 4 Claimants √ √
3 1 DENR √ √
2 3 Academe √ √
Lobo Water District/
2 2 Fabrica and Masaguitsuit √ √
Water District
Note: √ indicates presence of the identified stakeholder.
X Note mentioned

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT

The administrative area of Local Government Unit (LGU) of the Municipality of Lobo constitutes
a total number of fourteen (14) barangays. Their responsibility for forest and natural resource
management has been given a lot of priority and importance for the past few years in an effort to
decentralize power in the Philippines, to allow local self-determination, and to facilitate the use of local
knowledge to treat local problems and issues. In reference to The Local Government Code or the R.A.
7160 (Chapter 1, sect. 3, paragraph, i), the local government units hall share with the national
government the responsibility in the management and maintenance of ecological balance within their
territorial jurisdiction, subject to the provisions of this code and national policies. The LGU’s have gained
increased responsibility for environmental management with such is the creation of the Forest Land Use
Plan (FLUP) that is being integrated to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) in the assistance and
subject for approval of the DENR mandated by DENR-DILG JMC 98-01 (Sec. 1.3).

The LGUs are expected to initiate the formulation and drafting of the FLUP, support the
implementation of the FLUP financially and technically, incorporate FLUP to CLUP schemes, strengthen
the management, protection and conservation of forest and forest lands. The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the representation of Community Environment and
Natural Resources Office Lipa provided technical assistance in the formulation, drafting and integration
of the FLUP of the Municipality of Lobo. Unfortunately, some issues and concerns were observed during
the activity: the eagerness and willingness to participate of some of the barangay officials and
representatives attended in the activity did not manifest during the series of activity. One of the
problems is efficiency in communication dissemination that leads to the absence of representatives
from barangay officials that are knowledgeable and familiar with the forest and forest resources. In
addition, there is also insufficient relevant data and maps available to the LGU and need s technical
assistance from experts in GIS from DENR. Another is the lack of initiative and support from the created
Technical Working Group (TWG) guided by the DENR – Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Technical
Bulletin No. 2. The ability of LGUs to draft their own policies is strictly limited, and the DENR still retains
control over key decisions, including the evaluation and approval of the FLUP.

LGUs are being consulted in the preparation and drafting of the FLUP. However a number of
municipal administrations have claimed they only hear about FLUP through the initiative and activities
of the DENR. They have the responsibility to check the boundaries of the generated forest conservation
areas for agreements to the DENR. The lack of tenure mapping in many areas and boundary markers in
the forest conservation areas increases the difficulties of the activity. LGUs have a role to play in
developing partnerships between communities and private individuals and/or groups. In addition, LGUs
in rural areas employ Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officers whose role is to provide
extension about environment-related matters to the community. These officers in some LGUs also
provide advice to communities about forestry land use planning and management programs.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

The Forest Management Bureau within the DENR has primary responsibility for the
management of the 15 M ha of classified forestland in the Philippines, 50% of the nation’s total land
area. The department was formed in 1987 to bring natural resource management in line with the new
constitution, taking over management of forestland from the Bureau of Forest Development. The DENR
manages all the programs. The DENR manages all the programs under the formulation and
implementation of the FLUP except the integration of the said plan with the CLUP of respective
municipalities/cities.

The DENR plays a number of roles in the forest land use planning program. It is responsible for
reviewing and approving the generated data and maps, as well as being responsible in the adaptation
and integration of the FLUP to the CLUP. The DENR is also responsible for providing information and
technical expertise about forest, forest land and its resources and its management. DENR has the
responsibility of resolving conflicting forestland claims and awards. They are also mandated to play the
role of a facilitator for developing partnerships between communities, private companies and local
governments. In some cases the DENR provides support staff who act as activity organizer for FLUP
programs.
 The DENR is still the primary agency in charge of forest management, being ultimately
responsible for approval of permits that allow activities to occur, with the Local Government Units
(LGUs) working as secondary agencies, and determination and issuance of appropriate land tenure
instruments. Policies are in place to transfer greater responsibility for forestry and forest land
management to the LGUs, with the DENR’s role now to train the LGUs for this responsibility and oversee
the LGU operations to ensure they are consistent with national and regional policies.

Given their central role in the administration of the environment as well as their other roles as a
development agency and business partner it is vital that the DENR establish and maintain an effective
information, education and communication program.

FARMERS
According to the discussion among with LGU and barangay officials, the most common
livelihood of the locals is farming. They were involved in the cultivation of both food and cash crops. The
preferred food crops were rice, and vegetables. Three farming systems were reported such as the inter-
cropping, and agro forestry. Inter-cropping involves mixing of more than one seasonal crop in one plot
(maize, beans and cowpeas are mixed together in one plot). Agro forestry involves mixing trees with
crops in one plot. Either farmers planting trees amongst other crops or planting trees along their plot
boundaries. Farming has been the primary source of livelihood of the locals in the municipality. As time
goes by, a continuous decrease in the number of farmers are being observed due to effect of
commercialization.

The farmers also raised issues on the lack of support from the local government in the provision
of irrigation system and production materials for crops. In addition, extreme change in the climate
causes high mortality rate among crops. In reference to crop production, a continuous decline in the
overall production for livelihood and food source has been observed.

Fishermen

Owing to the interrelatedness of the ecosystems, secondary stakeholder groups can extend to
the coastal fishers and residents whose livelihoods are affected by siltation, flooding, or inadequacy of
water supply and timber resources resulting from the ecological conditions in the upland areas. This
leads to deterioration in the quality of the marine ecosystem resulting to high water turbidity affecting
the coral, sea grasses, plankton and other marine species. Consequently, this causes high production of
algae and number of fish kills.

On a ridge to reef scenario, agricultural and fishery areas which are found on the low-lying areas
of the landscape are detrimental to decreasing agricultural productivity, decreasing primary production
and reduction in fish stocks, reduced ecosystem function and disturbance in the food web along the
watershed drainage channel, deterioration and bleaching of coral reefs, disturbance in coastal and
marine habitats, etc.
 Eight (8) out of ten (10) coastal barangays within the Municipality of Lobo is included in the
Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP). The municipality gives high priority to coastal areas in terms of restoration,
conservation, and economic purposes.

CBFMA /CSC Holder

Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) has become the national policy for forest
management in the Philippines with a strong emphasis on community participation. The adoption of
CBFM was seen as the main government strategy for developing livelihood alternatives for the poor
forest occupants by providing land tenure security enabling the establishment of agroforestry farms and
at the same time assisting with the prevention of illegal logging and providing forest protection (Fisher
et al., 2005; Wells et al., 1992).

On the other hand, the Integrated Social Forestry Program (ISFP) is the one that provides
security of land tenure to forest occupants, who met the qualification criteria, through the issuance of
Certificate of Stewardship Contracts (CSC). The criteria for qualification were physical occupation or the
cultivation of a portion of the forest lands in the area prior to program approval in 1982. The non-
qualified participants were those local community residents who had recently migrated to the area and
were not cultivating a portion of the forest lands within the ISFP jurisdiction. The certificates were
awarded to the qualified participants’ family head.

According to validations being conducted by DENR and NGOs, CBFMA contributes positively on
providing livelihood to communities. The People’s Organizations (POs) are the one who were
institutionalized to facilitate the management and utilization of forestlands under the said agreement.
On the other hand, CSC is a relatively considered a successful instrument granting rights to individual for
a duration of 25 years. The instrument harmonized the integration of planting agricultural crops with
forest trees on upland areas.

The issues raised during the series of consultations and meetings among the thirteen barangays
with classified forestlands of the Municipality of Lobo, are the following; lack of monitoring and
assessment within public areas with holders of CBFM/CSC agreement, cancellation of CBFM/CSC award
to violators and non-compliant members, and improper and destructive use of natural resources by
beneficiaries and awarded families of the said agreements.

It was explained to the LGUs that the DENR can cancel land tenure agreements due to the
following reasons: (1) there was no development in the areas or, if there were, they were not properly
reported to DENR; (2) beneficiaries did not comply with the 90-10 mix of forest trees and cash crops in
favor of the latter; (3) they did not pay the appropriate rental fees; and (4) beneficiaries were “selling”
the tenure instrument or renting them out without notifying the RED/PENRO.

The LGUs along with the community recommends that the DENR should cancel the land tenure
agreements to those beneficiaries made no development or not made use of the productivity of the
land awarded to them. Also cancel contracts of those recipients who were not following the terms and
agreements of the as stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). It was also raised that the
25-year period is too long and that in fact, it was only during the first 3 years of the agreement that the
recipients were able to establish some developments in their respective areas. After such short-term
period, they normally abandoned their areas. It was proposed that the DENR should strengthen should
their assessment in the said agreements and consider whether the contracts entered with the
beneficiaries/recipients can be rightfully cancelled
CLAIMANTS
In the Philippine upland areas, millions of people live illegally on public forest lands, without
clear tenure rights or in situations where the same piece of land is claimed by different parties. This
unclear governance of tenure is often at the root of unsustainable resource use practices and resource-
related conflicts. These problems are further compounded by the lack of clear land use rights, bringing
forth the insecurity of tenure for the public lands and the various peoples dependent on them. These
public lands are located mainly in the uplands, which contain around 53% of the forest resources
(Philippine Forestry Statistics 2013). These public lands, which are often referred to as the upland areas,
are covered by various and mostly overlapping tenure and management regimes.

Today, much of the remaining land under the jurisdiction of DENR is forest land where not much
forest has remained. Much of this public forest land is de facto occupied by the rural citizens classified as
“informal settlers,” who see this land as their property, pay tax to the local LGU, and are recognized by
the LGU. The common conflicts are wherein the existing private titles are located within public lands.
This happened because overlapping jurisdictions, existing formal rights, and laws and policies existing
within public land. The lack of monitoring and strict implementation of policies and laws on the issuance
of title on public lands also increases the conflicts on land ownership.

Most of the claimants hold against the ownership of public lands is that they are “registered”
owners of the said land because they had been paying tax according to their declarations. However, as
the law states, tax declarations does not mean land ownership. It is the DENR that still has jurisdiction
over the areas. The role of the LGU was clear about the said matter, but nonetheless still collects tax
from these claimants.

ACADEME

The Batangas State of University - Lobo Campus which is located in Brgy. Banalo, Lobo, Batangas
which offers courses in Agriculture and Forestry is the main educational institution which contributes in
the provision of research and in filling-up the gaps on the lack of information and means and strategies
that will integrate innovation to the sustainable use of forestlands, forest and its resources. The
academe also assists in recommending and identification of possible laws and policies that can
implement and assist in the sustainable use and protection of forestland.

The presence of academe offering the said courses will create future professionals, work force,
scholars and legislators that will assist the agriculture and forestry industries.
LOBO WATER DISTRICT / FABRICA MASAGUITSIT WATER DISTRICT

The residents of Lobo access their water supply through artesian wells, deeps wells, and springs
due to lack of accessible water supply system in the area. Presidential Decree No. 198, otherwise known
as Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973 leads to the creation of Lobo Water District, which is committed
to promote, operate, maintain and expand reliable and economically viable and sound water supply in
the Municipality of Lobo.

The Lobo Water District operates in the following fourteen (14) barangays in the Municipality of
Lobo: Poblacion, Fabrica, Masaguitsit, Banalo, Balatbat, Tayuman, Malapad na Parang and Malabrigo,
Olo0olo, Lagadlarin, Soloc, Nagtaluntong, Mabilog na Bundok, Sawang and Talahib, Batangas. The said
water district supplies water services through the installation of pumping stations and pipelines in the
said barangays.

The Lobo Water District in exchange in the use of forest and its resources assist in its protection
and sustainability through including in its program the adoption of the watershed and conducting of tree
planting activities in the area. They also established a plant nursery were they get the seedlings and
other planting materials used in the tree planting activity. The whole development program of Lobo
Watershed will take a span of seven (7) years and each year, LWD targets at least thirty (30) hectares for
rehabilitation.