Forest Science and Technology

ISSN: 2158-0103 (Print) 2158-0715 (Online) Journal homepage:https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tfst2

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Conservation relay: Private sector participation

in restoration of degraded forest landscape in
Mt. Makiling, Philippines

Emmanuel R. G. Abraham , Leilani A. Castillo , Yong Kwon Lee , Su Young

Woo , Don Koo Lee , Youn Ho Jang , Jose O. Sargento & Amelita C. Luna

To cite this article: Emmanuel R. G. Abraham , Leilani A. Castillo , Yong Kwon Lee , Su Young Woo ,
Don Koo Lee , Youn Ho Jang , Jose O. Sargento & Amelita C. Luna (2007) Conservation relay: Private
sector participation in restoration of degraded forest landscape in Mt. Makiling, Philippines, Forest Science
and Technology, 3:1, 33-39, DOI: 10.1080/21580103.2007.9656316
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/21580103.2007.9656316

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Forest Science and Technology Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 33~39 (2007)
Forest Science and
Technology

Conservation Relay: Private Sector Participation in Restoration of

Degraded Forest Landscape in Mt. Makiling, Philippines
*
Emmanuel R.G. Abraham1 , Leilani A. Castillo2, Yong Kwon Lee3, Su Young Woo4,

Don Koo Lee5, Youn Ho Jang6, Jose O. Sargento7 and Amelita C. Luna8
1
Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the
Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, 4031 Philippines
2
Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the
Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines
3
Korea Forest Service, Daejeon, 302-70, Korea
4
Department of Environmental Horticulture, College of Natural Sciences, University of Seoul, 90 Jeonnong-Dong,
Dongdaemungu, Seoul, 130-743 Korea
5
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul,151-921 Korea
6
Korindo, Korindo Bldg., MT. Haryono, Kav. 62, Jakarta, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
7
Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the
Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines
8
Office of the Coordinator for Research, Extension and Linkages, College of Forestry and Natural Resources,
University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines

(Received May 16, 2007; Accepted June 21, 2007)

This paper presents a corporate volunteer-based strategy for initiating and sustaining
forest restoration efforts in Mt. Makiling, Philippines that evolved within the last
“ ”
decade. The strategy, dubbed conservation relay , is a process where various private
sectors carry out and support restoration efforts in sequential time periods, attending
an area from its degraded status to a condition favoring natural restoration processes.
From 1993 to 2006, about 830 individuals belonging to 14 companies/groups
contributed to the rehabilitation of 31.5 hectares of degraded forest areas in Mt.
Makiling. Recent research on the impacts of these efforts in one of the sites showed
substantial improvement in vegetation cover, species composition, microclimate, and
soil conditions that now favor natural regeneration processes

Key words : Conservation relay, private sector participation, forest restoration, Mt.
Makiling laboratory for natural resources management and nature
study established in 1909 to support advanced and
higher education, the first in the country. It is pres-
INTRODUCTION
*Corresponding author
Mt. Makiling is a small mountain ecosystem E-mail: erg_abraham@yahoo.com
covering about 5,907 hectares located approximately ently administered and managed by the University of
65 kilometers southeast of Manila on the the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).
southcentral part of Luzon Island, Philippines. More The core area of the mountain, spanning more
than 70% of the mountain is covered by the Mt. than 2,000 hectares, is covered by mossy,
Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), an outdoor training midmountain and second-growth lowland
34 Forest Science and Technology Vol. 3, No. 1 (2007)

dipterocarp forests. Brown (1919) noted that cooperating stakeholder to another through time, until a
before the establishment of the College of ”
degraded area is fully rehabilitated (Oruga 2004). The
Agriculture in 1909 in Mt. Makiling's eastern
biophysical impacts of the restoration efforts are also
“
slopes, the area between it and the forest presented.
appears to have been burned over regularly, and
large parts of it were burned as late as 1911; MATERIALS AND METHODS
”
since then fires have been excluded. By the
Available records of forest restoration efforts in Mt.
early 1990s, the eastern slopes were already
Makiling between 1990 to 2006 were compiled and
covered with well-established second-growth
reviewed. The review was complemented by personal
forests and plantations and there were no more
knowledge of some of the authors who were part of
open
these efforts. Factors evaluated included the number and
33 type of private agencies who participated, nature and
grassland areas. This was the result of reforestation duration of participation, level of resource investment,
efforts conducted by forestry students and and spatial coverage of the degraded area involved.
government personnel in the 1960s and the massive Formal research efforts on the biophysical impacts of
tree planting campaign carried out by various sectors restoration efforts on the case study site were conducted
in the 1970s (Sargento et al. 1999). Not all these under the auspices of the ASEAN-Korea Environmental
reforestation efforts, however, were successful in Cooperation Project (AKECOP) (AKECU 2004) between
restoring forest ecosystem functions, as efforts 2002 to 2006. Site specific studies assessed the impacts
mainly ended after the trees were planted. Thus, in of selected plantations on soil properties, net
the early 1990s, the less accessible and degraded photosynthesis, tree species composition, soil enzyme
south-southwestern and eastern slopes remained activities and microclimate (Jang et al. 2004, Lee et al.
covered by a mosaic of degraded forest patches, 2006).
perennial and annual crop-based farms, brushlands
and frequently burned over grasslands. Lack of funds RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
further constrained sustaining reforestation efforts.
For example, in 1990 the budget allocated for MFR Forest restoration sites
management was only PhP317,248 (USD6,345 at Within the period covered by the study, substantial
PhP50/USD) or PhP74 (USD1.48) per hectare (Torres participation of private companies and groups in forest
and Abraham 1999). This could hardly sustain the restoration efforts were carried out in three major areas
regular monitoring and protection work. of Mt. Makiling: Sitio Kay Inglesia and Sitio Palanggana of
The adverse effects of degradation in these areas, Greater Sipit watershed in the southwestern flank of the
the limited resources and the threat to the mountain; and Sitio Paliparan of Saran subwatershed in
sustainability of environmental benefits moved UPLB the northeastern side (Table 1, Figure 1). The first two
to develop strategies that capitalize on heightened sites were contiguous patches of grassland areas
stakeholder interest on and participation in efforts to covering about 16 hectares and 10 hectares, respectively.
rehabilitate degraded upland areas. Hence, 1990 was The third site consists of small patches of grasslands
the decade where private sector participation in adjacent to institutional buildings and upland farms,
forest restoration efforts became significant as collectively covering 5.5 hectares.
various modes of partnership were explored and
carried out (Torres and Aparejado 1999). Sitio kay inglesia
This paper presents how the private sector Sitio Kay Inglesia is located between 500 to 800 m
participated in the restoration of the largest elevations and is accessible only by foot trail. Being in the
contiguous grassland patch in Mt. Makiling. It also rain shadow, the area gets less moisture, is exposed to
presents how the process was carried out in other strong winds and dries up earlier during summer
smaller grassland patches in MFR. It presents the months. It is prone to fire and has been perennially
experiences that form the bases of a strategy dubbed burned-over purposely or accidentally. This site has been
“ ” “ ”
as Conservation Relay . Abraham first described this part of singleday massive planting efforts undertaken in
“ earlier years that failed to restore forest cover. After it
strategy as a corporate ecosystem restoration was extensively burned in April 1991, the university
strategy that initiates as well as builds on earlier made representations with the municipal mayor to help
restoration efforts to start up and sustain the protect it from fire and undertake forest restoration
rehabilitation of process of a degraded area. It is like efforts therein. With local government support, the site
a race where the baton--representing material, was subsequently protected from fire in the ensuing
financial or manpower inputs--is passed from one
 Emmanuel R.G. Abraham et al. 35

years. In 1992-1993, the municipality initiated tree own employees to plant trees once each year. The
planting of two hectares and in company then defrayed the cost of plantation
Table 1. Summary of interventions and cooperators in restoration of selected areas of Mt. Makiling from 1992 to
2006.
Period Intervention Cooperators
Sitio Kay Inglesia
Municipal government of Sto. Tomas, Batangas;
1992 onwards Protection from fire Local communities; Corporate partners
UST Botanical Society; Municipality of Sto. Tomas;
1993 to 1995 Volunteer-based tree planting/nurturing
CIBA-Geigy Ltd.
Surigao Development Corporation (SUDECOR);
1995 to 1997 Corporate sponsorship
Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA)
National Power Corporation; Municipal government
1998 onwards Protection and follow-up planting
of Sto. Tomas
ASEAN-Korea Environmental Cooperation Project
2003 onwards Research
(AKECOP)
Sitio Palanggana “
Grant on Use of Indigenous Species for
1999 to 2001 Embassy of Finland in the Philippines Watershed
”
Rehabilitation
2002 to 2003 Corporate Grant Ford Motors Corporation
Corporate volunteer-based tree planting/
2004 onwards
EPSON-Precision Philippines nurturing
Sitio Paliparan
Volunteer tree planting; Corporate spon- Rotary Club of Los Baños; Sterling Products Inter-
1994 to 1995 sorship national
Corporate volunteer-based tree planting/
1996 to 1997
Novartis (formerly CIBA-Geigy Ltd.) nurturing
2000 Volunteer-based tree planting/nurturing Chase Manhattan and Liceo de Los Baños
2000 onwards Volunteer-based tree planting/nurturing Seta Agricultural High School (Japan)
Corporate volunteer-based tree planting/
2001 onwards
DuPont Far East, Inc. nurturing
1993, entered into a memorandum of agreement maintenance between plantings. This strategy
with the university to protect and rehabilitate a yielded unprecedented survival rates of as high as 90%.
50hectare degraded portion of Sipit watershed, of About 200 individuals participated in the annual tree
which Sitio Kay Inglesia was a part. However, lack of planting activities. After the three-year commitment, the
resources prevented the expansion of reforestation company moved to Sitio Paliparan to adopt the same
efforts. In 1994, members of the UST Botanical strategy to undertake rehabilitation efforts there.
Society of Manila planted about half a hectare. Also In 1995, another private company, Surigao
in 1993, CIBA-Geigy Ltd. now Novartis, a Development Corporation (SUDECOR), a timber company
pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland with in Mindanao, together with the Philippine Wood
local office in Manila, chose Mt. Makiling as the site Producers Association (PWPA), expressed interest to
of tree planting activities they wanted to engage in “ ”
establish a heritage plantation of indigenous tree
as part of their corporate environmental program.
species in Mt Makiling. The company provided funds to
The company partnered with UPLB and the
sustain fire protection and expand reforestation efforts
municipality and initiated the first privatesector led
to the other parts of Sitio Kay Inglesia not covered by
reforestation project in Mt. Makiling in So Kay
previous efforts. An additional 12 hectares were planted
Inglesia in the same year. The two-hectare, three-
from 1995 to 1997 but survival rates were much lower
year project showcased a ground-breaking strategy
due to adverse site conditions and resource constraints
“ ”
of hands-on and sustained participation of a for maintenance of planted seedlings.
private company. The university provided the The SUDECOR-PWPA support ended in 1997. In 1998,
planting stocks and the company defrayed the cost the Makiling Banahaw Watershed Area Team (MBWAT)
of site preparation. It then brought a number of its of the National Power Corporation (NPC) stepped in to
36 Forest Science and Technology Vol. 3, No. 1 (2007)

assist the university in protecting the site from 1998 period, NPC planted much of the remaining grassland
to 2006. Within this patches and carried out enrichment planting in the
plantations established by the local govern-

Figure 2. Photographs showing the extent of Imperata

cylindrica cover in Sitio Kay Inglesia in 1993 (Top) and in
2003 (Bottom). Photos by J.M. Maloles and Y.K. Lee.

ment, CIBA-Geigy and SUDECOR-PWPA.

By 2003, a decade after the initial plantings, tree cover
already dominated the landscape (Figure 2).
In 2006, only a few small patches of grasslands
remained with some already planted with young
seedlings or were successfully invaded by pioneer tree
species.
Figure 1. Corporate volunteers undertaking tree
Wildlife has returned to the area with local sightings of
planting activities in Sitio Kay Inglesia (Top), Sitio
wild boar, monkeys, and birds. Planted species that are
Palanggana (Middle) and Sitio Paliparan (Bottom). now thriving in the area include Acacia mangium, Acacia
Photos by J.M. Maloles and E.R.G. Abraham auriculiformis, Calliandra calothyrsus, Gmelina arborea,
Swietenia macrophylla, Pterocarpus indicus, Cassia
spectabilis, Syzygium nitidum, Wallaceodendron
celebicum among others. In all, the 13-year restoration
effort covered a total of 16 hectares and involved more
Table 2. Selected vegetation cover, soil and microclimate characteristics of Imperata cylindrica grassland and Acacia
plantations in Sitio Kay Inglesia, Mt. Makiling (Compiled from Jang et al. 2004 and Lee et al. 2006).
Site
Variable/Characteristic
Imperata cylindrica Acacia Acacia
grassland auriculiformis mangium
No. of species, 5 cm & up dbh 1 8 12
−1
0 1,533 1,617
Stand density, 5 cm & up dbh (trees ha )
Total basal area, 5 cm up dbh (m2 ha−1) 0 19.1 14.8
Total soil Nitrogen (%) 0.15 0.20 0.26
Dehydrogenase activity [µmol(TPF)/g soil] 2.69 6.03 5.92
Phosphatase activity (µg p-NP/g soil) 24.24 57.56 72.06
Mean air temperature (ºC) 24.69 23.68 23.74
Air temperature variability (SD, ºC) 3.72 2.57 2.71
Mean soil temperature (ºC) 25.37 23.16 23.21
Soil temperature variability (SD, ºC) 1.97 1.22 1.84
 Emmanuel R.G. Abraham et al. 37

Figure 3. Air temperature and variability in Acacia auriculiformis (Top) and Imperata cylindrica stands (Bottom) based
on measurements taken every two hours using HOBO Pro Series Data Loggers (On-set Computer Corporation,
Porasset, MA, USA). The results show how the establishment of a forest canopy in a former grassland area lowered
mean air temperature and reduced temperature variability.
than 200 individuals from five companies/groups
which spent an aggregate of at least PhP 950,000
(USD 19,000).
The research studies revealed that fire exclusion
and tree plantations improved site qualities such as
soil properties, nutrient cycling, microclimate and
species composition (Table 2). Jang et al. (2004)
found that the Acacia plantations had higher total
nitrogen contents and dehydrogenase activities
compared to the grassland patches. Furthermore,
Lee et al. (2006) also found that the Acacia
plantations promoted natural regeneration,
improved soil enzyme activity and microclimate (air
temperature, soil temperature and relative humidity)
and decreased the variation of these factors (Figure
3).
Sitio palanggana
Forest restoration efforts in the nearby Sitio
Palanggana started in 1999 as part of a research
“ Between 1994 to 1995, private groups initiated the
entitled Watershed Rehabilitation Using Indigenous
”
Forest Tree Species in Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve
funded by the Embassy of Finland in the Philippines
and implemented by UPLB. Between 1999 to 2001 a
total of 10 hectares was planted with at least 34
indigenous species. From 2002 to 2003, the project
continued with a grant from Ford Motors
Corporation. Average survival rate within the
duration of the project was 88%. After project
completion, there were very limited resources to
sustain maintenance of the established plantations,
hence, not all the planted seedlings eventually
survived.
In 2004, EPSON-Precision Philippines, a
manufacturing company of digital imaging
equipment, expressed interest to undertake tree
planting activities in Mt. Makiling as part of their
corporate environmental program.
Sitio palanggana project site was selected
Under the supervision and coordination of UPLB,
EPSON staff planted 0.68 hectares in 2004 and added
more areas each year thereafter leading to a total
area of two hectares in 2006 planted with survival
rates of 66% to 80%. Indigenous species were also
planted. A total of 120 employees, many of whom
had never before climbed a mountain to plant trees,
participated in the program within this period. The
company defrayed all the expenses. In summary,
three companies and about 200 individuals
participated in reforesting a total of 10 hectares of
degraded forest land at the cost of about PhP
650,000 (USD 13,000) over a nine-year period.
Sitio paliparan
tree planting activities in small grassland patches in
Sitio Paliparan. Among the main contributors were
Rotary Club of Los Baños, a civic organization, and
Sterling Products International, Inc., a
pharmaceutical company. Both groups adopted the
model of having their constituents come to Mt.
Makiling to plant tree seedlings provided by UPLB.
Rotary club of Los Baños planted for two consecutive
years (1994 to 1995) and Sterling Products
International, Inc. for one year (1995). About 100
individuals from both groups planted a total of about
2 hectares primarily with indigenous species within
the twoyear period. The provision of planting
materials, protection and maintenance of the site
between plantings were undertaken by UPLB.
38 Forest Science and Technology Vol. 3, No. 1 (2007)
From 1996 to 1997, CIBA-Geigy (Novartis)
transferred their focus from Sitio Kay Inglesia to Sitio
Paliparan as another phase of their Greening
Makiling project and planted a total of two hectares
also with indigenous species. Novartis discontinued
their participation starting 1998. In 2000, about 70
volunteers from Chase Manhattan and Liceo de Los
Baños planted about 0.5 hectare. Also in the same
year, exchange students from Seta Agricultural High
School of Japan initiated tree planting activities and
provided funds for their maintenance. The project
continued with annual tree planting visits thereafter.
In 2001, DuPont Far East, Inc., a private company
with environment and agriculture-related products,
committed to support forest rehabilitation efforts in
Mt. Makiling. Sitio Paliparan was again selected as
the site of their Tree Planting and Nurturing Project
and all the areas previously planted but were now
unattended were taken over by the company. One
day each year, DuPont brought their interested
employees to plant new trees, fertilize previously
planted ones and then have a seminar on various
topics for the employees afterwards. After the
planting, DuPont provided resources for protection
and maintenance until the planting and nurturing
activities the following year. From 2001 to 2006 more
than 100 individuals have participated and the total
area planted increased from 0.9 hectares in 2001 to
2.5 hectares in 2006 with survival rates of more than
90%. Ninety-one percent of the species planted were
indigenous species. In total, about 5.5 hectares of
degraded areas were rehabilitated by 390 individuals
from seven companies/ groups over an 11-year
period, costing about PhP680,000 (USD13,600).
CONCLUSIONS
The above cases illustrated how conservation relay
was carried out in Mt. Makiling between 1992 to
2006.
The results showed the potential benefits and
impacts of private sector participation in forest
restoration efforts in Mt. Makiling. These include
provision of much-needed fiscal and manpower
resources, improvement of ecosystem functions, and
provision of effective venues for developing
environmental awareness among participating
volunteers. As mentioned earlier in the paper,
budget allocation for MFR management in 1990
could hardly sustain the regular monitoring and
protection work. Thus, funds and manpower from
the private sector actually fueled restoration
activities within the period. A single company may
volunteer only for shorter period but by building on
past gains and the mobilizing other companies,
restoration activities were sustained up to a point
when conditions now favor natural restoration
processes even if human interventions to restore the
sites may stop. Finally, the volunteer-based strategy
exposed many individuals to actual restoration
activities and in the process, educating them of the
value of protecting and conserving forests and the
environment. The study also showed the potential
effectiveness of conservation relay to carry out forest
restoration efforts in degraded areas especially when
resources to do so are limited. It also highlights the
important role of research in monitoring and
evaluating changes in ecosystem processes brought
about by restoration interventions and providing
insights on how favorable processes can be
sustained.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“
This work was partially supported by R&D Center
for Restoration of Forest Ecosystem Functions on
”
Different Forest Zones (CERES) supported by Korea
Forest Service and the ASEAN-Korea Environmental
Cooperation Project (AKECOP). We thank all the
companies mentioned in the paper and their
coordinators for valuable contributions in the
development of the strategy. We thank Jorge Maloles
and staff at the Makiling Center for Mountain
Ecosystems for field coordination and supervision of
all the reforestation efforts within the period covered
by the study. We thank former Mayor Leopoldo
Laurel of Sto. Tomas, Batangas for the political will to
rehabilitate degraded areas in his municipality and
Domeng Villegas and his community for protecting
the site from fire.
LITERATURE CITED
ASEAN-Korea Environmental Cooperation Unit. 2004.
Fostering Environmental Cooperation for Tropi-
cal Forest Restoration and Biodiversity
Conservation in Southeast Asia: The ASEAN-Korea
Environmental Cooperation Project (AKECOP).
Seoul: AKECU. 90 pp.
Brown, W.H. 1919. The Vegetation of Philippine
Mountains. Bureau of Science Publication No. 13.
Manila: Bureau of Printing. 434 p.
Jang, Y.H., Lee, D.K., Lee, Y.K., Woo, S.Y., and Abraham,
E.R.G. 2004. Effect of Acacia auriculiformis and
Acacia mangium plantation on soil properties of
the forest area degraded by forest fire on Mt
Makiling, Philippines. Jour. Korean For. Soc. 93(4):
315-323.
Lee, Y.K., Lee, D.K., Woo, S.Y., Park, P.S., Jang, Y.H., and
Abraham, E.R.G. 2006. Effect of Acacia plantations
on net photosynthesis, tree species composition,
soil enzyme activities, and microclimate on Mt.
Makiling. Photosynthetica. 44(2): 299-308.
 Emmanuel R.G. Abraham et al. 39

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