A resource management model based on community forestry in the Philippines

Abstract

A Resource Management Model (RMM) has been conceived and designed to effectively organize and prioritize various management agendas necessary to pursue the successful implementation of community forestry. The RMM consists of two management components: 1) Management Capital and 2) Natural Resource Management. The Management Capital is capitalized by three fundamental components; a) Human Resource Development, b) Livelihood Development and c) Basic Infrastructure. It constitutes a principal management agent in effectively mobilizing activities concerning the Natural Resource Management. Firstly, the practice of community forestry systems in the Philippines was reviewed and analysed using field surveys. It was found that in spite of the Philippine government’s emphasis on introducing policy supporting agroforestry systems as a land tenure as well as sustainable land use strategy, marginal economic benefits have so far been gained from such initiatives. Secondly, using such findings, as well as identified interests and constraints, necessary management elements were classified and incorporated into the RMM, enabling the identification and prioritization of requirements for the successful development of community forestry. Community forestry will become effective and sustainable only when various actions concerning the Natural Resource Management are pursued after the satisfactory development of the Management Capital.