In partnership with the Forest Foundation Philippines under the Enhancement of Community Capacity for Sustainable Ecological Protection and Economic Development-2 (ECOSEED-2) project, Xavier Science Foundation, Inc. (XSF), released the first episode out of three (3) documentaries capturing the lives and journey of the Bantay sa Yutang Kabilin or BYK and how their work is significant to the global efforts of climate change mitigation.
The first episode will take you closer to how the BYK came to be, their main goal and objectives including their struggles and challenges. The episode summarizes how a group of local volunteers, women, and youth alike, came together with the goal of protecting and conserving the remaining forests in their Ancestral Domains. This work is integral to the Indigenous Cultural Communities’ culture and tradition, where forests and its inhabitants are sacred and valued.
The EcoSEED 2 project supported six (6) ICCs for five (5) years in the Mt. Kalatunagn landscape. Capacity building including technical trainings on rainforestation and social enterprise were conducted. Monitoring and patrol-based equipment like hand-held and base radio, personal protective equipment (PPE), and tools were also provided. As a local effort, the BYK is being recognized by their respective Barangay Local Government (BLGU) and the Municipal Government. Their aim is to strengthen further their local adaptation initiatives as well as enhance their knowledge and skills with support from various landscape stakeholders including government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Protected Area Management Office of Mt. Kalatungan in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao.
XSF hopes to continue to work with other ICCs in the Mt. Kalatungan landscape to establish their own BYK. It is vital that peoples and institutions to come together and take climate action seriously.
For the full video, click link: https://fb.watch/ilUl0RBWNn/
