Talk:Mount Matutum

Description of Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape:
A.	Historical Background

Mt. Matutum was proclaimed as a Forest Reserve on August 14, 1964 under Presidential Proclamation No. 293, it covers an area of approximately 14,008 hectares. It is estimated that 18% to 25% of freshwater requirements of agriculture and industries in Southern Mindanao is supplied by the forest reserve. In spite of the early recognition of the importance of Mt. Matutum to the sustainable development of agriculture and industries, the Government and the surrounding communities failed to prevent the deforestation of the reserve. By the late 80’s and early 90’s the negative impacts of wanton forest destruction began to be felt in the surrounding communities such as floods, drought, loss of biodiversity, loss of soil fertility and soil erosion.

In 1992 the Department of Agriculture started to implement the Mindanao Development Project (MDP) funded by the USAID. Louis Berger International the lead Consulting firm for the project prepared a comprehensive “Mindanao Growth Plan” the Plan identified the Mt. Matutum Forest Reserve as one of the critical watershed that needs to be properly managed due to its vital role of supplying freshwater to SOCSARGEN, at that time a survey revealed that due to continuous practice of slash and burn farming and illegal logging only 3500 hectares of good forest cover remain as such a Matutum Integrated Conservation and Development Program (MICADEV) was identified as one of the major components of the plan the program is estimated to cost One hundred Eighty million pesos at that time (P180,000,000.00). On February 1993, at the instance of Louis Berger International, Inc. and MDP PMU, a meeting on Mt. Matutum Forest Reserve was held at the Project Management Unit Office in General Santos City; the meeting was attended by 31 representatives of various sectors of society, like the LGU’s, NGO’s and NGA’s. Among the issues discussed were reforestation, community participation, upland forestry and institutional capability. As a result of that meeting a multi-sectoral Technical Working Group spearheaded by the PMU was created to take a closer look into the above issues.

A follow up meeting was held on March 05, 1993, by the TWG at the Tupi, Municipal Hall, attended by 52 participants from LGUs, NGOs, and NGAs. At this meeting additional issues were discussed such as the proposed declaration of Mt. Matutum as part of the NIPAS; Enforcement of Environmental Laws; Dislocation of Tribal Communities; Delivery of Basic Services; Protection of Old Growth Forest; Land Use and Geothermal Development. It was during this meeting that a decision was made by the TWG to work for the inclusion of Mt. Matutum as part of the National Integrated Protected Areas System provided for under Republic Act 7586. To secure funding for the development of Mt. Matutum the PMU, LBII and the TWG decided to hold a Donors Forum where they would present the Mindanao Growth Plan of which the Matutum Integrated Conservation and Development Program was a component. The Donors Forum was held at DOLEFIL Gym, Polomolok, South Cotabato, on August 24, 1993. As a result of that Donors Forum some twenty million pesos (P20,000,000.00)  which  is approximately 11% of the total program cost were committed to implement “The MICADEV Project” which will undertake the following activities; Biological Resource Profiling; Socio Economic Survey; Inventory of Local Development Plan; Community Natural Resource Development Planning and indicative Planning. The Donors were the Foundation for Philippine Environment, the Philippine Australian Community Assistance Program of AUSAID, the Philippine German Development Foundation of Germany, the Manus Unidas Compana Contra El Hambre of Spain, Dole Philippines, Inc and LGU’s and NGA’s in the area which provided support through their regular development programs.

The preparatory phase of the MICADEV project was implemented through the consortium of Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) under the Environmental Cluster of Coalition of Social Development Organization (CSDO). Among them are: Mindanao State University-General Santos City Foundation, Inc., South Cotabato Foundation, Inc. (SCFI), Samahang Magsasaka sa Timog Kutabato (SAMATIKU), Justice and Peace (JP-SAC), Maguindanaon Development Foundation, Inc. (MDFI), and Mahintana Foundation Inc. (MFI) as the lead agency. Every partner NGO involved in the implementation of the preparatory phase of the MICADEV Project has adopted its unique and creative approach or strategy in implementing the project. The FPE funded component of the project was implemented by four members of the Coalition of Social Development Organizations in South Cotabato namely SCFI, SAMATIKU, JP-SAC, MDFI and MFI who also generated program counterparts.

The MICADEV had been working for almost two years when Presidential Proclamation No. 552 was issued on March 20, 1995 by President Fidel V. Ramos “Establishing the Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape the parcel of Land of the Public Domain situated within the Municipalities of Tupi, Tampakan, Polomolok, Province of South Cotabato and the Municipality of Malungon, Province of Sarangani.”

Following the Proclamation, a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) was organized on 30 August 1995 with 43 members (28 LGUs, 10 NGOs, 4 NGAs and 1 ICC) members of the TWG became members of the PAMB. In compliance with the provisions of the NIPAS Act DENR took the Chairmanship and designated a PASU that should be responsible in managing the day to day operation of the Park. To address the difficulty of obtaining a quorum during meetings an Executive Committee (EXECOM) was also organized with 17 members. The DENR and MICADEV worked-out for the perimeter survey of the boundaries of the Park, funding came from the DENR and the Province of South Cotabato with a total amount of Php.359, 000.00. Report of the Survey Team dated 26 September 1995 disclosed that the Protected Area has an appropriate area of 14,773.08 hectares which is not totally in agreement with the area contained in the Presidential Proclamation which is 15,600 hectares, to date which area should be followed remains to be a contentious issue which can only be resolved when Congress will pass a law that will define the final boundaries of the Park.

Among the significant accomplishment of the PAMB are as follows: 1.) Creation of Different Working Committees; 2.) Preparation of 1996 Action Plan; 3.) Preparation of Indicative Plan; 4.) Preparation of Project Proposals, 5) issuance of at least 89 Resolutions that tries to address various concerns of the Protected Area

Currently the SMICZM Project and the local governments units covered by the protected area have strongly supported the planning process toward the development of a Protected Area Management Plan. The multi-sectoral and community based approach of planning was adopted to come up with a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bounded management plan. It is expected that when the plan is finally approved this will facilitate the Sustainable Development of the Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rovis61 (talk • contribs) 00:01, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

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Put on the map 175.176.93.153 (talk) 14:09, 7 September 2022 (UTC)