WAGENINGEN, Netherlands (Landscape News) — Indigenous residents of Mindanao in the Philippines are involved in a unique Payment for Ecosystems Services (PES) initiative, which is leading to big rewards.
Initially established in 2014, the sustainable financial reward mechanism, which assigns value through financial incentives for sustainable land management, boosts conservation efforts while integrating indigenous knowledge systems.
The Milalittra community resides in the forests of Mount Kalatungan and manages the environment and natural resources while stakeholders in the lowlands pay for their use.
Landscape Voices spoke with Thieza Verdijo, deputy director with a local non-government organization called Xavier Science Foundation (XSF), manager of the PES fund.
