Harnessing Upland Communities Towards Self-Sufficiency through a Sustaining PNOC Social Forestry Scheme

Abstract

The PNOC-designed Social Forestry scheme aims to achieve an enhancement o'f the social and economic circumstances of the people living in and dependent upon reservation lands and resources for their livelihood. Instead of ejecting forest dwellers from the reservation, their potentials are tapped to become forest management partners, and encouraged to work collectively to improve their socio-economic welfare on a self-reliance basis, PNOC, therefore, hopes to reconcile the conflicting interests of forest dwellers and the development of geothermal energy resources. Its implementing tripod strategy focuses on discipline, selfhelp savings mobilization scheme, and continuing social education and technical training. From 4 projects, the PNOC social forestry scheme has been expanded and replicated some 48 new farmer-associations. Thus, the scheme has a high potential as catalyst of change and a model in rural community development.