Tenurial Instruments of the CBFM Program

TENURIAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE CBFM PROGRAM

by Anton Antonio

April 6, 2015

One of the biggest and contemptuous issues in upland management is tenure of security of tenure.  Security of tenure provides upland communities with an incentive to invest in sustainable management of the lands, waters and other resources found in the uplands.  It should be noted that forestlands are owned by the State.  This public policy made participation of upland communities and other legitimate stakeholders in upland management very precarious.  In the 1990s however, tenurial instruments were developed to allow private sector participation.  Forest tenurial instruments are used by the State to allocate public forestlands to individuals, organizations and other entities for effective and responsible sustainable management.  Sustainable management, in this sense, means the priority is on forest conservation over resource extraction. (Antonio, 2015)

The CBFM or Community Based Forest Management Program, being the primary program of government that promotes self-reliance through improvement in the general quality of life in the upland communities, has three tenurial instruments available to its participating community.  These are the Community Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA), the Certificate of Stewardship Contract (CSC), and the Certificate of Ancestral Land Claim (CALC).  The CBFM, an economic development program, aims not only to provide additional livelihood opportunities to upland dwellers but also to develop and encourage alternative, non-forest based related livelihood activities in the upland communities (Antonio, 2015).

Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) – a production sharing agreement between upland communities and the government to develop, use, manage, and conserve a specific portion of a specific forestland.  The CBFMA is consistent with principles of sustainable development and pursuant to a community resource management framework which encourages communities living within the forest area to actively participate in the sustainable management of the forest area.  The CBFMA exempts the holders from paying rent for the land and paying forest charges on timber and forest products harvested from plantation.  This effectively encourages tenure holders to establish forest plantations.  (Antonio, 2015)

CBFMA which is an agreement between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the participating people’s organization (PO).  This has a duration of 25 years, renewable for another 25.  This provides tenurial security and incentives to develop, use and manage specific portions of forestlands.  It is awarded in place of different land tenure instruments (e.g., Forest Land Management Agreement and Community Forest Management Agreement) issued under the CBFM programs.  It is also the instrument awarded to Pos in allowable zones and buffer zones of protected areas.  (Villanueva, 2002)

Certificate of Stewardship Contract (CSC) are awarded to individuals or families actually occupying or tilling portions of forest lands covering a maximum of five hectares only (Villanueva, 2002).

Certificate of Ancestral Land Claims (CALC) are the tenurial instruments for holders who opt to enter into CBFMA covering portions of ancestral domains or ancestral lands within forest lands (Villanueva, 2002).

Discussed are the available tenurial instruments of the CBFM program.

Just my little thoughts…

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REFERENCES:

Antonio, A. C., (2015). “Forest Management Tenurial Instruments”. Retrieved on April 5, 2015 from http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/.

Antonio, A. C. (2015). “Objectives of the Community Based Forest Management”.  Retrieved on April 5, 2015 from http://antonantonio.blogspot.com/.

Villanueva, T. R. (2002).”Upland Ecosystem Management”.  University of the Philippines Open University, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines