Twenty-four community members from the municipalities of Naujan and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro attended the first training under the Bantay Gubat (forest warden) program conducted by the Haribon Foundation and funded by the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID). The program aims to organize and educate citizens as patrollers of forest-related activities.

Upon its introduction, the training has garnered mixed reactions from the participants. Some began quite apprehensive as in the case of Sucena Satorenas of Barangay Villa Cerveza, Victoria. “I am a little worried at first as we might be expected to catch violators,” she said.