Intercropping of coconut, rambutan and banana in the sloping Cordillera mountains CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A 64,498-hectare forest management area, originally conceived to protect the watersheds of the Upper Chico River Basin, has turned in coffee and wine enterprises for the indigenous people (IP) in farflung Mt. Province, Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao.
As the project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Chico River Basin is about to be completed, a sustainable plan is now being drafted to ensure IPs will continue to thrive in their newfound livelihood.