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Stories from the Forest
Behind every forest product, conserved territory, and living tradition are people, knowledge, and relationships that sustain them. From forest honey and almaciga to Indigenous youth leadership, women's experiences, and community-led conservation, explore stories from the landscapes and communities we work alongside, stories of rights, livelihoods, culture, and caring for living forests.
All Stories
More Than Resin: Almaciga, Livelihood and Forest Care in Palawan
For Joel Pardas and his community in Palawan, almaciga is more than resin. It carries livelihood, inherited knowledge and a way of caring for the forest while keeping its trees standing.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Sep 103 min read
Women Leading Conservation from the Ground: Myra Tayaw on Finding Her Voice in Palawan
Meet Myra Tayaw, a Palaw’an leader in Palawan whose work with KABABAE links Indigenous women’s leadership, honey livelihoods and community-led conservation.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Sep 92 min read
A New Shared Pathway for Quezon: NTFP-EP Philippines Joins SGP8 as NGO Hub
NTFP-EP Philippines is officially joining the Eighth Operational Phase of the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP8) as the NGO Hub for Quezon Province
NTFP-EP Philippines
Sep 82 min read
When the Mangroves Ask for Time
At 24, Tagbanwa youth leader Monitte Lantas is helping NKKN turn childhood memories of Narra’s mangroves into a youth-led conservation project. Their proposal shows why Indigenous young people are not only the future of conservation, they are already leading it.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Aug 254 min read
I-YES Camp 2026: Indigenous Youth Bring the Diliman Declaration from Communities to Congress
17 Indigenous youth leaders from five landscapes gathered for I-YES Camp 2026, carrying the Diliman Declaration from years of community organizing into dialogue with Congress and the National Youth Commission.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Aug 243 min read
Ang Kagubatan ay Buhay: Mhar Dubria and the Indigenous Youth Defending Brooke’s Point
On World Environment Day, Pelawan youth leader Mhar Dubria shares how his journey from community service to UGNAYIN PH leadership and environmental broadcasting has led him to stand with Indigenous youth defending Brooke’s Point, Palawan, from mining threats.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Jun 510 min read
Following the Honey Trail: Bees, Forests, and Tagbanua Care in SAKTAS’ Wild Forest Honey
In Sagpangan, Aborlan, Palawan, SAKTAS’ wild forest honey begins with flowering trees, clean rivers, and bees and continues through Tagbanua knowledge, responsible harvesting, hygienic processing, and community livelihood. Follow the journey of forest honey through the story of Ate Inday and the Indigenous women helping keep this living relationship alive.
NTFP-EP Philippines
May 3113 min read
ICCA Bill Advances in 2nd TWG Meeting
The second Technical Working Group meeting on the ICCA Bill advanced important discussions on recognition, protection, governance, and the proposed national registry for ICCAs in the Philippines
NTFP-EP Philippines
Mar 124 min read
Spotted in the ICCA Field: How Communities Read Ecosystem Health Through Wildlife Signals
Field notes from Mindanao: three remarkable plant sightings reveal how Indigenous communities read ecosystem health through “wildlife signals” and why protecting ICCAs protects life.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Mar 34 min read
From Pitches to Polished Proposals: How Palawan Communities Are Shaping Nature’s Heartbeat
Over the past few months, partners in Southern Palawan have been moving through the “project pitching” phase of the Nature’s Heartbeat project: surfacing community-led ideas, then strengthening and aligning them so they become clearer, more measurable, and rooted in the landscape’s real needs. This is how the first heartbeat of proposals begins: from the ground, rooted on the land.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Feb 264 min read
Partner Feature: Supporting Indigenous Water Defenders in the Philippines
Lessons from the Sierra Madre
NTFP-EP Philippines
Feb 251 min read
World Day of Social Justice: Why Palawan’s 50-Year Mining Moratorium Still Matters (and what’s happening now)
In Palawan, social justice looks like protecting the island’s remaining forests because when ecosystems collapse, the first lives on the line are usually those who contributed the least to the damage: Indigenous Peoples, small farmers, fishers, and rural communities
NTFP-EP Philippines
Feb 205 min read
Nature’s Heartbeat Orientation, Palawan
On September 18, community leaders and conservation groups from across South Palawan gathered at Maruyog Ridge for the Nature’s Heartbeat Orientation, a necessary step before the beginning of a four-year programme that channels flexible, trust-based support to locally led conservation in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Palawan.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Nov 19, 20254 min read
NTFP-EP Philippines at NACF 2025
NTFP-EP Philippines facilitated the participation of 150+ exhibitors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
NTFP-EP Philippines
Nov 5, 20252 min read
Two New Short Films on Sierra Madre Wild Foods
Two youth-led short films documenting Indigenous knowledge on wild foods in the Sierra Madre
NTFP-EP Philippines
Oct 31, 20251 min read
Kababaihan, May SAY Ka! (National Women's Assembly 2025)
Rural and Indigenous women in the Philippines turn voice into presence in local governance to keep forests standing. Read the 2025 Assembly highlights.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Oct 14, 20254 min read
Lovely of Sierra Madre: Finding Her Courage, Reclaiming Her Indigenous Identity
From shy documenter to trusted guide: Lovely’s journey with UGNAYIN PH and GLA shows how indigenous youth defend Sierra Madre’s forests and culture
NTFP-EP Philippines
Sep 26, 20257 min read
Monitte Lantas: Carrying Tagbanwa Roots into Youth Leadership in Southern Palawan
Tagbanwa youth leader Monitte Lantas moved from quiet student to UGNAYIN PH Secretary and SK officer, championing Palawan’s forests and living culture. With support from NTFP-EP Philippines under the Green Livelihoods Alliance, she’s organizing peers, reclaiming language, and keeping Tagbanwa traditions alive where they belong.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Sep 1, 20256 min read
I-YES Camp Mindanao 2024: Indigenous youth step up for culture and forests
Higaonon and partner IP youth gathered in Balingasag for I-YES Camp Mindanao 2024—four days of intergenerational learning, nature-based solutions, and culture-in-action. The camp clarified youth roles in forest governance, advanced IKSP transmission, and set concrete steps for protecting ancestral domains.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Aug 23, 20252 min read
Aklan Piña Handloom Weaving: Woven Light, Woven Lineage
Aklan’s haboe nga Piña, Piña handloom weaving, is a living Philippine tradition. From pineapple leaf to luminous cloth, the craft sustains livelihoods and identity. Recognized by UNESCO in 2023, it is safeguarded locally and strengthened through partnerships led by NTFP-EP Philippines.
NTFP-EP Philippines
Aug 21, 20252 min read
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