NTFP-EP Philippines: A Decade of Partnership, Culture, and Forests (Partners Meeting & 10th Anniversary)

Honoring Indigenous Peoples, Heritage, and the Forests We Call Home

From June 23–25, 2025, the NTFP-EP Philippines network came together in Iloilo City and the nearby communities of Maasin and Indag-an for a milestone gathering — the 2025 Partners Meeting and the celebration of our 10th anniversary.

For three days, Indigenous leaders, community members, and partners from across the country reflected on a decade of shared work — protecting ancestral lands, safeguarding culture, sustaining livelihoods, and standing for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

It was a time to honor the deep roots of our movement and to look ahead with renewed commitment.

Who We Are

NTFP-EP Philippines is more than an organization. We are a community of communities — a network of non-government and peoples’ organizations working alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

Our work is grounded in the belief that forests and cultures thrive together. We strengthen, develop, and promote non-timber forest product (NTFP)-based livelihoods and forest management strategies that are sustainable, culturally appropriate, and gender transformative.

Our vision: Empowered Indigenous Peoples and local communities inclusively governing forest landscapes to contribute to biodiversity and forest conservation, and to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Remembering Brother Ben

Before the Partners Meeting officially began, NTFP-EP Philippines staff traveled to Bacolod on June 20 to honor the memory of Benedicto “Brother Ben” Sánchez, one of our most beloved friends and collaborators in the network. Brother Ben passed away on July 16, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of service, kindness, and dedication to Indigenous Peoples and community-based work.

Together with his wife, we visited his resting place, offered prayers, and presented a plaque in recognition of his invaluable contributions to our shared mission. Though he is no longer with us, his spirit continues to inspire the work we do and the values we uphold.

Partners Meeting: Reflection and Visioning

On June 23–24, partners gathered at Hotel del Rio and St. Clement’s Retreat House to revisit the network’s Strategic Plan 2020–2025. We looked back at the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that shaped our work, and how Indigenous and local leadership remained a steady compass through change and challenge.

Stories flowed from our partner landscapes — from Palawan to Sierra Madre, from Nueva Vizcaya to Mindoro, and Visayas to Mindanao — showing progress across our four core themes:

• Tenure and Governance

• Community-Based Livelihoods and Enterprise Development

• Safeguarding Culture

• Community-Based Conservation and Resource Management

These stories reminded us that Indigenous stewardship is not just about conserving trees, it is about protecting an entire way of life, keeping alive the songs, languages, and practices that carry the memory and wisdom of the land.

The second day turned toward the future: shaping the Strategic Plan 2026–2030. Together, we reaffirmed our vision, mission, and core values, and set intermediate outcomes that include inclusive policies for IPLCs, greater protection of heritage and biodiversity, and stronger support for community-based enterprises. Capacity-building sessions also strengthened, among others, our knowledge about documenting and promoting wild and traditional foods; and reaffirmed our commitment to safe, inclusive, and accountable spaces.

Our Core Values: Guiding the Next Decade

The Partners Meeting was also a space to reaffirm the core values that have anchored our work and will continue to guide us into the next decade:

• Love for Country and Others (Pagmamahal sa Kapwa at sa Bayan)

• Rights and Culture-Based Approaches (Batay sa Karapatan at Kultura)

• Collaboration and Partnership (Kolaborasyon at Pakikipag-ugnayan)

• Inclusiveness and Transparency (Inklusibo at Pagiging Bukas)

• Hardwork and Resourcefulness (Masipag at Maparaan)

• Commitment to Organizational VMG (Pagtataya sa Pangarap, Misyon at Adhikain ng Organisasyon)

• Resilience, Adaptability, and Responsiveness (Katatagan, Pag-angkop at Pagtugon)

• Truthfulness and Honesty (Katotohanan at Katapatan)

• Active Non-Violence (Alay Dangal)

These values are now shaping every decision, partnership, and program. They remind us that the defense of forests is inseparable from the defense of rights, that culture is a source of strength, and that collaboration is the path to lasting change.

They call us to work with integrity, adaptability, and care, honoring both the planet, forests, and people.

A Night of Culture and Celebration

The evening of June 24 became alive with the colors, sounds, and spirit of Indigenous culture. The Cultural Night and 10th Anniversary Celebration brought to life the heritage we work to safeguard — through music, song, dance, and storytelling. It was a celebration of ten years of NTFP-EP Philippines and generations of care and knowledge that make our work possible.

Every performance was a reminder that the forest is more than a resource. It is a living relative, and culture is the language through which we honor and protect it.

Community Connection in Iloilo

On June 25, the network visited two partner communities: Katilingban Sang Pumuluyo Nga Naga-atipan Sang Watershed sa Maasin (KAPAWA-Maasin), who safeguard the Maasin watershed, and Indag-an Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative (IPMPC), keepers of the tradition of hablon weaving. These visits were windows into the living bond between nature and culture, showing how heritage and livelihood can walk hand in hand in caring for the land.

Looking Ahead

As NTFP-EP Philippines enters its second decade, our path is clear: to continue working side by side with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, ensuring that their rights are upheld, their voices are heard, and their knowledge is respected.

Because when Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities lead in governing their lands and waters, forests stand, rivers flow, cultures endure, and the future remains alive.

On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we honor the communities whose resilience, wisdom, and heritage shape both the landscapes we protect, and the very soul of our shared duty.