Importance of Rainforestation in Leyte, Philippines

Importance of Rainforestation in Leyte, Philippines Correspondent: The big idea of rainforestation an new agricultural method was dreamt up by the local Leyte State University, a German academics and tried out in a model farm over a period of years. Malito Bande (Cienda SanVincente Farmers Association): When this concept of rainforestation farming there are also concern under biodiversity and also the water shed container of the whole community so that’s why we promoted local free species in which the birds, the other animals which is found within the community want to exist within the local natural ecosystem so if we plant the indigenous one or the local species we are bring back the natural ecosystem within the community so we must rehabilitate the watersheds in order to sustain the rainforest the production of the farmers and to give much more yield for them so that is while we adopt the concept of the rainforestation farming. Correspondent: Rainforestation farming puts bushes in young trees at ground level protected by fast growing pioneer trees at shading level leaving mature hardwoods poking through at sky level. Groudn level sky level Prof. Freidhelm Goltenboth (Hohenheim University): And then we proved in between a very short time that rounding through the pioneers as it is in a gap in a rainforest planting underneath those after about 1 year the long time sustainable hardwood tropical timber trees but this is a feasible kind of approach because the grass is suppressed by the pioneers and then the others have a chance and even if you, if all the letter of the pioneers is left you’re improving the soil. Correspondent: Next the theory had to be put in to practice. With all that has happened the farmers of Tienda were susceptible to new ideas. Prof. Freidhelm Goltenboth (Hohenheim University): If you train the farmers in a proper way and you can show them that they get something out of it then of course they are convinced otherwise not. Another one where we can’t convince any farmer by just teaching him something, by just instructing something but let him do what you preach or much better do yourself what you preach. Correspondent: Tienda farmers rethought the use of their natural resources, the real leap was to set long term benefit. Not for themselves but for their grandchildren. Trees like the Philippine mahogany take years to grow and acquire value. Malito Bande (Cienda SanVincente Farmers Association): This is a Shorea contorta and this is one of the species of the Philippine mahogany this is a 2 year old and 11 months trees and this is very important because it is a tree of a high timber quality and second this is becoming faster disappearing in the forest because this is the tree that the loggers wanted to cut because of the high quality timber. Pastor Maaghop (farmer): Before now there was a big difference here because we now protect our mountain and we stop the illegal loggers and we send them to prison so now they’re weary of our group. Correspondent: The Tienda San Vicente Farmer’s association was set up in 1996 its 107 members have absolute control over 2236 hectares ranging from fields and paddies all the way up the mountain side to protected forest. Heavily protected are mother trees those fine specimens that everybody agrees of where the seeds should be gathered. This very old one is just outside the village. Lovingly collected and carefully brought to the nursery over 20,000 threes have been planted during the last 8 years. Malito Bande (Cienda SanVincente Farmers Association): the seedshasonly 5 to7 days lifespan and it is edible to –and ants. In this particular farm all the members really believe that in terms of the labor in puts that the invested in this particular farm so in one hour is equivalent to 12.5 pesos, 12 pesos and 50 centavos. They will paid if there will be harvest so every thing that a particular member invested here in terms of labor is recorded and that is now the basis in the sharing of their income in the future but it is a long term so this is given not to them to their grandchildren or their children. Correspondent: Rainforestation uses only local species starting with shade trees and including many indigenous plants for food to provide a living. Early on. Macario adopted the plan Zest. Macario: The children and grandchildren will find additional ways to help their incomes so in the end they can have a better standard of living. Now that our weather is getting hotter and hotter so I have a lot by planting trees so we have to love our trees because it helps our environment a lot. After all the people that need air. Correspondent: There is growing environment for awareness amongst Leyte’s farmers. They are also aware of higher incomes and the possibility of a better life by reinstating the forest last. Bienvenido Caintic (Farmer): Especially now we have seedling production that’s the big thing. Instead of talking and gossiping amongst ourselves amidst other people, we now have activities that change the old habits because of this we have so called progress this is because of the environmental activities we have carried out.