Water over Troubled Forests
With climate change threatening their lands, the Indigenous Pulangiyen people are rebuilding Bendum's forests and restoring life-giving water to their ancestral home. [PART 1 of 2]
“It should be 4 p.m. by now, right? The Kalaw sits there every day at four,” said Jesuit priest Fr. Pedro Walpole.
The Kalaw (a.ka. Philippine hornbill) perches every afternoon on one of the tallest trees holding the memory of what the forest used to look like near the cottage where Fr. Pedro spends most of his time.
The Jesuit priest is the Global Coordinator for EcoJesuit, Research Director for the Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change, and the Coordinator for the River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN).
Pedro also runs the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC), an Indigenous Peoples' school located in Bendum village, on the outskirts of Malaybalay City, in the southern Philippine province of Bukidnon.
Bendum, part of the Upper Pulangi Watershed in the Pantaron Range, is home to the Indigenous Pulangiyen people, who regard the Kalaw as a symbol of forest health. Yet the trees in their ancestral land, where Pedro’s cottage stands, are young and recovering from severe depletion.
Destruction and displacement
During the administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 1970s, logging by companies with Timber License Agreements “began to overtake the forests” of Mindanao, including Bendum, Pedro said.
Historian Rudy Buhay Rodil noted that 164 logging companies, each holding 25-year concessions, deforested Mindanao’s commercial forests.
Mindanao had a total commercial forest area of approximately 3.92 million hectares, yet the combined concession area granted to these companies spanned an astonishing 5,029,340 hectares.
“There was no life here—no forest trees, just bare soil. The land was severely degraded."
Pedro said that logging companies not only plundered the entire Pulangi Valley but also regulated communities and movements in the area.
Logging and the influx of migrants, who arrived as company laborers, “drastically reduced” Indigenous lands and displaced many Indigenous Pulangiyen families.
It also dried up the water that once freely flowed from the springs to the Pulangi River.
Recovery and regeneration
In 1992, Pedro was assigned to Zamboanguita, near Bendum, marking the start of his involvement with the Pulangiyen community. Over time, Pedro's relationship with the community deepened, and he initiated studies on forest hydrology - the study of the links between water and forests.
Through the Pulangiyen tribal council, the community raised funds to reclaim 1,662 hectares of ancestral lands from settlers. “The youth began reviving our forest,” said Pulangiyen youth leader Jason Menaling.
Data from the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shows that the Philippines loses around 47,000 hectares of forest cover annually.
Currently, the country retains less than 24 percent of its original forest cover from the 1900s.
Based on the 2020 Land Cover Maps from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the Philippines has a forest cover of 7,226,394 hectares, with Mindanao comprising 32.36 percent or 2,338,723 hectares of that total.
Since 1993, the community has been regrowing the forest using assisted natural regeneration. This method combines planting with natural tree growth, facilitated by the community's traditional knowledge.
“We plant trees that are Indigenous or native to this area, and we care for them until they reach an age where they can grow on their own.”
In over 30 years, the community has planted more than 15,000 trees, with around 70 percent surviving despite challenges like extreme weather and wildlife.
Fr. Pedro Walpole shows the size of a 30-year-old tree that the Indigenous Pulangiyen people planted when they started reviving the forest through assisted natural regeneration. The priest stressed that it takes generations for the forest to grow and urged the public to oppose any attempt to plunder the forests on Mindanao again.
Fr. Pedro Walpole shows the size of a 30-year-old tree that the Indigenous Pulangiyen people planted when they started reviving the forest through assisted natural regeneration. The priest stressed that it takes generations for the forest to grow and urged the public to oppose any attempt to plunder the forests on Mindanao again.
“The Indigenous youth are responsible for maintaining the forest, caring for the trees, and ensuring that those who walk through it respect the environment,”
Another challenge is ensuring that everyone in the community fully understands the importance of the forest and feels a sense of responsibility for its protection.
Jeno emphasized that it is crucial for everyone, especially the youth, to understand why safeguarding the forest is essential.
Securing most vital resource
With the restoration of the forest's vibrancy in Bendum, there has also been a resurgence of the ceaseless flow of water originating from springs and flowing towards the homes.
For Jason, this is one of the most important reasons why the youth must lead in protecting the ancestral lands.
“We have our own water distribution system. The water from the spring, protected and nurtured by the forest, flows to taps in the households and communal tubs for public use,” he said.
In 1995, the village transitioned from using split bamboo to a more robust system by constructing a spring box to pipe water directly to the village.
This spring box requires root clearance every three months to maintain its function. A dedicated committee manages water distribution and the collection of maintenance fees for the pipes.
Now, the water system in Bendum serves 120 households, and the village is equipped with 25 private and communal tubs.
"We collect minimal fees for maintaining the pipes. Although the water is free, as it is a gift from the forest, we emphasize to our community the importance of having an efficient system to distribute this water to everyone,” said Jason.
"In Bendum, the water is available for unlimited use to everyone, be they visitors or residents. The sole rule we enforce is that the water must not be taken out of the village,”
Even during extended dry seasons, the community has not experienced a shortage of water. The Pulangiyen people attribute the abundant supply of spring water to the surrounding forest.
Indigenous wisdom at forefront of climate crisis battle
As the climate crisis intensifies, Indigenous communities are emerging as key players in protecting the planet and restoring lost ecosystems.
“For generations, Indigenous peoples have lived in harmony with nature, with deep knowledge of the land, water, and ecosystems.”
Despite this, Indigenous voices remain among the least heard. Pedro emphasized that the climate crisis is not only an environmental issue but also a matter of social justice, as Indigenous communities face marginalization and limited influence in policy discussions.
The path to Fr. Pedro Walpole’s hut in Bendum.
The path to Fr. Pedro Walpole’s hut in Bendum.
Indigenous Pulangiyen people
Indigenous Pulangiyen people
The 1,662-hectare ancestral land is home to the Pulangiyen people in Bendum, Northern Mindanao, where they have been restoring and protecting their forests for decades to sustain their cultural and ecological heritage.
The 1,662-hectare ancestral land is home to the Pulangiyen people in Bendum, Northern Mindanao, where they have been restoring and protecting their forests for decades to sustain their cultural and ecological heritage.
Fr. Pedro Walpole gives instructions to a member of the Pulangiyen community who is clearing the brush to allow the trees to grow.
Fr. Pedro Walpole gives instructions to a member of the Pulangiyen community who is clearing the brush to allow the trees to grow.
Students of Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC), an Indigenous Peoples' school located in Bendum village, play volleyball.
Students of Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC), an Indigenous Peoples' school located in Bendum village, play volleyball.
Drone shot of one of the classrooms at Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, where Indigenous children from the Pulangiyen community gather for classes focused on their culture, environment, and sustainable living.
Drone shot of one of the classrooms at Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, where Indigenous children from the Pulangiyen community gather for classes focused on their culture, environment, and sustainable living.
Fr. Pedro Walpole engages with students at the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, as children from the Indigenous Pulangiyen community gather for their glass of morning milk before starting their lessons.
Fr. Pedro Walpole engages with students at the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, as children from the Indigenous Pulangiyen community gather for their glass of morning milk before starting their lessons.
The 1,662-hectare ancestral land is home to the Pulangiyen people in Bendum, Northern Mindanao, where they have been restoring and protecting their forests for decades to sustain their cultural and ecological heritage.
The 1,662-hectare ancestral land is home to the Pulangiyen people in Bendum, Northern Mindanao, where they have been restoring and protecting their forests for decades to sustain their cultural and ecological heritage.
Fr. Pedro Walpole engages with students at the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, as children from the Indigenous Pulangiyen community gather for their glass of morning milk before starting their lessons.
Fr. Pedro Walpole engages with students at the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in Bendum, as children from the Indigenous Pulangiyen community gather for their glass of morning milk before starting their lessons.
Fr. Pedro Walpole in his lawig.
Fr. Pedro Walpole in his lawig.
The Indigenous Pulangiyen community in Bendum started regrowing their forest in 1993 after massive destruction caused by decades of logging and agricultural expansion.
The Indigenous Pulangiyen community in Bendum started regrowing their forest in 1993 after massive destruction caused by decades of logging and agricultural expansion.
“This is why we must focus on Indigenous areas, as Laudato Si’ stresses the importance of Indigenous knowledge and youth.
Can we recognize and act on this wisdom for a more sustainable future?”
Globally, Indigenous knowledge offers sustainable resource management models, yet these voices are often sidelined by corporate interests or Western scientific approaches.
“Amplifying Indigenous wisdom is essential for both preserving their way of life and finding holistic solutions to the climate emergency,” Pedro said.
With generous support from
Aid to the Church in Need
missio Aachen
Pontifical Society of the Propagation of the Faith
Text and photos by Mark Saludes
Edited by Peter Rachada Montienvienchai
Produced by June Nattha Nuchsuwan
Published September 27, 2024
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