Fufuamas (elders) from the tribal villages of Tamisan, Tagurades, and Balagit in Mts Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP) participated in a workshop on October 9, 2019 to provide information in documenting their traditional natural resource management system and customary practices. The workshop was organized by the Park office, with support of DAF. A young Tau buid leader facilitated the discussion, which also started his engagement with DAF as community mediator and documenter. This event was followed by several successive meetings and discussions.
The documentation process is an initial step that will feed into a wider socio-agro-ecological investigation of the living conditions and traditional practices of the Tau-buids that will take at least three years to complete. The documentation of the Tau-buid way of life is a key target of the General Management Plan (GMP) of the Park and Tamaraw Conservation and Management Action Plan (TCMAP).
Based on the information provided by the fufuamas, a seasonal calendar was created that showed the major livelihood activities (crop growing, gathering of forest products, handicrafts-making, fishing, and hunting) showing in which months these were carried out during the year. The fufuamas also provided information on their indigenous political structure, customary laws pertaining to managing natural resources, and their concept of land ownership (communal). The collection of information aims to design appropriate approaches in conserving biodiversity and preserving the culture of the Tau buids in MIBNP.
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