MATALAM, COTABATO – Thirty members of the Obo Manobo Indigenous Peoples (IPs) serving as forest aides under the MAGP-EDC partnership were officially deputized and oriented as Wildlife Enforcement Officers (WEOs) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12, through its Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Matalam, during a ceremony held on June 11, 2025, at the MADADMA Office in Brgy. Ilomavis, Kidapawan City.
The activity, which marks a significant milestone in environmental protection efforts within the ancestral domain of the Manobo Apao Descendants Ancestral Domain of Mt. Apo (MADADMA), strengthens the community’s role in safeguarding biodiversity in one of the country’s most ecologically significant landscapes.
Forester Nobeh L. Llamas, Chief of the Monitoring and Enforcement Section, provided an in-depth orientation on the duties and responsibilities of WEOs. He emphasized the need for a strong grasp of the country’s environmental and wildlife protection laws, particularly Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001. He also discussed key provisions under the Joint DA-PCSD Administrative Order No. 01-04, Rule 30.4, which sets the legal framework for citizen enforcement of environmental policies.
The deputation of the forest aides recognizes the vital role of Indigenous Peoples as stewards of the environment. Living within and depending on the forests of Mt. Apo for generations, the Obo Manobo have maintained a deep-rooted cultural connection to the land, making them natural protectors of its biodiversity. Their participation in formal enforcement efforts reflects a growing acknowledgment of Indigenous knowledge and community-based conservation as key components of sustainable environmental governance.
Representatives from the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), which supports community-based forest protection initiatives in Mt. Apo, also took part in the activity. EDC’s partnership with MADADMA and DENR aims to build local capacity in forest monitoring, reporting, and protection, especially within the boundaries of ancestral domains.
MADADMA officials underscored the importance of empowering Indigenous forest defenders through legal deputation, stating that it boosts both environmental protection and cultural integrity.
This initiative not only strengthens law enforcement capacity in remote and vulnerable areas but also reinforces the broader goal of inclusive conservation—where Indigenous communities are at the heart of protecting the Philippines’ rich natural heritage.