There are also wild herbal plants growing in the area such as Banaba, Lagundi, Sambong, Bagoh, Balobo, Kalay, Libas, Tanglad, Himbabao and other numerous native plants. Many of them have proven curative and healing properties recognized by the Philippines’ Bureau of Food and Drugs. These plants are being studied as potential source of livelihood through the manufacture of natural medicines. Alternative Livelihoods Broadchem also provided a number of slash and burn upland farmers and charcoal makers with capital to plant ginger and yam, taking them away from their destructive practices. Farmers were taught about the concept of sustainable livelihood as a key component in biodiversity stewardship. Supplemental livelihoods include beekeeping and organic farming. The people were taught practical beekeeping instead of constantly destroying wild bee colonies in the mountain. The community was supplied with the necessary tools, queen bees, bee wax and other components in beekeeping. Now, the community is producing a sizeable supply of raw honey which is sold in Manila and nearby places. At present, Barangay Atisan can be considered a model of agricultural biodiversity. The general atmosphere, the environment and the people’s attitude have fairly showed a renewed interest in planting indigenous trees, plants and crops. Return of the Species With the once denuded area now thick with trees, Atisan’s biodiversity has improved. Some animal species that have migrated to other areas are now back and thriving. Wild pigs, exotic birds, reptiles, and insects have been noticeably growing in numbers. An interesting source of food for the people is the edible snail which is locally and commonly called Bayuko (Rysota otaheitana), an edible land snail which has a meat similar to that of abalone and whose shells are used to craft decorative items. Bayuko has grown in numbers and has become a specialty exotic food cooked with coconut milk. Tariktik is a horn bill species which has become endangered in the area. The species has slowly grown in numbers. Another bird which may be considered endangered is ‘kuling’ which is now proliferating in the area as a result of the improved environment. Biodiversity and Business Synergy Today, Broadchem’s 16-hectare farm in Atisan is quickly gaining popularity for its land management practices in a once-denuded forest area. Broadchem’s biodiversity programme, while taking care of the area’s biodiversity and meeting the livelihood needs of the residents, is also ensuring the future of children. The company is supporting the education of the farmers’ children through scholarships and providing computers in the lone community school. It’s a win-win situation for both Broadchem and Atisan. The village has been a case of a turnaround community from sheer poverty with land erosions and natural degradation to a biodiversified village. Broadchem’s partnership with Atisan has brought about new business opportunities for the company. A new business venture for Broadchem that involves the community is the processing of organic indigenous fruits into wines, juices, jams, jellies, bread and cakes. The venture is currently giving a decent livelihood to a sizeable number of families who used to be plain overseers of the once marginal lands, and additional income for Broadchem. Most of all, the partnership has generated a significant biodiversity and business synergy. Lessons Learned For the last seven years, Broadchem and the people of Atisan have learned the following critical lessons vital to biodiversity stewardship: sustainable livelihood programme is highly essential to biodiversity stewardship; people will take care of the environment and its biodiversity as long as there is sustainable livelihood; opportunities to promote agricultural biodiversity to reduce poverty can be replicated in other areas; and continuous education, information sharing, training and technology infusion are critical elements of sustainability. The key lesson learned is that people who are given alternative sources of livelihood using resources in their communities would eventually work together to protect and sustain their ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 115
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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