Restoration of Philippine Native Forest by Smallholder Tree Farmers - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 314

Table 15.2 Explanatory factors for raising indigenous tree species in forest nurseries
in Cebu, Lantapan (Bukidnon) and Claveria (Misamis Oriental)
Responses Total

Limited supply of seeds and planting materials 38

Difficulty with ITS identification 10

Fast growth rate for exotics; slow growth rate for ITS 6

Complicated permit and transport system for ITS 4

Financial difficulties in raising ITS 4

Farmers' preference for fruit trees 3

Interest in planting ITS if there are buyers 2

Perception of ITS as a common plant on the farm 1

Preference for mix planting of exotics and ITS 1

Pejorative mentality of raisers 1

Production of ITS for “testing” only 1

ITS as food for wildlife 1

Knowledge of other ITS yet these are absent 1

Lack of technical know-how in raising ITS 1

Total responses 74

n = 50
Note: Some respondents gave more than one response

15.3.3 Community-Based Production System for Selected Trees

and Vines in Support of the Furniture
and Handicraft Industries

Currently, the author is conducting a research, “Community-based Production
System for selected Trees and Vines in support of the Furniture and Handicraft
Industries” in Quezon and Diffun provinces. The Gabriela MultiPurpose Cooperative
Inc (GMPCI), a community-based forest management agreement (CBFMA) holder
with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was chosen as the
project partner. The People's Organization (PO) is currently testing the following
ITS: bagalunga ( Melia dubia ), mamalis ( Pittosporum pentandrum ) and malapapaya
( Polycias nodosa ). Though the species were not familiar to the PO, the researchers
observed that the farmers were willing to learn and test new tree species that they
thought will contribute to their income. Based on their prior knowledge and experi-
ence in raising Gmelina arborea , also popular as exotic tree in that region, the
farmers quickly tested a variety of methods in breaking seed dormancy of the three
new species. The project also documented that these farmers are comparing the new
ITS with the exotic gmelina thus, in the site selection for the ITS, similar sites
where gmelina was grown were used. Likewise, growth and performance were
gauged with gmelina as standard and they have observed that the exotic and ITS
were comparatively similar. Tree management like site preparation, maintenance
and protection works were patterned to their previous tree farming practices for
gmelina.