Smallholder Tree Growing in Philippine Back Yards: Homegarden Characteristics in Different Environmental Settings - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 40

is regularly inaccessible because of damaged bridges. The village, with 115 house-
holds the smallest of the five, is composed of Tinguian families who migrated from
the uplands in Abra province from the late 1970s onwards. Many homegardens are
relatively young (Photo 2.1), i.e., being established 14 years ago on average (Table
2.2). The garden area is 0.13 ha, i.e., about six percent of the average total farm size
of 2.28 ha. Only 31 percent of the farmer respondents have their homegarden and
residential lot as private property. Another 31 percent are in the process of acquir-
ing the land (tax payers), whereas yet another 31 percent occupy the land as squat-
ters. Most of the farm land outside the village is cultivated within the framework of
an integrated social forestry program. Participants of this program received a cer-
tificate of stewardship (CSC) status, meaning the land can be utilized for a period
of 25 years, after which the agreement can be extended. Most farmers, 92 percent
of those interviewed, use their farms for corn cultivation, whereas another 31 per-
cent cultivate rice every season or in rotation with corn. Moreover, families use a
part of the forest for kaingin (shifting cultivation) and timber collection.
The lowland villages Moldero and Malibabag (>300 households per village) are
located in the most densely populated zone (150 to 600 persons per km 2 ; NSO
2001), on the fertile plains of the Cagayan and Pinacanauan de Tuguegarao rivers
respectively. Moldero is located along a dirt road at about 3 km distance from the
national highway leading to the nearest (Tumauini) market. Malibabag is located
along a tarmac road but at a distance of about 11 km from the national highway
leading to the regional capital Tuguegarao. Most farmers belong to the group of
autochthonous inhabitants of the valley plains, i.e., the Ibanag , which means “from
the river” referring to their original homeland along the banks of the Cagayan River.
The oldest homegardens are found in these villages, some being established more
Photo 2.1 Characteristic homegarden in the Dy Abra uplands in Isabela Province, the Philippines
(©DJ Snelder)