Activists demand corporate and government accountability after a massive landslide struck a mining town in the southern Philippines on Feb. 6, claiming nearly 100 lives and affecting more than 7,000 people. Following nonstop heavy rains that began Feb. 2, a devastating landslide struck Masara, a gold mining village with more than 1,200 residents, at 7:30 […]
To strengthen the disaster and climate resilience of its emerging tourism and agribusiness sectors, Davao Oriental’s provincial government entered into a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Australia-supported “Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD)” program. Gov. Niño Sotero Uy Jr. of…
The Manobo indigenous people live and thrive on a vast wetland in the Philippines – despite dealing with dozens of storms and floods per year. What can we learn from them?
Forced to vacate their shoreline homes in 2020, Teduray residents were buried in mud after fatal landslides triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng hit them in October 2022. Private resorts have since taken over, one of them owned by a political family.
Nenen Cervantes, 29 years old, a member of the Mandaya Tribe, embodies strength, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to her duty as the only female Forest guard in Davao Oriental. Juggling the responsibilities of safeguarding the forests, nurturing her family, and taking on demanding field tasks has become second nature to her, as nothing comes before her call of duty.
Recently, Nenen is one of over 100 Forest guards trained and capacitated in Davao Oriental. Nenen stands tall as the sole woman who has embraced the challenge of becoming a guardian of the remaining forested areas in the province.
Nenen resides in the remote Sitio Magubahong, Brgy. Abejod, within the ancestral domain and forested area. From a young age, her father instilled in her the significance of caring for the land and its resources. This upbringing fostered her deep appreciation for Forest protection, ultimately inspiring her to pursue a career as a Forest guard.
One of the driving forces behind Nenen’s d