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Forest Patrolling and Monitoring

The Obu Manuvu Bantay Bukid with CENRO-Davao City staff and Forest Protection Officer Joshua Donato of EGIP Foundation pose during their regular monitoring and foot patrolling around the Obu Manuvu Ancestral Domain forest.
The Obu-Manuvu community through their 43 Obu-Manuvu forest guards, deputized by the DENR and City Government of Davao, continue their regular foot patrolling within their ancestral forest covering more than 2000 hectares of tropical forest. They report and take action in case of violations like illegal logging, mining, poaching, etc. in coordination with the DENR and NCIP to protect their ancestral forest and known watersheds.
On August 21-23, 2018, ten (10) forest guards together with two (2) EGIPF staff accompanied by two (2) representatives from CENRO-Davao monitored and patrolled the ancestral forest personally. They visited the site after they received news that there is a group of people that illegally cut trees and established a small village somewhere in the Kalatong area. Indeed, the illegal activities were observed in the areas of Kalatong and on the Tabak- Carmen side, an area of more or less 200 Has. They observed illegal activities such as forest clearing, illegal cutting of trees and timber harvesting and unauthorized building of structures. Another area visited in the AD was illegally cleared to make a ranch. The forest guards were assisted by the CENRO staff in in gathering the needed data and information to investigate and file a case to the violators.

Snare traps for small mammals were seen and removed during their actual monitoring and foot patrolling.
In addition, a substantial number of traps for fauna such as the Philippine deer, the Philippine warty pig and other small mammals were observed during the monitoring period. Illegal logging, timber harvesting, and kaingin/deforestation are other rampant threats were also observed during the same time frame. According to some forest guards, massive numbers of snare and goose traps, the traditional way of hunting forest animals as source of food or protein, were discovered too. However, since the actual monitoring and patrolling began, the forest guards informed the members of their community about the adverse effects of massive trapping, especially the effects on the existence of different wildlife, so trapping and hunting in the areas were eventually reduced. The magnitude of trapping described is not only wasteful but it also poses a threat to the existence of different important wildlife species in their natural habitat. Records of several wildlife species getting trapped and killed show that there has been an increase during the past two decades.
As of now, a report was submitted to the DENR Region Office through CENRO Davao City, NCIP, Office of the City Mayor and to the Unified Obu-Manuvu Tribal Council of Leaders and Elders. Unfortunately, those cases are still pending to be resolved and we have received news that yet another group went to the same area to do similar illegal activities.
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