The Non-Timber Forest Products-Exchange Programme Asia (NTFP-EP Asia) hosted a four-day Learning Exchange Visit to the Philippines, aimed at broadening the knowledge of community forestry enterprises (CFEs) in Lao PDR and Myanmar from successful social enterprises. 

From June 14 to 17, the Exchange Visit brought together 14 delegates—including community forestry leaders and Department of Forestry officers from Lao PDR and Myanmar. The activity is part of the AFoCO CLMV Project, “Capacity Building on Enhancing Resilience to Forest Fire, and Strengthening Local Livelihood, and Market Linkages in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam countries.” 

The immersive exchange offered a unique peer-to-peer learning experience, featuring a combination of field visits, community interactions, and facilitated discussions with the aim to: 

• Strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical skills in managing climate-resilient forest livelihoods and enterprises. 

• Promote the value of collective action in sustaining community-based forest initiatives. 

• Provide space for reflection and forward planning for local interventions. 

A Journey Through Climate-Resilient Practices 

The exchange kicked off with a travel to the Carolina Bamboo Garden in Sitio Tanza II, Brgy. San Jose, Antipolo City to learn from their social enterprise initiative involving the propagation of different types of Bamboo species, a bamboo products museum, and bamboo pole processing and sale.  

On the second day, participants travelled early to Orani, Bataan to visit the biodiversity-friendly and eco-tourism social enterprise managed by Sagip Kalikasan ng Tala (SAKATA)—a local community championing sustainable forest conservation and enterprise development to learn from the leaders of SAKATA and also from the delegates from Lao PDR and Myanmar on community organizing, forest protection and conservation, community savings and loan, and managing a successful social enterprise.   

A courtesy visit and exchange conducted on the following day to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Protected Area Management Office managing the Bataan Natural Park to learn on government policies and forest management, as well as partnership with community organizations.   

In addition to the field visit in Brgy. Tala, Orani, Bataan, the participants engaged with the advocacy-driven enterprises such as ADVOCAFE in Manila and Custom-Made Crafts Center (CMCC) in Quezon City – both demonstrate successful social and environmental business models rooted in community empowerment and ecological stewardship. 

The four-day learning exchange concluded with a reflection and planning session, allowing participants to synthesize learnings and explore how these can be adapted to their local contexts back home. 

This initiative reaffirms NTFP-EP Asia’s commitment to fostering community-led forest governance and resilience building across the CLMV region—where knowledge exchange becomes a powerful tool for climate action and sustainable community forest enterprise development. 

The activity was made possible through the support of the ASEAN Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). 

Written by Martin Ablola