Once bare and fire-scarred, the hillside farm in Barangay Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, is now flush with new life—fruit trees, vegetables, and the beginnings of sustainable abundance. Where degraded soil once stood as a symbol of loss, farmers are cultivating something deeper than crops: restoring harmony between nature and sustainable development.
This transformation is part of a broader effort under the DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project, which, through close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM), is breathing life back into degraded agricultural lands across the Mindoro and Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridors.
In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2025, with its timely theme of “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development,” we shine a light on the farmers and fieldworkers who are leading the way—not just by protecting biodiversity, but by restoring it through sustainable land stewardship.
Growing More Than Crops
For years, the site in Barangay Rizal was lying abandoned and unproductive—until the project introduced a new approach built on Sustainable Land Management (SLM) principles.
“Dati po ang lugar na ito ay walang tanim,” shares Mr. Hans Christian Guevarra, head of the Brgy. Rizal, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro Irrigators Association (BRROMIA), eyes scanning the now-green terrain. “Dati po itong may mga puno pero nasunog na po. Kaya po ngayon po nung nagkaroon po ng project dito, ng SLM, ito pong ating site ay maganda na po—maraming pananim, may mga prutas, at umaasa po kami na balang araw ay makakatulong ito sa aming kabuhayan.”
“This area used to have no crops,” shares Mr. Hans Christian Guevarra, head of the Irrigators Association, as his eyes scan the now-green terrain. “There used to be trees here, but they were burned down. So now that the project, the SLM, has been implemented here, our site has improved—a lot of crops are growing, there are fruit-bearing plants, and we are hopeful that one day, this will help support our livelihood.”
His words echo the core mission of the project: to heal the land, support livelihoods, and safeguard the future.
The transformation of this once-degraded farm didn’t happen overnight. It began with thorough site validation and meaningful consultations with local farmers, ensuring that every step aligned with both the land’s potential and the community’s needs. From there, the project provided training, field layout, which includes land contouring, and agroecological farm planning strategies that promote soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and climate resilience while enhancing food security for farming communities. These were followed by the provision of farming tools and appropriate planting materials, empowering farmers to apply what they learned and breathe new life into the land.
This site in Rizal is just one of many. To date, the initiative has restored more than 150 hectares of degraded farmland across Rizal and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, as well as multiple municipalities in Eastern Mindanao, including Manay, Tarragona, Trento, Tagbina, and Mainit.
A Living Model of Biodiversity in Action
These are not isolated interventions. They are Sustainable Land Management Exemplar Sites (SLMES)—model farms designed to show what’s possible when communities are equipped and empowered to care for their land. They stand as living classrooms for neighboring farmers and local governments, proving that environmental restoration and economic growth can go hand in hand.
As we mark IDBD 2025, these exemplar sites embody the vision of “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development.” They are not only improving livelihoods—they are bringing back biodiversity, slowing erosion, protecting forest edges, and reducing the pressure on surrounding ecosystems.
The DENR-UNDP/GEF BD Corridor Project continues to expand its reach by strengthening policies, fostering partnerships, and sharing knowledge that can ripple outward to other communities. Its goal is not just to rehabilitate land, but to plant seeds of resilience, showing that with the right support, every degraded plot has the potential to bloom again.
In Barangay Rizal, the soil is no longer silent. It speaks through the rustle of leaves, the budding of fruit, and the pride of the farmers who tend it. Together, they remind us that when we invest in the land—and in the people who care for it—we are investing in a future where biodiversity thrives, communities flourish, and sustainability is more than a vision—it’s a reality taking root.
This story is published under the DENR-UNDP/GEF Project “Integrated Approach in the Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines” or BD Corridor Project, which seeks to operationalize integrated management of biodiversity corridors to generate multiple benefits, including effective conservation of globally threatened species and high conservation value forests, reduce deforestation and degradation, and enhance local biodiversity-friendly livelihoods.
The project is implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Global Environment Facility.
