Along the east coast of Mindanao Island—the second largest island of the Philippines—at least 370 species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles make their homes in an expanse of rainforest that is sacred to the Indigenous Peoples of the Labata and Limpong Mandaya Communities.

To protect these sacred forests from exploitation, they must first be clearly demarcated and formally recognized. Rainforest Trust and our partner, Philippine Association for Intercultural Development, with the International Land Coalition, seek $1,023,238 to support the formal designation of 59,637 acres of ancestral lands as Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Conserved Areas and Territories (ICCAs).

Header photo: Philippine Eagle, by MichalLukaszewicz

Save Critically Endangered Eagles, Cockatoos and Plants

True to its name, the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle can be found in the Philippines and nowhere else in the world. Once, this majestic bird lived throughout the country, but unchecked habitat loss has reduced its range to just four islands and its population to an estimated 400 or fewer breeding pairs.

The Critically Endangered Philippine Cockatoo has also been erased from most of its range, and only an estimated 750 individuals remain alive today.

The unusual critically endangered parasitic plant, Rafflesia mira, is also endemic to the region.

In total, 50 or more of the species found in the project area live in the Philippines and nowhere else in the world.

The forest in the project area also safeguards numerous endangered species, including Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox (the largest bat on Earth), Rickarts’ Dyak Fruit Bat and a species of cycad tree, Cycas lacrimans.

Protect Indigenous Territories From Illegal Encroachment and Forest Conversion

Estimates suggest that 85% of the Philippines’ most important areas for biodiversity lie within ancestral Indigenous lands. ICCA designation will protect these lands from the risks of mining, illegal logging, unregulated tourism and the conversion of small-scale farms into banana plantations. Our partner has worked with Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines on land titling and community projects for more than six decades.