The Amburayan River traverses 6 municipalities in the highland province of Benguet. For the month of February community consultations covering barangays in Kapangan, Atok, Tublay and Bakun were conducted. These activities yielded indigenous concepts relevant to the river and to environmental protection. In Bakun, Benguet the “inayan” belief is often mentioned. It is the acute continue reading : Strengthening Environmental Responsibility Through Indigenous Belief Systems

Communities sharing responsibility for the Amburayan River On January 20-22, 2016 a training for the deputation of river and forest rangers for the Amburayan river basin and watershed was conducted in Santol, La Union. Representatives from People’s Organizations and community members from covered barangays were capacitated and empowered toward environmental protection. Melchor Ramirez, the leader continue reading : Community Leaders as Environmental Champions

Shared goals for river protection On December 23, 2015 the community of Barangay Ramot in Santol, La Union gathered for their annual barangay meeting to discuss and celebrate their achievements for the year. Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. along with Leonard Cachero, a researcher from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University were present to gather continue reading : Bridging Cultures and Communities

Creating a culture of environmental consciousness On November 3, 2015 the community leaders of barangay Up-uplas in Sudipen, La Union gathered for a session to discuss, among other concerns, the state of the Amburayan River. The Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI) was present to facilitate the discussion and provide updates of the project, Protecting continue reading : Community Participation for Sustainability

On October 25, 2015 a brief session was conducted in Brgy. Poblacion, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur as a part of  series of community consultation activities that aim to validate the uses, importance and possible sources of pollution of the Amburayan River. Older members of the community came to share their experiences of the river .  They continue reading : Remembering the Amburayan River of the Past

Balancing between Livelihood and River Protection Sympathy comes from a position of privilege, it is easy to have sympathy for communities, but empathy involves levelling with people and realizing that their concerns cannot be separated from one’s own. The third Amburayan Stakeholder’s meeting was held last September 29-30, 2015 in Baccuit, La Union and one continue reading : Unifying Goals for the Amburayan River

Through Reforestation and River Protection Irrigation is a serious concern in the municipality of Buguias, Benguet where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. This encouraged more than fifty community members from Barangay Natubleng and the Municipality of Buguias to participate in the tree planting activity held in Natubleng, Buguias, Benguet last August 28, 2015. continue reading : Supporting Local Livelihood

Establishing Collaborative Governance The provincial governments of Benguet, Ilocos Sur and La Union have agreed to fund part of the water testing required for the designation of the Amburayan River as a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA). A total of PHP 567,410 was pledged by the three Provincial LGUs to demonstrate their commitment and support. continue reading : 3 Provinces Pledge Funding for Amburayan