Farming and Fishing Their Way to Survival

In a country where people have always relied on the natural resources for their basic needs, it is indeed no wonder that Filipinos constantly turn to the land and the rivers or lakes to cultivate and fish their way to survive. However, with 89 million Filipinos and growing at a rate of 1.8 percent per year (CIA 2006), competition for resources will truly intensify in the coming years. And as always, the environment will bear the impacts of this intense competition for survival.

Although a protected area, Mt. Malindang in Misamis Occidental is an example of how people and the environment are competing for survival instead of maintaining a harmonious co-existence. Results of the Biodiversity Research Programme (BRP) for development in Mindanao revealed the delicate existence of Mt. Malindang's watersheds, forests, mangroves, and other resources.