Rizal is one of the Philippines first class provinces that belongs to CALABARZON (CA-vite, LA-guna, BA-tangas, R-izal, Que-ZON) Region or region IV-A in the island of Luzon.
The province’s topography is a combination of valleys and mountains; flat low-lying areas on the western portion which are mostly urbanized and populated, and the rugged ridges and rolling hills which form part of the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges in the eastern portion.
Rizal is one of the neighboring provinces of Metro Manila. It takes an hour drive from major commercial districts and centers of Metropolis to reach the province’s best places.
Source: rizalprovince.ph
The Remontados, identified as a Negrito ethnolinguistic group, derive their name from the Spanish verb “remontar”, meaning, “to flee to the hills”, “to frighten away” or “go back to the mountains”. These indigenous peoples (IPs) are said to be the descendants of lowlanders who opted to live in the mountains to avoid subjugation by the Spaniards. Subsequently, they intermarried with the Negrito groups. Also referred to as Dumagat, they prefer to call themselves taga-bundok (from the mountains) or magkakaingin (those who practice kaingin). (Bennnagen, 1985) They inhabit the uplands of Rizal and Quezon Provinces along the Sierra Madre highlands. They live mainly on the eastern part of Rizal Province.
As people who mainly rely on nature for their sustenance, we can provide our partner Dumagat-Remontados in Rizal with sustained livelihood opportunities through ecotourism.
*Information from ncca.gov.ph
The Dumagat-Remontados have a rich reservoir of knowledge on the environment and ecology. Their taxonomy of the flora and fauna is evident in their crops, technology on hunting wild games and even in the identification of medicinal plants. Their mastery and expertise on the issue of ecological management is also evident in their kaingin system of multi-cropping and fallow period. (ncca.gov.ph)
Educating those who join ecotours together with IP partners will not only lead to increased learning about biodiversity, but also inspire action for their conservation.
Studies show that there is an average loss of 206 hectares per year in the province of Rizal (Mongabay). Unsustainable activities such as timber poaching, charcoal making and land conversion are still widespread and continuous.
Hand in hand with local communities, private and public sectors, we need to work together to bring back the forests in the denuded areas of Rizal.
