Project Arawatan

Restoring the Forests, Watersheds, and Communities of Mindoro

Project Story

Project Arawatan is an ambitious, community-led effort to restore the landscapes of Mindoro, one of the Philippines' most ecologically important islands.

Named after the Mangyan word associated with stewardship and care for the land, Project Arawatan seeks to demonstrate a new model for restoration—one where Indigenous Peoples, local communities, science, and long-term investment come together to regenerate ecosystems at scale.

The project begins with a 500-hectare pilot across multiple People's Organizations and Indigenous communities in Oriental Mindoro. This first phase serves as the foundation for a much larger vision: restoring tens of thousands of hectares of degraded forest, agroforestry landscapes, and critical watersheds across the island while creating sustainable livelihoods for the communities who call Mindoro home.

Rather than viewing restoration as a one-time planting activity, Project Arawatan is building the systems, partnerships, and local institutions needed to steward landscapes for generations.

Our Mission

Project Arawatan exists to prove that restoring nature can create prosperity.

We believe that communities should be at the center of restoration and that healthy ecosystems can become valuable economic assets through sustainable agriculture, watershed protection, biodiversity conservation, and carbon finance.

By combining Indigenous knowledge, local leadership, ecological science, and innovative financing, Project Arawatan aims to establish a scalable model for landscape restoration that can be replicated throughout the Philippines and across Southeast Asia.

Background & Problem Statement

Mindoro is recognized globally as a biodiversity hotspot. The island contains some of the Philippines' most important remaining forests and is home to numerous endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.

Yet many upland landscapes have experienced decades of degradation from land conversion, wildfire, unsustainable extraction, and limited economic opportunities for rural communities. As forests decline, so too do watershed functions, biodiversity habitat, soil stability, and climate resilience.

At the same time, many Indigenous and farming communities face economic pressures that make long-term stewardship increasingly difficult.

The challenge is not simply planting more trees. The challenge is creating a durable economic model that rewards communities for protecting and restoring forests over the long term.

Solution

Project Arawatan combines ecological restoration with livelihood development.

The first 500 hectares will be restored through partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and community organizations that already possess long-term stewardship rights over their landscapes. Restoration activities will include:

• Native forest restoration using high-value Philippine species such as Narra, Lauan, Molave, Apitong, and Amugis.

• Agroforestry systems incorporating coffee, cacao, and other non-timber forest products.

• Community nursery development and seedling production.

• Forest protection and fire management.

• Biodiversity monitoring and ecological surveys.

• Long-term maintenance and stewardship programs.

The objective is not only to establish trees, but to rebuild functioning ecosystems that support biodiversity, strengthen watersheds, and provide sustainable income opportunities.

Opportunity

Project Arawatan represents one of the largest landscape restoration opportunities in the Philippines.

The initial pilot brings together multiple People's Organizations, including communities from the Mangyan-Iraya and Mangyan-Hanunuo tribes, who collectively steward thousands of hectares of forestlands under Community-Based Forest Management Agreements and other tenure arrangements.

The pilot phase is designed to generate the ecological, social, and financial proof points needed to scale restoration across much larger areas of Mindoro.

Success on the first 500 hectares will create a pathway toward restoring tens of thousands of hectares of degraded landscapes while attracting additional public, philanthropic, and private investment into the island's restoration economy.

How We Regenerate

Project Arawatan follows a landscape-scale restoration approach.

We work with communities to identify priority restoration sites, establish locally managed nurseries, produce native seedlings, implement restoration activities, and monitor outcomes over time.

Our approach integrates:

• Indigenous knowledge and community leadership.

• Science-based restoration planning.

• Agroforestry and sustainable livelihoods.

• Remote sensing and drone monitoring.

• Biodiversity and watershed protection.

• Carbon market readiness.

Every hectare restored strengthens ecological resilience while creating opportunities for local families to participate directly in the restoration economy.

Tracking Impact

We measure success through both ecological and community outcomes.

Ecological indicators include:

• Forest establishment and survival rates.

• Biodiversity recovery.

• Watershed health.

• Carbon sequestration.

• Reduction in erosion and landslide risk.

Community indicators include:

• Households engaged.

• Livelihood income generated.

• Indigenous participation.

• Capacity building and training.

• Long-term stewardship outcomes.

Wovoka combines field monitoring with satellite imagery, drone surveys, GIS analysis, and community reporting to provide transparent and measurable impact over time.

Our Vision

The first 500 hectares are only the beginning.

Project Arawatan is designed as the foundation of an island-wide restoration movement—one that reconnects forests, watersheds, biodiversity, and communities across Mindoro.

Our vision is a future where restoring nature is not a cost to society, but a source of prosperity, resilience, and pride for the people who steward these landscapes.