The growth of the Philippine social forestry program

Chronicles the history of Integrated Social Forestry Program (ISFP) in the Philippines. Nowhere in Southeast Asia has social forestry received as much political support, financial backing, and technical advice as in the Philippines. This chapter describes the conditions under which the ISFP was formulated and its strengths and weaknesses. Considerable attention is given to the Uplands Working Group, which has advised the ISFP since its inception. The chapter details the working group's strategies and problems in guiding the forestry agency toward greater collaboration with upland forest communities. The authors describe its utility and limitations in influencing the agency, and the ways in which political change in the Philippines could affect the program. -from Editor