Philstar.com

February 20, 2025 | 5:59pm

The Masungi Georeserve conservation project is a youth-led environmental initiative focused on restoring and protecting 2,700 hectares of forestland within the Upper Marikina Watershed in Baras, Rizal. This protected area is vital for regulating water flow in Rizal and is home to threatened flora and fauna.

Since its launch through early 2025, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation has:

• Restored over 2,000 hectares of forestland.
• Planted 68,000 native trees.
• Employed up to 100 local rangers to protect the area.
• Engaged more than 20,000 Filipinos in educational programs.
• Sustained its conservation efforts through geotourism.
• Influenced public policy to promote environmental protection.

The project began in 2017 under an agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), led by the late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez. Under this agreement:

• The DENR was tasked with evicting illegal settlers and addressing fraudulent land claims.
• Masungi took charge of reforestation and habitat restoration at no cost to the government or financial gain to itself.

Challenges and threats. In 2024, the current DENR administration announced plans to cancel the 2017 agreement, citing a 2023 legal opinion that deemed the “perpetual land trust” unconstitutional. Masungi refuted this claim, arguing that no court has nullified the agreement and that the land trust was not a personal “gift” to them.

The foundation also warned that revoking the agreement could lead to exploitative activities such as land-grabbing, fraudulent claims, and resort developments within the protected area. Meanwhile, a BBC investigation revealed that Masungi has been targeted by a coordinated disinformation campaign involving paid trolls seeking to discredit its work.

Amid these challenges, Masungi continues to garner support from various groups and personalities. Ann Dumaliang, one of the foundation’s trustees, emphasized the importance of collective action in safeguarding ecosystems:

“Now, more than ever, we must work together to safeguard our earth’s life-giving ecosystems, choosing action and bravery especially when it seems difficult. All of us have a role to play in enabling a solution and the future our countrymen and future generations deserve.”

Dumaliang made this statement upon receiving the 2024 National Energy Globe Award from the Austrian Embassy—a recognition of Masungi’s unwavering commitment to conservation. — Reports from Dominique Nicole Flores