Japan’s concern over the DENR’s uphill climb in the protection and development of the country’s forests has given impetus to the conduct of this undertaking and the rest of the undertaking covered by the program. In fact, this is the 7th training course after the green charcoal technology, vermin-composting technology, regeneration techniques, watershed management, and biotechnology. This training on non-timber forest products is also supportive of the livelihood programs and projects that the DENR is vigorously pursuing to address the twin problem of forest degradation and poverty in the uplands.
The immediate beneficiaries of this undertaking are millions of upland dwellers who compose the organized communities recognized by DENR community-based programs by virtue of the part-nership in managing specific forest areas forged between them and the DENR their access to the forest resources should have resulted in better protection and development of forestlands. However, due to over dependence to timber resources and dearth of non-timber livelihood options/enterprises, forest depletion and poverty continue to exist in these areas.
This training has been conceptualized to equip the participants with knowledge and skills that will enable them to lead these forest-dependent communities to shift their efforts to sustainable income generating projects that involve least timber and more of non-timber forest resources. For this purpose, they will be provided with a wide range of training inputs from experts from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Laguna, Forest Products Research and Development Institute, Department of Trade and Industry, Forest Management Bureau and the DENR.