Transforming Forest Protection and Biodiversity Conservation in the Philippines
The Challenge
For decades, The Philippines experienced deforestation, placing pressure on critical ecosystems and forest-dependent communities. Slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and weak environmental law enforcement have degraded upland forests and watersheds, threatening biodiversity, water supplies, and resilience to climate impacts. Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent communities faced increasing economic vulnerability, while the government lacked the tools, systems, and partnerships needed to halt degradation and steer investments toward long-term ecosystem restoration. Fragmented planning, limited capacity, and the absence of integrated data systems left protected areas and natural forests exposed and conservation underfunded.Our Solution
A National Strategy for Forest Stewardship
Deploying a Science-Based Forest Protection System. Chemonics partnered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to co-design the Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System. This national framework combined science-based forest planning, technology-aided patrolling, and open-source data platforms to enable forest officers and communities to better detect threats and analyze consistent, accurate data.
Equipping and Mobilizing Local Actors. Chemonics trained over 10,000 stakeholders, from local rangers to national policy teams, to use Lawin. As a result, over 3,000 forest patrollers – including Indigenous Peoples, women, and former combatants – are now responsible for monitoring over 6.2 million hectares of forests. Community volunteers and government officials work side-by-side to reduce threats, enforce laws, and restore degraded habitats.
Expanding Conservation Finance and Economic Alternatives. To fund conservation efforts, Chemonics supported innovative financial models, including local user fees, payment for ecosystem services, and private sector investment. We helped local governments and protected areas raise over $51 million, while partnerships with the energy sector leveraged $1.2 million in forest management investments.
Catalyzing National and Local Policy Reforms. By advancing policies that institutionalized Lawin, we expanded revenue retention and integrated Indigenous knowledge into forest plans. Chemonics supported 10 protected area boards and 31 local governments to improve governance, boosting their capacity to plan, enforce, and invest in natural resource management.
The Impact
A Scalable Model for Inclusive Technology
Chemonics redefined forest governance in the Philippines by embedding inclusive, data-driven systems into national policy and community practice. Key achievements include:
- 6.2 million hectares of natural forest brought under improved management.
- 10 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions reduced through protection and restoration.
- $51 million in leveraged investments for biodiversity and forest conservation.
- 700,000 hectares of degraded forest placed under restoration through improved protection.
- 29,900 people in forest communities with increased economic benefits.
In addition to these quantitative results, Chemonics has also achieved tremendous qualitative gains. We increased the recognition of Indigenous leadership, including the formal integration of tribal practices and sacred sites into forest conservation plans in Mount Kitanglad. Chemonics also succeeded in institutionalizing Lawin as the national strategy for forest protection, backed by long-term government funding and a dedicated national unit. The system became one of the world’s largest applications of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), creating a scalable model of inclusive conservation technology.