Save The Bagtokon Sacred Forest in the Philippines
The Mount Bagtokon Sacred Forest in the Philippines has been saved, but the Higa-onon tribe still need your help! We are working to establish a sustainable food security project for the tribe, who are now the owners and protectors of the Sacred Forest .Please visit our new Bagtokon Sacred Forest Food Security Programme appeal page for more details on this (and to donate), or scroll down to the latest update below.
If you're a first time visitor to this page, please continue reading to find out how we saved this amazing forest and find out more about the people who dedicate their lives to protecting it.
The 173-acre Bagtokon Sacred Forest is situated on the slopes of Mount Bagtokon on the island of Mindanao, the second biggest island in the Philippines. This is one of the last remaining intact rainforests in the region, but in 2020 was in grave danger of being sold to developers before the end of the year. The neighbouring mountain rainforests have already been heavily logged and exploited for metals such as copper, bronze and gold. The Higa-onon tribal elders feared that if their sacred forest was destroyed, they would have lost lose spiritual connection with their ancestors because they would have had nowhere to conduct their traditional sacred rituals and ceremonies. Put simply, the Bagtakon Sacred Forest is all the Higa-onon have left. If the forest dies, an ancient culture dies with it.
If the Higa-ogon tribe couldn’t afford to lose the Bagtakon Sacred Forest, then neither could the country’s spectacular but threatened wildlife. The Philippines is one of the ten most biologically diverse countries in the world, with hundreds of animal species and thousands of plant species that are found nowhere else on the planet. However, because of deforestation for timber, agriculture, mining and industrial development, forest cover has declined from 70% in 1900 to only 18% a hundred years later – and more forest is being lost every day.
Mount Bagtokon is one of the last remaining intact rainforest ecosystems in the region where such a wealth of biodiversity is found. As well as being the spiritual centre of the Higa-onon tribe’s ancient culture, the Bagtokon Sacred Forest is also home to numerous endangered species such as Philippine Eagles, Tarsiers, Pangolins and the beautiful Mindanao Bleeding Heart Dove (see photos). The rainforest also serves as a watershed for the tribal communities that live at the base of the mountain, and protects these villages from natural disasters such as landslides and floods. 
Local indigenous organisation Tribes And Nature’s Defenders (TRINAD) have just two months to raise the £23,000 needed to purchase the Bagtokon Sacred Forest, or else it will be sold off for mining and agriculture. When the forest is secured, TRINAD plan to declare this rainforest a nature reserve, and so ensure that the Higa-onon tribe will always have a sacred space to conduct their rituals and ceremonies, thus preserving their ancient culture and traditions. They also plan to develop an eco-school where the children of the tribe can learn about nature, the environment and sustainable food production. But they need your help to make this happen.
On behalf of the Higa-onon tribe, thank you for your generous support!
Chris Redston, appeal organiser
Notes
* This project description was written in collaboration with the Higa-onon tribal elders, who have confirmed that its contents are true and accurate.
* 100% of the money donated through this campaign will be held temporarily in the bank account of the organiser of this appeal, Chris Redston, and then sent to Tribes and Nature's Defenders Tribes And Nature’s Defenders (TRINAD), the local NGO that will be purchasing the land.
* A detailed budget for the food security project is available on request. Please get in touch via the Contact button on this page. 