TACLOBAN CITY– The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) is strengthening local efforts to conserve and protect the Leyte Saba Basin Peatlands LSBP) as it recently awarded action research grants to state universities and civil society organizations, designed to generate community-based solutions and encourage greater participation in environmental protection.
The initiative, under IIRR’s Project LUYON, seeks to support local researchers, community organizations, and other stakeholders in documenting peatland conditions, identifying threats, and developing practical approaches that can help protect these ecologically important areas.
Project LUYON, facilitated by IIRR and the Visayas State University (VSU), is a four-year project designed to enhance local stewardship of the Leyte Sab-a Basin Peatland. Targeting over 14,000 residents, the project aims to promote equitable restoration solutions while supporting the development of peatland-friendly policies and programs.
IIRR Project Luyon Manager Juvilyn Salazar emphasized the value of action research in addressing environmental concerns because it allows communities to participate directly in generating knowledge and developing solutions suited to their local conditions.
“The grants support action research that can contribute to better understanding of peatland ecosystems, including their role in climate regulation, water management, biodiversity conservation, and community livelihoods,” Salazar said.
The grants form part of IIRR’s broader “research for action” approach, generating local evidence that can guide policies, programs, and interventions involving peatland ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
According to Magnolia Rosimo, IIRR Deputy Director for the Philippines, the research outputs are expected to serve as practical references for local government units (LGUs), including Sta. Fe, Alangalang, San Miguel, and Palo, as they consider measures to protect and sustainably manage their peatland areas.
“These components of the project are research for action to generate evidence that can directly support decision-making at the local level,” Rosimo said.
The initiative also recognizes farmers as among the key end users of the research. Findings from the studies can help communities better understand their environment and identify approaches that are appropriate to their local conditions and livelihoods.
The project underscores the importance of evidence-based policymaking, particularly in addressing environmental concerns that require coordinated action among government, communities, academe, and civil society.
The 2,107-hectare LSBP is the second largest peatland in the Philippines, spanning the municipalities of Sta. Fe, Alangalang, San Miguel, and Palo in Leyte. As the province’s primary water catchment, it has played a key role in disaster risk reduction. However, decades of land conversion have pushed the peatland to a critical state of degradation.
Action research grantees include Visayas State University- Tolosa on Maximization of Aquaculture for Livelihood Upraising and Peatland Ecology Amelioration and Transformation; Leyte Normal University for Community-based Identification, Rehabilitation and Smart fire Prevention Monitoring of Kaingin-Degraded Peatland Areas in the LSBP; Leyte Normal University Hydrological Alterations in the LSBP: Implications for Mosquito and Small Vector Abundance and the Risk of Dengue, Malaria and Schistosomiasis in Adjacent Communities; Visayas State University- Alangalang on Biophysical Rapid Characteristics of a Potential Peatland in Barayong, Plao, Leyte; and University of the Philippines- Tacloban on Identification of Schistosomiasis Transmission Hotspots through Malacological Surveys and Assessment of Environmental Fecal Contamination in Selected Barangays within the LSBP.
Civil society organizations also part of the grantees which include TAYO Climate Partners Philippines Inc. on the Assessment of Carbon Finance Readiness; KATARUNGAN on Lupa at Bahay: Harmonizing Land Rights and Environment Stewardship in the LSBP; and, Eastern Visayas Society of Native Trees Conservation, Inc. on Adaptability of Selected Tree Species and Annual Crops for Rehabilitation of Degraded Peatland Using Paludiculture Technique.
In Leyte, where communities are exposed to climate-related hazards, peatlands can provide important environmental services. Protecting these areas can help maintain ecological balance while supporting the resilience of communities that depend on natural resources.
(AHLETTE C. REYES, PIA-Leyte)
