Developing pro-poor markets for environmental services in the ...

3.2 Balian, Pangil, Laguna: a case study on watershed protection by a communitybased
organisation
3.2.1 The study site 20
Balian is a barangay (or village) located in the municipality of Pangil, province of Laguna.
The area is approximately 90km south of Manila, and Laguna is one of four provinces that
are being advertised as alternative industrial centres to Manila. The municipality is located in
the north-eastern part of the province, with the Sierra Madre mountain range bordering both
the east and the west. Figure 3.4 shows a map of Pangil, Laguna.
Figure 3.4 Map of Balian, Pangil, Laguna
Source: Lingap Kalikasan.
There are approximately 500 families living in Balian. Farming is their main source of
livelihood. Farms owned through inheritance are mostly planted with fruit-bearing trees,
while the smaller farms are planted mostly with rice. Labour wages are around $2 per day.
Most of the land can be bought and sold. In the past, these farmlands were subdivided into
small lots and were given tax certificates. These in turn were used to issue land titles to the
owners.
3.2.2 Historical background 21
In 1925, long before it became fashionable for people to organise themselves to fight for
environmental issues, the people of Balian mobilised themselves to tap water from upland
20
Based on Jacinto, E. Care for Nature Group: A Case Study of a Community Organization for Watershed Rehabilitation.
2001.
21
Tolentino, L.L. et al. (2002), Creating Space for Local Forest Management in Balian, Pangil, Laguna. Research Report
Funded by Center for International Forestry Research, Department of Agricultural Education and Rural Studies,
University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.
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