MuCAARD –Mindanao, Philippines was established in 1984 and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippines in 2005. MuCAARD-Mindanao is committed to the vision of promoting sustainable development in the Philippines. MuCAARD-Mindanao works  in 4 of the 6 poorest provinces in the country (IBON Facts and Figures 2007). This includes Damulog, which is on the border with North Cotabato and is the poorest town in the Province of Bukidnon. An essential element in this vision is building peace between the Muslim, Tribal and Christian communities in Damulog, on the Bukidnon – Cotabato provincial boundary. These communities have been in conflict, primarily over land, since the early 1970’s.

MuCAARD-UK (Muslim Christian Action for Advocacy, Relief and Development) is a Registered Charity No.1119065, set up in the UK in 2006 to support the work of MuCAARD-Inc and other development organisations in the Philippines. The first major project to be supported by MuCAARD-UK is the Kahoy Project designed to use land in the Damulog area which is more than 18 degrees in slope and unsuitable for rice and corn farming. It is largely abandoned land and due to misuse and mismanagement, degradations such as silting up of waterways, rivers and reservoirs; soil erosion; shortage of wood and loss of biodiversity have resulted. Over 60% of the population in the area live below the poverty line and earn less than $1 per day.

The aim of the project is to help reduce the number of people earning less than $1 per day, increase the income of farmers, encourage the planting of permanent crops on slopes over 18 degrees; thereby decreasing soil erosion and protecting the watersheds. It is MuCAARD-UK’s view that this project “ticks the right boxes” of

a) assisting in the rural regeneration of a poor part of the world,

b) helping in the work of reconciliation between groups in the area based in different cultural traditions, which have been in conflict in the past and

c) is in tune with the environmental needs of the area and will contribute to the countering of global carbon emissions.

MuCAARD-UK is committed to supporting a 3 year programme with an annual budget circa £6,000. This represents a large proportion of our current annual income, but we feel it represents very good value for money in that 90 hectares of land will be reforested upon completion of the project. Over the next 10 years we aim to both extend the range of this pilot project in the Damulog baranguay, and to replicate it in other areas. We would like to further develop this model by supporting small scale forest enterprises.