KFI initially served the whole of Mindanao. It had facilitated numerous training workshops, produced research and other educational materials on various topics and issues related to environment, and organized conferences and fora that linked together many environmental groups and individual environmentalists from different parts of the country. It had also facilitated and supported a number of community-based initiatives focusing on environmental protection, conservation and rehabilitation.
In 1998, KFI decided to limit its scope to Davao City and its neighboring provinces. The decision was reached after seeing the need to be more focused in terms of the area of concern. This was in line with KFI's plan to develop community-based alternatives in building healthy communities. The development of a collective political will had to be anchored in assisting local communities to make informed choices on issues that will affect their life support systems – the natural resources around them.
During the same year, KFI helped set up an aggrupation of environmentalists coming from the media, academe, government agencies, non-government organizations and youth-based organizations. This is now known as BARog KAlikupan DAbaw, Inc. (BARKADA ng Kalikasan or Friends of the Environment), a membership organization that aims to bring up environmental issues in every household in Davao City. BARKADA ng Kalikasan came up with a Kalendaryo ng Kalikasan (Environmental Care Calendar) that featured an environmental theme for each month of the year.
In February 28, 2003, Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte of Davao City signed into effect Executive Order No. 13 which institutionalized the Environment Care Calendar as well as the creation of the Environmental Care Management Council which would oversee the implementation of the said initiative. The said Executive Order designated KFI as the Administrative Secretariate of the said Council.
KFI had also played an important role in the formation of various environmental organizations including the fisherfolk groups along the Davao Gulf which called themselves Davao Gulf federation of Fisherfolks.
In line with KFI’s efforts to facilitate community initiatives towards the protection of the country’s forests, which is considered the lungs of the earth, KFI had implemented a number of projects aimed at the protection and rehabilitation of Mindanao’s forests. This included a grant from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2002 for the education of lowland communities for the protection of tropical forests. Through this grant, KFI mobilized city-based groups including youth and students from different schools in reforesting a 3-hectare area of the Malagos Watershed through the Adopt-a-site Project of the Davao City Water District. KFI also conducted a series of educational activities and produced educational materials aimed at increasing environmental awareness of people in the lowlands. It specifically campaigned against the expansion of mono-crop plantations in environmentally critical areas, especially in Davao City’s watersheds.
In addition, KFI finished a 20-month project with the United Nations Development Programme Small Grants Programme for Operation to Promote Tropical Forests (UNDP SGP PTF) in December 2006. It focused on the five (5) sitios of Barangay Marilog, Davao City and an adjacent Barangay of Arakan Municipality, North Cotabato, all areaspart of the Davao River Watershed. The project had facilitated the establishment of community-based tree nurseries and communal reforestation projects in the said communities. Member-families of the community-based People’s Organizations (POs) established through the KFI project were encouraged to do a family-based reforestation project.
At this point, 1/3 of the target groups have started to plant forest and fruit trees in their respective land areas. Their tree-nurseries also included vegetables and herbal gardens.
It is really heartwarming for the local people, most of whom are members of Indigenous People’s (IPs) groups, to say,“Before KFI came, we were not motivated to plant trees, only corn and some root crops!”
In the course of KFI’s efforts to facilitate people empowerment so that communities will realize the need to protect what is left of our natural ecosystems,there is an URGENT need to provide community-based alternatives for people who are always most vulnerable to the deceitful and enticing offers of those who measure development ONLY in terms of PROFIT and MONEY alone.
Goals & Objectives KFI hopes to build healthy- local communities that are able to connecct water, trees and their life—not only at present but including the future generations;
- local communities that are able to relatee small organisms like bacteria and earthworm to healthy soil, healthy plants and food security;
- local communities that are able to connecct clean air to trees and healthy population;
- local communities that consider that prootection of the environment is not a matter of choice but a responsibility;
- local communities that realize that we, adults, owe to every child their right to a clean and healthy environment.
1. Develop and facilitate community initiatives on environment (natural resource management) and sustainable development, and advocate for the enforcement and enactment of favorable environmental policies related to forestry, marine, solid waste, mining, biodiversity and other environmental issues;
2. Initiate venues and opportunities for the active involvement of the educators and youth –both in-school and out-of-school - in environmental protection, conservation and rehabilitation;
3. Capacitate local communities leading to increased environmental awareness and enhanced skills in the development of environment-friendly small-scale livelihood opportunities;
4. Capacitate leaders of local government units towards the institutionalization of environmental concerns in their governance;
5. Strengthen BARKADA, Inc. and other environment-focused multi-sectoral bodies to facilitate the formation of a collective mass which is concerted with the environment;
6. Come up with do-able measures leading to KFI’s institutional and financial sustainability.
1. City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Council (CFARMC)
2. Task Force Pawikan (created through Executive Order No.29, Series of 2003)
3. Trees for Our Children Management Council (created through Executive Order No. 10, Series of 2003)
4. Watershed Management Framework Technical Working Group
5. Watershed Management Coordinating Council
6. BARog KAlikupan DAbaw (BARKADA), Inc.
7. City Mining Regulatory Board (CMRB)
8. Member of the Multi-partite Monitoring Team (MMT): Holcim and Steniel
