A Community-Based Approach to Empowerment and Resilience of Mangrove Social-Ecological Systems in Quezon Province, Philippines

The Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Program provides policy direction for the co-management of mangroves to achieve sustainable forestry and social justice in the Philippines. Using the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework and the New Framework Combining Empowerment and Sustainable Development, the study examined how CBFM acts as an enabling determinant of empowerment, focusing on social, economic, and environmental factors that lead to the resilience of mangrove SESs in Quezon Province, Philippines. It focused on two CBFM mangrove sites: the Binonoan Producers Cooperative (BIPCO) in Infanta, Quezon, and the Kalantog Fisherfolks and Farmers Association, Inc. (KFFAI) in Pagbilao, Quezon. This study described socio-demographic characteristics, analyzed the socio-ecological variables of SESs, examined the role of the natural environment in shaping resilience, explored empowerment dimensions and enabling conditions, and proposed strategies to enhance resilience. Both POs relied on fisheries and diversified livelihoods, achieving financial stability, which is attributable to CBFM. Collectively, CBFM initiatives fostered political, cultural, psychological, environmental, social, and economic empowerment for the POs. Recommendations included strengthening governance, integrating traditional knowledge with modern conservation, promoting inclusive leadership, implementing localized zoning-based resource management, sustaining capacity-building, and improving market access.