Merel Calas of the Alangan IP of Mindoro
Ethnic Women as Society’s
Traditional Role Models
In celebration of the Philippine Women’s Month, the DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project presents women pursuing steps to conserve biodiversity, and investing their time and effort in BD conservation to benefit their families and communities. WE, in BD Corridor, recognize and support women empowerment as our contribution to a more equitable and sustainable world.
MAMBURAO, Occidental Mindoro, 24 March 2023 — The women of the Alangan, one of the eight ethnolinguistic groups of the Mangyan tribe in Mindoro, have carried out their traditional roles in the communities as a nurturer to their offspring and partner to their husbands, contributors to their family income, and beacon of light to their humble homes.
In one of the Alangan communities in the village of Pinagturilan, in the town of Sta. Cruz in Occidental Mindoro province, they harvest root crops and rice, weave baskets, perform multiple household chores, and take care of their children and husbands, instilling discipline and giving out sound advice to strengthen the family and community.
Naturally compassionate and nurturing, the women of the Alangan indigenous peoples usually start their early morning by harvesting cassava, corn and rice. Many times, they also search for the nito vine (Lygodium circinatum), a plant belonging to the fern family whose leaves, stems and roots all have high medicinal values, which the indigenous communities use to cure wounds, skin ailments and wild animal bites, for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and insect-repellant properties.
To improve their economic prospects, the women of the tribe engage in nito weaving. Over the years, according to the Department of Labor and Employment, the use of nito vines for weaving traditional baskets, hats, trays and jars of different shapes has become an important source of indigenous livelihood.
Merel Calas of the Alangan IP of Mindoro
Planting and Weaving
Merel Calas, a mother and a housewife, harvests kamoteng kahoy (cassava) to provide food to their dining table whenever her husband is away due to work. Her main roles in the community involve nurturing and child rearing.
She is also in charge of the household chores and helps in pounding the harvested rice for them to eat. One amazing thing about her role in the family is that even though her husband is the main provider, she’s still in charge of giving advice and instilling discipline, not just to their children, but to her husband as well.
On her views on how they can encourage women’s participation in conservation, Merel proposes tree planting around the vicinities of their settlement.
As their area is abundant with nito, she also wishes for some assistance in training women on how to weave baskets. She said it would be a great start for them, as it will increase the awareness of the community to preserve something of value to them. Nito weaving will also be a good source of additional income, and this can be done at the comfort of their own home, whenever they are free, Merel says.
Mindoro is one of two corridor sites of the Biodiversity Corridor Project, implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The BD Corridor Project aims to attain ecologically representative and connected conservation systems, by increasing conservation-related enterprises and helping generate jobs in sustainable agriculture and BD-friendly enterprises.
Specifically, the Project targets to improve the livelihoods and incomes of 15,000 households comprising 65,000 individuals (or 32,500 women), of which 25% are indigenous women.
Virginia Calas of the Alangan IP in Mindoro
Family Influence
Virginia Calas, another Alangan woman, also contributes to their household source of livelihood. Her primary source of income is harvesting root crops and corn.
According to Virginia, she takes an active role as “tagapayo ng mga kabataang babae” (adviser to young women) in their community. She said women in their community generally are in charge of the peace and order.
They are also influential in instilling good values and good moral character in their husbands, advising them to avoid vices and live a humble life, and be a role model for the children in the community.
Basically, the Alangan is known for their unity, which is especially displayed by their balaylakoy or a house they share with up to 20 families, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The word balaylakoy literally translates to “malaking bahay” (big house). In fact, the traditional balaylakoy provides more than a home and protection for the Alangan, as it is also a sacred place where they conduct rituals and community gatherings.
Overall, the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor demonstrates forest formations in different biogeographic zones, as well as distinct characteristics of landscapes and people representing integrated biodiversity. It is a unique center of biological diversity with very high endemism, a home to the tamaraw and the Mindoro bleeding heart, as well as the Mindoro pine at higher elevations in the corridor.
The island is a mosaic of grasslands, lowland forests, freshwater lakes, extensive river systems and watersheds, aside from agricultural areas and high-elevation pine forests. (MBC/Clinth de la Cruz/MRConfesor)
Stay Calm: Have No Fear
MAMBURAO, Occidental Mindoro, 24 March 2023 — The head of a conservation foundation working in Mindoro Island for the last decade and a half has a message to all women working especially in biodiversity this Women’s Month of 2023: Be brave. Have no fear.
“Be brave, there’s nothing to fear. Be involved as much as you can regardless of your status as a woman, your passion will drive you and will get you excited to serve,” said Grace Diamante, the Executive Director of the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (MBCFI).
As a woman involved in biodiversity conservation, Grace said she considers it most fulfilling when she sees a better version of herself and the people she works with.
She finds it amusing that she’s been working with a very capable team that continuously improve together towards biodiversity conservation. She also adds that the recognition of the contributions of MBCFI to biodiversity conservation have been heartwarming and much appreciated.
The MBCFI, a non-profit and non-stock organization, aims “to enable the conservation of Mindoro’s unique and threatened environment, biodiversity and natural resources into perpetuity, through the establishment of integrated biodiversity conservation and development programs, which include improved dissemination of knowledge, management practices and the active participation and collaboration of relevant stakeholders, particularly those who are dependent upon the natural resources of the region.”
Grace Diamante of MBCFI
Weaving IP Lives
Ms. Grace has been working in biodiversity conservation in Mindoro for the last 15 years. When asked about how the MBCFI engages and ensures the participation of men in the pursuit of women empowerment, she said it has been more like of a cycle for them.
In the Mangyan communities they have worked with, the men still predominantly perform the most laborious and extremely physical jobs. For example, men perform primary activities in biodiversity monitoring like patrolling and tending fields. They then give their income to their wives, for household budget and extra income like basket weaving.
In general, weaving patterns vary from different families, making it hard to market the products with better quality control. MBCFI then hired experts to provide training to different Mangyan communities to hone the necessary skills, while also helping the IP women in marketing their products.
On how organization encourages men to support the participation of IP and non-IP women in biodiversity conservation activities, Grace said MBCFI has tailored-fit programs for both men and women in a community.
For example, she cited the introduction into the community of a bio-intensive farming and food shed program, where they help IP women develop their yards and plant crops for sustenance, instead of just normally staying at home while their husbands work in the field.
PA Management
In the field of management, Grace said she’s always been very vocal in asserting the positions of women in the Protected Area Management Boards (PAMBs). As the only female representative of the PAMBs of both Mt. Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary and Apo Reef Natural Park, she said she has proposed that women shall comprise at least 40% of PAMB membership for each PA.
According to Grace, the field of biodiversity conservation is a safe and level-playing field for both men and women. Specifically in MBCFI, she ensures that her team feels equally important regardless of their gender, because their achievement is a result of working together. She said respect and equality are few of the core values of their organization. (MBC/Clinth de la Cruz)
The Integrated Approach in Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines or BD Corridor Project is a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Project with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the GEF Executing Agency and Implementing Partner, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the GEF Implementing Agency. Project sites are Mindoro Island and Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridors.
For more info: (02)8 924-4082 / bdcorridorproject@gmail.com
Mindoro Corridor PMU: mbc.denr@gmail.com
Eastern Mindanao Corridor PMU: embcdenr@gmail.com
Biodiversity Corridor Project 
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