Mount Apo Foundation, Inc.

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

MAFI Celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day at Brgy. Mua-an’s 78th Anniversary

KIDAPAWAN CITY — Mount Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI) joined the residents and Indigenous leaders of Barangay Mua-an, Kidapawan City, on August 7, 2026, to celebrate Indigenous Peoples (IP) Day in line with the barangay’s 78th Foundation Anniversary.

The dual event served as a platform to highlight the vital role of local IP communities in preserving the cultural identity and environmental integrity of the Mount Apo region. Held ahead of the annual United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, the celebration brought together local officials, tribal elders, and youth to commemorate the barangay's history and enduring traditions.

The event underscored the strong, long-standing partnership between MAFI and Barangay Mua-an, reinforcing their shared commitment to honoring indigenous heritage while driving inclusive, long-term community development.

The program was attended by MAFI Executive Director Matanam Jaime M. Odo Sr., alongside City Vice Mayor Hon. Melvin Jun Lamata Jr., former NCIP Commissioner Bo-i Era C. España, and the BLGU Mua-an Council led by Punong Barangay Hon. Debbie Perez-Tan.

Also present were Barangay Chieftain Datu Eduardo Puntas, Barangay IPMR Datu Renato Nipal, Jr., City IPMR Datu Damaso Bayawan, First Gen's EDC Corporate Relations Head Kaye Avelino-Abarrientos, CPA, Mua-an Integrated School Principal Mr. Alejandro Bringas, Jr., and tribal leader Datu Oba Bacag, Sr.

09/08/2026

Thank you, 94.5 Radyo Sincero North Cotabato!

09/08/2026

Thank you, RONDA News Teleradyo 106.1MHz!

06/08/2026

5,000 Native Trees to Cover Entire 5-Hectare Langit-Langit Restoration Site

A powerful alliance has joined forces to scale up environmental protection on the slopes of Mount Apo, committing 5,000 native trees to achieve complete reforestation across the entire 5-hectare Langit-Langit Reforestation Site, an area governed under the jurisdiction of the Manobo Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) and the Ancestral Domain Management Office (ADMO).

Moving far beyond initial, piecemeal tree-planting activities in the area, the expanded collaboration brings together the Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI), First Gen's Energy Development Corporation (EDC), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) alongside the Manobo BLGU and ADMO.

Marking a key milestone for the project, 5,000 endemic tree seedlings were delivered to the site yesterday by DENR-CENRO and First Gen's EDC ahead of the full-scale planting activity set for this August.

The delivery includes 1,500 Tinikaran (Leptospermum flavescens), 1,000 Agoho (Casuarina equisetifolia), 1,000 Mangatungal (Syzygium apoense), 1,000 Kalisow (Platea latifolia), and 500 Philippine Maple (Acer laurinum), species specifically identified as ideal for the location following a site assessment by First Gen-EDC’s watershed management.

Together, these corporate, governmental, and indigenous leadership bodies have formally unified to adopt the full 5-hectare expanse, turning a once-fragmented recovery ground into a sustained ecological restoration zone. Unlike standard tree-planting drives, the project integrates long-term monitoring, site maintenance, and active stewardship directly with the local Manobo community, ensuring high seedling survival rates while protecting their ancestral domain.

By blanketing the site’s entire acreage with species tailored to Mount Apo's high-altitude ecosystem, the alliance aims to secure vital headwaters, stabilize mountain slopes against erosion, rebuild biodiversity corridors, and establish a continuous, resilient forest canopy for future generations.

31/07/2026

BANTAY BUKID REFRESHER COURSE, DEPUTIZATION SEMINAR CONCLUDE ON WORLD RANGER DAY

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato — Marking World Ranger Day on July 31, the two-day Refresher Course and Deputization Seminar for Bantay Bukid Volunteers officially concluded at Riverview Farm in Barangay Bantac, Magpet, empowering local forest guardians as frontline legal defenders of Mount Apo Natural Park.

The capacity-building was organized by the Mount Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI) in partnership with the DENR-Mount Apo Natural Park (MANP) Cotabato Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), and DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Matalam, along with the NCIP Cotabato and MENRO Magpet.

Today’s activity convened Bantay Bukid volunteers from across key impact zones, specifically gathering participants from the 4B's of the Makilala Ancestral Domain (Buhay, Buena Vida, Batasan, and Biangan) alongside two Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) Barangays in Magpet (Kinarum and Bongolanon). This cross-municipality union strengthens real-time field monitoring and boundary protection, creating a unified defense network for Mount Apo’s watersheds and biodiversity.

To ensure comprehensive preparation for field operations, MAFI brought in expert resource speakers to address both environmental law and indigenous rights. Attorney Jay Mark P. Balbosa, Deputy Protected Area Superintendent, detailed enforcement mandates under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act and environmental laws protecting Mount Apo Natural Park.

Complementing statutory enforcement, Ms. Joyce Monique J. Mondragon, RN, MPA, NCIP Cotabato Provincial Officer, re-anchored the seminar on the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA Law). Her session emphasized the intrinsic rights, responsibilities, and cultural ownership of the Bantay Bukid in guarding their Lupang Ninuno (Ancestral Land), ensuring that community-led forest protection remains rooted in indigenous self-determination.

Through this activity, MAFI reaffirms its commitment to sustainable environmental governance and community empowerment. By investing in the capacity and legal recognition of forest guardians, the foundation bridges traditional wisdom with environmental protection standing firmly alongside the Bantay Bukid to keep Mount Apo protected and resilient for generations to come.

30/07/2026

DAY 1: Magpet CADT areas under the DENR-CENRO Matalam

MAFI Leads Deputization Training for Bantay Bukid Volunteers Across 5 CADT Barangays in Magpet under DENR-CENRO Matalam

MAGPET, Cotabato — The Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI), in partnership with DENR-CENRO Matalam, successfully spearheaded a Refresher Course and Deputization Seminar for Bantay Bukid (indigenous forest guards) volunteers to strengthen forest enforcement and safeguard the ancestral domains surrounding Mount Apo.

The capability-building activity, held today at Riverview Farm, Bantac, Magpet, brought together indigenous community frontliners across five Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) barangays in the municipality of Magpet, namely Amabel, Don Panaca, Manobisa, Manobo, and Imamaling.

The training provided participants with comprehensive instruction on environmental laws, forest patrol protocols, and community-level enforcement mechanics. Representing DENR-CENRO representative Forester Matalam, Mr. Nobeh L. Llamas, Chief of Monitoring and Enforcement Section along with Forester Silver Grace Tacuyan oriented the volunteers on forestry policies, wildlife protection measures, and the formal legal protocols governing community deputization. Their presentation highlighted the critical role local communities play as legal partners of the government in reporting illegal logging, poaching, and unauthorized land conversion within protected buffer zones.

Complementing the technical forestry lectures, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Cotabato Provincial Officer Joyce Monique J. Mondragon, RN, MPA, provided an in-depth discussion on indigenous rights under the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA Law). She emphasized the importance of ancestral domain governance, customary laws, and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) when protecting tribal territories.

Meanwhile, Engr. Walter Mandolado, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) of Magpet, outlined municipal environmental programs and local government support mechanisms designed to assist Bantay Bukid during field operations.

Through the facilitation of MAFI in partnership with the DENR-CENRO Matalam, NCIP Cotabato and the Local Government Unit of Magpet, through its MENRO, the Bantay Bukid members of Magpet are now better equipped with essential field skills.

The successful completion of the seminar grants these indigenous volunteers official legal accreditation, establishing a unified front between non-government organizations, national agencies, local government units, and indigenous cultural communities in conserving the natural heritage of Mount Apo.

29/07/2026

MAFI, First Gen-EDC, S*K Leaders Target NCCA 2027 Funding for Obo Monuvu, Bagobo Tagabawa Heritage

DAVAO CITY — Delegates from the Mount Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI), First Gen-Energy Development Corporation (EDC), and heads of the School of Indigenous Knowledge (S*K) program participated in the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Mindanao Roadshow to prepare competitive funding proposals for the 2027 Grants Program on Tuesday, July 28.

The strategic collaboration seeks to access national funding through the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA), specifically under the Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts. If approved, the grant will expand ongoing initiatives to document, protect, and promote the living traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, native languages, and customary arts of the Obo Monuvu and Bagobo Tagabawa communities in Magpet and Makilala.

Co-implemented by MAFI and First Gen-EDC, the S*K program serves as a community bridge for sustainable heritage preservation in the Mount Apo geothermal reserve.

Attendance at the NCCA technical orientation provided project leads with guidelines on accreditation, proposal formulation, and compliance standards ahead of the official August 31, 2026 submission deadline.

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26/07/2026

MAFI Opens 2nd Batch of 6-Month S*K Class in 4Bs, Makilala

MAKILALA, NORTH COTABATO — In a continued effort to safeguard the rich ancestral traditions of the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe, the Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI) officially launched the second batch of the School of Indigenous Knowledge (S*K) for School Year 2026 with an orientation program on Saturday, July 25, at the Batasan Tribal Hall in Barangay Batasan, Makilala.

The ceremony brought together cultural leaders, culture masters, parents, and MAFI management to welcome 20 selected learners—five representatives each from the barangays of Buhay, Batasan, Buena Vida, and Biangan (collectively known as the 4Bs).

Over the next six months, these learners will undergo intensive cultural immersion and instruction directly led by the tribe's revered Culture Masters, with strong oversight from the Indigenous Political Structure (IPS) and the Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO).

The six-month S*K program serves as a living classroom designed to bridge the generational gap within the local Bagobo Tagabawa community. Rather than learning from conventional textbooks, the 20 learners will receive hands-on mentorship held every Saturday, in traditional dance, oral histories, indigenous governance, and customary practices.

During the orientation, tribal leaders emphasized the vital role of the youth in keeping their heritage alive despite modern influences.
“Our culture is our identity. Through the School of Indigenous Knowledge, we are not just teaching history—we are ensuring that the spirit, values, and traditions of the Bagobo Tagabawa live on through our young people," said Jaime M. Odo, Sr., Executive Director of MAFI.

Building on the success of the program’s inaugural class, MAFI reaffirmed its commitment to indigenous empowerment and cultural preservation as part of its core development initiatives around the Mt. Apo. By bringing together the expertise of the Culture Masters, the authority of the IPS and IPO, and the enthusiasm of the youth, the second batch of the S*K stands as a testament to the community's collective resolve to protect their ancestral legacy for generations to come.

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