KIDAPAWAN CITY – A new chapter in sustainable forest management unfolds as the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Cotabato and the Agroforestry Research, Development, and Extension Center of the Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau (ARDEC-ERDB) convene on February 26, 2025, at the PENRO Cotabato Office, Kidapawan City. The meeting focused on co-management strategies for the Amas Experimental Forest (EF), emphasizing its research potential, ecological value, and future development.

ARDEC-EMF Center Head Joan S. Gilberto and her team presented a three-year Site Management Plan (2025-2028), which includes research on Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for sustainable utilization, eco-tourism development through nature-based education, and the maintenance and protection of the experimental forest. These initiatives will be jointly implemented by ERDB-ARDEC and PENRO Cotabato under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with a soft launch scheduled for November.

Covering 100 hectares within the “Kidapawan Lansones Forest Reserve”, also known as the “Cotabato Provincial Forest and Ecotourism Park (CPEEP)”, EF holds ecological, historical, and scientific significance. Established under Presidential Proclamation No. 297 in 1938 by President Manuel L. Quezon and later amended by President Fidel V. Ramos through Presidential Proclamation No. 881, the reserve was designated for forest protection, timber production, conservation, and research. Through this partnership, PENRO Cotabato and ARDEC-ERDB aim to enhance EF as a model for sustainable forest management, integrating conservation efforts with research and eco-tourism initiatives.