Author : Balangue, Tonie O.

Summary : Upland farmers highly need funding opportunities that will enable them to diversify food crop, wood, and biofuel production, as well as improve watershed services. A sustainable funding mechanism will give farmers a chance to reduce upland poverty and help the government protect and manage the environment, especially in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Community-based equitable payment for watershed services (CB-EPWS) offers an opportunity for uplanders to help reduce poverty in the uplands and at the same time.maintain a livable environment for all Filipinos. CB-EWPS generates capital where the upland farmers participate in producing and selling watershed and ecosystem services to beneficiaries. Some of the services that are currently in demand are the provisions of water for domestic and industrial use, hydropower generation, and irrigation.