Author : Soriano, Marietta C.

Summary : A study was conducted in four contract reforestation project areas in the province of Tarlac, Philippines to determine the profile and perceptions of participants in the Contract Reforestation Program. Specifically, the study sought to highlight sociodemographic characteristics and organizational aspects of contractors in the Contract Reforestation Program; determine their perceptions on the objectives and some aspects of the program; find out the experiences and motivation of the contractors in joining the program; determine the accessibility and competency of project managers; and identify the problems encountered by the contractors in the implementation of the program. Data were gathered from 19 family and 98 community contractors, and 133 non-members hired as laborers by contractors. Data were collected through field visitations, personal interviews, and review of secondary data. Descriptive statistical tools such as frequencies, percentages, and means were used in the analysis. The majority of family contractors were officially recognized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Out of 52 organizations involved in community reforestation, 65 percent were registered with the Security and Exchange Commissin (SEC). The rest could not be considered as organizations in the strict sense of the word. The majority of participants had unsatisfactory experiences on the different aspects of reforestation, especially with regard to benefit/priveleges and the mode of payment. Employment and income were the main motives for joining the program. All the reforestation projects were located in remote upland areas and accessible only by foot (about 2-3 hours' walk). Project managers were easily accessible when their services were needed to supervise the program activities in most of the project areas. They were perceived as technically competent in reforestation, but respondents had doubt if the project managers could entertain their problems.