has approved 156 Certificate of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) covering a total area of 4,249,331.544 hectares of land and water. These are part of the 6 to 7 million hectares of land and water that the NCIP estimates as areas that could still be recovered as ancestral domains. In the advent of climate change, the statement, “land is life,” resonates louder not only among indigenous peoples but for entire humanity. The study by the World Resources Institute of 80 forest areas in 10 countries in South Asia, East Africa, and Latin America showed that “community-owned and -managed forests have delivered both superior community benefits and greater carbon storage” (Stevens, C. et. al., 2017). The interrelatedness of land tenure, climate change and disasters is highlighted in this case study. For many years, the city of Cagayan de Oro had no major flooding, no landslides, and no typhoon disaster. But this changed with recent developments, particularly that of excessive logging. The unprecedented volume of rainfall during Typhoon Washi (Sendong as the local name) had been partly attributed to the vast denuded mountains and the changing climate. This case study tells the story of the Talaandig4 tribe in Mt. Kalatungan Range in the province of Bukidnon and how they governed their ancestral lands. Integrated into the study is the multi-stakeholder initiative on Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) launched in 2014 to reforest the Cagayan de Oro watershed after the devastating typhoon, Washi. Objectives of the study The case of MILALITTRA (Miarayon–Lapok– Lirongan–Tinaytayan Tribal Association) is intended to establish the link between land tenure and climate change at the local level. It is expected that local communities and relevant government agencies will have a better appreciation of the importance of land tenure governance and, hopefully, will reforest the watershed and conserve the remaining forests. Moreover, it calls for urgency in policy and program interventions that, if these links are not recognized and acted upon, can lead to major disasters. It is common knowledge that the devastating floods ushered in by Typhoon Washi last 17 December 2011 in Cagayan de Oro was aggravated by lack of adequate vegetation in the headwaters, vast expanse of grasslands, barren slopes, and unsustainable cultivation in the upstream sections of Cagayan de Oro River basin including that of the area awarded to MILALITTRA. Methodology Spatial data of MILALITTRA’s claimed territory were used in this study in gauging the changes of the forest cover in their territory. This was conducted in 2003 as part of the requirement of their CADT application. A similar data collection was done again in 2013, a decade after the awarding of CADT. The findings were then validated through KIIs with 17 key informants from concerned units of the local government (5), tribal leaders (7) and local community members (5). An FGD participated by members of MILALITTRA from four barangays, namely: Miarayon, Lapok, Lirongan and San Miguel was also conducted. The KIIs and FGD were undertaken in Miarayon, Talakag, Bukidnon from 28 April to 6 May 2017. Representatives from the local government units were invited to provide the government’s viewpoint. 3