The initial draft of the case study was presented in a regional consultation (i.e., Northern Mindanao) held in Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City on 7 September 2017. Participants included representatives from government agencies specifically members of the Regional Land Use Committee of Northern Mindanao (RLUC 10), IP organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academe, and students. The perspective of government agencies and other participants outside the community is important, as the phenomenon of climate change is overarching and complex. Their perspective is significant in understanding the links and interconnections between climate change and resource conservation. Overview of the Case Mt. Kalatungan Mountain Range Natural Park, the fifth highest peak in the country, is one of the only four natural parks in Northern Mindanao. It spans through the municipalities of Pangantucan, Talakag, Maramag, and the City of Valencia in the Province of Bukidnon. Mt. Kalatungan is considered a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and home to 342 species of plants and 129 species of animals (Sandalo, 2016). It is also a major water source to households and industries in Cagayan de Oro City, and the provinces of Bukidnon and North Cotabato, with its headwaters providing 35 river systems within the Cagayan de Oro River Basin. Socio-economic activities in the past few decades, however, have damaged Mt. Kalatungan’s forest ecosystem. Wanton cutting of trees was rampant even in protected areas. This was further exacerbated by small-scale mining5 activities using hydraulic techniques. 4 Hills were leveled off to mine gold and other minerals. The bald mountains were so enticing for agribusiness people that plantations were established even in these areas (Ravanera, 2015). In addition, there were forest conversion to non-forest uses, timber poaching, charcoal making and quarrying resulting to uncontrolled soil erosion, landslides, and flooding. On 16 December 2011, Typhoon Washi hit the province of Bukidnon with rains continuously poured in the entire evening that reached up to more than 200mm (some sources say 475mm). Flash floods washed out houses, bridges, debris, and people. According to a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report in February 2012, more than 1,200 died (Ravanera, 2015). There are now calls to reforest the watershed and protected areas. Many studies are being conducted and projects implemented to prevent further adverse effects of typhoons. A landmark case a few years before the destruction of Typhoon Washi is the recognition of the ancestral domain of the Talaandig tribe in the four barangays of Talakag, Bukidnon, namely, Miarayon, Lapok, Lirongan, and San Miguel. The Talaandigs, one of the 114 ethnolinguistic groups in the country, formed a legally recognized association called MILALITTRA. MILALITTRA was awarded with 11,367 hectares of ancestral lands in 2003 under CADT R10TAL-0703-0010 – recognized as communally owned. Headwaters from the MILALITTRA by the slopes of Mt. Kalatungan flows through the Batang sub-watershed of the Cagayan de Oro river basin. This sub-watershed has been concluded to be the main source of floodwaters that hit Cagayan de Oro during Typhoon Washi.