• Half of the area (50 percent) has remained as non-forest areas (brush land, grassland, agricultural, and residential) but most of these are within the alienable and disposable (A&D) lands. In summary there were more positive changes happening in the MILALITTRA area with an improved forest cover of 9 percent. Moving Forward MILALITTRA provides a compelling case in recognizing traditional land governance system towards conserving the country’s remaining forests as an adaptation to climate change. Building on these finding, the following recommendations are forwarded: 1. Monitor MILALITTRA’s forest cover Using the spatial data collected as baseline reference, continue monitoring the forest cover within the boundaries of MILALITTRA’s ancestral domain. This is a powerful tool in promoting community land rights as it relates Endnotes to global development issues. Towards this objective, partnership with academic and research institutions can be established. 2. Replicate in other ancestral domains in Mt. Kalatungan There are a number of ancestral domains in Mt Kalatungan. Some have secured their CADTs, some have not. Collecting similar spatial data and conducting trends analysis may establish a better understanding of the linkage between land tenure and forest conservation. This initiative can be proposed with the Regional Land Use Committee whose representatives have responded positively in the regional consultation convened for this study. 3. Support ICCA Bill The study can be used to support the passage of the Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Conserved Areas and Territories (ICCA) Bill in Congress. This proposed measure seeks to provide guidelines in the protection and strengthening of ICCAs in the Philippines for their contribution to forest and biodiversity conservation. n Ravanera, R. (2017). Linking Land Tenure and Climate Change: The case of MILALITTRA in Mt. Kalatungan. Quezon City: Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC). 1 This case study was validated and finalized based on discussions during the multi-stakeholder Northern Mindanao consultation held in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental on 7 September 2017. Inputs for preparing the draft were generated during a series of KIIs and focus group discussion conducted from 28 April to 6 May 2017. 2 The views presented in this document do not necessarily reflect those of FAO. 3 One of the 114 ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines residing in the island of Mindanao. 4 Small-scale mining program is covered under Presidential Decree 463 – the Mineral Resources Development Decree of 1974 to generate employment opportunities. The City Mining Regulatory Board regulates it (Gatus, 2012). 5 8