QuestionsQuestions (DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 04)
The basic policy of the ISF Program is based on land stewardship aimed at environment protection, poverty alleviation, and social justice, applied to public forest lands with slopes greater than 18%. It encourages proper use of land to benefit the ecosystem and the community.
A Stewardship Agreement grants individuals, families, groups, or communities the right to peaceful occupation, possession, and sustainable management of designated public forest lands for an initial term of twenty-five (25) years, renewable for an additional twenty-five (25) years.
Qualified stewards must be Filipino citizens of legal age, actual tillers or cultivators of the land, and residents within the project area or adjacent barangays actively participating in stewardship activities.
Prohibited areas include lands where occupancy would lead to massive soil erosion and resource impairment, areas covered by existing DENR reforestation projects and similar programs, and lands designated strictly for protection such as virgin forests, areas for biodiversity conservation, and lands beyond 50% slope and 1000 meters elevation.
Participants must participate in boundary delineations, develop productive farms consistent with ecological protection, allocate at least 20% of land to tree farming, protect forest growth, preserve boundary markers, prevent fires, protect riparian zones, abstain from unauthorized cutting of timber, and not transfer land without DENR approval.
The program participant's Stewardship Agreement may be cancelled after one year of written notice by the Regional Executive Director for neglect or non-compliance, with forfeiture of permanent improvements to the government if cancellation is due to cause.
Transfers require approval by the DENR Secretary or authorized representative and are allowed due to death, incapacity, movement outside the area, or change of vocation. Nominations for heirs are encouraged, subject to stewardship qualification verification.
Incentives include no fees for land use, retention of all income from land, exemption from forest charges on products, technical and financial assistance, access to government and NGO support, and rights of pre-emption or compensation upon agreement expiration or cancellation for public interest.
The CDA is responsible for management and implementation of the ISF in the project area, assisting participants with planning, organization, technical support, training, and facilitating community development and linkages with government agencies.
An inter-agency Executive Committee chaired by the DENR Secretary manages the ISF Program, assisted by a National Coordinating Office, the Social Forestry Division of the Forest Management Bureau, Program Assistance Teams, and community-based officers like the CENRO and PENRO.