The restoration area is located in the Ancestral Domain of the Dumagat and Alta Indigenous communities in the municipality of San Luis, province of Aurora in northeastern Philippines. The indigenous community has mapped out their ancestral domain to identify and document each land use and activity plan associated with the land use. As a result, beside mapping areas such as of traditional hunting ground, sacred ground and wildlife sanctuary – the community also found a total of 407 ha degraded area that needed to be restored.

Besides a home for indigenous community, this forest is also the habitat of the critically endangered Philippine eagle, and several endangered and vulnerable species such as hornbill, eagle owl, hawk eagle and flying fox. Bird calls from these bird species like Rufous hornbill, Amethyst brown-dove and White-eared browned dove gives community warnings, and to be more cautious whenever they go inside the forest. Rufous hornbills calls also serve as an indigenous time keeper/clock.

On a daily basis, the community access the forest to use both the timber and non-timber products to fulfill their domestic needs such as build houses and boats, and treat illness from stomach ache to kidney diseases. Many of these plants currently have vulnerable and endangered status. Therefore, the plan is to restore the area using these native and endangered species.

The ecological benefit will hence include both revitalizing the wildlife habitat, and conserving species that can go extinct.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Dumagat and Alta is historically a hunter-gatherer tribe with a strong affinity for nature particularly in their Ancestral Domain where they live. As mentioned above, the forest has been providing the community with both timber products, medicinal plants and other forest products.

Restoration will support the community to achieve, maintain and enhance sustainable livelihood as well as food security.

Other benefits consist of the increased knowledge and capacity of the community related to the maintenance of nursery and the planted tree, because this community will receive training and guidance before being actively involved in the nursery establishment.

Additional income in the form of incentives will also be additional benefits because the indigenous community will be the main stakeholders who conduct the activities.

At least 50 community members will be involved in the project, receive training, as well as incentives.

This restoration is actually a part of a bigger project which aims to protect the ancestral domain of Dumagat and Alta indigenous groups, where communities are also active as forest rangers. Restoration will complete the project, because in addition to mitigate encroachment through active patrol, the community can also remediate.