Institutionalizing Community-Based Integrated Watershed Management within Local Government Units in the Bicol Region, Philippines: A Project Evaluation

Since 2001, the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) has been implementing its Building Initiatives for Community Opportunities and Livelihood (BICOL) Program in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Through this program, IIRR utilizes a participatory community-based integrated watershed management (CBIWM) approach to combat poverty and environmental degradation. The objective of the workshop was to conduct a participatory and consultative evaluation of the BICOL Program’s activities in two of the three watersheds where IIRR works. Through two field visits to the Bicol region, documentation review, and extensive analysis of the data collected, the team assessed progress, lessons learned, and achievements of IIRR’s efforts to institutionalize CBIWM in Mt. Masaraga-Quinale A and Lagonoy watersheds.