
Almost every week, Tatay Stephen Matondo, also known as “Kumander Baktin” in their community, wakes up early to monitor activities in the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed in Brgy. Tawantawan, Baguio District. While most people of his age enjoy the extra hour or two in bed at home, Tatay Stephen and his fellow volunteers make their way to the foot of Mt. Tipolog, the highest elevation area in Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, to take part in a community endeavor that has already taken generations of villagers to implement.
Their object of concern is the Panigan and Tamugan Rivers. Meandering along the foot of Mt. Tipolog, Tamugan has been identified by the Davao City Water District as the next source of Davao City’s potable water, which has been ranked as one of the best in the world. Locally, however, Tawantawan has long depended on Panigan and Tamugan Rivers for domestic and recreational purposes. Long-time residents have a deep affection for the river.
Tatay Stephen, alongside other Bantay Bukid volunteers, serves on the frontlines of protecting our upland water sources by enforcing environmental laws, reforestation, conducting biodiversity and river monitoring, and serving as first responders in every disaster.
Tatay Stephen is the oldest forest guard and watershed frontliner in Davao City. He is an Indigenous People belonging to the Obu Manuvu tribe. He has been a Bantay Bukid volunteer for more than two (2) decades. Since IDIS started organizing and instilling environmental information in the communities within the watershed areas, Tatay Stephen and other community members have begun to change their lifestyles and now actively participating in the protection of the watershed.
Tatay Stephen emphasized the importance of taking care of our environment for the future generation. “Ang kinaiyahan kaniadto ug karon kay lahi na. Nausab na ang bukid, nagkagamay ang kahoy ug nagkandaiyang mananap. Isip usa ka Bantay Bukid ug Lumad, ang kinaiyahan na kabilin sa atong katigulangan kaniadto kay angay na ampingan ug panalipdan para maabtan pa sa sunod nga henerasyon,” he said.
According to Tatay Stephen, he experienced several challenges and environmental issues while carrying out his duties that were life-threatening and tested his commitment as a Bantay Bukid Volunteer. These issues range from dealing with timber seekers without permission to reporting improper wastewater discharges, waste disposal, and illegal fishing.
He said that the volunteers’ conservation efforts, traditional knowledge, and use of natural resources amount to different results, such as taking care of the forest as a source of livelihood, food, and good health, as well as a cultural identity. The community and the site they are defending have a strong and profound relationship. This, in turn, feeds the belief that the natural resources from the watershed will continue to maintain the community: if nature is respected, nature will return and supply.
While his fellow volunteers are much younger than him, his passion and commitment to environmental works transcend age boundaries and physical strength. According to him, he did not plan to retire anytime sooner as he had seen that there were more things to do for the protection of Panigan-Tamugan Watershed. He further added that as long as he is still capable, he will continue serving the environment as a forest guard.
Frederick Paler, one of the youth volunteers of Bantay Bukid and Bantayo Aweg (River Guardians), said that they are continuously inspired by the dedication of “Kumander Baktin” to forest guarding. His initiatives influenced them to do better in their functions to affect change in their community and Panigan-Tamugan Watershed.
For years Tatay Stephen and Bantay Bukid have doubtless been instrumental in the Panigan-Tamugan’s remarkable conservation effort over the past decades. He and other Bantay Bukid possess a deep love for the forests rooted in their cultural heritage. While Bantay Bukid enjoys social capital, a sense of belonging, and economic prospects due to their position, all of them are also driven by a genuine concern for the environment.
Given their vital yet underappreciated function, one critical response is to give them credit for their efforts. In time for the Philippine Environment Month, let’s extend our appreciation and support to Tatay Stephen and the rest of Bantay Bukid in Davao City!
They protect our forests and keep our watersheds healthy, so there is abundant and pristine water for their families, us, and all Dabawenyos. Want to give your share?
Here are the ways how you can help:
- Donate monitoring tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) – flashlights, handheld radio, cameras, binoculars, cellphones, raincoats, boots, and T-shirts.
- Provide group insurance to give our volunteers the security and confidence to face physical risks and potential conflict in enforcing environmental laws in our watersheds.
- Plant a tree in our watershed and buy native seedlings from our Bantay Bukid nurseries. Want to ensure your seedling grows into maturity? Give an extra fee for monitoring and maintenance of your seedlings!
- Feed our Bantay Bukid volunteers some hot meals or snacks during their river clean-up drives, reforestation efforts, or monitoring activities, or donate cash so they can perform their Bayanihan activities on a full stomach.
- Support the education of our volunteers’ children through school supplies, books, or other educational materials you have.
- Share your load or donate cell cards to our Bantay Bukid volunteers so they can report environmental violations to government authorities 24/7!
- Call out the government to respond to their reports, capacitate them, take their side against powerful illegal actors, and address the social and political conditions that enable corruption and violence.
Forest guarding is an important job that only a few people are willing to perform. Bantay Bukid volunteers represent a very critical human capital to protect the city’s natural resources and help deliver clear sustainable development outcomes for the city.
“This is no longer play-acting for us. This is a long-term commitment for us so that Davao’s water will still have a future,” Tatay Stephen said in their dialect.