July 28, 2025

Project Caraga’s CODEV Team Sharpens Skills in Agro-Ecological Assessment through Transect Mapping Simulation

Butuan City, Philippines — In a continued effort to strengthen community engagement and deepen place-based knowledge, the Community Organization and Development (CODEV) Team of Project Caraga conducted a transect mapping simulation in Barangay Limon, Butuan City.

Project Caraga CODEV team participates in outdoor field training with local stakeholders

The simulation exercise followed a landscape transect that began at a mini forest, traversed rice fields and settlement areas, and concluded at a coconut farm. This hands-on activity was designed to improve the team’s capacity in conducting agro-ecological assessments, which are vital for understanding the environmental and livelihood dynamics within Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities.

 

Transect mapping is a key participatory rural appraisal method that helps community facilitators and development practitioners visualize land use, identify available natural resources, and assess farming systems in a specific area. By refining their skills through this simulation, the CODEV team is better prepared to carry out comprehensive livelihood and farming assessments at the CADT (Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title) level—a foundational step in tailoring Project Caraga’s interventions to the unique needs and landscapes of each IP community.

 

As Project Caraga advances its nature-based and community-centered programs, capacity-building activities such as this not only enhance technical proficiency but also promote deeper empathy, cultural awareness, and respect for indigenous knowledge systems—key ingredients in achieving inclusive and sustainable climate resilience.


January 7, 2026
The Biodiversity Team held its Year-End Reporting and Sharing of Outcomes in CADT 210 and CADT 239, in Surigao del Sur bringing together community leaders and partners to review insights from the 4th quarter biodiversity monitoring and discuss next steps for conservation for 2026.
January 7, 2026
The Project Caraga Scholarship Program officially launched on December 17 at the Caraga State University HERO Learning Commons Board Room with the signing of contracts for its first Indigenous Peoples scholars.
January 7, 2026
Congratulations to Jeme-An Bustillo and Joshua Mandahinog of CADT 252 for their remarkable win in this year’s Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) held on December 4 at the Grand Palace Hotel, Butuan City. At the YFC 2025 Awarding Ceremony on December 15 at the Balanghai Hotel, Butuan City, winners were recognized and they received their cheques for their proposed projects. Among them, the coffee and cacao nursery initiative of our IP youth, Higa-Binhi, earned ₱80,000 in funding from the Department of Agriculture, support that will help them bring their vision to life.
January 7, 2026
Project Caraga, represented by ecoCarbon Group Chief Markets Officer Sophia Ong and CCDI Deputy Chief Executive Officer Anselmo Cabrera, joined the Consultative Briefing on the Blueprint for the Philippine Carbon Market Policy Framework on December 9, 2025 at the Asian Development Bank in Mandaluyong City.
January 7, 2026
Day 3 of the Caraga Coffee Festival at SM Butuan City, last December 5, 2025, wrapped up the vibrant three-day celebration of Caraga’s coffee industry with a culmination program that brought together growers, local cafe owners, and partners committed to elevating our local coffee produce.
January 7, 2026
Project Caraga attended the 4th Quarter High Value Crops Sectoral Committee Meeting hosted by the Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council at VCDU Prince Hotel, Imadejas, Butuan City on December 4, represented by Caraga Carbon Development, Inc. (CCDI) Chief Markets Officer Rowil Aguillon.
January 7, 2026
Our partner IP farmers from across Caraga joined the opening of the 2025 Caraga Coffee Festival yesterday at the Event Center of SM City Butuan, a celebration of Caraga’s finest Robusta, that will continue until December 5. For many of them, this gathering is more than an event, but a doorway to new opportunities. Here, they meet potential buyers, connect with local coffee shop owners from Butuan, and learn alongside fellow farmers supported by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Agriculture (DA). 
January 7, 2026
Project Caraga held an exploratory meeting with Sunfood Marketing Inc. (SMI) on December 10, 2025, in Ko’on, Rosario, Agusan del Sur, opening discussions on how both groups can work together to better serve partner Indigenous communities in Caraga Region.
December 4, 2025
Project Caraga proudly joined global changemakers last November 17 as our Social Impact Lead, Dr. Anushka Rege, represented both the project and ecoCarbon at AlterCOP 30 in Singapore. 
December 4, 2025
Project Caraga CMO Rowil Aguillon along with our Security Officer Lou Ballescas, and Safety Officer Jhun Aldrin Carias, conducted a series of courtesy visits to key Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units across Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. The visits included the 402nd Brigade in Bancasi, the 23rd Infantry Battalion in Buenavista, the 901st Infantry Brigade in Placer, the 30th Infantry Battalion in Gigaquit, and the 36th and 75th Infantry Battalions in Carmen and Brgy. Magruyong, respectively.
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