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As a plenary speaker for the first Sustainable Forestry and Bamboo Summit of the Kalikasan GP3 Expo, Mr. Agoncillo underscored the need to actively engage community members as among the decision makers from the planning, implementation, and up to the assessment phase of any projects. He added that this community-focused approach has to be coupled with applying evidence-based technologies such as rainforestation, i.e. use of native tree species in the project site, in order to help sustain management of forest ecosystems. In terms of key lessons learned, Mr. Agoncillo cautioned that “people will likely to go back to environmentally destructive livelihood activities when alternative livelihoods are not provided or did not prosper”.

Kalikasan GP3 Expo and Conference was organized by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSD). Participants of the Expo/Forestry and Bamboo Summit came from the private and public sector across the Philippines. The Summit aims to gather cross cutting forestry stakeholders to discuss current trends, opportunities, issues and concerns in forestry and bamboo industry, and to promote the passage of Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) bill.