Environment & Climate Crisis | Photo Essay/Documentary

Where legacy takes root on Masungi’s fragile ground

August 8, 2025

BARAS, Rizal – Amid concrete jungles where greens do not grow, the Masungi Georeserve conservation effort stands firm — building a legacy of resistance against environmentally destructive projects.

The Masungi Georeserve covers 2,700 hectares of land, featuring a karst ecosystem known for its limestone formations within regenerating secondary forests. As part of the Sierra Madre mountain range, it redirects water flow away from nearby cities and serves as a natural barrier against typhoons and landslides. Since its reforestation initiatives in 1996, Masungi has transformed into an ecotourism site, now home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Masungi’s Legacy Trail in particular, goes through patches of grasslands, where visitors and tourists, guided by forest rangers, actively contribute to reforestation.

At the heart of Masungi’s protection efforts are its forest rangers, who play an active role in planning and carrying out conservation activities.

Nilbert Marquez, 28, is a Dumagat from Quezon province who found not just a livelihood but also a calling as a forest ranger in Masungi, where he channels his passion for environmental protection and his identity as an Indigenous person whose life is closely tied to land and forest. As a forest guardian, his responsibilities include taking care of forest biodiversity, guiding tourists, and patrolling the area against harmful and destructive activities. He remains committed to doing his duties, driven by his deep connection to his indigenous roots and dedication to his family.

“Para sa akin bilang isang katutubo talagang, ako ay makakalikasan kung saan isang katutubo, hindi kasi yan mabuhay ng walang malapit na kagubatan o bundok na maaaring puntahan…dito ko naiangkop ang aking sarili, ang aking kakayahan…malaking tulong ang Masungi Georeserve bilang pang-tawid sa aming kabuhayan, lalo na ako na nagkaroon ako ng pamilya,” he said.

(As an indigenous person, I am an environmentalist. Indigenous Peoples cannot live without a nearby forest or mountain… It is where I have found myself and the skills I have acquired… The Masungi Georeserve has been a great help to our livelihood, especially now that I have a family.)

However, years of environmental protection efforts are increasingly under threat from various so-called development projects and policy changes. Illegal logging, quarrying, renewable energy projects, and other encroachments persist within and adjacent to the Masungi Georeserve areas. These projects have fenced off and barricaded areas of the reserve, disrupting the activities of nocturnal animals and polluting nearby sources of water. Forest rangers have also faced harassment and attacks. The most prominent incident was the shooting of two of their rangers back in 2021: Melvin Akmad, who was shot in the head, and Kukan Maas, who was shot in the neck. The attack was a culmination of heightened tension between Masungi and nearby water resorts. Several resorts that were previously shut down following persistent campaigns have resurfaced, allegedly backed by former government officials, big business entities, and even military officials.

In February 2023, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, Inc. (MGFI) discovered four drilling sites in the georeserve as part of an ongoing 603-megawatt windmill project consisting of 16 wind turbine generators, backed by Vena Energy. Aside from habitat degradation, turbine fans may draw in many essential bird and bat species who are at risk of hitting the fan blades, potentially posing a significant population decline if the project were to materialize. The project was granted an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), was greenlit by the Department of Energy (DOE), and was already in an advanced stage of pre-development — all without the MGFI’s knowledge.

Billie Dumailang, Director for Advocacy at the MGFI, cites that the most critical challenge the conservation project faces is the recent cancellation of the Supplemental Joint Venture Agreement (SJVA) motioned by former DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga.

The SJVA was signed in 2002 between the DENR and Blue Star, the property firm of MGFI, and helped kickstart the georeserve. It provided an additional 300 hectares (designated as Lot 10) from the original 130 hectares of the 1997 Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and legally protected the land from illegal claims.

If the cancellation were to push through, it could erase years of conservation progress and force the MGFI to cease the Discovery Trail, home to Masungi’s iconic limestone formation and regenerating forests. For forest rangers, it could implicate their job security, forcing them to migrate elsewhere.

While the MGFI continues to fight on all fronts – legal, political, and territorial – forest rangers like Nilbert remain on the ground, steadfast in their daily work of protecting and growing the forest.

“We should always hold out for hope, as it is the premise of conservation. We have to remember that conservation is a lifelong calling. We have to be patient as well, but we have to do it smartly and strategically so that our labor bears fruit,” Dumailang shares.

Masungi’s fight for environmental and social justice reflects the slow and powerful geological processes that shape its karst topography. Just as it takes years of pressure under harsh conditions to form its stunning limestone landscape, the struggle is neither easy nor quick. But with persistence, this fight can—and will—be won. (CAM, RVO)

A view of the Legacy Trail landscape of the Masungi Georeserve. Masungi got its name from the word “Masungki,” meaning spiky, or jagged. Describing its well-known limestone formations, more prominent in Discovery Trail, that act not only as a physical barrier to block heavy storms but also as a natural water filter.

Forest ranger Nilbert Marquez provides an orientation at the start of the trail. Due to the sensitive ecosystem, various policies are enforced to ensure the safety of the visitors and the ecosystem. No trash should be left behind, vaping and smoking are strictly prohibited, sanitary items like tissues or wipes are to be thrown in designated trashcans, and noise should be kept at a minimum to avoid disturbing the animals.

Fruit-bearing trees like jackfruit line the pathway. Other trees, such as figs and Philippine catmon, among others, are left untouched to serve as a food source for forest animals. According to Nilbert, visitors are welcome to pick fruits and wild berries, but only in moderation and with care, so as not to harm the trees and disrupt the ecosystem.

Clusters of buho — a bamboo species known for its smooth, thin-walled culms — are a common sight on the trail. While bamboo is often cut in other conservation areas to make way for the growth of other species, forest rangers at Masungi allow it to thrive for now. The bamboo provides essential shade for young saplings and helps prepare the land for forest development.

Lala, one of Masungi’s newest staff, provides orientation and overview of the Legacy Trail for visitors. The Legacy Trail’s main focus being the reforestation of the area’s grasslands. They also hold brief educational discussions about the history of Masungi, the ongoing conservation effort and challenges, and Masungi’s ecological importance.

A forest ranger is seen uprooting weeds in a bamboo grove near the Legacy Trail pathway. Some members of the Masungi team are assigned to monitor the growth of smaller plants, which serve as natural markers to guide visitors along the trail. They also conduct regular rounds to assess and repair trail paths as needed.

Nilbert prepares the planting tools needed for a tree-nurturing activity in an area where Narra trees are being planted. Beyond planting saplings, a crucial part of the process is ensuring their healthy growth. Both tourists and rangers help by removing surrounding weeds to minimize competition for nutrients, tilling the soil to improve aeration, and layering leaves around the base of each sapling to shield the roots from direct and intense sunlight.

Various tree species have been planted along the Legacy Trail, most of which are now eight years old, dating back to the trail’s inception in 2017. Patches of grass still remain — remnants of the area’s former grassland state after the loss of its original primary forest. Masungi’s goal, at least in the next decades, is to transition the area into a secondary forest.

Nilbert stands on a dried-up streambed, sharing stories of the changes he has witnessed since his first day at Masungi. During his first year, this stream alone would only hold water for about three months each year. Today, it retains water for up to six consecutive months – a clear sign of improvement brought about by consistent and effective conservation efforts.

Billie Dumailang shares the ongoing challenges threatening Masungi’s conservation efforts. One of the most pressing concerns is Vena Energy’s renewable energy project, which continues to advance — largely due to a green light from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Vena Energy has reportedly launched smear campaigns aimed at discrediting and potentially shutting down the ecotourism site. Nearly a year ago, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation (MGFI) filed a petition to cancel the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), but was denied just last week and would need to file a Motion for Reconsideration to the DENR.

In the background, a nearby wind farm project looms behind a scattering of young trees just outside the conservation area. Trees and plants have been cleared to make way for access roads. While this in particular is not backed by Vena Energy, nearby wind energy development could still pose serious threats to their conservation efforts, particularly by disrupting bird species that rely on the area.

Nilbert urges the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to visit the georeserve themselves to better understand the significance of the work being done on the ground. In the meantime, he hopes that visitors will carry Masungi’s teachings and story with them and share its importance to both the environment and the people.

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Disclosure: This article is written in partnership with the Trail X Change program of Masungi Georeserve Foundation, allowing the Bulatlat team to visit the conservation site and verify the ongoing efforts. Bulatlat maintains its editorial independence in writing this article.