Elaine Villanueva

This two-year research project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) aims to develop localized conservation strategies of plant resources in the forests over limestone of Samar Island, Philippines. Specifically, this research aims to:

1. Develop a localized index in prioritizing the conservation of plant resources in the forests over limestone of Samar Island;
   
2. Map the location of top 20 prioritized plants for stricter protection and regulatory measures, in situ, and collect propagules to be stored/propagated in the Kaigangan nursery established in Phase I to be distributed to households for domestication in backyards or home gardens;
   
3. Determine the role of men and women in various age brackets in implementing the biodiversity conservation priority index; and
   
4. Draft localized conservation policy in coordination with the concerned agency and barangay officials.