In Bakun, indigenous people use modern mechanisms for selling environmental services to preserve a traditional way of life without its poverty traps

The Kankana-ey-Bago people of Bakun, a mountainous region of the northern Philippines, have a rich socio-cultural heritage Their indigenous way of life governs how they relate with the land, the forests, and among themselves.They support each other through the inal-luyon system where assistance is reciprocated in kind. Likewise,conflicts/disputes amon members of the tribe, and even with other tribes are settled through the traditional tongtong system which is basically through consensus.How ever, based on criteria of income, healthcare,, and education the traditional way of life no longer meets current expectations.The people of Bakun have a history of articulating their rights within Philippine society and of adopting sophisticated strategies to protect their traditional way of life. In 2002, the Kankana-ey was the first indigenous group to obtain a Certificate of Ancestral DomainTitle (CADT) from the Philippine Government.The CADT gave the tribe formal title to its traditional lands.The Kankana-ey received the CADT largely through the efforts of the Bakun Indigenous Tribes Organization (BITO) and with itBITO gained the responsibility of representing the tribe.

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