ABSTRACT
The Cordillera region of the Philippines is rich in wild food plants that have been used over the centuries by the indigenous Kalanguya and Ibaloi tribes as alternative food resources. The region includes the Mount Pulag National Park, which was closed to occupancy by presidential decree in 1992. The law seeks not only to protect the area but also to strengthen its biodiversity, conservation, and management, so the upland farmers within the national park have taken a lead from the law and have introduced wild food plants into their fallowed swiddens. The innovation has changed the traditional rotational swidden system practiced in the area. The farmers are convinced that the wild food plants are effective cover crops, and that they reduce soil erosion, enhance soil fertility, and contribute to community livelihood.
