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Maria Easterluna Santos Canoy

Synergos Senior Fellow & NGO Manager, Kitlanglad Intergrated NGOs

Easterluna Canoy is the NGO Manager at Kitlanglad Intergrated NGOs (KIN). KIN is a small non-profit organization based in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon in the Philippines. It is a recognized partner representing the interests and aspiration of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of Mindanao.

In 1996, Easterluna helped KIN become the government's host NGO partner, for the implementation of a seven-year World Bank assisted biodiversity conservation and sustainable development project for Mt. Kitanglad National Park. Easterluna was very active in bringing the government to seriously consider the IPs as an equal partner in the management of the protected areas. She was accepted among the 16 fellows of the Asian Institute of Management and Team Energy Bridging Leadership Fellows Program. Here she organized the first ever Environmental Summit in Bukidnon.

In 2011 Easterluna aspires to address two immediate concerns through KIN. The first concern is to strengthen the state and IP initiatives in environmental conservation. The second is to bring the Kitanglad and Kalatungan PAMB's and IP Leaders to meet with the 14 government-linked organizations in the Macajalar Bay alliance to level off visions and objectives leading to a collaborative engagement in forest and marine conservation. She also wants to ensure that there is adequate financial support from the government to the IP's.

 

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