EC UNDP SGPPTF SEARCA Natural Resources Knowledge Management Executive Forum and Round Table Discussion on Lessons Learned from Small Grants Programme Philippine Tropical Forestry (SGPPTF), 7-10 November 2007, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines   ANGOC Chairperson Fr. Francis Lucas participated in the executive forum round table discussions as Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Philippine Tropical Forestry Small Grants Programme (UNDP-SGP-EU-PTF) funded by the European Commission. The Asian NGO Coalition was invited to be partof this regional project to expand participation and networking on the NGOside. As a regional NGO network working with grassroots communities (throughits network as a regional platform of pro-people community based) and natural resource focused coalition, ANGOC would have much to contribute tothe success of the program. ANGOC was recognized by the group mainly dealing with forestry given its wider scope and strategies on rural development beyond agro-forestry. Fr. Francis was acknowledged for his leadership in the Philippines' successful implementation of the PTF program. Under Fr. Francis's helm, more than 40 community projects were successfully funded with many clear lessons learned. Knowledge management was also an output of the project. It is now a clear belief that to address the forestry problem, a multi stakeholder and multi disciplinary approach in a community based process taking into account a holistic strategy for rural development. This activity is part of continuing efforts to share the lessons learned from SGPPTF to development organizations and networks in the ASEAN as a contribution to promoting good practices and policy dialogue. SGPPTF regional program hosted the event in collaboration with SEARCA and AFN with the following objectives: • Review key lessons learned from SGPPTF and its implications on government programs and policies that enable community forestry in ASEAN; • Review key knowledge management strategies that may be used to disseminate SGPPTF lessons learned; • Discuss next steps for turn over of knowledge products from SGPPTF to ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN), ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), ANGOC and future collaboration with KM partners (AFN, SEARCA and other organizations); and • Building on the Program on Tropical Forestry substantive lessons and knowledge management strategies, agree on priority actions to further support ASFN activity plans to strengthen knowledge management work on social forestry/community forestry particularly within ASEAN member Forestry Agencies. Among the key government /regional leaders working on Social Forestry and participating in regional/national knowledge management joined the roundtable discussion:     ◊ Indonesia Ministry of Forestry;     ◊ Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources;     ◊ Thailand Royal Forest Department;     ◊ ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN);     ◊ ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB);     ◊ Asia Forest Network (AFN);     ◊ Asian NGO Coalition (ANGOC);     ◊ Delegation of the European Commission in the Philippines (EC);     ◊ EC UNDP Small Grants Program for Operations to Promote Tropical        Forests (SGPPTF);     ◊ Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia-Pacific        (RECOFTC);     ◊ Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in        Agriculture (SEARCA); and     ◊ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Philippines. The different institutions who met were all gung-ho for the program for ASEAN. They will continue to communicate and network with one another. SEARCA will lead the follow up until such time as the PTF regional program goes on its second phase. ANGOC shall invite members and partners to participate in the knowledge management systems both as contributors, community of practice, discussant as well as recipient of knowledge exchanged in the web. ANGOC members and partners in Southeast Asia can promote in-country the PTFapproaches, share experiences in agro-forestry modeling as well as lobby their governments to support the PTF implementation. It should be noted that forestry is one of the lowest performance for the MDGs both for the South and South East Asia.