What we are doing

Happy Earth has partnered with the Center for Ecozoic Living & Learning (CELL) and Cabiokid Foundation in establishing the PINTIG ECOVILLAGE at Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.

PINTIG Ecovillage is being planned as the first Ecovillage in the Philippines. It is being designed as a Permaculture Community founded on principles that encourage the restoration of reverence and joy for a life within Nature. The establishment of the Ecovillage is a response to the teachings of Thomas Berry which calls for every person to take part in THE GREAT WORK --- that is, to usher a period where humans stop playing the role of destroyers of the Earth community and become protectors and enhancers of all that makes for a healthy functioning environment.

The word “Pintig” is the Filipino translation for heartbeat. It is some 90 kilometers north of Manila, in the Province of Nueva Ecija, island of Luzon, Philippines. The purpose of the Ecovillage is to create a meaningful community of ecologically-aware people, living in harmony with nature and who are committed to sustainable living, the protection of the bioregion, and who are willing to practice some degree of self-sufficiency in local food production.

How we are creating a sustainable community

The 4-hectare Ecovillage is located right beside the Cabiokid Permaculture Development. It is being designed for a maximum of 12 households, and most of its common land will be dedicated to food production and productive forest. Its design has started this 2008. Among its ecological features will be the use of native architecture, small-scale renewable energy technology, and a conscious design that considers possible adaptations to flooding and drought conditions. This experimental site is a humble attempt to showcase climate change adaptation and survival in an appropriate local scale, and in a developing country setting. On our list of priorities is how the shift to sustainable living can address poverty alleviation at the same time ease the strain on the fragile ecosystems that characterize our tropical country. This Ecovillage is financed through a mix of grants, internal fund generation, and social enterprise development. It will feature right livelihood (e.g. fair trade coffee, bamboo craft, and in the long term, we hope to pilot the use of a community currency). As a decision-making tool, the community founders are currently using consensus processes.