Long-term well-being
Building Livelihoods Through Land, Learning, and Local Wisdom
We are located in the outskirts of Puerto Princesa City, the capital of Palawan province in the Philippines, known for its rich biodiversity and natural scenery. In order to run our programs and facilities, we work alongside rural and Indigenous communities to cultivate livelihoods that are deeply rooted in land, culture, and collective resilience.
Our programs are designed not just to create income, but to regenerate ecosystems, restore traditional knowledge, and build real, lasting capacity within communities. We follow the principles of permaculture—designing systems that care for the earth, care for people, and share resources fairly. Through this lens, we support regenerative practices like organic farming, seed saving, tree planting, and agroforestry, ensuring that both people and ecosystems thrive together.
In the interest of food security, Maia works with members of the Tagbanua tribe in bringing together indigenous agricultural practice coupled with modern organic farming methods to alleviate the tree cutting practices due to charcoal production, as well as kaingin or slash and burn methods of clearing the land.
Hands-on capacity-building programs equip youth and adults with practical, land-based skills that restore local food systems, improve soil health, and strengthen community self-reliance. Natural building is a key component of our work—reviving Indigenous and local construction techniques using earth, bamboo, and other abundant materials to create climate-resilient homes, schools, and communal spaces. Waste repurposing is integrated across projects, transforming discarded materials into useful tools, crafts, and construction resources—reducing environmental impact while sparking creativity and income generation.
In 2025, Maia finalized the construction of a student-led mudhouse classroom in Bacungan National High School. Alongside with our community, students trained on natural building and sustainable gardening techniques as part of their curriculum, reflecting community aesthetics and Filipino values of bayanihan (collective nation-building). The initiative helped bridging environmental awareness, sustainable livelihood and skill learning.
Real transformation happens when communities have the tools, knowledge, and support to build futures that are both sustainable and self-determined.
We place a strong emphasis on intergenerational learning, ensuring that younger generations are equipped with both practical skills and a deep respect for ecological and cultural heritage. For adult participants—many of whom are parents—we provide safe and nurturing child care spaces. These spaces offer early learning, connection to nature, and community support for the next generation.
One of the recent projects initiated in 2024 is the construction of a natural building mudhouse that serves as a free daycare facility and after school activity space for the local children of Purok Maranat Tres, Dos and Uno at Barangay Bacungan. “Maia Earth School” was funded entirely by our NGO and provided livelihood and capacity building for adults, and parents, as well as space where children can gather to learn within Nature and community.
