This report examines the feasibility of sustainable livelihood models for rural women in four barangays in Real, Quezon, Philippines: Capalong, Kiloloron, Maragondon, and Ungos. It is produced within the scope of the Applied Research Project (ARP) program at the Geneva Graduate Institute, in partnership with Greenseed and the Haribon Foundation as part of the WePhili project, which seeks to support rural women through sustainable, community-based livelihood initiatives that contribute to both environmental conservation and income generation.
Drawing on a mixed-methods approach combining a literature review, survey data analysis, semi-structured interviews, and fieldwork observations conducted in January 2026, the report identifies locally grounded livelihood ideas aligned with women's existing skills, available resources, community organizations, and market conditions. These include a permaculture farm in Kiloloron, expanded fish farming and food processing in Capalong and Ungos, coconut and pig-based enterprises in Maragondon, and cross-barangay activities such as communal kitchen gardens, textile production, and weekly local markets.

The analysis highlights that women's economic participation is shaped not only by material constraints such as limited access to childcare, finance, and healthcare, but also by social norms around gender roles, domestic violence, and religious expectations that influence their agency and opportunities. Three conditions emerge as central to the success of any livelihood intervention: strong social capital and collective organization through existing women’s groups, alignment with women's existing skills and interests, and genuinely community-driven development processes that foster real ownership and participation.

At the same time, the report surfaces three underlying tensions that the WePhili project must navigate. First, the normalization of women's unpaid and underpaid labor risks being reproduced rather than challenged if compensation and workload distribution are not explicitly addressed. Second, environmental sustainability objectives must be balanced against the immediate economic realities of households struggling to meet daily needs, and should not become a bar that excludes the most economically precarious women from participation. Third, limited financial transparency within KALIPI groups poses a risk to trust and equitable benefit-sharing, making financial literacy and governance support a practical priority from the outset of implementation.

The report concludes that while viable livelihood pathways exist in all four barangays, their long-term sustainability depends on treating women's empowerment as an end in itself rather than a means to achieve broader conservation or development goals. The women of Real already possess the ideas, skills, and collective strength to build sustainable livelihoods. What they need is fair compensation, transparent governance, and the institutional support to lead the process on their own terms.