Rootforward is a permaculture education organization rooted in Bukidnon, created to teach regenerative design that truly fits the Philippine tropics. It was founded by Renée Araneta Perrine, an internationally certified permaculture consultant, designer, and trainer, and works hand in hand with Tuminugan Farm Permaculture School. We approach permaculture as a rigorous design discipline, building on the foundations laid by Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton and adapting them to our own soils, seasons, and communities.
Here, the tropical climate is not a limitation but an advantage, offering year-round growth, abundant rainfall, and remarkable biodiversity to design with. Our teaching draws on bio-mimicry of natural systems and a ridge-to-reef way of seeing land, water, and people as one connected whole. Everything we share is shaped by real, on-the-ground experience in Philippine farms and landscapes so that learners leave with future-proof solutions they can put into practice.
Our work is guided by four goals: climate resiliency, abundance in food and water security, a holistic ecological economy, and transformative change. Whether you are a farmer, a landowner, a student, or simply someone who wants to live closer to the land, there is a place for you here as we grow forward together.
Rootforward is located in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon at the heart of Mindanao in the Philippines.
About Renée Perrine
Renée A. Perrine is the founder of Rootforward and an internationally certified permaculture consultant, designer, and trainer. Her work is rooted in Bukidnon, where she has spent years putting permaculture principles into practice on real Philippine land. Through Tuminugan Farm Permaculture School, she has created a place where learners can see regenerative design at work and experience it with their own hands.
Renée is also the author of Permaculture for the Philippine Tropics, a guidebook that adapts the discipline to our unique climate, soils, and way of life. She believes that our tropical environment is not a limitation but an advantage, offering abundance to those who learn to design with it. Her teaching blends rigorous design thinking with a deep respect for local knowledge and the communities who care for the land. For Renée, permaculture is more than a method of growing food; it is a path toward resilience, security, and lasting change. Through Rootforward, she invites everyone who shares this vision to learn, grow, and build a regenerative future together.
About Tuminugan Farm Permaculture School
Tuminugan Farm is a living example of how people and nature can thrive together. Located in the mountains of Bukidnon, it has transformed once-barren cogon grassland into a thriving landscape of forests, food gardens, and regenerative agriculture. Through permaculture, Indigenous partnerships, and sustainable livelihoods, the farm champions a future where environmental restoration and community development go hand in hand. Today, Tuminugan Farm welcomes visitors to experience, learn, and discover what becomes possible when we work with nature. It is also the farm school site for Permaculture for the Philippine Tropics.
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