2 FASPS UPDATES Apr Jun 2015 - Foreign

FASPS Updates
The official newletter of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Training on designing,
developing foreign-assisted
projects gets under way
Phil-WAVES conducts
training on SedNet modeling
3
3
Phil-WAVES to reach out to
wider audience
3
INREMP holds first review
mission
4
BPP's biodiversity-friendly
investment programs validated
4
Tubbatah Reefs' sea turtles are
healthy, experts say
5
Global Environment Facility
(GEF)-Philippines National
Multi-Stakeholders dialogue
7
Southern Leyte holds
environment summit 2015,
awards environment-friendly
LGUs
8
IPOPs Management Project
holds stakeholders consultation
on POPs contaminated sites
8
PAME restages 'Selfie for
Biodiversity' contest
9
CCC launches online
'community of practice'
10
10
Philippine SSME partners
harmonize project workplans to
move forward
PEMSEA members convene
Members of the Partnerships in
Environmental Management for the
Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened
last June 23 – 26, 2015 for the 7th East
Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council
Meeting to address the organization’s
current
key
activities
and
accomplishments in the field of
integrated coastal and ocean
governance.
Turn to page 6
B+WISER Forester Josephine Rodelas (right) coached Kitanglad Guard Volunteer Ricardo
Digbas in using CyberTracker application as part of the LAWIN software on a tablet for
biodiversity and threats monitoring in Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon.
B+WISER makes headway in
conservation and environmental law
enforcement
initiatives
by Angel Tiamson-Saceda
The Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER)
Program, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project with the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), made significant headway in the first half of 2015.
B+WISER co-organized two major events, the 1st International Conference on Conservation Financing in
Southeast Asia and the 3rd National Environmental Law Enforcement Summit, and inked two partnership
agreements with thePhilippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) and the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) for forest-related economic activities of communities in B+WISER project
sites.
Turn to next page
Biodiversity Assessment Yields New Island
Record of “Extinct” Hornbill in Negros
Agencies collaborate to establish Balabac
Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Under the DENR-BMB and GEF-UNDP’s Biodiversity
Partnership Project (BPP) and with support from the
Chester Zoo, an assessment was able to validate the
presence of population of Rufous-headed hornbill
(Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni) in Northern Negros Natural
Park (NNNP) and in Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park
in Negros Oriental. NNNP is one of BPP’s eight
demonstration sites in the Philippines.
Five agencies have agreed to collaborate to promote
biodiversity conservation in the municipality of
Balabac, Palawan. These include the Biodiversity
Management Bureau (BMB), Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Deutsche Gesellschaft fȕr
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Asian
Development Bank Regional Technical Assistance
7813 (ADB-RETA), and the Center for Environment
and Sustainable Development (CESD).
Turn to page 5
Turn to page 7
foreign-assisted projects 2015
Foreign-Assisted Projects 2015
Fund Distribution
US$ 497.96
GEF*
US $ 123.20
JICA
GIZ/BMU
US $ 226.41
ADB
KfW
KfW
USAID
IFAD
Others
Grant Projects
GOP
Loan Projects
Biodiversity
*GOP
Counterparts (US $148.35)
Sectoral Distribution: Foreign-Assited Projects 2015
New Conservation Areas in the Philippine Project (NewCAPP)
Partnership for Biodiversity Conservation : Mainstreaming in Local Agricultural
Landscapes (BPP)
Removing Barriers to Invasive Species Management in Production and Protection
Forest in Southeast Asia (FORIS)
Protected Areas Management Enhancement in the Philippines (PAME)
Fifth Operation Phase of the GEF Small Grants Program in the Philippines
(SmallGrants)
Building Trasformative Policy and Financing Frameworks to Increase Investment in
Biodiversity Management (BIOFIN)
National Biodiversity Planning to Support the implementation of the CBD 2011-2020
Strategic Plan in Republic of the Philippines (NSBAP)
National Programme for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Conserved
Areas and Territories
Climate Change
Philippine Climate Change Adaptation
Project (PhilCCAP)
1%
Manila Bay Integrated Water Quality
Management Project (MBIWQMP)- PPG
National Programme for Indigenous
Peoples and Local Communities
Conserved Areas and Territories
$4.97 M
Multi-Sectoral ENR
Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved
for Stronger Economy and Resiliency
Project (B+WISER)
Phi. Wealth Accounting and the
Valuation of Ecosystem Services
(Phil-WAVES)
1%
$4.75 M
Indigenous Practices for Biodiversity Conservation (IP4Biodiv) Project in Agusan
Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS)
Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (IPOPs) Management Project
Environment
Global Programme to Demonstrate the Viability and Removal of Barriers
that Impede Adoption and Successful Implementation of Available,
Non-Combustion Technologies for Destroying Persistent Organic
Pollutants
8%
ODS - Institutional Strengthening Project - Phase IX (ODS-ISP)
Sector Plan to Phase-Out HCFC141b in the Foam Sector
Implementation of the POPs Monitoring Plan in the East Asian Region
-REGIONAL *
BAT and BEP in Open Burning Activities in Response to the Stockholm
Convention on POPs - REGIONAL *
Enabling Activities to Review and Update the National Implementation
Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Improve the health and environment of artisanal gold mining
communities in Southeast Asia by reducing mercury emissions
Ratification and Early Implementation of the Minamata Convention on
Mercury in the Philippines
Applying Knowledge Management to Scale Up Partnership Investments for Sustainable
Development of Large Marine and Coastal Ecosystem of the East Asia and their Coast
$24.89 M
$41.80 M
Programme on Wealth
from
the
Philippines
Project Preparatory
Technical Assistance
Integrated Natural Resources and
Environmental Management Project
(INREMP)
$51.34 M
Forest and Climate Protection in Panay
(FORCLIM)
12%
$ 57.59M
63%
.
$309 59 M
FORESTRY
Coastal
Marine
Community-Based Forest and
Mangrove Management Project
in Panay and Negros (CBFMMP)
Forestland Management Project
(FMP)
10%
Strengthening Marine Protected Areas to Conserve the Marine Key Biodiversity Areas in the
Philippines (MKBA)
Support to the Implementation of the Tri-National Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Comprehensive
Action Plan (SSME)
National
Creation
5%
Philippine Chillers Energy Efficiency Project
HCFC Phase-out Management Plan Stage 1 (HPMP)
Rice Plus - Dynamic Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Agrobiodiversity in
Rice-Based Farming System in the
Philippines
National REDD+ Mechanism for
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
and Conservation of Biodiversity
in the Philippines
(REDD+ Readiness)
FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
Training on designing, developing foreign-assisted projects gets under way
To further bolster the capability of DENR staff to design and develop
needs-responsive projects, the Project Preparation Division of Foreign Assisted
and Special Projects Service headed by Ms. Cristina Regunay and in close
coordination with the Human Resource Development Service of DENR
spearheaded the Project Design and Development Training, whose trifurcate
focus was to: a) understand the interrelated processes and terms/concepts
used in project proposal design and development; (b) gain knowledge on the
relevant methods, tools and techniques of project design and development
and apply these within their work environment; and (c) appreciate the
importance of an intersectoral perspective in addressing concerns in a
spatial/area context.
Turn to page 7
Phil-WAVES conducts training on SedNet modeling
Assessing the value of a natural asset is a complicated business.
"Everything is connected to everything else" and "the whole is more
than the sum of its parts." For instance, how does one put a price tag
on a forest? He measures and assigns a value to one ecosystem
service it provides while holding others constant, he runs the risk of
under-assessing its true worth. Finding an equation to describe the
pain of family members left behind by their breadwinners who
perished in a landslide after a freak amount of rain was dumped on
a denuded forestland is quite tricky.
Be that as it may, one has to pick one quantifiable aspect of natural
capital somewhere to start moving. This is where the gift of science
becomes a potent tool to allow the interplay of observations and
assumptions to be tested.
Members of the national and local technical working groups of the
Philippine Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services
(Phil-WAVES) for Southern Palawan went through a four-day
hands-on training on the use of SedNet, a modeling tool that can
assist technical professionals, planners, and policy-makers
understand the impacts of land use changes in the upstream region
of a watershed on riverine health in terms of sediment deposition
and nutrient transport.
Organized by the Phil-WAVES Technical Assistance Team with
support from the
Phil-WAVES to reach out to wider audience
by Joel B. Abunda
World Bank, the training was held on April 21 to April 24, 2015 in
Puerto Princesa City.
The SedNet, which stands forSediment and Nutrient Budgets for
River Networks, was developed by Australia's CSIRO Land and Water
Flagship. The "sediment and nutrient budgets" as used in this
context simply refers to the major sources, flow, and deposition of
sediment and nutrients in the river network.
The tool can give an account of suspended sediment deposits in
floodplains and accumulated sand and gravel in river beds which
reduce production of freshwater planktons and algae, which
ultimately affect negatively fish and benthic invertebrates that
depend on them, and more importantly the sources of these
sedimentation and nutrient deposits.
The effect of any changes in watershed, such as conversion of forest
to agricultural crop, on erosion of sediments can be simulated to
project future riverine sediment loads and determine the optimum
combination of management strategies within the watershed (e.g.
"Should we leave barren land to sit idly for the years to come?"),
especially in the upstream or headwater area, to enhance
watershed's ability to support life and maintain natural balance in
the entire ecosystem.
by Faith Joy P. Buentipo
June 23, 2015 – The Philippine Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (Phil-WAVES) Project 3rd Core Group
Communications Meeting was held in NEDA sa Pasig and was attended by information officers (IOs) from agencies involved in the
implementation of Phil-WAVES, which include the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA),
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Laguna Lake Development Authority
(LLDA). Said meeting was called to discuss the integration of the Communications Road Map to Natural Capital Accounting’s framework.
Phil-WAVES wider audience-largeThe Phil-WAVES communications strategy aims not only to inform major stakeholders about the activities
of Phil-WAVES but more importantly, to ensure sustainability of the initiatives of the project which would need the institutionalization of
natural capital accounting (NCA) and to encourage participation of key players in NCA.
Meanwhile, a number of communications products packaged both in traditional and multimedia formats have been produced by the
project, but distributed by traditional means, i.e., handing out. A World Bank communications specialist encouraged the IOs to start social
media promotions in order to reach out to a wider audience which could include other WAVES-participating countries, the media, and the
public in general.
Moving forward, each agency was required to come up with a communications plan that would be integrated into the overall
communications plan of Phil-WAVES. Moreover, a communications planning workshop will be conducted later in July.
3
FASPS Updates
Editorial Board
Editorial Advisers:
Undersecretary Manuel D.
Gerochi and
Assistant Secretary Rommel R.
Abesamis
Editor-in-Chief:
Director Edwin G. Domingo
Screening and Editing Board:
Cristina Regunay/Conrado A.
Bravante, Jr./Susan F. Castilla
Managing Editor: Jeslina B.
Gorospe
Associate Managing Editor:
Joel B. Abunda
Circulation: Alma P. Estrada
Layout Artist: Laarni V.
Marciano
Contributing writers:
Joel Abunda/ Pao Agulay/
Elena Barth/ Faith Joy
Buentipo/ Horace Cimafranca/
Mitch Confesor/ Rudolph Elmo
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
B+WISER makes headway ...
About 100 conservation finance practitioners,
policy makers, resource economists and
protected area managers from eight countries
gathered in Manila on March 3-4 for the
international conference. Delegates shared
innovative approaches on conservation financing
by citing successes and challenges in developing
long-term, diversified and sustainable financing
sources for the provision of ecosystem services in
the region. Meanwhile, the summit gathered 160
representatives from the Department of Justice
(DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP) and
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in
Tagaytay City on April 15-16, which resulted in
the crafting of a country-wide five-year roadmap
for environmental law enforcement.
The partnership with PTFCF will integrate
B+WISER’s science-based High Conservation
Value Area (HCVA) and Forest Management Unit
(FMU) approaches in interventions through NGO
partners in common sites, and fast-track grant
application for indigenous people organizations
submitting
nursery
establishment
and
forest-related micro-grant proposals. With
DSWD, the partnership will engage 1,000
Conditional Cash Transfer Program beneficiaries
for
forest
restoration,
protection
and
maintenance. DSWD will allocate PhP9 million for
wages, while B+WISER will provide 90,000
seedlings to be replanted in the 3,000-hectare
National Greening Program (NGP) sites in the
Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape
and the Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve that
were established in 2011 and 2012, where DENR
support has ended. DENR will take the lead in the
implementation and validation of areas replanted.
B+WISER was also instrumental in the crafting
and passing of a common trekking policy for Mt.
Apo Natural Park, a first for a Protected Area in
the country. The new policy now applies to all
LGUs within the PA as a collaborative governance
mechanism to conserve the park, better manage
eco-tourism
development,
and
improve
environmental law enforcement.
To
complement
conservation
and
law
enforcement efforts, the B+WISER-developed
Landscape and Wildlife Indicators (LAWIN)
tablet-based application for biodiversity and
threats monitoring was piloted in HCVAs in three
B+WISER project sites and will later be rolled out
in six sites. This innovative monitoring system will
enable timely response to observed threats to
natural forests and help inform the management
strategy for the protection of forests.
pemsea members convene
Written by DENR-FASPS/ Hannah C. Ritual
Dela Cruz/ Elma Eleria/ Evelyn
Juanillo /Ma. Theresa Corazon
Ladrera /Joarlyn Morano /Ma.
Jemimah Peñaranda /Nick
Pilcher /Dianne Razalan
/Hannah Ritual /Angel
Tiamson-Saceda /Alyanna
Kathleen Uy /Tricia Yambao
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources represented by its Undersecretary and Chief of Staff
Analiza Rebuelta-Teh who is also the Global Environment Facility -Operational Focal Point (GEF-OFP) for the
Philippines shepherded the programming process of the country allocation under the 6th cycle of the Global
Environment Facility (GEF 6) covering the period from July - 2014 to June 2018.
Co-hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and with valuable
assistance from the Palawan Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) headed by
OIC Juan C. Dela Cruz, the meeting was conducted in Puerto Princesa City.
Delegates from ten country partners and six non-country partners involved in the protection and
rehabilitation of coastal resources along with representatives from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) participated in the council meeting.
Representing Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje and the Government of the Philippines, DENR Undersecretary-Chief of Staff and PEMSEA National
Focal Person Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh led the opening ceremony to welcome the delegates. She congratulated the Council and the
Executive Committee members for their contributions, and the great deal of effort they provided in the effective implementation of the
Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), which is a regional framework developed and adopted by PEMSEA
country partners to facilitate trans-boundary initiatives for sustainable
development.
The Partnership Council Meeting’s discussions were focused on the
following key issues: (1) Updating the implementation of the SDS-SEA
and setting its Post-2015 Targets; (2) Facilitating preparations for the
conduct of the forthcoming ocean-based forum known as the East
Asian Seas Congress and Ministerial Forum 2015; (3) Becoming a
self-sustaining international organization; and (4) Establishing
collaborative measures between country and non-country partners in
order to scale up the implementation of the SDS-SEA.
PEMSEA and DENR have been longstanding advocates of sustainable
development and the event provided a golden opportunity for both to
renew commitment to rational management of human, natural, and
economic resources among stakeholders in the region.
2
PEMSEA members-representatives
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
FASPS Updates
inremp holds first review mission
• motorcycles (88 units), 4x4 vehicles (5 units), laptops (30 units)
and desktops (53 units) have been procured;
“We are here to facilitate the implementation of the Project and
not to hamper its activities.”
• ongoing activities were undertaken to complete the watershed
management plans, establish a project monitoring and
evaluation system, improve policy and institutional structures,
etc.
Written by INREMP/ Tricia Yambao and Ma. Theresa Corazon Ladrera
These were the encouraging words of Mohammed Nasimul Islam, the
newly appointed Project Officer and Environment Specialist of the Asian
Development Bank during the First Joint Review Mission of the
Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project
(INREMP). The review mission was conducted last May 18 to June 2,
2015 to assess the progress of INREMP.
To ensure that activities would proceed as planned, a Memorandum of
Understanding between ADB, IFAD, and GOP was drafted and signed by
all parties concerned. Among the items agreed on in the MOU were:
The joint review team was composed of Su Chin Teoh, outgoing Project
Officer and Natural Resources Specialist (ADB); Karen Chua, Associate
Project Officer (ADB); Yolando Arban, Country Programme Officer
(IFAD); and representatives from the Forest Management
Bureau-National Project Coordinating Office (FMB-NPCO) and Foreign
Assisted and Special Project Services (FASPS).
Among the findings of the mission were the following:
• all Department of Environment and Natural Resources(DENR)
project staff have been hired (national, regional and provincial
levels);
• five assisting professionals (APs) have been hired out of the 10
required by the Project;
• drafting of Memorandum of Agreement with NAMRIA in
establishment of baseline data and analysis of maps;
• establishment of a Monitoring and Evaluation system;
• finalization and implementation of the Watershed Management
Plans;
• engagement of the Firm of Consultants;
• finalization of the manual for the rural infrastructure and natural
resources management subprojects;
• formation and expansion of the Watershed Management
Councils; and
• finalization of the list of People’s Organizations and Indigenous
People’s Organizations.
Biodiversity-friendly investment programs validated
Written by DENR-FASPS/ Dianne D. Razalan
Advocating and mainstreaming the use of biodiversity-friendly
indigenous materials in a business enterprise is one of the
thematic goals the Partnerships for
Biodiversity
Conservation:
Mainstreaming in Local Agricultural
Landscapes project hopes to achieve.
Commonly referred to simply as the
Biodiversity Partnership Project (BPP), it
primarily
aims
to
enable
key
stakeholders to effectively protect or
enhance the quality of the environment
and sustainably manage its natural
resources.
The Lubeg fruit and the Bakong plant, in
particular, fit squarely in the BPP program
implementation. Indigenous
to the Cagayan region,
the Lubeg fruit serves
for its vinegar, jelly and
wine products and
by-products.
The
Bakong plant, on the
other
hand,
grows
abundantly
in
Sta.
Teresita, Cagayan and is
being utilized as raw
material for making handicrafts
and decorative materials.
4
Segovia’s Finest Lubeg Wine
Operating since 2009 under the supervision
of Barangay Captain Vicente O. Tiu, Lubeg
Wine Enterprise produces Lubeg wine –
considered as Lal-lo’s main product under the
One Town, One Product (OTOP) program.
Facilities, equipment, and materials used by the winery have
been provided by the Lal-lo Local Government Unit (LGU) and
the DOST's Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program
(SET-UP).
The LGU employs 15 to 20 workers for wine-processing during
a cropping season while DOST provides dryer, acetator and
wine kit/plastic storage barrels.
A farm, which was initially developed to produce the necessary
Lubeg fruits but abandoned in later years, is being revived
through BPP support. However, the present condition leads to
scarcity of Lubeg fruits relative to the demand of wine. To fill
the supply gap, the winery buys the necessary raw material
from farmers including those from neighboring municipalities.
According to the village chairperson, an average of 5 to 15
tanks (each tank carries 200 L) can be produced in one harvest
season. His complaint, though, is that of lack of storage tanks.
Since March 2015, the wine maker has made do with only two
aluminum tanks, a fermentation barrel, two fermentation
drums for vinegar and several plastic storage tanks for
fermented wines.
A three-month-old Lubeg wine is 8 percent alcohol by volume
(ABV).
Bakong Enterprise
Managed by the Municipal Project Development and
Coordinating Office (MPDCO), Bakong Enterprise has been
providing alternative livelihood to the People’s Organization
(PO) in Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, whose members are mostly
engaged in rice farming and fishing. The enterprise has been
producing ropes and assorted handicrafts.
Ecological studies are ongoing to determine the sustainability
of Bakong plant as raw material as well as its impact to
wetlands.
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
FASPS Updates
Biodiversity assessment yields new
island record of 'extinct' hornbill in
Negros A total of five individuals (two males and three females) of
Surveys conducted from 2013 to
2014 by the Philippines Biodiversity
Conservation Foundation, Inc.
(PBCFI) and biology students
from Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology
and University of St. La Salle Bacolod have verified and
evaluated
the
conservation
status of hornbills in Negros
Island. Under the DENR-BMB
and GEF-UNDP’s Biodiversity
Partnership Project (BPP) and with
support from the Chester Zoo, the
assessment was able to validate the
presence
of
population
of
Rufous-headed
hornbill
(Rhabdotorrhinus
waldeni)
in
Northern Negros Natural Park
(NNNP) and in Balinsasayao Twin
Lakes Natural Park in Negros
Oriental. NNNP is one of BPP’s
eight demonstration sites in the
Philippines.
Rufous-headed hornbill, thought to be extinct in Negros Island,
were seen in Mt. Silay mountain range in NNNP. Reports of the
presence of the bird (one male and two females) in Balinsasayaw
Twin Lakes were noted from visiting birdwatchers but visits to the
forests did not yield observations of the species. Out of the 12
remaining forest areas surveyed, only NNNP has had confirmed
reports of the species’ presence. The Visayan Tarictic hornbill
(Penelopides panini), on the other hand, was recorded to be
present in all 12 forests patches visited. The species appeared to
be persistent and to some extent tolerant to badly degraded
forests as long as there were tall trees.
Following the discovery of Rufous-headed hornbill, PBCFI in
collaboration with DENR, local government units and Bantay
Bukid Brigade (community forest guards) established
hornbill-monitoring trails in NNNP and Mt. Kanlaon Natural
Park. A similar monitoring mechanism will also be established in
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes by 2016. This initiative was made
possible with the support of BPP and other collaborating
partners namely, Chester Zoo, Virginia Zoo and the Zoological
Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP).
- BPP/ PBCFI
(Image opposite) Rufous-headed hornbill
(Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni)
Tubbatah Reefs' sea turtles are healthy, experts say
An exciting component of the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape marine turtle
research programme recently took place in the astounding
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and World Heritage Site. The trip was
organized by the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) and once
again brought in the expertise of Dr. Nick Pilcher, from the Marine
Research Foundation (MRF), based in Sabah, Malaysia.
This was the third of such collaborative efforts by TMO and MRF,
having conducted the first back in 2010, and the second in 2014.
These last two research expeditions were funded by the Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part
of its tri-national Sulu Sulawesi Seascape programme.
The research expedition featured veterinary specialists Dr. Rizza
Araceli Salinas from the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and
Dr. Teri Aquino from the Tubbataha Management Office and Marine
Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, who were there to brush up on
their skills working with sea turtles.
Written by GIZ-SSME/ Dr. Nick
Pilcher (MRF)
Results
The team of rangers and WWF’s M/Y Navorca boat
crew managed to wrangle 198 turtles and bring
them back
for
inspection,
providing
robust sample size from
which the team could
base its scientific
findings. Dr. Nick
estimated the team
caught over 5,900
kg of turtles in five
days.
ssme tubbataha measuring turtle 2-largeThe trip demonstrated the
use of the latest in scientific techniques, with Dr. Pilcher and the vets
using laparoscopy, a form of keyhole surgery, to determine the sex
and reproductive status of sea turtles - which cannot be determined
through simple external observations.
Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptile whose sex is determined by
temperature, and not through the X and Y chromosomes. In sea
turtles it is the temperature of the sand that determines if they will
become male or female. And with climate change and a warming
planet, scientists are concerned there might be impacts on sea turtle
population, not only in the local scene but also in overall trends
globally.
Turn to next page
Member of the team
Laparoscopy on a sea turtle
performing
5
FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
Global Environment Facility (GEF)-Philippines
National Multi-Stakeholders dialogue
Written by DENR-FASPS/ Ms. Elma M. Eleria
Training on designing ...
gets under way
The training was conducted on June 2-6, 2015 at
Punta de Fabian, Baras, Rizal and was carried out
by experts in the field of project management from
academe and national government institutions.
Staff members – veterans and young blood alike –
from Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB),
Land Management Bureau (LMB),
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB),
Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau
(ERDB), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and
DENR Regional Offices attended the weeklong
activities of lectures, interactive discussions,
learning exercises, coaching, case studies, break
out groups and output presentations.
- Evelyn M. Juanillo
(Image opposite) Participants in a round table
discussion with Foreign-Assited and Special Projects
Service Director Edwin G. Domingo of the DENR
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
represented by its Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Analiza
Rebuelta-Teh, who is also the Global Environment Facility -Operational
Focal Point (GEF-OFP) for the Philippines, shepherded the
programming process of the country allocation under the 6th cycle of
the Global Environment Facility (GEF 6) covering the period from July
2014 to June 2018.The GEF serves as the financial mechanism for the
United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD), UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Convention to Combat
Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) and Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants, Minamata Convention on Mercury, and
other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The Facility was
established to achieve global environmental benefits through
financing of incremental costs to produce such benefits. It started in
1991 with Trust Fund coming from the contributions of developed
countries. The GEF works with implementing agencies i.e. the World
Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) among others to provide
executing agencies, i.e. government agencies, CSOs, and others that
directly manage projects, oversight to deliver the outcomes/outputs
and report on the use of funds.
organized the Philippines National Dialogue (PND). GEF provided
funding support to the event. The dialogue also provided the venue for
the GEF Secretariat to present the global environmental issues and GEF
overview (including Policies and Procedures) and GEF 2020 strategy.
As early as March 2014, the GEF-OFP initiated the long process to
develop a National Program Formulation Document (NPFD) that would
contain the portfolio of programs/projects for funding consideration
under the GEF 6 cycle. The process provided the venue to develop a
framework for prioritizing project proposals submitted by various
proponents under the GEF focal areas, namely: (1) Biodiversity, (2)
Climate Change, (3) Land Degradation, (4) Chemicals and Waste, (5)
International Waters, and (6) Sustainable Forest Management. It also
identified the strategic links of the country priorities based on the major
drivers of environmental degradation, National Development Plan and
its specific plans per sector.
Program 2: National Programme on Wealth Creation from the
Philippines Biodiversity Genetic Pool and BD based friendly Enterprises;
Program 3: Sustainable Financing of the Philippines PA System;
To discuss and identify the national strategic priorities for funding
under the GEF 6, the DENR’s Foreign Assisted and Special Projects
Service (FASPS), which serves as the Secretariat of the GEF-OFP,
The National Dialogue was attended by 115 participants from civil
society organizations, representatives from Multilateral Environmental
Agreement (MEA) Focal Points, government agencies, local
governments, peoples organizations and private sector representatives.
At the invitation of the OFP, representatives from GEF Implementing
Agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank, FAO, ADB) attended the
dialogue as observers. Experts from the GEF Secretariat served as
resource persons during the event.
After more than a year of programming process, the Philippines has
successfully come up with a shortlist of programs/project proposals for
development and endorsement to GEF Secretariat for funding under
the GEF 6 cycle. The proposed programs/projects are as follows:
Program 1: Integrated Approach in the Management of Major
Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines;
Program 4: Enhancing agro-ecosystem resiliency through soil and water
health monitoring and assessment and upscaling of Sustainable Land
Management (SLM) Practices;
Program 5: Climate-Resilient, Low Carbon, Eco-Efficient and Sustainable
Cities;
Program 6: Environmentally Sound Management of Chemicals and
Waste;
Program 7: International Waters project proposals.
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FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
Tubbatah Reefs' sea
turtles are healthy,
experts say ...
The turtles were brought back to the base ship, where they were measured carefully,
tagged, and then inspected using a laparoscope. This is a small scope that is used to
look inside the turtles to determine the sex and the age-class. Of those caught, nearly
80% of turtles were juveniles, with just 17% sub adults and 5% adults. This suggests that
Tubbataha is mostly a development ground for small turtles.
The examination also revealed that 69% were female which is quite common in turtles
of this size in other parts of the world (roughly two-thirds). It is observed, however, that
as turtles mature towards adulthood, the sex ratio balances but to nearly 50:50.
In Tubbataha most of the turtles were between 60 and 70 cm in length, and not yet
considered adults. The team of scientists involved in the expedition has been trying to
figure out if they will grow and stay on the Tubbataha Reefs, or move on to some distant
nesting grounds, which can only be determined by genetic studies.
The team also recorded an 8% influx of new recruits – turtles that had never been to
reefs before – showing that there is a healthy life cycle going on.
The research concluded that the turtles were all in excellent condition, and contributing
to the life cycle of sea turtles in general in the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape.
Member of the team measuring the length of a sea turtle
Agencies collaborate to establish Balabac MPA
Written by GIZ-SSME/ Ma. Jemimah Peñaranda
BFAR and BMB are operating under the
GIZ-funded Support to the Implementation
of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
Comprehensive Action Plan (SSME-CAP)
Project while ADB-RETA 7813 is working
through its Coastal and Marine Resources
Management in the Coral Triangle –
Southeast Asia Project. CESD, on the other
hand, is implementing the Developing
Sustainable Alternative Livelihoods in
Coastal Fishing Communities in the Coral
Triangle: Indonesia and Philippines Project
that is sponsored by the Japan Fund for
Poverty Reduction (JFPR) Grant 9160.
Coordinated efforts in Balabac, Palawan is
essential to protect the municipality’s rich
biological diversity as represented by the
endemic Philippine Mouse Deer, locally
known as ‘Pilandok’, estuarine crocodile,
wild boar, ‘dugong’, green sea turtle and
various fowl species like the Grey Imperial
Pigeon, Blue Headed Racket tail, Philippine
Cockatoo, and the Palawan Hornbill.
Despite the evidently high conservation
value of Balabac, the municipality has no
designated marine protected area (MPA)
yet. In fact, the Philippine Development
Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 mentioned the
Balabac Strait Corridor as one of the marine
corridors in the country that requires
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coastal and marine resources management
initiatives.
MPA establishment in Balabac, Palawan
The SSME-CAP Project, which is funded by
the Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear
Safety on behalf of the Federal Republic of
Germany through the GIZ, together with
the aforementioned partner agencies, aims
to establish MPAs in Balabac. The first MPA
to be established will be in Barangay
Ramos, which is inhabited by the
Indigenous Group of Molbogs. The second
will be in Barangay Salang while the third in
Barangay 5 under the governance of
Balabac Poblacion.
Preliminary scoping meetings with the local
government units of these barangays were
conducted. From these consultations, the
Project identified the need to reinforce
MPA establishment efforts with livelihood
programs in order to offer sustainable
alternative sources of income to the
communities and discourage them from
participating in sea turtle poaching, illegal
fishing as well as tan barking.
Consequently, the livelihood arm of the
team through the CESD Project will take
charge of this component for the residents
of the target MPA sites.
Continuous meetings among the five
agencies will be conducted in the following
months to ensure streamlined activities in
Balabac. The team also aims to expand
cooperation among other environmental,
social and private agencies that are
working in Balabac in the interest of
protecting the natural resources.
As this develops, the SSME Team together
with
partner
agencies
conducted
consultation meetings and site assessment
in the three island-barangays in Balabac on
May 12-16, 2015. The team also had a
courtesy call with Mayor Astami to provide
him with more information about the
SSME-CAP project. During community
consultation meetings, the team provided
lectures on sea turtle orientation and
shared DENR’s initiatives in sea turtle
conservation, sea turtle tagging protocols
and the relevance of climate change in
coastal communities. Inhabitants in both
barangays were receptive to the
establishment of an MPA in their areas and
were very grateful to receive such new, yet
critical insights on sea turtle conservation.
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
PAME restages 'Selfie for Biodiversity'
contest
Written by PAME/ Pao Agulay and Rudolph Elmo Dela Cruz
FASPS Updates
tree-planting. The winning photos were also exhibited during
DENR-BMB’s celebration of the International Day for Biological
Diversity last May 22 at the Crown Regency Hotel in Ortigas City.
The photos brought to life DENR-BMB Director Theresa Mundita
Lim’s vision that the contest would “not only show pictures of the
beauty of nature, but also teach individuals the value of
biodiversity.” Dir. Lim added that she hoped such learning
experience would be remembered and shared.
The winners were treated to a knowledge-enriching exposure trip
for two to any DENR-declared protected area of their choice.
The siblings (Allan and Lauralyn Quesada) flying in a speeding
zipline at Hikong Nature Park 7 Falls Lake Sebu in South Cotabato
A year after the successful run of the Selfie for Biodiversity contest
of the Protected Area Management Enhancement (PAME) project
of GIZ and the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau
(DENR-BMB), the best new photos of Philippine biodiversity were
again feted on this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity
through the Selfie Take 2 for Biodiversity contest.
The winning photos told stories of care for biodiversity through
simple acts, such as following environmental rules during trips to
nature parks and rescuing a fallen bird. The other entries conveyed
messages of harmonious and equally beneficial coexistence among
humans, plants, and animals; of the environmental roles of
mangroves, corals, and waterfalls; of the pros and cons of water
lilies; and of the joys of bird watching, fish-feeding, and
Allan Jay Quesada, a second-time entrant of the national photo
contest, is a certified outdoor enthusiast. His adventurous spirit did
not stop him to continue submitting photos of his captured
moments with nature. An architect by profession and a self-taught
photographer, he won the grand prize for the amateur category
with his “Mirror of Nature’s Grandeur” entry featuring the Mt.
Bulusan Protected Landscape.
Last June 19-21, Allan was joined by his sister Lauralyn A. Quesada
and traveled all the way from Metro Manila to Sarangani Bay
Protected Seascape, General Santos City and Lake Sebu 7 Falls for
his grand prize destination.
“My sister and I chose South Cotabato, specifically Sarangani Bay,
GenSan and Lake Sebu. We wanted something different this time,
something adventurous with a serene atmosphere. We were
craving for a destination with a rich heirloom of culture but still safe
and accessible. We were aiming for breath-taking landscapes and
Instagram-worthy shots. And yes, we made the perfect choice.
South Cotabato certainly did not disappoint,” Allan said as he also
excitingly shared this memorable experience in one of his social
media account.
This photograph was taken by Allan from more than a hundred meters approaching the highest waterfall in 7 Falls of Hikong Nature Park 7 Falls
in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
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FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
Southern Leyte holds
environment summit
2015, awards
environmentfriendly LGUs
Written by NewCAPP/ Mitch R. Confesor
The provincial government of Southern Leyte conducted on June 29
its 2015 Environment Summit and Awarding of Most
Environment-Friendly
LGUs,
simultaneous
with
the
commemoration of the 55th (Emerald Green) provincial founding
anniversary at the provincial capitol coliseum.
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) director Theresa Mundita Lim (2nd
from left) presents Southern Leyte´s most environment-friendly municipal
government first-place award to Mayor Napoleon Cuaton (above, 5th from
left) of Saint Bernard town
Southern Leyte Gov. Roger Mercado highlighted the contribution of
various local government units (LGUs) in biodiversity conservation
especially within the vicinity of Mt. Nacolod, a key biodiversity area
(KBA) and one of the local conservation area (LCA) pilot sites of the
New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (NewCAPP).
of Southern Leyte passed an ordinance in October 2012 declaring
Mt. Nacolod as a Forest Protected Area, covering the original
Nacolod Forest Reserve due to the ecological significance of the
landscape.
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Director Theresa Mundita
Lim, also the National Project Director of NewCAPP, presented
Southern Leyte’s most environment-friendly municipal government
first-place award to Mayor Napoleon Cuaton of Saint Bernard town
and second-place award to Mayor Fe Edillo of Macrohon town.
Director Lim also presented the fourth-place award to Mayor Oliver
Ranque of Libagon town. Hinunangan town, which won the
third-place award, sent a representative through its Municipal
Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).
Also through NewCAPP, the five municipalities of Southern Leyte
and two municipalities of (Northern) Leyte have decided to
collaborate in developing a Conservation Management Framework
for this KBA. The framework was envisioned to guide and
consolidate conservation efforts of all concerned stakeholders by
increasing community awareness, enforcing socially acceptable
land use plans and zoning ordinances, securing sustainable
financing, and implementing an effective monitoring and
evaluation mechanism.
Aside from Gov. Mercado and Dir. Lim, the others who co-presented
the awards for most environment-friendly municipal and barangay
LGUs were Southern Leyte Rep. Damian Mercado, DENR Region 8
Director Leonardo Sibbaluca, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Member and Environment Committee Chair Daisy Llaenes.
With its various IUCN-vulnerable and threatened species, Mt.
Nacolod is a KBA which straddles the municipalities of Silago, Saint
Bernard, Hinunangan, Libagon, and Sogod in Southern Leyte, and
Mahaplag and Abuyog in (Northern) Leyte province. It hosts two
significant watersheds in the region: the Buac Watershed Forest
Reserve and Hinabian-Lawigan Watershed Reservation.
Through the assistance of NewCAPP, the provincial lawmaking body
IPOPs Management Project holds
stakeholders consultation on POPs
contaminated sites
Written by IPOPs Project/ Alyanna Kathleen B. Uy
The Integrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (IPOPs) Management
Project together with AECOM conducted on June 29-30, 2015 the
Stakeholder’s Consultation on the National Strategy for the
Management of POPs Contaminated Sites at Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay
City. The two-day consultation intended to solicit comments and
suggestions from the EMB Regional Offices, other government
agencies, and private industries on a draft national strategy which
addresses the identified gaps in the management of POPs
contaminated sites in the country.
In related development, the Project sent EMB Regional Directors to the
International Training Course on Contaminated and Hazardous Waste
Site in Toronto, Canada on June 8-12, 2015. Previously representatives
from EMB Central Office and partner agencies attended the
International Symposium on Environmental Risk Assessment and
Management of POPs/PCBs on May 22-23, 2015 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
8
Jue 29-30, 2015 - Stakeholders consultation with the Environmental
Management Bureau Regional Offices
FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
CCC launches online 'community of practice'
Written by PhilCCAP/ Horace Cimafranca
The website platform, which is currently moderated by CCC, is
typical of most online forums where users are able to communicate
through public postings but only after signing up.
The platform also allows users to upload a variety of electronic data,
including text documents, videos and photos. A user may choose to
have the files available for viewing for all other users or to restrict
access only to a certain group.
The most useful feature of the online platform is its moderated
feedback system. Users who have questions about a certain file
uploaded to the online platform may address these questions to the
uploader. A moderator from CCC then makes sure that the uploader
responds to the questions.
Screenshot of the Community of Practice (CoP) web platform
In the digital age, easy and open access to data is increasingly being
taken for granted. But for the government and the public, the
attainment of such access to vital information and resources on
climate remains elusive.
The Philippine Climate Change Adaptation Project (PhilCCAP) will
soon eliminate this challenge with the development of a climate
information-sharing platform, a massive knowledge-exchange
effort being undertaken through the Climate Change Commission
(CCC). The platform will provide an online venue for government
agencies to access and contribute verified information, including
surveys, studies and statistics, relating to climate.
The online “community of practice”, now seemingly the moniker for
the climate information-sharing platform, was introduced to
PhilCCAP agencies by Donna Sanidad of CCC at a gathering in
Quezon City.
As part of continuing development of the online platform, CCC
organized a consultation forum in March, which saw the
participation of many heads of agencies under PhilCCAP, and
representatives from other government offices such as NAMRIA.
The consultation was moderated by Atty. Gia Ibay, a CCC consultant
and an environmental lawyer who formerly worked for the DENR.
She laid out the general guidelines of the proposed protocol for the
platform, covering issues such as which information to pick and to
whom it becomes available.
Reservations concerning the lack of a vetting process to ensure that
the data uploaded are accurate and the absence of an intellectual
property rights guideline were raised during the consultation. Atty.
Ibay assured the participants that these are to be covered by the
final draft of the protocol being developed for the online
community of practice.
Currently, CCC is organizing training sessions for government
officers in the provinces to familiarize them with the features of the
online platform.
The online community of practice is still in its beta stage. This will be
launched after all its features have been fully tested.
Philippine SSME partners harmonize SSME project workplans to
Written by GIZ-SSME/ Joarlyn Morano, Elena Barth & Pao Agulay
move forward
The Support to the Implementation of the
Tri-National
Sulu-Sulawesi
Marine
Ecoregion Comprehensive Action Plan
(GIZ-SSME) Project together with its
Philippine partners recently conducted a
writeshop for the harmonization of the
SSME project work plan.
At least 30 representatives from the
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB),
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
(BFAR), and Conservation International (CI)
came together for the project work
planning held at the GIZ-SSME Office in
Quezon City. The activity aimed to establish
ways forward to effectively beat the
implementing challenges for the SSME
project in the future.
The writeshop sessions gave the
participants the opportunity to update the
work plans of each respective component,
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including updates on existing projects
within the sea turtle MPA network
(ST-MPAN) particularly in Turtle Islands
Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Tawi-tawi,
Balabac in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs
Natural Park (TRNP) and El Nido Managed
Resource Protected Area (ENMRPA). The
activity also gave an avenue for them to
clarify their roles and implementing
mechanisms, and identify significant issues
affecting project implementation to further
optimize synergies among the partners in
the Philippines.
Mr. Berthold Schirm, GIZ-SSME Principal
Adviser
and
Program
Coordinator,
emphasized the importance of the activity
for GIZ to find areas for further support and
collaboration towards the sustainable
management of the SSME. He also
expressed his gratitude to the continued
support of the partners and said that this is
the most opportune time to get all their
acts together to overcome challenges in the
implementation.
Equipped with a clear work plan, SSME’s
Philippine partners are again ready to move
ahead with their activities, such as the
development of the sea turtle MPA network
and safe guarding their habitats through
connectivity researches and promoting
ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries
management.
Capacity-building programs are also
programmed within 2015, with topics
ranging from vulnerability assessment,
livelihood development, to sea turtle
research and ecosystem approach to
fisheries management (EAFM).
FASPS Updates
Release no. 02 April - June 2015
Instructions: Search up, down, forward, backward, and on the diagonal to find the hidden words.
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FASPS Updates
Published quarterly by the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
FASPS serves as the focal point for generating and managing additional resources and facilitating
partnerships to complement regular programs, discover new techniques and approaches, and pilot
new ideas and innovations to improve efficiency of ENR services.
Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Visayas Ave., Diliman, Q.C.
Web (FASPS): http://fasps.denr.gov.ph
Telefax: 926-8052
Email:[email protected]
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