Release no. 03 July - September 2015

Attended by Director Ricardo Calderon and Director Edwin G. Domingo, chair and vice-chair of PTC respectively, as well asrepresentatives from various bureaus and offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the meetingaddressed issues on completion of watershed characterization reports, submission of Land Tenure Instrument (LTI) applications,conduct of site development activities and impact of DENR Rationalization Plan to the Project, among others.

The PTC was created under the DENR Special Order No. 2015-151 or the “Institutional Arrangements for the Management andImplementation of FMP” dated 6 March 2015 to recommend plan of actions and policy issuances relative to Project implementation.

Several recommendations meant to make project operations efficient transpired during discussions. These included creation ofmulti-disciplinary team in the conduct of assessment on the use of dipterocarp wildlings as source of planting materials for theestablishment of reforestation areas, possible acquisition instead of construction of bunkhouse of People’s Organization, provision ofadditional funds for improvement of Field Implementing Units buildings, and facilitation of mentoring and proper turn-over ofknowledge assets to newly-hired personnel.

by BJMariano

The transboundary plans provide the strategic framework for themanagement of areas of high biodiversity values such as KBAsthat encompass multiple LGUs and ecosystems not covered under

BMB, UNDP-GEF Project UndertakesTransboundary Planning in KBAs

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INSIDE THIS ISSUEB+WISER strengthenscapacities of IPs, parkmanagers and patrollerson forest protection andrestoration

IPOPs Support MissionCommenced

Looking Back

DENR-FASPS on GIAHSTraining 2015

IRT Dynamic ConservationProject Highlighted inCHINA

Criteria in selectingGIAHS sites

Projects in the Pipeline

DENR-FASPS, ADB holdICRMP review mission

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by Edge Genciagan by Joarlyn Morano

Forestland Management Project (FMP) Project Technical Committee Meeting

Web (FASPS): http://fasps.denr.gov.ph

Editorial Board

Editorial Advisers:

Undersecretary Manuel D.Gerochi and

Assistant SecretaryRommel R. Abesamis

Editor-in-Chief:

Director Edwin G.Domingo

Screening and EditingBoard:

Eddie B. Abugan, Jr./Conrado A. Bravante,Jr./Susan F. Castilla

Managing Editor: JeslinaB. Gorospe

Associate ManagingEditor:

Joel B. Abunda

Circulation: Alma P.Estrada

Layout Artist: Laarni V.Marciano

Contributing writers:

Sally Ablang / Joel Abunda/Elma Eleria / EdgeGenciagan / LaarniMarciano / Brian Mariano /Joarlyn Morano / JekkMickale Paderes / AngelTiamson-Saceda / AlyannaKathleen Uy

B+WISER strengthens capacities of IPs, park managers andpatrollers on forest protection and restoration

Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in some of the country’s ASEAN Heritage Sites are now able toeffectively protect forests and ancestral lands after being equipped with more knowledgeand skills on environmental law enforcement and forest management. Various members oftribes, such as Council of Elders and tribal chieftains of the Bagobo-Tagabawa of Mount ApoNatural Park and the Talaandig, Higaonon and Bukidnon of Mount Kitanglad Range NaturalPark have been trained by DENR-USAID’s Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for StrongerEconomy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) Program on forestry and wildlife laws and lawenforcement procedures, along with more than 500 individuals from DENR, LGUs, theProtected Area Management Board (PAMB) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) acrossB+WISER’s seven priority sites. IPs are generally known to have an inherent commitment toprotect their ancestral lands within PAs, and strengthening their capacity to play this role is abig boost to the protection of threatened species and unique, natural ecosystems, wherethere is a big deficit in terms of enforcer to patrol area ratio of up to more than 60%.

More so, the Program has awarded a grant to the Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, Inc. (KIN) onAugust 9, 2015 in Bukidnon, to support the documentation of tribal customs in theconservation, protection and use of biodiversity and natural resources in Mount KitangladRange Natural Park.

“This has been a life-long dream. I would like our customs and traditions to bedocumented so that our children and their children will learn to appreciate what wehave done and will know what to do when it comes to sustainably managing our tribalhomeland,”

said Datu Makapukaw Adolino Saway, Chief of the Mount Kitanglad Council of Elders.

The indigenous management practices will be presented to the Mount Kitanglad Protect AreaManagement Board for adoption, and to serve as a model for integrating local knowledgeand traditions in protected area management.

B+WISER also made considerable progress on the technology, user-testing and policyaspects of its Landscape and Wildlife Indicators (LAWIN) management tool as it continued topilot the tool in priority sites. It enhanced the user-friendliness of the CyberTracker app—usedfor recording field data on observations of wildlife and threats—by including photo andsound recording capability, a picture guide of key species and an enhanced sequence ofapplication screens. Pilot-testing has so far covered more than 180,000 hectares—including18,000 hectares of recently degraded forests—of conservation areas in Mount Kanlaon

Natural Park, Mount Kitanglad Natural Park andNorthern Sierra Madre Natural Park. Conservationtargets have been identified and coaching sessionswere conducted with resource managers, datamanagers and patrollers to improve patrolling anddata analysis procedures. Furthermore, the Programrefined the Technical Bulletin and Manual ofProcedure for LAWIN through discussions with theBiodiversity Management Bureau (BMB). Theinnovative LAWIN approach will enable timelyresponse to observed threats to natural forests andhelp inform the management strategy for theprotection of forests.

The Program also supported the drafting of theEcosystem Restoration Action Plan of the PhilippinesBiodiversity Strategy Action Plan (PBSAP). TheEcosystem Restoration Action Plan forms part of thePBSAP, and B+WISER helped draft the plan whichaims to restore critical ecosystems, including500,000 hectares of degraded forests.

written by Angel Tiamson-Saceda

Jr./Susan F. Castilla

The governance workshop will showcase the progress andachievements of the six large marine ecosystems andsubregional seas of the East Asian region in terms of coastaland ocean governance. It will be carefully crafted to facilitateregional and national initiatives toward the achievement ofthe goals stipulated in the Future We Want at Rio+20 and theSustainable Development Goals.

The SSME-CAP Project will support the participation of keySSME and Coral Triangle Initiative stakeholders in the EASCongress to share their experiences and challenges inresearch and education, implementation and reporting, andtransboundary partnerships within the seas of East Asia. Theywill also identify solutions and responses to challenges, andopportunities for collaboration among regional mechanisms,national and local governments, and donor agencies. To

facilitate and enhance the workshop discussion, GIZ and itspartners will develop a policy paper that will showcaseexperiences, best practices, challenges, and lessons learnedfrom regional marine and ocean governance initiatives inAsia and the Pacific. The paper is also envisaged tocontribute to achieving a common understanding of issuesand ways forward among regional sea mechanisms andopportunities for collaboration for the effective and efficientachievement of the Strategic Action Plans and the regionalstrategies.

SSME-CAP will also spearhead the exhibition of GIZ's workand contributions to the sustainable management of EastAsian Seas at the environmental exhibition “Building BlueEconomies and Connecting Partners” during the EASCongress.

... the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and other relatednational or local issuances. The key intention is to respond to the threats ofbiodiversity loss and fragmentation and at the same time address therequirements for ecosystem services of adjoining and downstreamcommunities.

The BPP, in collaboration with DENR regional offices, LGUs and otherstakeholders of Region 2 and CARAGA, is taking the lead in providingtechnical assistance in the transboundary plan preparation process inNortheastern Cagayan Key Biodiversity Area (NECKBA) which covers thetowns of Baggao, Buguey, Gonzaga, Gattaran, Lal-lo and Sta. Teresita.NECKBA is home to a variety of endemic but threatened flora and faunasuch as the Philippine Eagle, Rafflesia and several hardwood species and isidentified as an important bird area.

Meanwhile, Lake Mainit Key Biodiversity Area (LMKBA), comprising thetowns of Tubod, Mainit, Alegria and Sison in Surigao del Norte andKitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago and Tubay in Agusan del Norte, has almostcompleted their Transboundary Plan. DENR is closely collaborating with theLake Mainit Development Alliance (LMDA), comprised of the LGUsencompassing LMKBA and other concerned national government agencies.Lake Mainit is considered as the fourth largest and the deepest lake in thecountry and hosts endemic and threatened freshwater species.

Key component outputs of the transboundary planning process include theKBA ecological profile, the spatial management strategy, and the sectoraldevelopment plans and accompanying investment programs. Oncecompleted, the plan is expected to be upscaled in the Provincial Land UsePlans of the 3 provinces to ensure its implementation and sustainability. Amanual of procedures for the transboundary planning is also expected to beformulated to serve as reference for subsequent training of trainers andreplication to other sites.

This initiative is in line with theimplementation of the BPP, withfunding support from theGlobal Environment Facility(GEF), through the UnitedNations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP).

Proposed Ecological Land Use Map of NECKBA (above). Proposed Land Use Map of Lake Mainit KBA (above).

One of the workshop presentations of theTransboundary Planning for Lake Mainit KBA.

BMB, UNDP-GEF Project Undertakes Transboundary Planning ...

In cooperation with the United Nations– Food and Agriculture Organization(UN-FAO), the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources –Foreign-Assisted and Special ProjectsService (DENR-FASPS) represented byMr. Rodrigo Cava participated in the2nd High-Level Training on GloballyImportant Agricultural HeritageSystems (GIAHS) last September 5-20,2015 in China.

The GIAHS initiative is an internationalpartnership which aims to identify,recognize, support and safeguardGlobally Important Heritage Systemand culture around the world. China, apioneer GIAHS pilot site, has led in theimplementation of an innovativeapproach to conservation ofagriculture and rural development.Consistent with the Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) between theMinistry of Agriculture (MoA) of Chinaand the Food and UN-FAO onSouth-South Cooperation (FAO-ChinaSSC) on GIAHS, the 2nd High LevelTraining on GIAHS was held.

The training consisted of lectures onthe concept and framework of GIAHSand the criteria on selecting GIAHSsites; presentation of operationalguidelines used in assessing, managingand monitoring GIAHS sites; sharing ofthe experiences and lessons learned inimplementing GIAHS in the nine (9)participating countries (resourcecountries), including the Philippines;

field visits in the five GIAHS sites inChina; and presentation of the actionplan of participating countries who hadnot yet submitted GIAHS site proposalsfor UN-FAO.

Inspired by the learning he gainedfrom the training, Mr. Cava encouragedthe DENR thru the BiodiversityManagement Bureau (BMB) come-upwith proposals on GIAHS for possiblefunding from the UN-FAO. He notedthat countries like China, Japan andKorea appears to be progressing inimplementing GIAHS. These countrieshave invested a lot on research andscientific studies to re-discover theirtraditional agricultural systems and

cultures. They have a goodaccount/documentation of theirhistorical events on agriculturalsystems that have been passedthrough from generations togenerations. He said that looking at thecriteria in selecting GIAHS/NationallyImportant Agricultural HeritageSystems (NIAHS) sites, the Philippineshas similar programs/projects in thecountry which have been harmonizedin the Philippine Biodiversity StrategicAction Plan (PBSAP) 2015-2028prepared by the BMB. Under thePBSAP, programs or projects related tothe adoption of IndigenousKnowledge, Skills and Practices (IKSP)can be considered as GIAHS.

GIAHS Trainng Participants

IRT Dynamic Conservation Project Highlighted in CHINA

continue to next page

by Laarni Marciano

Food and Livelihood Security - The proposed agricultural system should contribute to the food and livelihood security of the community.

Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation - The local community has maintained and conserved the biodiversity transmitting it to our generation.

Knowledge Systems and Adaptive Technologies - Community maintained invaluable knowledge, ingenious technology and management systems of natural resources, etc.

Unique Cultural Value Directly Link to the Site (agri-culture) - cultural practices directly link to agricultural system (festivities and rituals as knowledge transfer).

Remarkable landscapes, land and water resources management features - Landscape features resulting from human management.

Other criteria in selecting GIAHS (optional) are the following:

Benefits (economic, social, livelihood and environment)maximize

Historic Relevance

Contemporary RelevancE

The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) initiative is an international partnership, which was launched in 2002 at the World Summit onSustainable Development (WSSD) and aims to identify, recognize, support and safeguard Globally Important Heritage Systems and culture around the world.The GIAHS Partnership Initiative recognizes the crucial important of maintaining an integrated approach to the well-being of family farming communities, whiledirecting activities towards sustainable agriculture and rural development.

InfoRmation Please!!!Criteria in selecting potential GIAHS site

Promoted awareness on GIAHS concepts and principles among stakeholders at the national, and local level though conduct of seminars and workshops.

Improved public awareness and appreciation of the community’s living agricultural heritage, including the role of the indigenous people and their knowledge system in IRT’s dynamic conservation

Fostered community awareness and participation in watershed restoration and maintenance while considering indigenous practices (with the issuance of Certificate of Pre-condition)

KNOWLEDGE DATABASE Established preliminary database on traditional and evolving agricultural systems

Established baseline data as input/bases for community-based biodiversity conservation, planning and monitoring that can be used in other sites

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Enhanced environmental, economic, social and cultural functions of the “Muyong” (family forest located

above terraces varying size from 0.5 ha. to 2.5 ha.) Revitalized community-based resource management and benefit sharing scheme Revived organic agricultural practices (organic fertilizer/pesticide using locally-available materials) Preserved the physical integrity of the rice terraces Established science based/factual basis for policy, planning and programming for the development and

conservation of IRT

IRT Dynamic Conservation Project Highlighted in CHINA

by Laarni Marciano

FMP execs tackle Project implementation issues ...

The seventh implementation support mission for theIntegrated Persistent Organic Pollutants (IPOPs)Management Project was carried out from July 13 – 31,2015, to (i) assess the status of the on-going IPOPsProject components; (ii) review remaining procurementpackages; (iii) discuss details of project restructuring;and (iv) review safeguards requirements of Components2 (Reduction of Releases of Unintentionally ProducedPOPs) , Component 3 (Management of PolychlorinatedBiphenyls), and Component 4 (IdentificationRemediation of POPs Contaminated Sites) .

The Supervision Mission kicked off on 13 July 2015 at EMB Social Hall. The World Bank mission team headed by Mr. GerardoParco, Task Team Leader, met with the officials and staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the local government units (LGU) of Cabanatuan, Legazpi, and Butuan, ClarkDevelopment Corporation (CDC), Subic Bay Management Authority (SBMA), and teams from consultant firms during themission.

The mission included the discussion about the Project Restructuring and field visits were conducted to the project sites inCabanatuan, Legazpi, and Butuan Cities for the UPOPs Action Plan implementation. Visits were also conducted at CDC inClark, Pampanga and SBMA in Subic, Zambales to discuss the demonstration sites for site remediation and site controls,respectively. The mission capped off with a management meeting in the morning and wrap-up meeting both headed byDENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi on 31 July 2015.

written by Alyanna Kathlee Uy

Kick Off meeting with World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr. GerardoParco

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with theDENR Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service,conducted a Project Completion Review Mission for theIntegrated Coastal Resources.

Management Project (1CRMP) lastSeptember 29-30, 2015 in DavaoOriental. The ICRMP was a six-yearproject implemented from 2007 to2013 but was extended for one yearuntil June 2014. The Project aimedat sustainable management ofcoastal resources and increasedincome for coastal communities.Thus, the review mission wasconducted to assess and evaluatethe Project's overall performanceand determine if project initiativeshave resulted in positive gains forthe intended beneficiaries.

The Mission Team also conducted on-site visits to the project

sites in Davao Oriental to further gather information andreview major activities implemented in the area. During thefield visits, the Mission Team was able to interact with the

project beneficiaries, governmentofficials NGOs and other relevantstakeholders. Among the sites visitedby the team are the RegionalIntegrated Coastal ResourcesManagement Center in Mati; themunicipal water system in Boston;the drainage system in Cateel; and anecotourism site in Baganga.

The information gathered from thereview mission shall serve as inputs inthe preparation of the ICRMP'sProject Completion Report (PCR)which is a documentation of thefindings, lessons learned, best

practices and experiences gained by the Project and wouldserve as guide in the formulation of future policies, projectsand programs.

DENR-FASPS, ADB hold ICRMP review mission

Based on the agreement during the GEF-Philippines NationalMulti-stakeholders Dialogue which was held on June 16-18,2015, a Program/Project Development Workshop/Writeshopwas organized and held at the Clark City, Pampanga onAugust 5 to 6, 2015.

The said workshop/writeshop aims to discuss and developconcept notes of the proposed programs and projects forfunding under the GEF 6 Cycle (2014-2018); to operationalizethe synergy among focal areas in selected programs byspecifying the working arrangements among focal areas; toidentify the critical issues to be addressed in ProjectIdentification Form (PIF) formulation; and to prepare timelinefor PIF preparation.

The activity was attended by the members of theGEF-Philippine National Steering Committee, representativesfrom the different Multilateral Environmental Agreement(MEA) Focal Point agencies, project proponents, and GEFImplementing Agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank,FAO, ADB). To smoothly work on the project concepts, theywere divided into five (5) groups under each GEF focal area.Each group came up with draft PIF for the different projectproposals: three (3) on the Biodiversity; two (2) multi-focalprojects under the Biodiversity, Land Degradation andSustainable Forest Management; one (1) on Climate Change;three (3) on International Waters; and seven (7) on Chemicalsand Wastes. A total of (16) project ideas were drawn up. Theoutput of the said event was a huge steer for the finalizationof National Portfolio Formulation Document (NPFD) for GEF6 Cycle.

On September 28, 2015, the GEF Operational Focal Point forthe Philippines, and DENR Undersecretary-Chief of Staff, Atty.Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, officially submitted the NPFD for GEF 6to the CEO and Chairperson of GEF, Dr. Naoko Ishii. The NPFDpresented the details and procedures on how the list ofprioritized projects were screened and evaluated based onthe criteria and parameters established and developed forthe GEF focal areas, namely: Biodiversity, Climate Change,Land Degradation, International Waters, Chemicals andwaste and Sustainable Forest Management.

Out of the sixteen (16) proposed project concepts included inthe NPFD, only two (2) were submitted to the GEF Secretariatfor clearance in 2015. One is the Implementation of PCBManagement Programs for Electric Cooperatives and Safee-Wastes Management. The objective of this project is toprotect the human health and environment through soundmanagement of PCBs and PBDEs in e-wastes. The otherproposed concept is the Combating EnvironmentalOrganized Crime in the Philippines under the biodiversityfocal area. It aims to combat environmental organized crimein the Philippines through legal and institutional reform,capacity building in the full law enforcement chain and toreduce demand for illegal wildlife and wildlife parts. The restof the proposed projects are still in the PIF preparation stagethat need to be reviewed and assessed.

It is worthwhile to note that the 1st project that wasendorsed last March 12, 2015 by the GEF-OFP was clearedduring the GEF Council Meeting in June 2015 and alreadystarted the Project Preparation Stage.

By: Elma M. Eleria and Jekk Mickale H. Paderes

By: Ma. Rosalina Ablang

The Mission Team Leader, Mr. Nasimul Islam (center),conversing with one of the Amihan Boys

TOASTING PIFs: DENR-FASPS CONDUCTED THE PROGRAM/PROJECTDEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP/WRITESHOP By: Elma M. Eleria and Jekk Mickale H. Paderes

TOASTING PIFs: DENR-FASPS CONDUCTED THE PROGRAM/PROJECTDEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP/WRITESHOP

Projects in the pipeline

63%$309.59 M

1%$4.97 M

8%$41.80 M

12%$ 57.59M

10%$51.34 M

1%$4.75 M

5%$24.89 M

Instructions: Search upward, downward, forward, backward, and on the diagonal to find the hidden words.

Hidden Words

Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects ServiceDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources

Visayas Ave., Diliman, Q.C.Web (FASPS): http://fasps.denr.gov.ph

Telefax: 926-8052Email:misfaspo@denr.gov.ph

FASPS UpdatesPublished 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 facilitatingpartnerships to complement regular programs, discover new techniques and approaches, and pilot

new ideas and innovations to improve efficiency of ENR services.