Beruflich Dokumente
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Bislopeal Diversity
Report on
Climate Change, Siodiversity,
Desertification and POPs Multilateral
Environmental Agreements:
_.4.44k1
UNCCD
United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertific Anon
Printing financed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environment and Natural Resources Capacity
and Operation Enhancement (ENR-CORE) Project under the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) between the
Government of the Philippines and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP
FOREWORD
This report is a brief catalogue of the Philippine governments compliance efforts with
four multilateral environmental agreements: the United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity (UNCBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. It also relays a sense of the Philippine
positions in these MEAs as delivered and made known in Conferences and Meetings of the
Parties as well as gatherings of subsidiary and technical working groups of the Conventions.
The undertaking seeks to summarize and give a snapshot of what the Philippines has so
far achieved, its share to the international community and the world in preserving biological
diversity, responding to climate change and desertification, and preventing the spread of
persistent organic pollutants. Since the entry into force of the Conventions, Philippine
government activities and programs geared towards complying with country obligations were
implemented. This was done not only for purposes of meeting the Conventions legal
requirements but, more importantly, because of the realization that the objectives sought to be
achieved under the Conventions give resonance to the Philippines efforts to respond to its own
local environmental crisis: the continuing loss of biodiversity, the emerging dire consequences
of decades of abusive land use, and the accelerated impact of changing climate conditions. The
detrimental effect of this crisis on the Filipino people is most hurtfully felt by those living in the
margins of society: our farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, rural women, and, most
unfortunately, our children.
Thus, other than just a recital of compliance, the report is more importantly a review of
past and current government efforts in order to serve as a basis for a deeper assessment of the
impact of government activities on the environment and the lives and source of life of the
ordinary Filipino. While the undeniable integral objective is to present to the international
community the Philippines modest accomplishments in playing out its role as a responsible
party to the Conventions, the review conveys as well a governments struggle to give purposive
meaning to the lives of its people, who tirelessly forge and pursue a better future for their
children, by responsibly managing and conserving the bounty of their shores and hinterlands
within the framework of sustainable development.
For in the end, we are all just stewards of the seas and the mountains, never exercising
true dominion, but rendering humble servitude to the environment in recognition of its power
over us, and the timelessness of its blessings to past, present, and, if we are responsible enough,
to future generations as well.
OUTLINE
Introduction
____________
Philippine Commitments and Monitoring Compliance
__________________________________________________
Review of the Treaty Origins of the UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD and Stockholm
Convention vis a vis the Philippine Constitution and Environmental Policies
UN Conference on the Human Environment
World Charter for Nature
UN General Assembly Resolution 44/228
Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development
Global Agenda 21
The 1987 Philippine Constitution and Environmental Policies
_______________________________________________________
Salient Points of the Multilateral International Environmental Agreements
(UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD, Stockholm Convention)
Principles and Objectives
UNFCCC
UNCBD
UNCCD
Stockholm Convention on POPs
Commitments and Obligations of Parties
UNFCCC
UNCBD
UNCCD
Stockholm Convention on POPs
__________________________________
Review of Philippine Compliance with MEA Commitments and Obligations
National Legislations and Regulations
NIPAS Law
Revised Forestry Code
Executive Order No. 318
National Caves & Cave Resources Management & Protection Act
IPRA
EO 247on Bioprospecting and Wildlife Resource Conservation and Protection
Act
ii
iii
Introduction
__________
In the early 1970s, the international
community represented by the United Nations took
a cognizable and landmark shift in focus from post
World War II promethean conventions and
international treaties on the individuals human
rights and collective peoples self-determination to
humankinds
natural
environment.
This
development could be characterized as the nascent
recognition of environmentalism vis a vis human
liberation as a legitimate and urgent concern of the
worlds governments and nation-states.
The UN Conference on the Human
Environment held in Stockholm in 1972 followed by
the World Charter for Nature in 1982 set the stage
for international recognition of such concepts as
environmental protection, nature conservation,
sustainable development, and inter-generational
responsibility which, hitherto, were undeveloped if
not unheard of principles, much more agenda, of the
international community in its debates, discussions
and declarations within and outside the halls of the
United Nations. With the recognition that the
worlds natural resources are mostly finite and
basically non-renewable and that their unmitigated
exploitation and development in the name of
national and individual human economic progress
do not entirely correspond to the natural
environments capacity to sustain itself as well as
maintain increasing economic production, a new
form of ideological shift has formed from a humancentered, promethean theme to an earth-centered
one. At last, the environment became a legitimate
topic of concern in the worlds political, scientific,
and economic communities.
Formal declaration of principles as
embodied in the Stockholm Conference and World
Charter for Nature thus paved the way for more
concrete instruments of international expression of
actions and programs for the preservation and
protection of the worlds natural environment.
These came to be embodied in the Rio Earth Summit
of 1992, which, in turn, heralded the coming into
Page 2 of 43
____________________________
UN Conference on the Human Environment
From June 5 to 16, 1972, representatives
from member nations of the United Nations
converged in Stockholm and held the United
Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
The objective of the conference was to come out with
common principles to guide nations and their
peoples in the preservation and protection of the
human environment. The Conference thus yielded
the Draft Declaration on the Human Environment.
The Declaration is premised on the proposition that
the environment, both natural and man-made, is
essential to the well-being of man and his enjoyment
of human rights including the right to life.
The declaration held that concurrent with
the enjoyment of basic human, political, civil, social,
cultural and economic rights, humans are
responsible for the protection and improvement of
their environment not only for present but more
importantly for future generations. Thus, the
principle of inter-generational responsibility, long
recognized and held high by traditional
communities and indigenous peoples the world
over, was reborn in and recognized by the modern
world. Another principle, again already long
practiced by ancient peoples living at the fringes of
modern civilization, was discovered, the principle of
sustainable development. The declaration held that
the capacity of the earth to produce vital renewable
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UN General Assembly Resolution 44/228
Before the close of the decade of 1980, on
December 22, 1989, the United Nations General
Assembly issued Resolution 44/228 resolving to
conduct the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development. Taking cognizance
of the trends pointing to the inevitable disruption of
global ecological balance, the Resolution set in
motion the major agenda for discussion at the Rio
Earth Summit less than three years later, listing
specific concerns in maintaining the quality of the
Earths environment and achieving sustainable
development.
The Resolution laid down the agenda for 1)
the protection of the atmosphere by combating
climate change, depletion of the ozone layer and
transboundary air pollution; 2) the protection of the
quality and supply of freshwater resources; 3) the
protection of the oceans, marine and coastal areas; 4)
the protection and management of land resources by
combating
deforestation,
desertification
and
drought; 5) the conservation of biological diversity;
6) the sound management of biotechnology; 7) the
management of hazardous wastes and toxic
chemicals and the prevention of the illegal traffic in
said materials; 8) the eradication of poverty and the
protection of human living conditions in general.
Rio Declaration
Development
on
the
Environment
and
Page 4 of 43
Global Agenda 21
Together with the Rio Declaration, the
Global Agenda 21 was likewise born during the Rio
Earth Summit. While the Rio Declaration was
largely a declaration of principles basically
reiterating the previous common environmental and
developmental principles enunciated in the
Stockholm Declaration and the World Charter for
Nature, Agenda 21 is an all-encompassing plan of
action intended to be undertaken globally,
nationally and locally by the organizations of the
United Nations System, individual national
governments, and major stakeholders.
The course of action set out in Agenda 21
was divided into four major aspects: social and
economic
dimensions,
conservation
and
management of resources, strengthening of major
groups, and means of implementation. The Agenda
laid down action plans for 1) combating poverty; 2)
environmental decision-making; 3) protecting the
atmosphere; 4) management of land resources; 5)
combating
deforestation,
desertification
and
drought; 6) sustaining mountain development,
agriculture and rural development; 7) conserving
biological diversity; 8) managing biotechnology; 9)
protecting the marine environment and freshwater
resources; and 10) managing toxic chemicals,
hazardous substances and solid and radioactive
waste.
The
1987
Philippine
Environmental Policies
Constitution
and
Page 5 of 43
3) taking of precautionary measures to anticipate,
prevent or minimize causes of climate change and
mitigate its adverse effects regardless of lack of full
scientific certainty; 4) promotion of sustainable
development; and 5) cooperation to promote a
supportive and open international economic system
that would lead to sustainable economic growth and
development.
In 1997, the parties agreed on the Kyoto
Protocol which stipulates binding obligations among
some of them (those listed as Annex I countries) to a
reduction of their carbon emissions by 5 percent
below their 1990 levels in the commitment period
2008 to 2012.
The Philippines ratified the UNFCCC on
August 2, 1994. It is a non-Annex I party to the
convention. The Philippines signed the Kyoto
Protocol on August 15, 1998 and ratified it on
November 20, 2003.
________________________________
UNCBD
UNFCCC
Page 6 of 43
Page 7 of 43
adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. They
must also take all practicable steps to promote the
development and transfer of environmentallyfriendly technologies to both EITs and developing
countries.
Non-Annex I parties, which comprise of
China, India and all other developing countries like
the Philippines, are committed mainly to take
measures to adapt to climate change. These parties
have the following obligations under the
Convention:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Page 8 of 43
Other commitments in Kyoto mirror the general
commitments under the UNFCCC. These include
preparing national climate change mitigation and
adaptation programs, taking steps to improve the
quality
of
emissions
data,
promoting
environmentally-friendly
technology
transfers,
cooperating in scientific research and international
climate observation networks, and supporting
climate change education, training, public
awareness and capacity-building initiatives. Under
the Kyoto Protocol, Annex I parties are also
committed to providing financial resources to help
non-Annex I
parties
meet
their
general
commitments under said Protocol.
UNCBD
All parties to the UNCBD are obligated to
conserve and utilize biological diversity in a
sustainable manner. They are also encouraged to
collaborate and to assist each other to fulfill the
objectives of the convention.
The parties obligations are also classified
into in-situ and ex-situ conservation. In-situ
conservation refers to the conservation of
ecosystems and natural habitats and the
maintenance and recovery of viable populations of
species in their natural surroundings and, in the case
of domesticated or cultivated species, in the
surroundings where they have developed their
distinctive properties. Under this category falls the
obligation to establish a system of protected areas or
areas where special measures need to be taken to
conserve biological diversity. In the Philippines, this
obligation is met with the enactment and
implementation of the National Integrated Protected
Areas System (NIPAS) Law or Republic Act No.
7586.
Ex-situ conservation, on the other hand, is
the conservation of components of biological
diversity outside their natural habitats. Under this
category falls the obligation to establish and
maintain facilities for ex-situ conservation and
research, the adoption of measures for the recovery
and rehabilitation of threatened species and their
reintroduction to their natural habitat, and the
regulation and management of the collection of
biological resources from natural habitats, or bioprospecting.
The Philippines has ten obligations under
the UNCBD:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
five
principal
Page 9 of 43
chemicals listed in Annex B are those to be strictly
regulated.
Parties to the Stockholm Convention also
commit to take measures to reduce the total releases
of POPs derived from anthropogenic sources of the
chemicals listed in Annex C. Annex C chemicals
refer to POPs that are formed and released
unintentionally from anthropogenic sources and are
also known as unintentional chemical by-products.
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biological and genetic resources should be shared
fairly and equitably with the community.
Executive Order No. 430 on Biosafety
This administrative issuance created the
National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines.
The first edition of the Philippine Biosafety
Guidelines was released in 1991. The guidelines
cover all work involving genetic engineering and the
importation, introduction, field release, and breeding
of organisms that are potentially harmful to people
and the environment even though these are not
genetically modified.
The Philippines signed the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety in May 2000. In relation to this,
the Department of Agriculture issued an
administrative order which requires safety test for
plant and plant products, whether for field-testing,
propagation, or direct use for food, feed or
processing.
EO 514
EO 514 is entitled Establishing the National
Biosafety Framework (NBF), Prescribing Guidelines
for Its Implementation, Strengthening the National
Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines, and for
other Purposes.
The EO which was approved by the
President on March 17, 2006 has the following
objectives: 1) strengthen the existing science-based
determination of biosafety to ensure the safe and
responsible use of modern biotechnology so that the
Philippines and its citizens can benefit from its
application while avoiding or minimizing the risks
associated with it; 2) enhance the decision-making
system on the application of products of modern
biotechnology to make it more efficient, predictable,
effective, balanced, culturally appropriate, ethical,
transparent and participatory; and 3) serve as
guidelines
for
implementing
international
obligations on biosafety.
Fisheries Code
Republic Act No. 8550 or the Fisheries Code
of 1998 is more of a Revised Forestry Code rather
than a NIPAS Law on fisheries and marine
resources. It is developmental in its approach,
regarding the regulation of coastal and marine
resource utilization as its primary purpose rather
than its conservation and protection.
Page 12 of 43
Page 13 of 43
emissions amounting to 5.2% of 1990 levels, starting
from 2008 to 2012, being the First Commitment
Period. In December 2005, the 11th Conference of the
Parties of the UNFCCC, and simultaneously its 1st
Meeting of the Parties was held in Montreal, Canada.
The 13th Conference of the Parties was held in Bali,
Indonesia in November and December, 2007.
On June 25, 2004, the DENR was designated
as the National Authority for Clean Development
Mechanisms or CDM by virtue of Executive Order
No. 320. On February 20, 2007, the Presidential Task
Force on Climate Change was created by virtue of
Administrative Order No. 171.
The IACCC
The Philippine Inter-Agency Committee on
Climate Change was established by virtue of
Administrative Order No. 220. Said AO designated
the DENR Secretary as the IACCCs Chair with the
Secretary of the Department of Science and
Technology as co-chair. The EMB of the DENR acts
as the Secretariat of the IACCC. The IACCC is
composed of fifteen (15) government agencies and
NGO representatives.
The functions of the IACCC are to 1)
coordinate, develop and monitor implementation of
various climate change related activities; 2)
coordinate representation to and formulate
Philippine positions in international negotiations,
conferences and meetings on climate change; 3)
formulate and recommend climate change related
policies and actions; and 4) serve as a technical
committee for the evaluation of project proposals for
Global Environment Fund (GEF) funding.
The IACCC is also tasked to 1) coordinate
efforts on the implementation of commitments and
obligations to the UNFCCC; 2) coordinate with
relevant organizations and institutions from various
sectors on the activities and programs implemented
by the EMB/IACCC and other issues and concerns
related to climate change; 3) conduct public
awareness campaigns and develop information
materials on climate change concerns; and 4)
conduct and coordinate capacity building activities
such as training workshops and orientation
seminars.
As the secretariat of the IACCC, the
Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR is
tasked to 1) facilitate the preparation of the national
communication to the UNFCCC; 2) convene the
IACCC; 3) facilitate the conduct of the annual EMB
regional greenhouse gas inventories; 4) prepare
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Page 15 of 43
national communication to the UNFCCC. The project
likewise facilitated the preparation of the 1994 GHG
Emissions Inventory and compliance with the
reporting requirements under Art. 12 of the
Convention. The project also enabled the conduct of
training courses on GHG inventory.
Under the Enabling Activity Project, public
consultations continued and expanded. These
consultations were intended to raise the awareness
level of various sectors on the threats of climate
change impacts and the different mitigation and
adaptation
strategies.
A
number
of
training/workshops on Local Action Planning on
Climate Change were organized by the Institute for
Climate, Energy and the Environment (ICEE) still
under the Enabling Activity Project in provinces
with the local government officials and other
stakeholders as participants. Areas covered were
those at high risk from climate change like sea level
rise
and
its
subsequent
coastal
degradation/inundation. The activity aimed not
only to create awareness among the various
stakeholders in the area but also to provide the
necessary guidance in the formulation of local action
plans on climate change. Most of the participants
were planning officers from the provincial, city, and
municipal governments, environment and natural
resources officers and representatives from the
NGOs, academe and the business sectors.
The project was eventually extended to the
present with the institutionalization of GHG
inventory activities and public awareness-raising.
The institutionalization aims at undertaking regular
and systematic inventories of national greenhouse
gas emissions. This extended project was realized
through the conduct of several consultative
conferences and trainers training.
Climate Awareness Survey
A survey on climate awareness among the
various sectors was conducted in 1998 by the IACCC
Secretariat in collaboration with the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). The main aim of
the survey was to assess the levels of awareness of
leaders/representatives of various sectors of society
which include the business sector, government,
media, NGOs and the academe. The results of the
survey were used to develop a country program that
would address the gaps and constraints in raising
peoples awareness on climate change.
Page 16 of 43
With the assistance of the USAID and USEPA, the awards program was launched in 1998 and
intended to give recognition to companies that
voluntarily reduce GHG emissions through
activities such as energy efficiency. Called the Buhay
Awards, the first awards were given on December
1998. The awards seek to promote the concept of
voluntary energy efficiency and other greenhouse
gas abatement measures that are beneficial both to
business and the environment. It also aims to
promote increased investments in greenhouse gas
abatement technologies such as clean technologies
and renewable energy. There were about fifteen
recipients of the Buhay Awards in 1998. These were
companies from various industrial sectors that have
initiated successful efforts to achieve energy
efficiency.
National Environmental Educational Action Plan
(NEEAP)
Originally conceived as the National
Strategy for Environmental Education (NSEE), the
NEEAP was undertaken by the EMB as an
information dissemination and education activity
which involved the publication and dissemination of
poster calendars on climate change and global
warming, the setting up of exhibits, and the conduct
of symposia, focused group consultations and
workshops. The latter were attended by
representatives from the government, NGOs, the
private sector and the academe.
Capacity-Building
Mechanism (CDM)
for
Clean
Development
The
guiding
principles
in
the
implementation of the Clean Development
Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol are the
following: 1) states have the right to and should
promote sustainable development and adopt
policies and measures appropriate to conditions of
the State to this effect; 2) economic development is
essential to adopting measures to address climate
change; 3) the CDM process shall be transparent,
participatory, credible, efficient and effective; and 4)
the CDM should be responsive to the needs and
demands of project proponents, the government and
various stakeholders who should be updated
regularly to meet evolving international CDM
guidelines and recent developments in national
policies, laws, rules and regulations.
A Study on Capacity Development on the
Clean Development Mechanism was funded by the
Capacity
Development
for
the
Implementation of the Clean Development
Mechanism Provision of the Kyoto Protocol was also
executed under the UNEP-RISO and implemented
by the IACCC through the Climate Change
Information Center (CCIC). This project aims to
generate a multi-sectoral understanding of the
opportunities offered by the CDM and to develop
the necessary institutional and human capabilities to
allow formulation and implementation of CDM
projects. It also generally aims to help establish
greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that are
consistent with sustainable development goals,
particularly projects in the energy sector. At the
same time, the project intends to capacitate key
stakeholders in the CDM regime such as
policymakers, project developers, project financiers,
the academe, research institutions, investment
promoters, information disseminators, NGOs and
local communities.
The activities conducted under this project
included an information campaign and the
production of awareness-raising information
materials. These included public briefings,
roundtable discussions, and feature articles in
national newspapers and magazines. These activities
also involved the conduct of consultative
workshops, conferences and orientation seminars
among different stakeholders and sectors to enhance
understanding of the issues on climate change in
preparation for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
At the same time, the program also involved the
capacity-enhancement of policy makers by
conducting executive briefings and conducting
technical training courses.
In collaboration with the Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies (IGES Japan), the
Integrated Capacity Strengthening for CDM
Program was also initiated. The program aims to
enhance institutional and human capacity among
developing countries in Asia to fully engage in and
benefit from the CDM.
The Study on Capacity-Building to Promote
CDM Projects in the Philippines was also made in
collaboration with JICA. The study involved 1)
assistance in sustainable development through the
Page 17 of 43
As the national authority charged with the
screening and approval of CDM projects, the DENR
developed a national approval criteria which
requires that Philippine project proponents must
possess the legal capacity to participate in the
proposed CDM project activity. In order to assure
this, authorization is required in order to open
accounts in the CDM registry. At the same time, the
proposed project activity must assist the Philippines
in achieving sustainable development. Under the
approval process, project activities are considered as
either small scale or non-small scale. Small scale
projects are those as defined in Decisions of the
UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) and
Meeting of the Parties (MOP) as 1) expected to result
in net anthropogenic GHG removals by sinks of less
than 8 kilotonnes of CO2/year and are developed or
implemented by low-income communities and
individuals; 2) renewable energy project activities
with a maximum output capacity equivalent of up to
15 megawatts (or an appropriate equivalent); 3)
energy improvement project activities which reduce
energy consumption, on the supply and/or demand
side, by up to the equivalent of 15 gigawatt hours
per year; and 4) other project activities that both
reduce anthropogenic emissions by sources and
directly emit less than 15 kilotonnes of CO2
annually. Any project activity not falling within the
definition of small scale projects is considered nonsmall scale.
Under the CDM approval process, a project
proponent submits a project proposal which is
evaluated by the appropriate technical evaluation
committee. The evaluation is thereafter forwarded to
the CDM Steering Committee which in turn
endorses the project to the DENR Secretary for his
approval. The whole project application process is
monitored, in turn, by the CDM Secretariat.
CDM Project Activities
As of August 27, 2007, there were forty-eight
waste management/waste-to-energy energy-related
project activities that applied for approval as CDM
projects with an estimated total of 1,835,275 CERs
per year (tCO2e/year). Twenty-seven project
activities were issued Letters of Approval amounting
to 973,608 CERs while eleven were registered as
CDM project activities with a total estimate of
349,518 CERs.
Page 18 of 43
Title of Project
1.
09/10/2006
2.
01/01/2006
3.
10/21/2006
Location
Estimated
CERs/year
(in tCO2e)
56,788
Lian, Batangas
95,896
Tarlac City
2,929
10/23/2006
3,656
5.
10/28/2006
Tarlac City
2,929
3,130
10/30/2006
Tarlac City
7.
12/10/2006
8.
01/31/2007
04/13/2007
10. 05/05/2007
11. 10/26/2007
9.
81,009
7,582
37,608
54,643
3,348
349,518
Page 19 of 43
application techniques to reduce nitrous oxide
emission; 4) dedicated energy fuels crops to replace
fuel use; 5) improved energy efficiency in
agriculture; 6) composting of organic wastes; 6)
controlled waste water treatment; and 7) recycling
and waste minimization. Projects and activities
implemented in the agriculture sector for mitigating
the effects of climate change are discussed in the
section on projects and activities relating to the
implementation programs of the UNCCD focal
agency, namely the DA-BSWM.
Other Projects
Page 20 of 43
The
Convention
is
organizationally
composed of the Conference of the Parties (COP),
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice (SBSTTA), the Secretariat, and
the various Open Ended Ad-Hoc Technical Working
Groups, and the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM).
The COP is the governing body of the Convention. It
advances the implementation of the Convention
through the decisions it takes at periodic meetings
and adoption of protocols or annexes, guidance to
the
financial
mechanism
or
the
Global
Environmental Facility (GEF), as well as adoption of
the budget. It meets regularly every two years, a
change from the annual meetings held from 1994 to
1996.
Page 21 of 43
government units, peoples
organizations, as well as NGOs.
and
community
Page 22 of 43
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captive breeding programs. The units of offsite
biodiversity conservation include the Makiling
Botanic Garden, the University of the Philippines
Quezon Botanic Garden, and the Living Museum of
Philippine Medicinal Plants. The Makiling Botanic
Garden has an arboretum, a nursery, and
recreational areas and is home to several indigenous
and exotic species. The IRRI Germplasm Center in
Los Banos is the worlds largest rice seed bank with a
diverse collection of varieties from all over the globe.
The PhilRice Seed Bank is the largest in the
Philippines, with its own collection of traditional
varieties. The Bambusetum and Palmetum gene
banks are maintained by the Ecosystems Research
and Development Bureau (ERDB). There is also the
National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory at the
University of the Philippines in Los Banos. There is
only one zoological garden, the Manila Zoological
and Botanical Garden located in Manila. The DENR
also has established wildlife rescue centers.
The following are the species-specific
conservation projects: 1) Tamaraw Conservation
Program implemented by the PAWB; 2) Philippine
Raptor Conservation Program with the Philippine
Eagle Foundation in Davao; 3) Pawikan
Conservation Program; 4) Palawan Wildlife Rescue
and Conservation Center; 5) Philippine Spotted Deer
Conservation Program; 6) Philippine Crocodile
Conservation Program through the Crocodile Farm
Institute in Palawan; 7) Philippine Endemic Species
Conservation Program; 8) Visayan Warty Pig
Conservation Program; 9) Philippine Cockatoo
Conservation Program; 10) Philippine Hornbills
Conservation Program; 11) Philippine Cloud Rats
Conservation Program; 12) Philippine Tarsier
Conservation Program; 13) Philippine Bleeding
Heart Pigeon Conservation Program; 14) Philippine
Owl Conservation Program; and 15) DENR-GPZ
Collaborative Conservation Program for Crocodylus
mindorensis.
Indigenous Knowledge
Activities geared towards establishing the
status, trends and threats to the knowledge,
innovations, and practices of indigenous peoples and
local communities are limited. Some NGOs and the
academe have initiated work on the subject but they
are few and limited. A component of the UNDP-GEF
project called Capacity Assessment for the
Preservation and Maintenance of Biodiversityrelated Knowledge of Indigenous and Local
Communities attempted to document biodiversityrelated knowledge of indigenous and local
communities.
Page 24 of 43
Ecotourism
In 1999, Executive Order No. 111 was issued
establishing the Guidelines for Ecotourism
Development in the Philippines. The EO identified
32 key ecotourism sites in the country categorized as
banner, emerging, and potential. There were twelve
banner sites chosen to position the Philippines as a
premier ecotourism destination. Twenty two of the
ecotourism sites are protected areas. These are:
Batanes, Penablanca, Hundred Islands, Taal
Volcano, Mount Isarog, Mayon Volcano, Bulusan
Volcano, Apo Reef, Mount Guiting-Guiting, El Nido,
Puerto Princesa (St. Pauls) Underground River,
Tubattaha Reef, Sohoton Caves, Lake Danao, Mount
Kanlaon, Olango Island, Tanon Strait, Apo Island,
Siargao, Agusan Marsh, Mount Apo, and Lake Sebu.
Seven of the 12 banner sites constitute protected
areas.
Market-Based Instruments and Revenue Collection
The Philippines has completed the
Environment and Natural Resource Accounting
Project (ENRAP) which provides a framework for
the valuation of biological resources. Market-based
instruments have been identified for revenue
collection in protected areas. Four studies were
conducted under the ENRAP: 1) valuation of
protected area fees; 2) determination of users fee; 3)
computation of access fee; and 4) development of a
manual on valuation for protected area management
and guidelines for setting fees entitled Guidelines
and Principles in Determining Fees for Access to and
Sustainable Use of Resources in Protected Areas
which has already been issued.
Under the NIPAS, the cost of maintaining
and managing protected areas is shouldered in part
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identified the lack of comprehensive data and
information to better understand the state of the
resources and habitats as the most glaring gap in the
effective conservation and management of coastal
and marine biodiversity.
The Philippine government also launched
the Mindanao Rural Development Project Coastal
and Marine Biodiversity Component (MRDP-CMBC)
which is implemented by the DENRs Region XII
and BFAR-ARMM with assistance from the GEF and
World Bank. The project intends to mainstream
marine and coastal biodiversity conservation in
coastal development by establishing communitybased management of marine sanctuaries,
strengthening local capacity on ecosystem
management, enhancing the knowledge base for
sound ecosystem management and decision-making
including monitoring and evaluation for sustainable
long-term marine ecosystem management, and
developing policy and action plans for marine
biodiversity conservation and mainstreaming. At the
end of the project, the DENR and BFAR-ARMM
expect to have prepared a socio-economic and
political profiling, improved participatory planning
and management process for identification and
development of protected areas, strengthened
community-based protection groups, established a
project management office and conducted capacitybuilding for integrated coastal resource management
trainees.
International Cooperation
Comprehensive measures are in place at the
national level promoting international technical and
scientific cooperation in the field of conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity. Institutions
that contribute significantly to this cooperation
include the ASEAN Regional Center for Biodiversity
(ARCBC); Southeast Asian Ministers of Education
Organization Regional Center for Graduate Study
and Research (SEAMEO-SEARCA), Southeast Asian
Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), and the
University of the Philippines Marine Science
Institute (UPMSI).
From 1998-2001, the Philippines has
undertaken biodiversity conservation initiatives
supported by grants from bilateral, multilateral, and
other funding sources. Those that involved bilateral
cooperation are the 1) Biodiversity Research
Programme for Development in Mindanao: Focus on
Mount Malindang and its environs funded by the
Ministry of Development Cooperation of the
Netherlands; 2) Philippine National Ecotourism
Strategy Project funded by the New Zealand
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its national report, the Bureau of Soils and Water
Management has also improved coordination of
activities related to the National Action Plan
implementation
towards
sustainable
land
management in the country. The reporting process
was instrumental in the development of strategic
planning through the provision of a clearer direction
on priorities and action plans. In the process of the
third national reporting and validation (2006), the
importance of the creation of an Inter-Agency
Committee on Sustainable Land Management has
been fully recognized. Said committee is expected to
spearhead the preparation of the fourth National
Report to the UNCCD.
Presidential Task Force on El Nino
The Presidential task Force on El Nino
serves as the coordinating body for the formulation
of a comprehensive action plan to mitigate the
adverse effects of El Nino. These measures include
cloud-seeding operations, information education and
communication campaigns, and research and
development. Projects undertaken upon the
initiative of the task force also include the transfer of
appropriate technologies and interventions such as
seeds, fertilizers, small farm reservoirs, and small
water impounding projects.
The BSWM-DA serves as the secretariat of
the task force.
SWIS, SWIP, STW, and SFR
For the past years, the Philippine
government has been implementing a program for
the utilization and conservation of water through
small water impounding systems (SWIS) such as
small water impounding projects (SWIP), diversion
dams, shallow tube wells (STW), and small farm
reservoirs (SFR).
The Philippines has established 369
rainwater retention structures providing water for
the irrigation of 21,180 hectares of rice and upland
crops. On the other hand, there are 20,009 small farm
reservoirs serving the same number of hectares of
agricultural land. Individual shallow tube wells
were also installed in individual farmers field as a
way to augment irrigation in lowland areas not
covered by the national and communal irrigation
system. The total number of shallow tube wells
established is 23, 240 serving at least 69,720 hectares.
About 96 SWIPs and related infrastructures
are proposed for the year 2008 to service 5,600
hectares of agricultural land. About 172 projects are
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residual forests. In Penablanca, Cagayan, the CBFM
project involves 87 hectares of cogonal land now
planted to gmelina trees, with an additional 200
hectares being reforested. In Bulolakaw, Nug-as,
Alcoy, Cebu, the CBFM project established 455
hectares planted to gmelina and mahogany trees. In
San Roque, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley, the
CBFM project area is planted to 13 year old gmelina
trees.
Support services for the CBFM program
include the community livelihood assistance special
program which provides sustainable livelihood
assistance to the local communities. Another is the
DENR-JICA Technical Cooperation on the
Enhancement of CBFM scheduled from June 2004 to
June 2009. Finally, the National Forestry Program
Support Facility provides support by conducting
assessments of CBFM implementation thru the
conduct of case studies as well as the review of the
1997 CBFM strategic plan based on the results of
assessments conducted and the drafting of the
second decade of the CBFM program.
Integrated Watershed Management
Another adaptation strategy for water
resources is the prioritization of watershed
management in priority critical watersheds (i.e.,
those with existing irrigation systems). This will
ensure sustainable water supply for irrigation
systems, protect watershed resources from further
degradation, control soil erosion and sedimentation
of reservoir and contributing river systems, and
increase the life span of existing irrigation facilities.
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____________________________
Climate Change
Adherence to the UNFCCC
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adhere to the position that the UNFCCC is the
principal multilateral forum for negotiations on
climate change. At the same time, the Philippines
maintains that the UNFCCCs principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities should be
respected. As such, UNFCCCs acknowledgment of
the need for both mitigation and adaptation
measures as well as its recognition that poverty
eradication and economic development are the first
and overriding priorities of developing countries
should be upheld. In relation to this, the Philippines
thus calls on all countries to comply with their
legally-binding obligations under the UNFCCC, in
particular those that concern the provision of
financial resources and transfer of technology.
Greater resources should be provided for concrete
adaptation measures.
Developed Countries Commitments
At the same time, the Philippine government
is of the belief that negotiations on adaptation,
financial
resources,
capacity-building,
and
technology transfer have dragged on in the UNFCC
because of the reluctance of developed countries to
undertake clear and concrete action. Developed
countries have to take the lead in modifying longerterm trends in anthropogenic emissions. Legallybinding commitments in the Kyoto Protocol should
be promoted and enhanced rather than be watered
down in any attempt to reach system-wide
coherence in the UN system.
Post-Kyoto Agreements
With regard to successor agreements to the
Kyoto Protocol, the Philippines has also defined its
position on the general character that should imbue
any post-Kyoto Protocol agreement. The Philippines
is of the position that bigger emissions reduction and
time-bound targets for Annex 1 countries for future
commitment periods of the Kyoto Protocol (and the
successor agreement) must be agreed upon. A
successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol must give
emphasis to the differences in the development of
countries considering that resources and sources of
energy vary from one country to another. As in the
Kyoto Protocol, the UNFCCC Conference of the
Parties in Bali in November 2007 should establish a
pathway to a comprehensive post-Kyoto framework.
CDM, Carbon Trading and Adaptation Mechanisms
While the Philipines, as a non-Annex 1
party, has no quantified emission limitations and
reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol,
the Philippines still recognizes that participation in
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In this debate, the Philippines took the
position that the financial mechanism of the
Convention is not the financial mechanism of the
Protocol. The reference to the financial mechanism in
Article 11 of the Protocol relates to the
Implementation of Article 10 which is advancing the
implementation of existing commitments, and
therefore is linked with the financial mechanism of
the Convention. The main source of funds for the
Adaptation Fund would therefore be from CDM
projects themselves, as undertaken by non-Annex I
Parties, not donor or aid financing, although
voluntary contributions can be channeled into the
Fund. The Philippines recognized the danger that if
the Adaptation Fund is entrusted to an operating
entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention,
the same project conditionalities that are imposed on
project activities under the Convention are likewise
imposed on activities funded under the Adaptation
Fund, whereas the main source of funding would
not be donor contributions to this operating entity.
Countries which are members of the governing body
of this operating entity, and which are not State
Parties to the Protocol, would therefore control the
operation and management of the Adaptation Fund.
Thus, the Philippines held the position that
the operation of the Adaptation Fund cannot be
subject to the same conditions and project cycle
followed by the current operating entity of the
financial mechanism of the Convention. The
management of the Fund should be subject to the
authority of the COP/MoP, consistent with Article
12 of the Protocol, and not only operate under its
guidance or be accountable to it. The Philippines also
put forward the following as the ideal characteristics
of the institution to manage the Adaptation Fund: 1)
responsiveness to and flexibility in accommodating
CoP/MoP guidance; 2) cost-effective structure of the
organization; 3) offers the potential for the fastest,
most streamlined and simplified process for
approving projects and fund disbursement; 4)
networking capacity and geographic reach ; 5)
capacity to help recipient countries design and
implement adaptation projects; 6) capacity to
monitor and evaluate projects; 7) experience and
capacity in the field of climate change; 8)
leveraging/fundraising capacity.
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Biological Diversity
COP 3
The Philippine sent a delegation to the 3rd
Conference of the Parties (COP 3) of the UNCBD
held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 414, 1996. In said conference, the Philippine
delegation made the following interventions.
On agricultural biodiversity, the Philippines
signified that the COP should address the
outstanding concerns related to ownership of and
access to ex situ collections of institutions. The
Philippines took the stand that such collections
should be contemplated as within the purview of
the Convention and that nations of origin of these
resources should exercise dominion over them. It
also stated that people and communities who have
knowledge of and continuously conserve and
maintain agricultural biodiversity should be given
equal attention. Access to resources should be made
only upon prior informed consent of the local and
indigenous community. It emphasized that the COP
should also adopt measures to implement the
farmers rights recognizing past and present
contributions of local and indigenous communities
that also embody their collective rights. Among
others, there should also be discussions on support
mechanisms for capacity building among local and
indigenous communities, including the incentives to
support and promote in situ conservation. As such,
the delegation expressed its support to relevant
recommendations of the SBSTTA, e.g., the Leipzig
Global Plan of Action, and called for the immediate
implementation of these programs.
On terrestrial biodiversity, the Philippine
delegation called for a comprehensive study on
forest-related indigenous knowledge to be
undertaken by the SBSTTA, including issues on
tenure
arrangements
impacting
on
forest
biodiversity conservation and the value of forest
biodiversity other than for economic purposes. It
also expressed caution on the introduction of living
modified organisms into the forest ecosystems and
in the utilization of biotechnologies as strategies of
conservation and utilization.
On the implementation of Article 8 (j) of the
Convention on indigenous knowledge, the
delegation pronounced that the implementation of
the provision, particularly on the exchange of
information, technical cooperation, innovations and
practices involving indigenous and traditional
knowledge should bear a corresponding emphasis
on the protection of the rights of the indigenous and
Page 35 of 43
endorsement of the application of the ecosystem
approach in the context of activities developed
within the thematic areas of the CBD and national
policies and legislations; 8) implementation of the
pending activities set out in the work program on
indicators of
biological
diversity;
9)
the
establishment of guidelines for future national
reports to include indicators and incentive measures;
10) endorsement of the immediate implementation
of the strategic plan for the CHM as part of the
overall strategic plan of the CBD; 11) endorsement of
the proposed 2000-2001 joint work plan of the CBD
and the Ramsar Convention; 12) endorsement the
outputs of the Conventions program on marine and
coastal biodiversity; 13) implementation of the work
program for forest biodiversity and its expansion
from research to practical action; and 14) recommend
necessary preparations for the meeting of the panel
of experts on access and benefit-sharing including
the agenda on access and benefit-sharing
arrangements for scientific and commercial
purposes, review of legislative, administrative, and
regulatory measures, and review of incentive and
capacity-building measures.
COP 6
In preparation for the 6th Conference of the
Parties (COP6), parties belonging to the Asia-Pacific
group met from March 18-20, 2002 in Bangkok,
Thailand to set out common positions. The
Philippines was represented in said meeting by the
Department of Foreign Affairs. The interventions
made by the Philippine representative in said
meeting included calling for the need to integrate
issues on capacity-building, poverty alleviation, the
role of women, and globalization in the discussions
on forest biodiversity and sustainable development,
emphasizing fairer and equitable sharing of benefits
from the utilization of and access to genetic
resources, and raising the need for a timeframe on
guidelines on sustainable tourism.
During the COP6 held in The Hague,
Netherlands from April 7-9, 2002, the Philippines
came out with a statement on Article 8 (j) of the
Convention on indigenous peoples. The Philippine
delegation articulated that certain issues critical to
the strengthening of the role of indigenous peoples
in conserving biological diversity should be taken up
as a priority and considered in the proposed
Decision of the COP with an elaboration on a specific
timetable and action plan. Said timetable and action
plan should include fundamental and outstanding
issues such as 1) self-determination; 2) ownership,
control and management of ancestral lands, waters,
territories and resources; 3) the exercise of customary
Page 36 of 43
COP 7
Page 37 of 43
multiplicity, i.e., 1) localization or the use of local
language, channels, ways and means in reaching
local communities; 2) integrating biodiversity in the
educational curriculum at all levels; and 3)
recognizing the role of media in reaching multiple
audience shares for purposes of broadening public
awareness.
During the COP, the Asia-Pacific Group also
delivered its common unified statements on forest
biological diversity, protected areas, operations of
the Convention, and the provisional framework for
goals and targets. The Philippines is a member of the
Asia-Pacific Group.
COP 8
The 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8) to
the UNCBD was held from March 20 to 31, 2006 in
Curitiba, Brazil. The Philippine delegation made the
following statements on the agenda items of the
COP.
On island biodiversity, the Philippines
deemed it urgent to develop island-specific
measures to achieve the Conventions objectives, as
islands, being smaller and fragile than land masses,
suffer from the loss of biodiversity at a faster rate. It
was thus forwarded that there be provisions on new
and additional financial resources and mechanisms
that would facilitate its implementation. The
Philippines also reiterated its concern on access and
benefit sharing from the utilization of genetic
resources indigenous and endemic to islands and the
traditional knowledge associated with them by
calling for the inclusion of actions in the island
biodiversity program of work pertaining to said
concern without prejudice to the ongoing
negotiations on an international access and benefitsharing regime.
On Article 8 (j), the Philippines again
emphasized, as a member of the Megadiverse
Group, support for the indigenous peoples through
their representative, the International Indigenous
Forum on Biodiversity. It also reiterated the
importance of the development of elements of sui
generis mechanisms for the protection of knowledge,
innovations and practices of indigenous and local
communities. The Philippines pointed out that this is
related to the work on measures to ensure
compliance with prior informed consent, particularly
on disclosure requirements. The Philippines regards
sui generis mechanisms as positive measures to
prevent the misappropriation of the traditional
knowledge and practices of indigenous and local
communities.
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the Philippine setting, where formal structures and
systems of implementation are more often than not
overwhelmed if not superseded by the informal
bureaucratic
practices.
These
administrative
hindrances can be largely characterized as
immemorial or even politico-cultural, where the
merit of programs and projects, if not at least
supported by firm foreign-funding commitments,
are relegated to the background in favor of the
standard customary government operations largely
characterized as pre-modern and patronage-based.
In this manner, projects without any social benefit or
programmatic relation to any national action plan
are prioritized, resulting in incoherent or redundant
government resource allocation disjointed from the
formal national action plans.
Conclusion
_________
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Page 41 of 43
Additional institutional mechanisms can be
put in place to streamline and integrate monitoring,
consolidation
and
reporting
of
Philippine
compliance with and positions on the climate
change, biodiversity, desertification and POPs
Conventions. This can be achieved by further
capacitating the three government focal point
agencies which are, at any rate, acting as the exofficio secretariats of the focal point committees to
the Conventions. There is definitely no need to
reinvent the wheel, so to speak, by further enlarging
the government bureaucracy, when the same
objectives can be achieved and the same tasks met by
the simple grant of additional mandates to the
existing focal point agencies, the same agencies
which possess long time core competencies and
working experience on the Conventions. After all,
these same agencies are the logical choice for this
undertaking, staffed as they are by committed career
service technical personnel who have made the
realization of the noble principles and objectives of
the Conventions their lives work, within the
difficult and problematic context of existing
Philippine political, social and cultural realities.
Page 42 of 43
Sources:
__________
Barut, Noel C. (Supervising Aquaculturist, BFAR),
Official Travel Report on the 5th Meeting of the
Subsidiary Body of Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice (SBSTTA 5) of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, February
2000.
Concepcion, Rogelio N., Highlights of the 3rd National
Report Based on Thematic Topics Identified by CRIC 5,
Powerpoint Presentation prepared for 7th Regional
Meeting of Asian and Pacific Focal Points on
National Report Preparation, August 7-11, 2006.
Concepcion, Rogelio N. (Director, Bureau of Soils
and Water Management), Third Country Report on the
UNCCD Implementation (2003-2005).
DA-BSWM, DENR, DOST, DAR, National Action
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Drought, and Poverty (FY 2004-2010), August 2004.
DENR, DA-BSWM, Capacity Enhancement for the
Global Environment: The CHANGE Report, Quezon
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Philippines (GOP-UNDP-GEF): The Full Report,
November 2006.
Evangelista, Remedios S. (OIC, CBFM Division,
Forest Management Bureau), Forest Rehabilitation and
Farm Productivity in Community-Based Forest
Management Areas Create Economic Opportunities for
Farmers, Powerpoint Presentation.
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Secretariat/Environmental
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Bureau, Climate Change and Initiatives, Powerpoint
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Climate Change, December 1999.
Meniado,
Angelita
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(OIC,
Biodiversity
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the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal,
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2006, Curitiba, Brazil.
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Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 3) in Buenos
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