Report On Philippine Compliance To MEAs

Convenbon on
Bislopeal Diversity
Report on
Climate Change, Siodiversity,
Desertification and POPs Multilateral
Environmental Agreements:
PHILIPPINE COMPLIANCE and POSITIONS
Joacf Lcioi IL Garcia

Consaitant
_.4.44k1
UNCCD
United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertific Anon
STOCIIHOLM CONVENTION ON PFA5ISTD4T ORGANK POLLUTANTS (PCPs)
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.
Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs (Outline)
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
__________________________________
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
Executive Order No. 430 on Biosafety

EO 514
Fisheries Code
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act
The Balanced Fertilization Strategy
Clean Air Act
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
New and Renewable Energy Program Bill
Government Programs, Projects and Activities on Climate Change
The IACCC
ADB Climate Change Project
U.S. Country Studies Program
ALGAS Project
National Action Plan on Climate Change
National Communications
Enabling Activity on Climate Change
Climate Awareness Survey
GHG Abatement Awards
National Environmental Educational Action Plan (NEEAP)
Capacity-Building for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
Designated National Authority for CDM
CDM Project Activities
Energy Projects
Agriculture
Other Projects
Government Programs, Projects and Activities on Biological Diversity
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)
National Reports
Protected Areas
Biodiversity Corridors and Archipelagic Framework
Other Protected Area Projects
Ex-Situ Conservation
Indigenous Knowledge
Ecotourism
Market-Based Instruments and Revenue Collection
Education, Training and Research
Coastal and Marine Project Activities
International Cooperation
Government Programs, Projects and Activities on Land Degradation and
Desertification
BSWM as Focal Agency
National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation
National Report
Presidential Task Force on El Nino
SWIS, SWIP, STW, and SFR
Sustainable Agriculture and Marginal Uplands Development and Integrated

Ecosystem Management Programs
Organic-based Agriculture Development (Agri-kalikasan) Program
Community-Based Watershed and Forest Management
Integrated Watershed Management
Sustainable Use of Shallow Groundwater
National Soil and Water Resources RDE Network
Soil and Water Conservation and Management Measures
Information and Education
Government Programs, Projects and Activities on POPs
__________________________________________________
Review of Philippine Positions on the UNFCCC, UNCBD, and UNCCD
Climate Change
Adherence to the UNFCCC
Developed Countries Commitments
Post-Kyoto Agreements
CDM, Carbon Trading and Adaptation Mechanisms
COP 11 and COP 12 Statements
Philippine Positions on COP 12 Issues
Biological Diversity
COP 3
COP 5
COP 6
COP 7
COP 8
Land Degradation and Desertification
__________________________________
Conclusion
__________
iii
REPORT on CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY,

DESERTIFICATION and POPs MULTILATERAL
ENVIRONMENT AGREEMENTS:
PHILIPPINES COMPLIANCE and POSITIONS
Josef Leroi L. Garcia
Consultant
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
force of several UN environmental conventions and

international agreements including the United
Nations Framework Convention on
Climate
Change
(UNFCCC, 1992), the United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD, 1992),
the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD, 1994) and the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(Stockholm Convention, 2001).
Philippine Commitments and

Monitoring Compliance
____________________________
Being a signatory to these multilateral
international
environmental
agreements,
the
Philippines has therefore bound itself, like any other
signatory nation, to certain treaty obligations,
committing itself to the performance of said
obligations as defined in these conventions or any of
their protocols or subsequent meetings or conference
of their parties.
Presently, the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR), as one of the
Philippine governments focal agencies on
multilateral international environmental agreements
(MEAs), has taken steps to institutionalize and setup a system of monitoring and information
management whereby Philippine compliance with
its international environmental treaty obligations are
formally documented and integrated. This endeavor
seeks to concretize and further develop the
Philippine
governments
prioritization
in
accomplishing, in a most systematic and transparent
manner, its compliance with its international
environmental obligations. Several aspects of
institutionalization have already been set into
motion, e.g., the continued coordination of
concerned government agencies involved in
satisfying compliance with certain environmental
agreements like the Inter-Agency Committee on
Climate Change, and the creation of the International
and Legal Affairs Desk under the Assistant Secretary
for Foreign-Assisted Projects of the DENR.
Page 2 of 43
Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs
The instant project of taking stock and

reviewing the Philippine governments international
environmental
treaty
commitments
and
corresponding compliance thereto seeks to
contribute to the institutionalization of monitoring
and centralizing and managing information on said
compliance. It selectively covers three of the major
and one of the most recent international agreements
entered into, viz., the UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD
and the Stockholm Convention on POPs. In so
doing, it hopes to present a sample of the Philippine
case insofar as its commitment and compliance is
concerned since the start of said agreements, with
the hope of eventually expanding such an endeavor
to all other international environmental agreements
the Philippines is a party-signatory to.
resources must be maintained and improved, that

humans have the responsibility to safeguard and
wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its
habitat, and that non-renewable resources of the
earth must be utilized economically to safeguard
their future exhaustion and to ensure that benefits
from said exhaustion are shared by all.
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
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
The declaration also hedged on the

egalitarian aspect of natural resource utilization. It
held that economic and social development is
essential for ensuring a favorable living and working
environment for humans and for creating conditions
on earth that are necessary for the improvement of
the quality of life. Thus, environmental deficiencies
generated by conditions of underdevelopment can
best be remedied by accelerated development and
assistance to developing countries. In addition, the
environmental policies of all states should enhance
the development potential of developing countries
and the attainment of better living conditions for all.
World Charter for Nature
A decade after the UN Conference on the
Human Environment, on October 28, 1982, the
World Charter for Nature was adopted. It was the
result of a series of resolutions on the subject of
environmental
protection
and
sustainable
development in the context of international
cooperation. Unlike its predecessor Convention on
the Human Environment, the Word Charter
revolved more around the natural environment
rather than on its interface with human economic
development. Thus, instead of principles based on
the need to preserve nature and its environment as
means to achieving the sustained growth and
development of modern societies, the World Charter
for Nature emphasized preservation, protection and
conservation of the natural environment per se, with
the recognition that its maintenance is indispensable
not only to the sustenance of modern life, but to the
preservation of life itself, or of human survival
enjoyed at the basic minimum level.
Thus, it declared that nature shall be
respected and its essential processes shall not be
impaired. The genetic viability on Earth shall not be
compromised. The population levels of all life forms,
wild and domesticated, must be sufficient for their
survival, and to this end their habitats must be
safeguarded. All areas of the Earth, both land and
sea, shall be subject to these principles of
conservation. Special protection shall be given to
unique areas, to representative samples of all the
different types of ecosystems and to the habitats of

rare or endangered species. Ecosystems and
organisms, as well as the land, marine and
atmospheric resources utilized by humans, shall be
managed to achieve and maintain optimum
sustainable productivity, but not in such a way as to
endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or
species with which they coexist. Nature shall also be
secured against degradation caused by warfare or
other hostile activities.
The Charter recognized that the needs of
humans can be met only by ensuring the proper
functioning of natural systems. As such, due account
must be taken of the long term capacity of natural
systems to ensure the subsistence and settlement of
the populations concerned and of the Earths
physical constraints, its biological productivity and
diversity, and its natural beauty. In order to achieve
these, natural resources shall not be wasted but used
with such appropriate restraint as set forth in the
principles of the Charter.
These principles are: 1) living resources shall
not be utilized in excess of their natural capacity for
regeneration; 2) the productivity of soils shall be
maintained or enhanced through measures which
safeguard their long-term fertility and the process of
organic decomposition, and prevent erosion and all
other forms of degradation; 3) resources, including
water, which are not consumed as they are used
shall be reused or recycled; and 4) non-renewable
resources which are consumed as they are used shall
be exploited with restraint, taking into account their
abundance, the rational possibilities of converting
them for consumption, and the compatibility of their
exploitation with the functioning of natural systems.
The Charter also included guiding
principles on human activities which impact on the
environment, and provides that those likely to cause
damage shall be avoided, and where adverse effects
are not fully understood, the activities should not
proceed. It also introduced the concept of
environmental impact assessment when it proposes
that activities which are likely to pose significant
risks to nature shall be preceded by an exhaustive
examination, with the proponents demonstrating
that the expected benefits outweigh potential
damage to nature. Any activity therefore must
undergo environmental impact studies and that they
shall be planned and undertaken with minimal
adverse effects on the environment.
Page 3 of 43
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
From June 3 to 14, 1992, the nations of the

world met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to hammer out
the now historic and monumental Rio Declaration on
the Environment and Development. The Declaration
reaffirmed the earlier Stockholm Declaration and
World Charter for Nature, basically declaring that in
order to achieve development for all the peoples of
the Earth, environmental protection should
constitute an integral part of the development
process and cannot be considered in isolation from
it.
Thus, having achieved mega-developed
status, the western world has finally realized that it
has also almost destroyed the worlds ecological
balance and environmental integrity in the process
and realized that from thereon, development cannot
proceed within the same framework of unmitigated
disregard of the environment, but must conform to
the new norms and future formulations of the
components of the principle of sustainable
development.
Page 4 of 43
According to the Declaration, in view of the

different contributions of nations to global
environmental degradation, these nations have
common but differentiated responsibilities in now
contributing to the worlds fight against the
environmental degradation mostly caused by only
some of these nations. The developed countries
therefore acknowledged in the Declaration the
responsibility they bear in the international pursuit
of sustainable development in view of the pressures
their societies have placed on the global
environment the fruits of which they now enjoy in
contrast to the impoverished living conditions of the
peoples of those nations who least contributed, if
any, to the worlds ecological imbalance and
environmental degradation.
as spelled out in Presidential Decree No. 1151. It

declares as a continuing policy of the state to 1)
create, develop, maintain, and improve conditions
under which humans and nature can thrive in
productive and enjoyable harmony; 2) fulfill the
social, economic and other requirements of present
and future generations of Filipinos; and 3) ensure the
attainment of an environment that is conducive to a
life of dignity and well-being. It thus mandates the
government to 1) recognize, discharge and fulfill the
responsibilities of each generation as trustee and
guardian of the environment for succeeding
generations; 2) assure the people of a safe, decent,
healthful, productive and aesthetic environment; 3)
encourage the widest exploitation of the
environment without degrading it, or endangering
human life, health and safety, or creating conditions
adverse to agriculture, commerce and industry; 4)
preserve important historic and cultural aspects of
Philippine heritage; 5) attain a rational and orderly
balance between population and resource use; and 6)
improve the utilization of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
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
Before the 1987 Constitution, during the

Marcos era, the Philippine government has already
come up with the Philippine Environmental Policy
The 1987 Constitution was born in the era of

nascent environmental activism, awareness and
consciousness. Environmentalism was yet to take
center stage in the worlds cacophony of myriad
causes, which was to take the worlds international
convention centers by storm the following decade.
Yet, as early as the year it was crafted, the 1987
Philippine Constitution has already cradled within
its fledgling arms the seeds of environmental
protection and natural resource conservation as
expressed
in
its
sustainable
development
framework, five years before the Rio Earth Summit.
The present Philippine Constitution declares
that it shall protect and advance the right of the
people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord
with the rhythm and harmony of nature.
Specifically, it provides that the state shall protect
the nations marine wealth in its archipelagic waters,
territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone. It also
states that the specific limits of forest lands and
national parks shall be determined by law, their
boundaries clearly marked on the ground.
Thereafter, such forest lands and national parks shall
be conserved and may not be increased or
diminished except by law. Measures shall also be
provided to prohibit logging in endangered forests
and watershed areas. It also provides that the rights
of indigenous peoples to their ancestral lands shall
be protected and provides for the applicability of
customary laws governing property rights or
relations in determining the ownership and extent of
ancestral domains.

Consistent with its commitment to the Rio
Declaration, the Philippines undertook to pursue
sustainable development as embodied in Agenda 21.
Through Executive Order No. 15 issued on
September 1, 1992, the Philippine government
created the Philippine Council for Sustainable
Development (PCSD). The PCSD was established to
chart
the
environmental
and
sustainable
development
initiatives
of
the
country.
Consequently, it came out with the Philippine
Agenda 21. Philippine Agenda 21 is the countrys
blueprint for sustainable development. It envisions a
better quality of life for every Filipino through
sustainable development attended by democratic
ideals and recognition of the limits of nature.
Salient Points of the Multilateral

International Environmental Agreements
(UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD, Stockholm
Convention)
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
Principles and Objectives
The United Nations Framework Convention

on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was one of the three
treaties adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The
UNFCCC
aims
to
stabilize
atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases at a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic or manmade interference with the climate system. It seeks
to achieve such a level within a timeframe sufficient
to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate
change, to ensure that food production is not
threatened, and to enable economic development to
proceed in a sustainable manner.
The UNCBD is a legally-binding treaty to

promote the protection and conservation of the
worlds biological resources. It was signed by 150
countries that participated in the UN Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. The objectives of the
UNCBD are to conserve the worlds biological
diversity; promote the sustainable use of all
components of biological diversity; and promote the
fair and equitable sharing of benefits from biological
diversity. The Convention sets out commitments for
maintaining ecological balance vis a vis economic
development. Its main goals are 1) the conservation
of biological diversity; 2) the sustainable use of its
components; and 3) the fair and equitable sharing of
the benefits from the use of genetic resources.
Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed to work

together to address climate change, to adapt to its
effects, and to report their actions to implement the
convention. They saw the need for the widest
possible cooperation among all countries and their
participation in an effective and appropriate
international response in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and
respective capabilities. The principles of the
Convention are 1) protection of the climate system
for the benefit of present and future generations in
accordance with the parties common but
differentiated responsibilities; 2) full consideration
to specific needs and special circumstances of
developing country parties especially those
vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change;
The UNCBD focuses on seven thematic

programs:
1)
agricultural
biodiversity;
2)
biodiversity of inland waters; 3) biodiversity of dry
and subhumid lands; 4) forest biodiversity; 5) marine
and coastal biodiversity; 6) mountain biodiversity;
and 7) island biodiversity. It also includes among its
concerns relevant issues that cut across the seven
programs, e.g., plant conservation, invasive alien
species, intellectual property rights, traditional
knowledge, biosafety, access to genetic resources,
and taxonomy. The Convention also recognizes the
unique situation of developing countries that require
financial and technical assistance to enable them to
comply with their treaty obligations. Thus,
biodiversity-related activities are funded by the
Global Environment Facility (GEF).
UNFCCC
Page 6 of 43
An adjunct agreement to the UNCBD is the

Cartagena Protocol. It provides for the parties
obligations on the transboundary movement of
genetically
modified
organisms
(GMOs).
Specifically, the protocol aims to contribute to
ensuring an adequate level of protection in the field
of the safe transfer, handling and use of living
modified organisms resulting from modern
biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the
conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity taking also into account risks to human
health, focusing on transboundary movement).
a major concern during the UNCED at Rio de Janeiro

in 1992. Thus, the UNCCD was adopted in Paris on
June 17, 1994 and entered into force on December 26,
1996. The Philippines became a signatory to the
UNCCD on July 12, 1994.
The Philippines ratified the UNCBD on

October 8, 1993 and ratified the Cartagena Protocol
on August 14, 2006, the latter entering into force on
January 8, 2007.
UNCCD
The United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious
Drought and/or Desertification (UNCCD) is a
multilateral environmental treaty that seeks to
address poverty in the dry, arid, semi-arid, and dry
sub-humid areas in the world, particularly in the
African continent. It focuses on rehabilitating
degraded lands and on addressing drought, in
which desertification is deemed the worst case of
land degradation.
Desertification is defined as the degradation
of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas
primarily caused by human activities such as overexploitation and inappropriate land use as well as
climatic variations. The Conventions goal is to
combat desertification and mitigate the effects of
drought in countries experiencing serious drought
and desertification through effective action
supported by international cooperation and
partnership agreements in the framework of an
integrated approach consistent with Agenda 21. The
Convention is anchored on the premise that
rehabilitating degraded lands, combating drought,
and preventing further degradation would mean an
increase in agricultural productivity and thus reduce
poverty and food insecurity. The Convention
encompasses measures aimed at improving soil
conditions, their natural fertility, and their
associated water regimes.
The UNCCD has its roots in the 1977 UN
Conference on Desertification (UNCOD). Following
a report by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) in 1991 that the problem of land
degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
areas had intensified, the issue of desertification was
In order to achieve the objective of the

UNCCD, the contracting parties are guided by the
basic principles that decisions on the design and
implementation
of
programs
to
combat
desertification and mitigate the effects of drought are
reached with the participation of local communities
in the context of a unified national plan of action.
The Convention recognizes the need to improve
cooperation and coordination at sub-regional,
regional and international levels. It also calls on
contracting parties to establish better understanding
of the nature and value of land and scarce water
resources among the public and private sectors,
particularly the landowners, local communities and
non-government organizations. The Convention
likewise takes into full consideration the special
needs and circumstances of affected developing
countries, especially the least developed ones.
The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty
to protect human health and the environment from
persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the
environment for long periods, become widely
distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty
tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans
and wildlife. The persistence and mobility of POPs
mean that they are literally everywhere in the world.
Their attraction to fatty tissue, known as
bioaccumulation, means that even though a
poison is first dispersed thinly over a broad area, it
slowly starts to concentrate and accumulate as
organisms consume other organisms up the food
chain. The chemicals reach magnified levels up to
many thousand times greater than background
levels in the fatty tissues of creatures at the top of
the food chain, primarily humans.
In
implementing
the
Convention,
contracting parties recognize the dangers posed by
POPs and thus undertake to eliminate or reduce
them in the environment. The objective of the
Convention is to protect human health and the
environment from persistent organic pollutants.
At the Conference of Plenipotentiaries to the
Stockholm Convention on POPs held on May 22-23,
2001 in Stockholm, Sweden, the Convention was

adopted and opened for signature. It remained open
for signature at the UN Headquarters, Treaty
Section, in New York, until May 22, 2002. The
Philippines became a signatory to the Convention on
May 23, 2001 and ratified the same on February 27,
2004.
Commitments and Obligations of Parties
UNFCCC
All parties to the UNFCCC are subject to a
set of general commitments. They are obligated to
prepare and to regularly update their national
climate change mitigation and adaptation programs.
These include measures to address sources of
greenhouse gas emissions and to protect and
enhance carbon sinks and reservoirs (forests and
other natural systems that remove carbon from the
atmosphere). They must also take climate change
into account in their social, economic and
environmental policies, and use methods like impact
and vulnerability assessments to minimize the
adverse effects of the measures taken to adapt to
climate change on the economy, environment, and
public health.
All parties to the Convention must promote
the development, application and transfer of
climate-friendly technologies and practices, as well
as the sustainable management of carbon sinks. The
parties are required to make preparations to adapt
to climate change, to participate in climate research,
systematic observations and information exchange,
and to promote education, training and public
awareness on climate change.
The parties are also expected to compile an
inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions and
submit regular reports, known as national
communications, on the actions they are taking to
implement the Convention. Parties listed in Annex I
(developed countries that are members of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development [OECD] and economies in transition
[EITs] including the Russian Federation, the Baltic
States, and several Central and Eastern European
States) are subject to a specific commitment to adopt
climate change policies and measures that will
reduce by the year 2020 their greenhouse gas
emissions to certain levels pegged to their 1990
emission levels.
Annex I parties are required to provide
financial resources to enable developing countries to
meet their obligations under the Convention and to
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.
Develop and periodically update and

publish
national
inventories
of
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse
gases by sources and sink removals;
Promote and cooperate with other countries
in scientific, technological, technical, socioeconomic and other research, systemic
observations and the development of data
archives related to the climate system and to
climate change, and on their full, open and
prompt exchange;
Cooperate in preparing measures to adapt to
the impacts of climate change; develop and
elaborate appropriate and integrated
adaptation plans including vulnerability and
adaptation assessments;
Integrate climate change considerations in
national policies and actions;
in undertaking education, information and
training activities that widen and intensify
public awareness of climate change and of
its
impacts,
and
encourage
public
participation in addressing said impacts;
in developing, applying, diffusing and
transferring technologies, practices and
processes that control, reduce or prevent
anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in
all appropriate sectors of the economy;
Regularly prepare and issue National
Communications
to
the
Convention,
describing actions being taken to meet the
objectives of the Convention.
The Kyoto Protocol sets legally-binding

emissions targets for Annex I parties to at least 5.2%
of 1990 levels by 2008-2012. The Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) of said Protocol offers Annex I
parties the opportunity to offset their emissions by
increasing the amount of greenhouse gases removed
from the atmosphere by way of carbon sinks created
through land use, land-use change and forestry,
either or both within or outside their territories.
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.
Develop a National Strategy and Action

Plan on biodiversity conservation and

integrate this into broader national plans
for the environment and economic
development;
2. Identify and monitor the important
components of biological diversity that
need to be conserved and used in a
sustainable manner;
3. Establish protected areas to conserve
biological diversity while promoting
environmentally-sound
development
around these areas;
4. Rehabilitate and restore degraded
ecosystems and promote the recovery of
threatened species in collaboration with
local residents;
5. Respect,
preserve
and
maintain
traditional knowledge of the sustainable
use of biodiversity with the involvement
of indigenous peoples and local
communities;
6. Prevent the introduction of, control, and
eradicate alien species that could
threaten ecosystems, habitats or species;
7. Control the risks posed by organisms
modified by biotechnology;
8. Promote
public
participation,
particularly when it comes to assessing
the
environmental
impacts
of
development projects that threaten
biodiversity;
9. Educate people and raise public
awareness on the importance of
biological diversity and the need to
preserve the same;
10. Report on how the country is meeting its
biodiversity goals.
UNCCD
Contracting parties to the UNCCD are
obligated to adopt an integrated approach to tackle
the physical, biological and socio-economic aspects
of desertification and drought. The Convention calls
on the parties to integrate strategies for poverty
eradication into efforts to combat desertification and
mitigate the effects of drought as well as the
promotion
of
cooperation
among
affected
contracting parties in the fields of environmental
protection and the conservation of land and water
resources.
Affected countries are obliged to address the
underlying causes of desertification with special
regard to the socio-economic factors contributing to
desertification. For a holistic approach to the
problems of drought and desertification, affected
states should promote awareness and facilitate the

participation of local populations, particularly
women and youth, with the support of nongovernment organizations and strengthen existing
as well as enact new laws establishing long-term
policies and action plans to achieve the principles
and objectives of the Convention within their
respective territories.
As for developed countries, the Convention
obligates the same to provide help and support to
the least developed and developing contracting
states, particularly those in Africa, consisting of
access to financial and technological resources.
The Philippines has
obligations under the UNCCD:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
five
principal
Give due priority to combating land

degradation and desertification and
mitigating the effects of drought, and
allocate
adequate
resources
in
accordance with its circumstances and
capabilities;
Establish strategies and priorities within
the framework of the countrys
sustainable development plans and
policies to combat land degradation and
desertification and mitigate the effects if
drought;
Address the underlying causes of land
degradation and desertification and pay
special attention to socio-economic
processes;
Promote public awareness and facilitate
the participation of local populations,
particularly the women and youth, with
the
support
of
non-government
organizations;
Strengthen existing and enact new laws
establishing long-term policies and
action programs.

Under the Stockholm Convention, the
Philippines is committed to 1) take legal and
administrative
measures
to
eliminate
the
production, use and export and import of chemicals
listed in Annex A of the Convention; 2) restrict the
production and use of chemicals listed in Annex B of
the Convention; 3) ensure that the import and export
of Annex A and B chemicals are done only in
conditions allowed under the Convention; and 4)
prevent the production and use of new pesticides or
industrial chemicals which exhibit the characteristics
of persistent organic pollutants. Chemicals listed in
Annex A are those intended for elimination while
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.
Review of Philippine Compliance with

MEA Commitments and Obligations
_________________________________
National Legislations and Regulations
NIPAS Law
Republic Act 7586 (National Integrated
Protected Areas [NIPAS] Law) is the basic Philippine
law for in situ conservation under the UNCBD. It
calls for the establishment and management of
protected areas to conserve the natural heritage. The
management of a protected area is achieved through
the combined efforts of the national and local
governments,
peoples
organizations
and
stakeholders groups, as well as non-government
organizations as expressed in the Protected Area
Management Board (PAMB), which is established
per protected area.
A protected area is selected based on
outstanding physical features, anthropological
significance, and biological diversity. A protected
area covers both wildlife and their natural habitat,
on the one hand, and human inhabitants found
within its zones, on the other. These include
indigenous peoples and tenured migrants. To
provide protection and flexibility in the management
of protected areas, appropriate management zones
are established, from buffer and multiple use zones
to strict protection zones were access and resource
use, if any, is very limited. Buffer zones serve as
additional layers of protection to the core
conservation zones of the protected area by enabling
communities to engage in sustainable livelihood and
economic activities compatible with the allowable
resource use as contained in a general management
plan implemented by the DENR through the
Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
There are 206 areas comprising the initial
components of the system. These cover an aggregate
area of approximately 2.59 million hectares which
Page 10 of 43
include terrestrial and marine areas. There are also

143 proposed additional sites. There are 107
protected areas established by presidential
proclamation and 10 by congressional enactment.
The ten are the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park,
Batanes Protected Landscape and Seascape, Sagay
Protected Landscape and Seascape, Mount Kanlaon
Natural Park, and the Mount Kitanglad Natural
Park, Mt. Apo Natural Park, Mt. Hamiguitan
Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Malindang Range Natural
Park, Central Cebu Protected Landscape, and the
Mt. Mimbilisan Protected Landscape.
within forest concessions; g) portions of areas

covered by pasture leases or permits having a slope
of at least 50%; and h) river banks, easements, road
rights-of-way, deltas, swamps, former river beds,
and beaches.
The NIPAS Law is largely implemented

under the administrative aegis of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its
Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).
Revised Forestry Code
The Philippine Revised Forestry Code or
Presidential Decree No. 705 requires that the various
beneficial uses of timber, land, soil, water, and
wildlife be first evaluated before allowing the
utilization and exploitation of forest resources. The
law requires that only the utilization, exploitation,
occupation or possession of any forest land, or any
activity therein, involving one or more of its
resources, which will produce the optimum benefits
to the development and progress of the country and
the public welfare, without impairment or with the
least injury to its other resources, shall be allowed.
The decree prohibits any person to utilize,
exploit, occupy, possess or conduct any activity
within any forest land, or establish and operate any
wood-processing plant, unless he has been
authorized to do so under a license agreement, lease,
license, or permit.
To attain sustainability, the decree requires
that the following shall be reforested and covered
with suitable and sufficient vegetation: a) bare or
grass-covered tracts of forest lands with at least 50%
slope; b) bare or grass-covered tracts of forest lands
with less than 50% slope, but with erosion-prone
soil; c) brush lands or tracts of forest lands generally
covered with brush which need to be developed to
increase their productivity; d) open tracts of forest
lands with slopes generally exceeding 50%
interspersed with patches of forest each of which is
less than 250 hectares in area; e) denuded or
inadequately timbered areas proclaimed by the
President as forest reserves and reservations as
critical watersheds, national parks, game refuge,
bird sanctuaries, national shrines, and national
historic sites; f) inadequately stocked forest lands
Executive Order No. 318

EO 318 was issued on June 9, 2004 to
provide guidance to national agencies and
instrumentalities on how to best harmonize policy
reforms on sustainable forest management. The
Order mandated the setting up of the communitybased forestry management (CBFM) program as the
primary strategy in all forest conservation and
development and related activities, including joint
ventures, production sharing and co-production.
CBFM is intended to be a collaborative undertaking
of the national and local governments, local peoples
organizations, and the private sector. Like the
Revised Forestry Code, EO 318 envisions the
management of forest lands to be for the widest
public benefit based on inherent productive capacity
and sustainable use.
National Caves and Cave Resources Management
and Protection Act
Republic Act No. 9072 or An Act to Manage
and Protect Caves and Cave Resources and for other
purposes declares it the policy of the state to
conserve, protect and manage caves and cave
resources as part of the countrys natural wealth. It
mandates the DENR to formulate and implement a
national program for the management, protection
and conservation of caves and cave resources. The
Act penalizes any act of destroying or defacing the
speleogem or speleothem of any cave, or the
gathering, collecting, possessing or selling of any
cave resource.
IPRA
The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA)
or RA 8371 is the national policy on the recognition
of the rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral
domains which are usually found in centers of
upland biodiversity in the Philippines. It protects the
right of the indigenous communities to exclude
outsiders in the exploitation of natural resources
found in the ancestral domain or ancestral land,
including biological resources. A mechanism of free
and prior informed consent should first be adhered
to before anyone is allowed access to these resources.
Under the IPRA, indigenous communities
are considered largely as the ones constituting the

Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of a
protected area if the protected area is wholly
covered and found within the ancestral domain
claim of the indigenous peoples community. They
also automatically become members of the PAMB if
the protected area is partially found in their
ancestral domain or if they live within the
boundaries of the protected area.
EO 247on Bioprospecting and Wildlife Resource
Conservation and Protection Act
The Philippines is one of the first countries
to come up with a policy regulating access to
biological and genetic resources. In 1995, Executive
Order 247 setting the Guidelines for Bioprospecting
was issued. Research and collection of biological
resources either for commercial or academic
purposes was regulated under this administrative
regulation.
Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resource
Conservation and Protection Act promotes the
conservation of wildlife species and the conservation
of their habitats. It also initiates or supports
scientific studies on the conservation of biological
diversity. It partially amends Executive Order No.
247 on bioprospecting.
With the enactment of the Wildlife Act of
2001 (RA 9147), academic research utilizing
biological resources is no longer considered
bioprospecting. Only those researches made and
intended for commercial purposes are considered as
bioprospecting.
The years 2002 to 2005 saw significant
developments in bioprospecting. The implementing
rules of RA 9147 (Joint DENR-DA-PCSD
Administrative Order No. 01, Series of 2004 entitled
Joint Implementing Rules and Regulations
pursuant to RA 9147: An Act Providing for the
Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources
and their Habitats, Appropriating funds therefore
and for other purposes) provide separate
regulations for purposes of scientific and
commercial research.
This is complemented by the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act or RA 8371 which protects the
right of indigenous peoples by giving them control
and authority over access to their ancestral domains.
The mechanism of free and prior informed consent
is set in place before outsiders gain access to
resources found within the ancestral domain. The
regulations governing bioprospecting further
require that benefits derived from the utilization of
Page 11 of 43
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
However, since continued untrammeled and

open access resource use in municipal and open
waters has considerably brought down available fish
stocks throughout the years resulting in a consistent
decrease of fish harvests, the Code included within
its provisions significant control and regulation
measures for the conservation and protection of
fishery resources and their marine and coastal
habitats. These include limiting fishing in municipal
waters (from the shore to 15 kilometers of open sea)
to small fisherfolk and the creation of marine
reserves and fishery sanctuaries to enable fish stocks
to recover and propagate undisturbed, which in turn
benefit the fishing communities depending on the
fishery resources for their livelihood.
activities are undertaken through participatory

planning by the Department of Agriculture in
consultation with various government agencies, local
government, farmers and fishing organizations, the
private sector and local communities. SAFDZ
includes lands considered non-negotiable for
conversion from agricultural to other uses, such as
irrigated lands, irrigable lands already covered by
irrigation projects with firm funding commitments,
and lands with existing or a potential for growing
high value crops.
The establishment of marine sanctuaries

under the Fisheries Code contributed significantly to
the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. It
states that at least 25% but not more than 40% of
bays, foreshore lands, continental shelf or any
fishing ground shall be set aside for the cultivation
of mangroves to strengthen the habitat and the
spawning grounds of fish. Marine sanctuaries are
management mechanisms that can effectively
protect critical habitats. The Agriculture and
Fisheries Modernization Act (Republic Act No. 8435
or AFMA) also sets the establishment of a Network
of Protected Areas for Agriculture and AgroIndustrial Development (NPAAAD) which includes
mangrove areas and fish sanctuaries.
The law also mandates the provision of
supplementary
livelihood
among
municipal
fisherfolk to reduce the stress on overexploited
fishery resources, improve aquaculture productivity,
utilize off-shore and deep sea resources, and
upgrade post-harvest technology.
The Fisheries Code is largely implemented
under the executive jurisdiction of the Department
of Agriculture and its Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The Balanced Fertilization Strategy

Presidential Proclamation 1071 or the
Balanced Fertilization Strategy (BSF) was formulated
by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management
(BSWM) in order to regulate and control to a
minimum the massive use of inorganic fertilizers
resulting to soil acidity and low soil productivity. It
gives emphasis on management of crop residues,
farm water recycling and an optimum combination
of organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Clean Air Act
The Philippines enacted Republic Act No.
8749 or the Clean Air Act in 1999. The law
recognized the need for a comprehensive and
holistic management program against air pollution.
The Act imposes a ban on incineration. With due
concern on the effects of climate change and
consistent with the international commitments of the
Philippines, the law also requires the DENR to
promote
the
use
of
the
state-of-the-art,
environmentally sound and safe non-burn
technologies for the handling, treatment, thermal
destruction, utilization and disposal of sorted,
unrecycled,
uncomposted,
biomedical,
and
hazardous wastes. Furthermore, Section 31 of the
Act specifically mandates the DENR to prepare and
fully implement a national plan consistent with the
UNFCCC on the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions in the country.
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
The
Agriculture
and
Fisheries
Modernization Act (AFMA) or Republic Act No.
8435 provides for the delineation of the Strategic
Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones
(SAFDZ) within the Network of Protected Areas for
Agriculture and Agro-industrial Development
(NPAAAD) to ensure that lands are efficiently
utilized for food and non-food production and agroindustrialization. The SAFDZ considers production,
processing,
investment,
marketing,
human
resources, and environmental protection. These
Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological

Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 adopts a
systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid
waste management program to strengthen the
integration of ecological solid waste management
and resource conservation for the protection of the
public health and environment through the proper
segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment
and disposal of solid waste. It also lays down the

policy for the reduction of methane emission
inherent in solid waste treatment and disposal.
New and Renewable Energy Program Bill
The proposed legislation is entitled An Act
to Strengthen the National Program for the
Development and Promotion of the Use of NonConventional Energy Systems. It is geared towards
less dependence on fossil fuels.
Government Programs, Projects and Activities on
Climate Change
In May 1992, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was
adopted. Its ultimate objective was the stabilization
of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere
at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate. The
Philippine Government signed the UNFCCC in June
1992 and ratified the same on August 2, 1994.
Even before the adoption of the Convention,
the Philippine government had already created the
Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change
(IACCC) on May 8, 1991 under Administrative
Order No. 220. The IACCC, pursuant to said
administrative order, is composed of government
agencies and NGO representatives chaired by the
Secretary of the DENR and co-chaired by the
Secretary of the DOST. Under this set-up, the
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the
DENR serves as the committees secretariat.
In March 1994, the UNFCCC entered into
force, thus starting the international negotiations for
setting quantified emission reduction targets of
Annex I Parties beyond the year 2000. Annex I
Parties include the European Union, the so-called
economies in transition located mostly in Eastern
Europe including Russia, and other developed
nations or members of the OECD.
In December 1997, the UNFCCC held its 3rd
Conference of the Parties in Kyoto, Japan and
adopted the Kyoto Protocol, thus starting the
international
negotiations
for
establishing
operational rules for the Protocol, including the
Kyoto Mechanisms. The Philippine Government
acceded to the Kyoto Protocol on April 15, 1998 and
ratified it on November 20, 2003. In February 2005,
the Kyoto Protocol entered into force, thus legally
binding developed countries and the economies in
transition, otherwise known as the Annex I parties,
to a timetable for reducing greenhouse gas
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
Page 14 of 43
Philippine position/s to international conferences

and negotiations; 5) participate in local and
international conferences and workshops; and 6)
prepare project proposals.
Based on the greenhouse gas emissions

inventory of 1990 and projections of GHGs to 2020,
mitigation measures were drawn up for three
sectors: energy, forestry and agriculture. Mitigation
scenarios for the energy sector were drawn up
including twelve least cost options. In the agriculture
sector, mitigation options included the use of low
methane emitting rice cultivators. The Forestry and
Land Use Sector Mitigation Assessment under
ALGAS generated a number of options such as
forests plantations, urban forestry, and sustainable
forest management.
One of the more specific tasks of the IACCC

is the preparation of the National Action Plan on
Climate Change. The National Action Plan aims at
integrating climate change concerns into the
governments development plans and programs,
develop adaptation response to climate change
impacts, design mitigation measures and serves as a
framework plan which provides for the specific
guidance on mitigation priorities.
Under the IACCC, institutionalization of the
greenhouse gas inventory and public awareness
programs was also started in 2001 and continues to
the present. Representatives from the EMB regional
offices were trained to do the greenhouse gas
emissions inventory and regional offices were
directed to submit annual GHG inventory to the
IACCC Secretariat.
ADB Climate Change Project
The ADB Climate Change Project was
undertaken in 1991. It was conducted to prepare
vulnerability studies as well as generate a rapid
assessment of the countrys sectors and areas
vulnerable to climate change such as agriculture,
water resources, and coastal areas.
U.S. Country Studies Program
The U.S. Country Studies program initiated
the 1990 National Emissions Inventory. The program
continued through the years and included the 1994
National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. In turn, this
1994 study was updated and incorporated in the
Philippines Initial National Communication. The
1994 study also served as a basis for future plans on
mitigation and possible CDM opportunities.
ALGAS Project
A greenhouse gas mitigation assessment
project was launched in 1995 under the Asia Least
Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy (ALGAS).
The project was undertaken with GEF funding and
implemented by the UNDP and the Asian
Development Bank (ADB). The project undertook a
comprehensive assessment of the state of
greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines and
looked into mitigation options in the agriculture,
energy and forestry sectors.
National Action Plan on Climate Change

The project for the drawing up of the
Philippine National Action Plan on Climate Change
was funded by the USAID and aimed at integrating
climate change concerns into the governments
development plans and programs. It was also
undertaken to enable the Philippines to develop
adaptation response to climate change impacts as
well as design mitigation measures which are no
regrets in character. The National Action Plan
served as a framework plan which provides for
specific guidance on mitigation priorities.
The preparation of the National Action Plan
likewise served as an opportunity for awarenessraising and more in-depth discussions among
stakeholders on climate mitigation and adaptation.
Several regional and national consultations were
conducted as well as focused sectoral group
discussions and meetings to further level off on the
countrys response to the challenge of climate
change. The process also raised awareness at the
local level, especially among local government
officials and NGOs.
Consolidation of vulnerability studies earlier
conducted was done under the NAP process. The
results of some of the studies used for purposes of
producing the NAP also provide a picture of the
vulnerability of some sectors and ecosystems to
climate change. This includes the Vulnerability
Assessment on Rice and Corn Production which
simulated climate change vulnerability of rice and
corn crops in six sites in the Philippines, the
vulnerability analysis of the Angat reservoir, which
is one of the main sources of drinking water for
Metro Manila, Lake Lanao, and Manila Bay. It also
proposed adaptation measures on vulnerable
ecosystems and resources, like the marine and
coastal environment and water resoures.

The prescribed mitigation measures under
the NAP are largely recommendatory and merely
meant to provide guidance to the concerned
government agencies. For the energy, transport and
industry sectors, the NAP proposes the following: 1)
shift of the energy mix to renewable energy; 2)
supply-side and demand-side energy-efficiency
improvements; 3) development of mass transport
systems; 4) improved fuel and vehicle efficiency; 5)
traffic volume reduction; and 6) use of alternative
non-CO2 emitting industrial processes.
For the agriculture sector, the NAP
proposals include the following: 1) use of biodigesters and urea-molasses mineral block as
nutrient supplement in livestock production; 2) use
of sulfate fertilizers to reduce methane emissions; 3)
use of rice straw, water management and low
emitting cultivars; and 4) upgrading of food storage
and distribution systems.
National Communications
The Initial National Communication to the
UNFCCC highlighted the 1994 National Greenhouse
Gas Emissions and laid down the countrys efforts in
response to the objectives of the UNFCCC. It also
made a preliminary presentation of the national
circumstances vital to climate change vulnerability
assessment such as geography, topography, climate
and weather, natural resources, demography and
health, economy, and energy production and
consumption. The National Communication also
presented the Philippine Strategy for Sustainable
Development, vulnerability assessment, adaptation
and mitigation strategies, as well as research,
education, training and public awareness efforts.
In the process of preparing this document, a
number of training-workshops as well as
consultation meetings have been conducted. The
document was submitted in December 1999 to the
UNFCCC Secretariat.
The Philippines is also in the process of
preparing its Second National Communication
which basically contains updates of the previous
contents, particularly the national greenhouse gas
emissions, vulnerability assessment and adaptation
measures,
climate
mitigation
efforts,
and
information, training and education efforts.
Enabling Activity on Climate Change
This project was sponsored by the GEF and
aimed to build the capacity of various government
agencies in the preparation of the countrys initial
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
GHG Abatement Awards
UNDP to generate local awareness and

understanding of the CDM. The study provided
background
information
on
priorities
and
opportunities for CDM cooperation in the
Philippines and examined the existing policy,
program and legal framework as well as the project
development and implementation processes.
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

formulation of CDM promotion measures; 2)
establishment of a helpdesk; 3) establishment of a
clearinghouse; 4) implementation of workshops at
the local level; and 5)
formulation of
recommendations for CDM promotion.
Designated National Authority for CDM
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. Rules and regulations implementing the
DENRs authority under this EO were formulated
including the implementing rules and regulations
for the CDM National Approval Process. The
mandate also involved the creation of the national
authoritys support systems such as the CDM
Steering Committee and Technical Evaluation
Committees for energy-related, waste management,
land use, and forestry project activities.
One of the basic policies of the DENR as the
designated national authority for CDM in the
Philippines is to prioritize the facilitation and
promotion of CDM project activities that 1)
contribute to the UNFCCC objective of stabilization
of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system; 2) lead to the
transfer of environmentally safe and sound
technology and know-how; 3) contribute to the
conservation of biological diversity and sustainable
use of natural resources; 4) comply with all other
pertinent laws and regulations; 5) provide measures
to alleviate poverty.
Under EO 320, the DENR Secretary at the
top shall take charge over the CDM Steering
Committee composed of a DENR undersecretary
and alternate as chair and representatives from the
Department of Energy, Department of Science and
Technology, the private sector, and non-government
organizations, as members. The Environmental
Management Bureau shall act as the CDM
Secretariat. The CDM Steering Committee shall
likewise be assisted by technical evaluation
committees for energy-related (DOE), afforestation
and reforestation (Forest Management Bureau
[FMB]-DENR), and waste management (EMBDENR) project activities.
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
The following are the eleven registered CDM project activities:

Date
Registered
Title of Project
1.
09/10/2006
Northwind Bangui Bay Project
2.
01/01/2006
Wastewater Treatment Using a Thermophilic
3.
10/21/2006
Location
Estimated
CERs/year
(in tCO2e)
Bangui, Ilocos Norte
56,788
Anaerobic Digestor at an Ethanol Plant
Lian, Batangas
95,896
Gold Farms Livestocks Corporation
Tarlac City
2,929
Methane Recovery and Electricity Generation

4.
10/23/2006
Joliza Farms Inc. Methane Recovery
Sta. Maria, Bulacan
3,656
5.
10/28/2006
Uni-Rich Agro-Industrial Corporation
Tarlac City
2,929
3,130
Methane Recovery and Electricity Generation

6.
10/30/2006
Gaya Lim Farm Inc. Methane Recovery
Tarlac City
7.
12/10/2006
20 MW Nasulo Geothermal Plant
Valencia, Negros Oriental
Paramount Integrated Corporation
Pearanda, Nueva Ecija
8.
01/31/2007
Methane Recovery and Electricity
04/13/2007
San Carlos Renewable Energy Project
San Carlos City, Negros Occ.
10. 05/05/2007
Philippine Sinter Corporation's Sinter Cooler
Phividec Industrial Estate,
Waste Heat Recovery
Villanueva, Misamis Oriental
11. 10/26/2007
D & C Concepcion Farms, Inc. Methane Recovery and

Electricity Generation Project
Brgy. Patag, Municipality of Opol,

Misamis Oriental
TOTAL
9.
To date, more than 1.5 million tons per year

of emission reduction credits have been registered
by the Philippines coming from 27 projects. At
current value of US$12 per ton of carbon dioxide,
the credits are worth US$18 million.
Energy Projects
Some of the Philippines policies and
strategies on the abatement of its greenhouse gas
emissions are contained in the Philippine Energy
Plan (PEP), 1999-2008. The plans objectives are 1)
security of energy supply, which aims to avoid
energy supply disruptions; 2) affordable and
reasonable prices ensuring energy supply at lowest
cost; and 3) socially and environmentally
compatible energy infrastructures and projects,
which is the provision of cleaner energy, taking into
consideration benefits for the host communities.
Under the plan, new and renewable energy
sources are envisioned to contribute to the countrys
power requirements. Total new and renewable
(NRE) installed capacity by the end of 2008 is
expected to be around 410 megawatts. These
include power produced from biomass, municipal
waste, solar, and wind. The incremental
contribution of the NRE sector was expected to be
brought about by the passage of policies and
legislation like the Non-Conventional Energy Bill
which addresses some of the barriers in the
81,009
7,582
37,608
54,643
3,348
349,518
promotion and implementation of NRE measures

and projects.
The Department of Energy (DOE) continues
to promote the commercialization of renewable
energy technologies through such initiatives as the
Decentralized Energy System (DES) which has
established lending mechanisms to support the
establishment of NRE networks like the Philippine
Solar Energy Society (PSES), Biomass Energy
Association of the Philippines (BEAP) and the Wind
Energy Association of the Philippines (WEAP). Also,
it provides technical support to the rural NRE
clientele through the Affiliated Non-Conventional
Energy Centers (ANECs). There are currently 20
ANECs in all the regions. In some regions, they are
present at the provincial level.
Twelve energy efficiency programs were
pursued by the DOE during the ten year duration of
the updated Philippine Energy Plan (1998-2008).
These programs were projected to achieve 70,600
MBFOE of energy savings by 2008 and an average
reduction in electricity demand of 491 MW. Some of
these programs are the 1) Energy Efficiency
Information Campaign; 2) Energy Audit; 3) Energy
Labeling and Efficiency Standards; 4) Vehicle
Efficiency Standards and Testing Program; 5)
Systems Loss Reduction Program for Utilities; 6)
Heat Rate Improvement of Power Plants; 7)
Demand-Side Management Program; and 8)
Financing Energy Conservation Project.

By the end of 2008, domestic gas production
is expected to reach 146 BCF. This is to be utilized
for power plants like the Iligan and Sta. Rita which
will have a total installed capacity of 2,200
megawatts. Natural gas is thus projected to
comprise 6.9% of the total energy mix. On the other
hand, total installed hydro capacity is expected to
double from 2,304 megawatts in 1998 to 4,025
megawatts in 2008, resulting to a slight increase of
4% of the total energy mix from 3.7% in 1998. This
will be due to the implementation of 8 large, 2 small
and 14 mini-hydro projects.
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
The DOE implemented the Strategic

Objective Agreement 5 (SOAG) or the Philippine
Climate Change Mitigation Program from 1998 to
2001 in coordination with the IACCC. The
agreement introduced the basic strategy in slowing
down the growth of greenhouse gas emissions
through the expanded use of clean fuels in power
generation and by improving the efficiency of
power generation, distribution, and use. It also
established the Climate Change Information Center.
The DOE also implemented in 2002 a project
for the Promotion of Renewable Energy, Energy
Efficiency and GHG Abatement. The project was
funded by the ADB. The project was intended to
develop capabilities for and the promotion of
renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse
gas abatement projects.
The Power Patrol Program was an energy
information awareness and education program
covering the residential, industrial, commercial and
education sectors. It promoted efficiency in the
electricity and gasoline fuel use of these sectors
through the tri-media. The campaign has reached
approximately 1 million households.
The Road Transport Patrol Program was
launched on April 17, 1998 and focused on
information dissemination
regarding
proper
operation and maintenance practices to reduce fuel
consumption. The program contributed to the
reduction in oil importation and environmental
emissions as a result of the reduction in fuel
consumption in the transport sector.
Agriculture
Mitigation measures and programs for the
agricultural sector include 1) improved crop and
grazing land management to increase soil carbon
storage; 2) improved rice cultivation techniques and
livestock and manure management to reduce
methane emissions; 3) improved nitrogen fertilizer
Of late, other projects were also conducted

by various institutions and groups, viz., the
International Rice Research Institutes research on
methane emissions from rice paddies, the
International Geosphere and Biosphere Program
(IGBP) socio-economic impact studies, and the
Philippine Network on Climate Change (PNCC)
public awareness campaigns and policy studies.
The Climate Change Information Center
(CICC) was established as a partnership between
government, academe, NGOs and USAID. The
CICCs objective is to receive international
information on climate change and climate friendly
technologies and to disseminate these systematically
to local stakeholders. The CCIC has a collection of
books on climate change, atmospheric science and
pollution. It also offers access to various multi-media
resources.
The 1990 Master Plan for Forestry
Development (MPFD) which is the governments
blueprint for managing the countrys forest lands
included GHG mitigation measures which include
the following 1) soil and watershed conservation; 2)
people-oriented forestry; 3) forest protection; and 4)
establishment of forest plantations.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity
was negotiated under the auspices of the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) during the Rio
Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and
Development) in June 1992 where it was also opened
for signature. The Convention entered into force on
December 29, 1993. The Philippines was one of the
first countries to sign the Convention on June 12,
1992. It was ratified by the Philippine Senate on
October 8, 1993.
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.
relevant issues on biodiversity and a forum for

formulating Philippine positions on policies and
programs on biodiversity for consideration in
international meetings and conferences. Chaired by
the PAWB, the Sub-Committee is composed of 10
government agencies and 8 Non-government
Organizations (NGOs).
In compliance with the UNCBD, the

Philippines has supported and participated actively
in the activities of the UNCBD Conference of the
Parties. It has also produced and submitted three
National Reports to the UNCBD covering the
reporting periods 1994-1997, 1998-2001, and 20022005. It has also produced and regularly updated a
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
(NBSAP), also in compliance with specific
obligations under the Convention. Compliance to
obligations under the UNCBD is inextricably linked
to the implementation of the NBSAP. The treaty
obligations are articulated into the work programs
as well as in the COP Decisions to help parties in
integrating them in their respective NBSAPs.
The secretariat for the implementation of the
UNCBD in the Philippines is the Protected Areas
and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the DENR. The
PAWB also serves as the focal point for the
UNCBDs Subsidiary Body of Scientific, Technical,
and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and Clearing
House Mechanism (CHM) in the Philippines. To
facilitate the work of the Secretariat, the Philippine
government has designated the Department of
Foreign Affairs as the primary national focal point
and the DENR as the secondary national focal point.
Established in September 1992 by virtue of
Executive Order No. 15, the Philippine Council on
Sustainable Development (PCSD) is the government
body that ensures that the commitments made by
the Philippines to international agreements on
sustainable development are fulfilled. The SubCommittee on Biodiversity under the PCSD is a
multi-sector group that ensures the participation of
civil society in decision-making concerning
biodiversity conservation in the country. It is
responsible for providing scientific and other
technical support to the national focal points of the
CBD. It also serves as a venue for discussing
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

(NBSAP)
As part of the countrys commitments to the
UNCBD and in response to the increasing rate of
biodiversity loss, the DENR has developed and
adopted the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action
Plan (NBSAP). The NBSAP sets forth the strategies
and actions to ensure and address threats to
biological diversity in the country. To operationalize
the NBSAP, a presidential memorandum issued by
then President Fidel V. Ramos mandated all
concerned agencies to integrate the NBSAP
strategies and actions to their respective work plans.
However, despite the countrys efforts and
accomplishments, a number of issues and problems
slowed down the implementation of the NBSAP.
Thus, in 2002, the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation
Priority Project (PBCPP): A Second Iteration of the
NBSAP was developed. The PBCPP likewise
identified five strategic actions that fine-tuned the six
strategies of the NBSAP and priority areas for
conservation.
The Second Iteration of the NBSAP also
provided a road map for attaining a Zero
Biodiversity Loss in the country. In particular the
PBCPP aimed to strengthen local capacity for
conservation planning and management by
developing both an integrated conservation
information system and related training programs,
and to propose a development program to train
regional planning agencies on how to integrate
PBCPP
results
into
their
planning
and
implementation processes.
National Reports
With the assistance of the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF) and the UNDP, the
Philippines was able to prepare and submit the
Third National Report to the UNCBD Secretariat last
May 2006. The report presented the milestone
accomplishments
of
the
country
in
the
implementation of the NBSAP/PBCPP and the
various programs and projects related to
biodiversity conservation from the period 2002 to
mid 2005. In the process of preparing the report,

various consultation workshops, meetings and
group discussions were conducted among the
different stakeholders and relevant agencies and
organizations. The process showed the insufficient
capacity of the focal point agencies and concerned
stakeholders that hampered the implementation of
activities
towards
attaining
the
countrys
commitments to the UNCBD. This was also
validated by the results of the NCSA process which
in turn identified the priority actions that needed to
be implemented for the coming years.
Protected Areas
Although the establishment of protected
areas in the Philippines is also largely an endeavor
that benefits the objectives of the UNFCCC by
essentially protecting and expanding carbon sinks of
forests in the Philippines, it is discussed under the
category on biodiversity. Regardless, it goes without
saying that the establishment of a system of
protected areas in the Philippines in place of the old
national parks scheme greatly contributes to the
capacity of the Philippine ecosystem to absorb the
countrys own anthropogenic carbon emissions, thus
mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
The landmark policy in the implementation
of UNCBD commitments in the Philippines is
Republic Act No. 7586 or the National Integrated
Protected Areas System Act of 1992, otherwise
known as the NIPAS Law. The NIPAS Law basically
sets aside certain areas of distinct biodiversity,
delineates their metes and bounds, and limits if not
restricts and prohibits access and resource use in
said areas through the implementation of a zoning
system. In 1998, the government target in the
establishment of protected areas comprised of 209
sites covering 2.59 million hectares in addition to
existing 66 proclaimed protected areas covering 1.7
million hectares.
During the period of 1994-1995, the DENR
initiated twin programs on protected area
establishment and management that were hoped to
serve as models for other future protected areas.
These were the Conservation of Priority Protected
Areas Project (CPPAP) and the National Integrated
Protected Areas Project (NIPAP). The two differed
in management paradigms. The CPPAP sites were
managed by government together with nongovernment organizations (NGOs) while the NIPAP
sites were principally managed by the government
through
the
multi-sector
Protected
Area
Management Boards (PAMBs) chaired by the DENR
and composed of representatives from the local
Page 21 of 43
government units, peoples
organizations, as well as NGOs.
and
community
The CPPAP was a pilot of the NIPAS

concept in ten sites: 1) Apo Reef Natural Park; 2)
Batanes Protected Landscape/Seascape; 3) Northern
Sierra Madre Natural Park; 4) Subic-Bataan National
Park; 5) Mount Kanlaon Natural Park; 6) Agusan
Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary; 7) Mount Apo Natural
Park; 8) Mount Kitanglad Natural Park; 9) Siargao
Protected Landscape/Seascape; and 10) Turtle Island
Marine National Park. The project succeeded in
minimizing
illegal
activities,
encouraging
volunteerism in the CPPAP communities, setting up
the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF), securing
tenure within the buffer and multiple-use zones, and
conducting trainings in alternative livelihoods (seed
banking, agroforestry, mangrove rehabilitation, and
animal and farm implements.) The total area covered
by CPPAP sites is 1,527,490 hectares. Except SubicBataan and Turtle Island, all CPPAP sites have been
proclaimed as protected areas under the protected
area system.
The NIPAP was funded by the European
Union. With generous funding, the project was able
to launch all the activities laid down under the
NIPAS Law for the establishment and management
of a protected area, from zone delineation,
biodiversity inventory, stakeholders consultations,
PAMB creation to forest ranger and fish warden
trainings. The NIPAP sites were the following: 1)
Mount Guiting-Guiting Natural Park in Romblon; 2)
Mount Isarog National Park in Camarines Sur; 3)
Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park in Mindoro; 4)
Mount Malindang National Park in Misamis
Occidental; 5) Coron Island in Palawan; 6)
Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and
Seascape in Palawan; 7) El Nido Managed Resource
Reserve in Palawan; and 8) Mount Pulag National
Park in Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya.
The NIPAP sites were selected not only on
the basis of their potentials as long-term centers of
biodiversity but also on the basis of their
differentiated present conditions of conservation, on
the one hand, and deterioration, on the other. The
sites included the virgin and surviving primary
growth mossy and pine forests of Mount Pulag and
the pristine waters of the lakes and seashores of
Coron Island, as well as the almost denuded and
extensively exploited forest cover of Mount
Malindang and the over-fished waters of
Malampaya Sound. When the project ended in
December 2001, the eight NIPAP sites had fully
functioning PAMBs and established Protected Area
Offices (PAOs). However, even with the phasing out
Page 22 of 43
of the NIPAP EU funding and assistance, two of the

former NIPAP sites, Mount Isarog and Mount
Malindang, are covered by continuing biodiversity
efforts funded by the donor community.
Seascape, Sagay Protected Landscapes and

Seascapes, and the Sierra Madre Natural Park. All
three protected areas have management plans that
were developed with stakeholders. A national
system or network of marine and coastal protected
areas is under development. This will include areas
designated for sustainable use consistent with the
NIPAS Law.
After the initial objectives of NIPAP had

been achieved in Mount Isarog National Park, the
Mount Isarog Integrated Conservation and
Development Program was launched with the aim
of developing ecologically sustainable livelihood for
the surrounding communities. In this project,
resident communities were oriented and trained on
sustainable ways of resource use. The project was
completed in 2004. In Mount Malindang, the project
successor of the NIPAP was the Biodiversity
Programme Development in Mindanao. Efforts of
this project were geared toward developing the
capacity of local communities, government,
academe, and other stakeholders to promote and
undertake sustainable use of biological resources
and effective decision-making in biodiversity
conservation.
The Samar Island Biodiversity Project,
unlike the previous two protected area projects, is a
class in its own, focusing as it does on a single site
covering 347,000 hectares of natural forests and
123,000 hectares of buffer zones. It is implemented
within the Samar Island Forest Reserve. The project
establishes the Samar Island Natural Park, a new
protected area with a strict protection zone as well
as providing for sustainable harvests of non-timber
forest products and instituting a comprehensive
range of ancillary conservation measures to protect
the park from human exploitation. The project
intends to set-up park management in partnership
with forest-edge communities with the aim of
establishing a social fence against threats.
Interventions made also aim to strengthen
participatory planning, monitoring and surveillance
coupled with response and enforcement functions,
and
community
conservation
management
capacities. The project receives financial assistance
from the UNDP/GEF.
Biodiversity Corridors and Archipelagic Framework
As of December 2005, a total of 101
protected areas have been proclaimed under the
NIPAS with a total area of approximately 3.2 million
hectares. This indicates a marked increase of around
872 thousand hectares or 36 percent from the 2001
reported figure. Of these, 1.6 million hectares or 50
percent are marine and the other 50 percent
terrestrial. At present, three marine and coastal
protected areas have been declared and gazetted.
These are the Batanes Protected Landscape and
This increase in the number of marine

protected areas demonstrates the efforts of the
government to emphasize the importance of marine
and inland water ecosystems in the system of
protected areas. There were thus major steps taken
to improve the integration of protected areas into
broader land and seascapes such as the adoption of
the biodiversity corridor approach as a major
strategy in addressing biodiversity conservation
issues. This strategy is designed to ensure the
survival and protection of the widest possible range
of species unique to a particular region. Another
effort is the completion of a framework for
Sustainable Archipelagic Development that seeks to
transform the present land-based development
planning paradigm into a more rational and
integrative system.
During the 8th Conference of the Parties to
the UNCBD held in Curitiba, Brazil, the Philippines
declared in its statement on the agenda item on
protected areas that it has undertaken critical
activities to complete its gap analysis as well as
integrate Philippine protected areas in larger
landscapes and seascapes. Through effective
partnerships and alliances with NGOs, the academe,
the local communities, peoples organizations,
indigenous groups and other stakeholders, the
relevant government agencies have employed more
scientific rigor in refining Conservation Priority
Areas and identified a total of 128 Key Biodiversity
Areas covering an aggregate area of 6,008,813
hectares or approximately 20% of the total land area
of the country.
The Philippine government has completed
conservation
strategies
for
two
terrestrial
biodiversity corridors, the great Sierra Madre Range
in Luzon and the island of Palawan. It has also
initiated another strategic planning process this time
for the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor.
These strategies take into account habitat
fragmentation and compatible land uses. The
government has also initiated a scientific and
stakeholder process of designing networks of marine
protected areas in three marine biodiversity
corridors within the Philippine jurisdiction of the

Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape covering an aggregate are of
more than five million hectares.
Other Protected Area Projects
In addition to the protected areas already
mentioned, the following are the more recent
established protected areas in the Philippines: 1)
Manleluag Spring Protected Landscape in
Mangatarem, Pangasinan (1,935 has.); 2) Penablanca
Protected Landscape and Seascape in Penablanca,
Cagayan (118,782 has.); 3) Quirino Protected
Landscape in Diffun, Cabarroguis, Aglipay, Madella
and Nagtipunan in Quirino province (164,364 has.);
4) Quezon Protected Landscape in Atimonan,
Pagbilao and Padre Burgos Quezon province (938
hectares); 5) Mounts Banahaw and San Cristobal
Protected Landscape between Quezon and Laguna
(10,900 has.); 6) Marinduque Wildlife Sanctuary
(8,828 has.); 7) Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary in
Narra, Palawan (1,983 has.); 8) Northwest Panay
Peninsula Natural Park in Aklan and Antique
(12,009 has.); 9) Northern Negros Natural Park in
Negros Occidental (80,454 has.); 10) Panglao Island
Protected Seascape in Bohol (386 has.); 11) Central
Cebu Protected Landscape (29,062 has.); 12) InitaoLibertad Protected Landscape and Seascape in
Misamis Oriental (1,301 has.); 13) Timpoong and
Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument in Camiguin
(2,228 has.) 14) Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife
Sanctuary in Davao Oriental (6,834 has.); 15) Mount
Apo Natural Park in Cotabato and Davao del Sur
(72,113 has.); and 16) Mati Protected Landscape in
Davao Oriental (914 has.).
Recently, the DENR also introduced the
Protected Areas Community-Based Resource
Management Agreement (PACBRMA) wherein
peoples organizations composed of either tenured
migrants or indigenous peoples occupying the
protected area are awarded the resource utilization
instrument in allowable zones of the protected area
and the right to occupy and develop portions of the
protected area for a period of 25 years renewable for
another 25 years. The PACBRMA allows use of
certain non-timber products and gives preferential
access to government services. As of December 2005,
a total of fifty-five PACBRMAs have been issued
covering 22,066 hectares in nine regions benefiting
3,967 families or 11,260 individuals.
Ex-Situ Conservation
Philippine compliance with UNCBD
requirements on ex-situ conservation includes the
setting up and maintenance of botanical and
zoological gardens, seed banks, and the conduct of
Page 23 of 43
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
There are some measures being taken to

enhance and strengthen the capacity of indigenous
and local communities to be effectively involved in
decision-making related to their traditional
knowledge, innovations and practices. One of these
is the institutionalization of their participation in
discussions concerning Philippine positions in
international meetings on biodiversity. The National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is a
member
of
the
PCSD-Sub-Committee
on
Biodiversity which spearheads the formulation of
Philippine positions taken during COP meetings.
The NCIP also assists indigenous peoples in coming
up with their Ancestral Domain Sustainable
Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP). The
Plan is prepared according to the customs and
traditions of indigenous peoples communities.
by the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF)

established in all protected areas and centrally
administered by the DENR. The IPAF is a trust fund
for the exclusive purpose of protected area
management. It represents revenues generated
within a protected area (e.g., entrance fees,
bioprospecting fees, etc.) as well as from donors and
other sources provided by law.
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
Education, Training and Research

In 1994, the Development Academy of the
Philippines (DAP) in collaboration with the DENR
offered a masters degree in Public Management,
Major
in
Biodiversity
Conservation
and
Management. This is a one-year interdisciplinary
graduate program to develop professional
biodiversity conservation managers in the public
and private sectors for the Philippines as well as
ASEAN countries. PAWB, in cooperation with the
Haribon Foundation, also prepared a national
Communications, Education, and Public Awareness
(CEPA) document for biodiversity to increase public
awareness on biodiversity conservation. Most of the
strategies and action plans contained in the CEPA
document are already being implemented by the
major players in biodiversity conservation in the
Philippines. Media mileage also increased through a
project called Awareness-raising, Networking,
Education, Support-mobilization and Training for
Biodiversity Conservation in the Philippines which
was launched through the joint efforts of the
Haribon Foundation and the Dutch Government.
A draft DENR Agenda for Biodiversity
Research was formulated in March 2002. The agenda
used the concept of the ecosystem as the framework
in identifying research areas to fill the gaps and
answer
unresolved
issues
on
biodiversity
conservation and management particularly in coastal
and marine ecosystems, forest ecosystems,
freshwater
ecosystems,
and
upland
and
agroecosystems.
The Philippine Clearing House Mechanism
on Biodiversity (CHM) was also developed in 1998.
The CHM is an information service organization
taking the form of a web-based portal for
biodiversity-related information. Its primary product
is the CHM website which offers a centralized index
of biodiversity-related information resources
available in the Philippines. Its operation was given
funding under the Enabling Activity Grant from the
UNDP-GEF in 2002-2003. A new web-based platform
was designed to make technology and knowledge
exchange easier. The Bioweb, a network of
biodiversity-concerned organizations was tapped to

be the core group that will help create a critical mass
of users and contributors to the CHM.
Considerable progress has also been made
in identifying the components of marine and coastal
ecosystems in the Philippines. The components
critical to the functioning of, as well as the key
threats to these ecosystems have been identified. A
comprehensive assessment of coastal and marine
ecosystems in the country is currently being
undertaken by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (BFAR) under its regular functions and
through special projects. Other recent initiatives to
identify critical ecosystem components include the
PBCP Project and the Key Biodiversity Areas
initiative spearheaded by the DENR and
Conservation International. Management Plans for
important components of marine and coastal
ecosystems are embedded in the management and
monitoring plans of protected areas as required by
the law.
Coastal and Marine Project Activities
There are also initiatives from the
government, NGOs, research and academic
institutions related to the CBDs work plan on coral
reefs. Many of the activities (i.e., assessment,
community
participation,
and
partnerships,
livelihood), are already being implemented as
regular activities of the DENR Coastal and Marine
Management Office, DA-BFAR and many
community-based initiatives. These are also major
features in projects such as the Conservation of
Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park and World
Heritage Site as well as Biodiversity Conservation
and Management of the Bohol Islands Marine
Triangle.
Restoration of degraded coral reef habitats
and concerns on coral bleaching has received
attention from the academe and other research
institutions such as from the University of the
Philippines Marine Science Institute, Silliman
University, and De La Salle University.
The 2005 Philippine Report of the
Biodiversity Indicators for National Use (BINU)
indicated that on the whole, there is a declining
trend in the state of most coastal and marine
ecosystems in the Philippines. Studies on
commercially important fish and invertebrates show
that these resources are continuously being depleted
and their habitats heavily stressed due to
overfishing, destructive fishing methods, tourism
infrastructure, industries and transportation,
pollution, and overpopulation. The BINU report also
Page 25 of 43
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
Page 26 of 43
Development Assistance Programme; 3) Joint

Management of the Turtle Islands Heritage
Protected Area with Malaysia; 4) Ecology Technical
Assistance for Improving Biodiversity Conservation
in Protected Areas funded by the Danish
government; and 5) Support to the Implementation
of EO 247 funded by the German government.
for the UNCCD. It is also the lead agency of the

national Soil and Water Resources Research and
Development Extension (SWRRDE) Network. In
addition, the BSWM serves as the secretariat of the
Presidential Task Force on El Nino as well as that of
the National Technical Evaluation Committee on
Land Use Matters (NTECLUM). It is the lead
implementing agency of Agri-Kalikasan or the
Agriculture Development Program.
Those involving multilateral cooperation are

the CPPAP, NIPAP as assisted by the European
Union, the Samar Island Biodiversity Project, the
National Biodiversity Priority Setting Project, and
the Coastal Resources Management Project (CRMP).
The UNCCD is of strategic importance to
countries like the Philippines where land
degradation is widespread and soil-water systems
are highly disturbed. The country is mountainous
and soil erosion is widespread because of large-scale
loss of vegetative cover in sloping lands. Lying in
the western Pacific, the Philippines is exposed to El
Nino episodes. It suffers from seasonal aridity
which, combined with erosion and pollution, result
in land degradation. About 40-50% of the countrys
agricultural areas are presently degraded, some
severely to the extent that is approaching
desertification. Along with these is an increased rate
in land conversion driven by a high population
growth and resistance to agrarian reform. All these
put severe pressures on agricultural productivity.
The Philippines ratified the UNCCD on
February 10, 2000 and the final accession to the
Convention came into full force on May 10, 2000. In
response to the worsening problem on land
degradation and in compliance with the UNCCD
requirement for each country party to draft the
National Action Plan, the Philippines, through the
Department of Agricultures Bureau of Soils and
Water Management (DA-BSWM), UNCCD focal
point agency in the country, formulated the
Philippine National Action Plan to Combat
Desertification, Land Degradation, Drought and
Poverty (FY 2004-10). An inter-agency committee on
sustainable land management is proposed to be
created through an executive issuance to undertake
coordination of Philippine compliance with the
UNCCD.
BSWM as Focal Agency
The Bureau of Soils and Water Management
(BSWM)is designated as the Philippine focal agency
Under Executive Order No. 116, the BSWM

is mandated to: 1) advice and render assistance on
matters relating to the utilization and management
of soils and water as vital agricultural resources; 2)
formulate measures and guidelines for effective soil,
land, and water resource utilization as well as soil
conservation in croplands and other agricultural
areas; 3) undertake soil research programs; 4)
coordinate with relevant government agencies in
resettlement areas and prepare the necessary plans
for the provision of technical assistance in solving
soil related problems, prevention of soil erosion,
fertility preservation, and other related matters; 5)
engage in rainmaking projects for agricultural areas
and watersheds to solve the problems of prolonged
droughts and minimize their effects on standing
crops; and 6) recommend plans, programs, policies,
rules and regulations to the Secretary of Agriculture
on soil and water conservation and provide technical
assistance in the implementation of the same.
National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and
Land Degradation
The National Action Plan to Combat
Desertification, Land Degradation, Drought, and
Poverty for the year 2004-10 is an expression of the
full and unqualified commitment of the Philippines
to the effective and accelerated implementation of
the programs, projects, and activities to combat
desertification, land degradation and poverty in the
identified drought-vulnerable areas of the country. It
is a working document for the convergence of
actions of the four departments of the national
government Agriculture, Environment and Natural
Resources, Science and Technology, and Agrarian
Reform. This NAP is water-centered and focuses on
the sustainable management of critical watershed
areas located in seasonally dry/arid areas suffering
from food insecurity.
The NAP on Desertification and Land
Degradation presents the Philippine scenario on
land degradation and drought and proceeds to give
a report on previous and current efforts to combat
land degradation and mitigate drought effects. The
main part of the NAP is the General Plan of Action

for the years 2004-10, expected outputs, as well as
implementation arrangements and schedule of
proposed action programs. It is composed of two
major thematic programs sustainable agriculture
and marginal upland development and integrated
ecosystem management. These thematic programs
have five components land and water technology
development, local governance and community
initiatives,
data
base
development
and
harmonization,
information
education
and
communication, and enabling policy development.
The important deliverables of the NAP are
1) the establishment of 5,000 community learning
centers with the aim of training 15,000 upland
dwellers and developing community initiatives on
local area development; 2) the construction of
100,000 small water retention structures in critical
watershed areas benefiting 1,000,000 farmers and
1,000,000 upland dwellers; 3) the reduction of
dependence on chemical fertilizers by 30 percent
through the implementation of balanced fertilization
combining organic and inorganic fertilizers; and 4)
the prevention of desertification and further
expansion of land degradation of 250,000 hectares of
denuded critical agricultural lands and the
rehabilitation of 500,000 hectares of critical
watershed ecosystems in Mindanao and Luzon.
Also a key feature of the NAP is the
formulation of measures to maximize the
opportunity
for
efficient
management
of
underground rivers and limestone cave freshwater
in small island provinces. Forty five agencies from
various sectors were involved in the preparation of
the Philippine NAP. Thirty four are from the
government sector, seven from the academe, and
four non-government organizations.
National Report
The Third National Report of the
Philippines to the UNCCD set out the formulation of
the Philippine National Action Plan to Combat
Desertification and Land Degradation as well as the
countrys strategies and measures established within
the context of the Convention. It also presented the
participatory and consultative processes in support
of preparation and implementation of projects and
relevant projects implemented within the context of
the Convention. The consultative process for the
formulation of the NAP included a series of roundtable discussions and conferences among concerned
government agencies, the academe, and NGOs.
By providing an update on the status of
UNCCD implementation in the Philippines through
Page 27 of 43
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
Page 28 of 43
proposed in 2008 to restore 7,270 hectares in

resource-poor upland communities.
and water resources database and information

development.
Sustainable Agriculture and Marginal Uplands

Development and Integrated Ecosystem
Management Programs
The fourth program component consists of

two project activities, viz., 1) the provision of
support to the development and publication of
knowledge products and tri-media materials; and 2)
the development of a compendium for communitydefined useful plants, herbs and wildlife and their
location, niches, habitat and distribution. Lastly, the
fifth program component involves raw water
valuation, trading and incentives for water systems.
The Sustainable Agriculture and Marginal

Uplands Development and Integrated Ecosystem
Management Programs are the two comprehensive
major programs of the 2004-10 NAP which in turn
further consist of five program components, viz., 1)
land and water technology development; 2) local
governance and community initiatives; 3) database
development and harmonization; 4) information,
education and communication; and 5) enabling
policy development.
The first program component involves four
project activities, viz., 1) an assessment and
mitigation measures case study on one of the oldest
irrigation systems in the Philippines, the Upper
Pampanga River Irrigation System (UPRIS); 2) a
study for the arrest of soil nutrient depletion and
water pollution of the Strategic Zones of Agriculture
in seasonally arid areas; 3) a study on precision
agriculture towards sustaining optimal productivity
of rice and corn; and 4) the promotion and
development of community-based wilderness
agriculture for improvement of forest productivity
and rehabilitation.
The second program component involves
six project activities, viz., 1) promotion of
community-LGU partnerships in managing Karst
water in small island provinces; 2) establishment of
small water retention structures for upland
agriculture and agrarian reform community
development; 3) establishment of a Network of
Farmer Experts System and Farmers Participatory
Learning Centers (FPLCs) for technology adaptation
and development of understanding desertification,
biodiversity and climate change; 4) establishment of
Conservation Farming Villages (CFV) toward
sustainable management of sloping lands; 5)
enhancement of home gardens for food and wood
sufficiency and genetic diversity especially in the
sand dune areas of the Ilocos region; and 6) case
studies of local governance-community partnerships
in managing degraded and critical multiple
watersheds in Mindanao and Luzon trans-boundary
river systems.
The third program component involves the
implementation of a village-level geo-informatics
(GIS) landscape grid approach for integrated land
Organic-based Agriculture Development (Agrikalikasan) Program

Agri-kalikasan is the DAs strategic
program in preventing loss of soil fertility and
restoring soil quality. It is a science-based back-tobasic cost reduction organic-based sustainable
agricultural and rural development program that
creates partnership between academic institutions,
local government units, and the Department of
Education in the campaign against burning of rice
straw and other farm wastes and their use as
compost for soil and crop yield improvement. The
program promotes safe and judicious use and proper
mixtures of oil-based chemical fertilizers. The
promotion of the use of organic fertilizer includes its
production through recycling of farm wastes and
residues such as recycled composted home and farm
wastes, animal manures, guano deposits, green
manures, and other forms and natural sources of soil
ameliorants and organic fertilizers.
Capacity building activities in this program
include trainings for farmers and extension workers
on the use of rice straw and chicken manure as
fertilizers, regional and provincial briefings for
partner-agencies and LGUs, and technology
demonstrations at the farm-level. The component
activities of this program are the Modified Rapid
Composting (MRC) and the Tipid Abono Program.
The promotion of modified technologies to enhance
local farmers participation in organic-planting also
include mushroom, biogas and trichoderma
production. The program is funded by the
Government of Japan and is slated to end in 2008.
Community-Based Watershed and Forest
Management
Community-based watershed management
in improving livelihood opportunities in selected
areas of the Philippines aims to improve livelihood
opportunities through watershed management. It is
primarily a capacity-building project with major

activities involving community organization and
management, community resource assessment,
establishment of farmer-managed trial displaying
the available and appropriate technologies for
watershed management mainly in water harvesting
and cropping system, conduct of trainings, lectures
and demonstration on soil and water conservation
measures and technologies, farming practices and
marketing strategies, and strengthening of linkages
among organizations, agencies, government units
and rural communities.
An International Center for Research in
Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT)-funded communitybased watershed management approach in
improving livelihood opportunities in selected areas
has also been undertaken from 2005-07 also in
collaboration with the Bureau of Agricultural
Research and the Federation of Free Farmers. The
project aimed to promote sound community-based
soil and water conservation technologies to
minimize land degradation and provide land
reclamation/improvement-derived livelihood and
employment opportunities in four agro-ecosystems
located in Dona Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan;
Talibon, Bohol, San Clemente, Tarlac; and Ilocos Sur.
At the projects end in 2007, it was expected to
achieve 30% increase in farmers income, significant
improvement in natural resources productivity and
empowered community in terms of carrying out soil
and water conservation initiatives.
With regard to the community-based
forestry management program of the DENR, at
present, of the 15.85 million hectares of forestlands,
only 1.6 million hectares are covered by communitybased forestry management agreements. The
coverage of the CBFM program is 5.97 million
hectares with projected targets of up to 9 million
hectares of all forestlands.
Page 29 of 43
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.
Present CBFM projects include one in

Barangay Buenavista, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
involving 3,000 hectares, 1,500 of which is primary
and secondary forests, 200 hectares of plantation
forest and 1,300 hectares of agro-forestry area and
regenerating forests. About 100 hectares consist of
regenerating
natural
forest
placed
under
appropriate silvicultural treatment and 1,500
hectares consist of mature and secondary forest
protected and managed for production of timber
and non-timber forest products.
Integrated watershed management for

sustainable soil and water resources management of
the Inabanga Watershed in Bohol Island, the largest
watershed of the Bohol Island, include a series of
trainings on soil and water conservation
technologies and farm record keeping for farmers
and extension workers. The projects main focus is
research, development, training, and related
activities that aim to protect soil and water resources
while sustaining agricultural productivity in the
Inabanga watershed, including the application of
indigenous technologies, lessons learned, and the
integration of womens concerns in dry upland
development. This project activity was funded by
the Australian Center for International Agricultural
research (ACIAR) and was undertaken from 2002-06.
Another is a project located in Cabbaroguis,

Quirino with an area of 46,000 hectares covering
nine barangays. At present, 957 hectares have been
reforested with ongoing protection of existing
There is also a current initiative to reforest in

critical watersheds of existing irrigation systems
covering 2.64 million hectares. In this regard, the
Department of Agriculture, through the National
Page 30 of 43
Irrigation Administration (NIA), has embarked on a

program to repair and rehabilitate more than
300,000 hectares of unserviceable irrigated
farmlands from 2006-10. Irrigation projects on the
pipeline also include the Banaoang Pump Irrigation
Project in Ilocos Sur, the Agno River Irrigation
project, which will add 25,000 hectares of irrigated
land in Pangasinan, the Balog Balog Dam in Tarlac,
the Balintongon Dam in Nueva Ecija, and the
Kabulnan Project in Mindanao.
the Philippines. Through the network linkages, the

network RDE agenda are reviewed, formulated and
prioritized. Project coordination, implementation
and monitoring is likewise achieved.
Sustainable Use of Shallow Groundwater

One of the adaptation strategies for water
resources is the provision of the needed resources
for the establishment of rainwater harvesting
structures. This is envisioned to ensure water supply
in resource-poor rural communities for dry season
utilization, contribute to flood-prevention in
lowland areas during the rainy season, improve the
livelihood base of rural communities through inland
fish production in the reservoir and through more
sustainable crop production, and recharge shallow
groundwater for utilization during the dry season.
Enhancing
Agricultural
Production
through the Sustainable Use of Shallow
Groundwater is implemented in one of the
seasonally arid areas of the Philippines and focuses
on community initiatives and area development to
ensure quality and quantity of water resources. This
project, which was undertaken from 2004-07, aimed
to develop a Philippine approach to the sustainable
utilization of shallow groundwater to enhance
agricultural production in rainfed lowland areas. It
was implemented in one of the seasonally arid areas
of the Philippines in Ilocos Norte where there is
insufficient surface water and unpredictable rainfall.
The project also aimed to implement appropriate
management strategies at two pilot sites in Burgos
and Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in cooperation with local
government units to enhance sustainable crop
production.
Capacity-building activities include training
on groundwater investigation and management for
farmers, LGUs, government agencies and academe;
seminar on water saving technologies for farmers
and LGUs; and groundwater modeling for academe
and government agencies. This project activity is
funded by the ACIAR.
National Soil and Water Resources RDE Network
This program involves the implementation
of research and development projects related to soil
and water conservation and management all over
Soil and Water Conservation and Management

Measures
Intensification of soil and water conservation
and drought mitigation measures through
innovative
approaches
include
technology
promotion
activities
such
as
field
days,
demonstration trials and regular farmers training.
The technology promoted include 1) the planting of
best suited crops or crops contributing to the
sustainability of the farming system; 2) soil fertility
enhancement practices such as such as farm waste
recycling, green manuring and balanced fertilization
or optimum use of organic and inorganic fertilizers;
3) the use of sloping agricultural land technology
(SALT) in upland areas experiencing moderate to
severe erosion in order to stabilize the soil and
prevent loss of soil nutrients; 4) agronomic measures
such as minimum tillage, crop diversification, use of
drought resistant crops in drought prone areas,
mulching in dry land environment and drip
irrigation to improve water use efficiency in coarse
textured soils.
Proper crop scheduling minimizes losses
during critical vegetative stage and harvesting,
maximizes utilization of rainfall, and facilitates more
efficient use of water. On the other hand, Agronomic
measures such as minimum tillage, crop
diversification, use of drought resistant crops and
mulching in dry land environment reduces water
demand particularly during the dry season,
enhances soil fertility status while at the same time
prevents soil mining, and improves efficiency in
water use. Promotion of SALT in upland areas
stabilizes the soil and prevents loss of soil nutrients.
Internationally funded projects include the
FAO-funded Integrated Management of SaltAffected Coastal Soils in the Philippines which aims
at
developing
and
promoting
integrated
management techniques for the improvement of saltaffected coastal lands in support of the food security
program in the country and the ACIAR-funded
evaluation of the Impact of Improved Soil and Water
Management practices in Bohol Island. The latter is a
follow-through project on the accelerated transfer
and adoption of technologies for sustainable
agriculture through implementation and critical
evaluation of best management practices at farmermanaged demonstration sites and is to be
undertaken from 2006-11.

Information and Education
Public information and awareness programs
so far include the conduct of a conference on
National Awareness Combating Land Degradation
and Mitigating the Effects of Drought in Mindanao
held in 2001 as well as the Needs Assessment
Workshop for Water Resources Management in the
same year. Another form of the awareness programs
was the inclusion of environmental education in the
formal educational curriculum, specifically in soil
and water conservation courses, in colleges and
universities.
POPs
The GEF through the UNDP has granted an
initial assistance to the Philippines to develop a
National Implementation Plan on the Stockholm
Convention. The implementation plan will describe
how the Philippines will meet its obligations under
the Convention to phase-out POP sources and
remediate POP-contaminated sites in the country.
The program aims to create sustainable capacity to
enable the Philippines to comply with its obligations
under the Stockholm Convention, including initial
preparation of a Philippine POPs Implementation
Plan, and broader issues of chemical safety and
management.
Related to this is the CIDA-assisted
Management, Risk Assessment and Capacity
Building
on
Persistent
Organic
Pollutants
Programme. The objectives of the programme
focuses on the enhancement of public awareness of
the health and environmental impact of POPs and
the development of the countrys technical capacity
to effectively monitor and manage POPs and
mitigate their adverse impacts.
Review of Philippine Positions on the

UNFCCC, UNCBD, and UNCCD
____________________________
Climate Change
Adherence to the UNFCCC
At present, the Philippines has been able to

clearly elaborate its position on key climate change
issues which basically calls for its and the other
country-parties continued adherence to the
UNFCCC. Specifically, the Philippines continues to
Page 31 of 43
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
Page 32 of 43
the CDM could potentially provide the country with

benefits in terms of foreign investment in CDM
project activities, employment and income
opportunities,
local
energy
sufficiency,
establishment of ecologically-friendly projects that
will contribute a healthier and safer environment,
transfer of environmentally safe technology and
know-how that will contribute to the sustainable
development goals of the country. Equitable
participation in CDM projects to support the
implementation of mitigation and adaptation
strategies
and
capacity
development
and
technology, among others, must therefore be
sustained.
the Kyoto Protocol held in November 2006. In said

statement, the Philippines expressed that the parties
collective response to climate change was still
painfully slow. It was posited that the only way to
stem the tide of the adverse effects of climate change
is to do more, specifically in fulfilling and deepening
emission reduction targets and modifying longerterm trends in anthropogenic emissions by
undergoing a radical change in production and
consumption lifestyles. The statement therefore
emphasized the need for a post-Kyoto agreement by
2009 which shall deal on additional reduction
commitments. The statement then reiterated the call
for making the Adaptation Fund, Special Climate
Change Fund, and the Least Developed Countries
Fund operational without any further delay and
conditionalities.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) has released two reports, the first
dealing with the scientific assessments of climate
change clearly demonstrating human interference in
the world climate. The second report states that the
adverse impacts of climate change are already being
felt and will continue to be felt regardless of what
efforts are made to mitigate climate change. The
Philippine position is that it is particularly
vulnerable to these adverse affects including sea
level rise and the intensity and frequency of
typhoons. The importance of the findings in the 2nd
IPCC report lies in its emphasis on the need for
adaptation to climate change, and the important role
played by technology in adaptation. The Philippines
believes that concerted international cooperation in
addressing climate change (mitigation) and its
adverse impacts (adaptation) is needed now.
COP 11 and COP 12 Statements
The Philippines delivered its Statement at
the Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the
UNFCCC and First Meeting of the Parties to the
Kyoto, Protocol held in Montreal, Canada in
December, 2005. The statement emphasized as
urgent the need to deepen the emission reduction
targets enshrined in the Kyoto Protocol. The
persistent difficulties in arriving at a consensus on
the deepening of the obligations of developed
countries with regard to cutting emissions were also
noted in said statement. On the Philippines
obligations, it was stated that the implementation of
Philippine commitments, including abatement
which is not compulsory, is pre-conditioned on the
developed countries delivery of new and additional
financial resources, including the transfer of
technology.
The Philippines also issued a Statement at
the Twelfth Conference of the Parties to the
UNFCCC and the Second Meeting of the Parties to
Philippine Positions on COP 12 Issues

In the Twelfth Conference of the Parties to
the UNFCCC, an Ad Hoc Working Group on Further
Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto
Protocol (AWG) was formed. The AWG was
organized to exchange views on the process for
considering future commitments of Annex I parties
(industrialized countries) for the post 2012 period
when the Kyoto Protocols first commitment period
ends. Its first session was held in May at Bonn,
Germany. It was merely organizational in nature,
but it also dealt with the scope of its work.
The G77 and China took the position that the
work of the AWG is clearly mandated under Art. 3.9
of the Protocol, that of setting further reduction
targets for Annex I countries in Annex B of the
Protocol for the next commitment period. The
Group also maintains that targets need to be
substantially higher than those of the first
commitment period and that the targets should be
set by 2008, in order to ensure that there is no gap
between the commitment periods. The Philippines
supported the position of G77 and China.
There was also an attempt among Annex I
Parties particularly the European Union to put in
place a review of non-Annex I Communications.
Presently, the Consultative Group of Experts on
National Communication from non-Annex I
Parties examines the initial communication of nonAnnex I Parties and also provides technical advice
on ways to improve its preparation. As of COP 12,
there were about 132 national communications from
non-Annex 1 Parties submitted to the Secretariat.
The Philippines submitted its report on May 2000
and is now ready to prepare its second national

communication with support from the GEF. The
Philippines maintains that there should be no
further or thorough review of the national
communication submitted by non-Annex I Parties.
Instead, the importance of enhancing and
maintaining its capacity to prepare the national
communication and the need for full-cost financial
support should be emphasized.
Another issue tackled at COP 12 was the
review of the Financial Mechanism. This is
essentially a review of the Global Environment
Facility (GEF), as an operating entity of the financial
mechanism of the convention. The G77 and China
included in the review the impact of the GEF
Resource
Allocation
Framework
on
the
implementation of commitments under the
convention. There is a wide gap between the
positions of developing countries, on the one hand,
and the developed countries, on the other. The
developing countries see the GEF as a mechanism
which ensures funding for the implementation of
their commitments under the convention. The
developed countries treat the GEF as an aid agency,
accountable to their national authorities and subject
to their funding requirements. The current
contribution of countries to the GEF is decreasing.
The US and Japan are cutting their contribution, the
US almost by half. The EU is offering the same
amount of contributions in Euros with the exchange
rates (cheaper dollar) making up for the difference.
As a result, the pre-allocations to groups of countries
have also been cut back. The Philippines preallocation is US$5.9 M.
An outcrop of the issue on the GEF is the
contention that an institution other than the GEF
should handle the Adaptation Fund under the
Kyoto Protocol. The Adaptation Fund differ from
the other funds under the Convention in that it is
not sourced from aid or donor money, but instead it
is from a share of the proceeds from the certified
emission reduction units generated by project
activities under the clean development mechanism.
The money (monetized CERs) going into the Fund is
essentially money from developing countries. The
provision (Art. 12.8 of the Kyoto Protocol) was
originally envisioned to be the way through which
developing countries share the proceeds from
hosting CDM projects with other developing
countries. The Adaptation Fund was established in
the implementation of Article 12.8 of the Kyoto
Protocol. Article 12 defines the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM).
Page 33 of 43
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.
Page 34 of 43
local communities over these knowledge, including

the assurance of free access of these communities to
said knowledge and its protection from monopoly
control. The delegation also expressed the view that
the term indigenous communities should not only
refer to tribal or forest-based communities but also to
local farming communities and fisherfolks that
utilize traditional and sustainable resource use
practices. Thus, knowledge, innovation and practices
referred to in Article 8 (j) should not be limited to
forest biodiversity but should also include
agricultural and coastal and marine ecosystems. At
the same time, the delegation pointed out that the
implementation of Article 8 (j) should recognize the
rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral or
native lands and domains. The delegation
emphasized that the recognition of these basic rights
of indigenous peoples is indispensable in the
protection and conservation of biodiversity. In
relation to this, the delegation also called for a
program that would raise the capacity of indigenous
peoples to defend their rights, negotiate on benefits
sharing, and protect indigenous knowledge and
practices.
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
On access to genetic resources, the

Philippines reiterated its position that the rules on
access to ex situ collection in gene banks of
multilateral institutions, including those collected
prior to the effectivity of the Convention should be
clarified and that these collected resources should be
included within the purview of Article 15 of the
Convention to the effect that countries of origin
should exercise dominion over resources gathered
from within their borders. In this regard, the
Philippine delegation expressed its willingness to
contribute in the design and formulation of access
rules by presenting its own rule on bioprospecting,
EO 247.
With regard to technology transfer, the
Philippines expressed the view that the program to
strengthen national capacities for technology should
include not only the scientific or academic
community, industry or bureaucracy but also the
local and indigenous communities as well as the
private sector and NGOs. The local and indigenous
communities must be involved in the development
of technological capacities especially in in situ
conservation. In so doing, there must be
transparency, assurance of accessibility and
equitable sharing of benefits. At the same time,
projects for institutional reforms and capacity
building to help developing countries to consolidate
and improve their technological capacities for
development must be eligible for GEF funding as
enabling activities and operational projects. As for

the CHM, it must play a key role in advancing
research and training through networking and other
forms of exchanges. It must also endeavor to use
other media aside from the internet that are more
accessible to local communities.
On the issue of intellectual property rights,
the Philippines advocated that in addition to the
proposals for exploring options to accommodate
traditional knowledge with existing intellectual
property rights regimes, the COP should call for the
development of a system recognizing and protecting
the rights of indigenous peoples and local
communities to their genetic resources and
indigenous knowledge. It added that the current
intellectual property rights system is neither
sufficient nor adequate to protect the rights of
indigenous peoples and local communities. In
particular, life forms and indigenous knowledge
should not be included within the scope of the
intellectual property rights system. As such,
ownership and control of all information made
through the CHM should remain with providers,
respecting the rights of origin and indigenous and
local communities. The Philippines thus called on
the COP to adopt a policy requiring the disclosure of
the country and community of origin and prior right
in all patent applications and the appellation of
origin in case of trademarks.
COP 5
The 5th Conference of the Parties (COP5) to
the UNCBD was held in Nairobi, Kenya from May
15-26, 2001. The Sub-Committee on Biodiversity of
the PCSD prepared a briefing on positions as a
guide for the Philippine delegation to said COP5.
The briefing paper expressed support for the
following recommendations of the SBSTTA of the
Convention: 1) the establishment of a global
taxonomy initiative (GTI) to facilitate international
cooperation and coordination of activities; 2) the
establishment of a program of work on the
biodiversity of dryland, arid, semi-arid, grassland
and savannah ecosystems; 3) development of
guiding principles for the prevention of the impact
of alien species and identification of priority areas of
work on isolated ecosystems and giving further
recommendations to the Global Invasive Species
Program; 4) incorporation of biological diversity
concerns on environmental impact assessments; 5)
development of approaches and practices for the
sustainable use of biological resources including
tourism; 6) endorsement of the draft program of
work on agricultural biodiversity with program
elements such as assessment, adaptive management,
capacity-building,
and
mainstreaming;
7)
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
laws; 4) self-representation through the indigenous

peoples own institutions; 5) free prior informed
consent on any outside activity that will impact on
their domain; and 6) full control of access to
traditional knowledge and resources.
COP 7
Other relevant issues of concern raised by

the Philippine delegation on the matter of
indigenous peoples are 1) the inapplicability of
existing intellectual property rights system for the
protection of traditional knowledge; 2) indigenous
peoples control and management of registries or
databases of traditional knowledge; 3) the lack of
accountability of western regimes on the protection
of knowledge; 4) the participation of women in the
management and control of their traditional
knowledge as it relates to biodiversity and
sustainable development; and 5) the recognition of
the link between access and benefit-sharing and
traditional knowledge.
Thus, the Philippine delegation pointed out
that even as there is still further work on the
development of guidelines for the conduct of
cultural, environmental and social impact
assessments, the COP should encourage parties to
the Convention to adopt or incorporate these
guidelines in their national laws as a single process
while taking into account its implications on
discussions related to the access of biological and
genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing
of benefits from their use.
The Philippine delegation also saw the need
to highlight the experience of Southeast Asian
communities in adopting the so-called community
protocol approach which utilizes the customary
laws of indigenous communities to maximize their
participation in discussions related to access to and
benefit-sharing of traditional knowledge and
biological and genetic resources. It urged the Ad
Hoc Working Group on Article 8 (j) to document the
experiences of communities in adopting community
protocols in protecting their rights over genetic
resources and traditional knowledge. Necessarily
therefore, the parties to the convention should take
into account the existing approaches and
methodologies of local and indigenous communities
in the development and maintenance of registries
and databases of traditional knowledge at the
national and regional levels. These registries and
databases must be seriously considered in the
development of sui generis systems. To attain this
end, the parties should prioritize capacity-building
of indigenous and local communities for the
protection of their traditional knowledge systems.
The 7th Conference of the Parties to the

UNCBD (COP7) was held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia from February 9-20, 2004. In this particular
COP, the Philippines came out with a more
comprehensive and complete articulation of its
position on all agenda items for discussion.
On the issue of access and benefit-sharing,
the Philippines pointed out the importance to thresh
out the issues to pave the way for the negotiation of
a legally binding instrument that would protect,
guarantee and recognize the rights not only of the
countries of origin of biological and genetic
resources but also the local and indigenous
communities that possess the knowledge associated
with these resources and are at the same time the
custodians of these resources. According to the
Philippine position, the issues to be taken up should
include the following: 1) recognition of the rights of
local and indigenous communities in the processes
which determine the terms and conditions of an
access and benefit-sharing (ABS) agreement; 2)
monitoring of post-bioprospecting activities at the
international level including third party transfers of
biological and genetic materials which may not be
addressed adequately by ABS agreements; 3)
development of mechanisms to actualize technology
transfer and cooperation between the user of the
biological and genetic resources as well as the
country and the communities that provided the
resources, which will become mandatory provisions
in ABS agreements; 4) elaboration of benefit-sharing
mechanisms that are not dependent on existing
intellectual property rights regimes for the
realization of benefits; and 5) elaboration of the
international certificate of origin of genetic resources
and associated traditional knowledge including the
necessary legal requirements for the disclosure of
country of origin of genetic resources and associated
traditional knowledge.
On technology transfer, the Philippines
urged the COP to adopt a program of work, on the
one hand, and the parties as well as relevant
international funding institutions to provide
financial and technical support to developing
countries, on the other, for biodiversity conservation
efforts of and the actual generation and transfer of
technologies
among
indigenous
and
local
communities. In relation to this, the Philippines also
urged for an analysis of the role of intellectual
property rights in technology transfer and the
development of models of technology transfer that
are not based on intellectual property rights.

called for the following: 1) mainstreaming of
agricultural biodiversity in the parties plans,
programs and strategies with the active
participation of local and indigenous communities
and the provision of funds for this purpose; 2)
assistance in capacity-building initiatives in the
mainstreaming of agricultural bio-diversity; 3)
documentation of existing community approaches in
plant genetic resources conservation, development
and use; 4) minimizing threats to agricultural
biodiversity by banning genetic use restriction
technologies; 5) assessment of the impact of trade
liberalization on local and indigenous farming
communities; and 6) allowing and providing
opportunities to local and indigenous farming
communities to use traditional, local and alternative
market systems.
On Article 8 (j) of the Convention, the
Philippines supported the adoption of the draft
Akwe: Kon Guidelines for the Conduct of Cultural,
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Regarding
Developments Proposed to Take Place on, or which are
Likely to Impact on Sacred Sites and on Lands
Traditionally Occupied or Used by Indigenous and Local
Communities. The Philippines also made the position
that real progress on the issue of participation of
local and indigenous communities should first be
made before the COP proceeds with the
development of the elements of sui generis systems
for the protection of traditional knowledge,
innovations and practices.
With regard to the item on protected areas,
the Philippines advanced that the COP should put
emphasis on the following: 1) participation of major
stakeholders, particularly of indigenous peoples and
local communities, in protected area management; 2)
recognition and promotion of initiatives for the
protection and restoration of areas for biodiversity
conservation outside but complementary to the
formal system of protected areas; 3) regional
cooperation in protecting large biodiversitysignificant areas that extend beyond single-state
jurisdiction in relation to the Ecoregional
Conservation Plan for the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine
Ecoregion Memorandum of Understanding entered
into between the Philippines, Malaysia and
Indonesia during the COP; and 4) provision of new
and additional financial resources to developing
countries in order for them to meet expanding
commitments and obligations under the UNCBD.
On Communication, Education and Public
Awareness, the Philippines emphasized the
following strategies: localization, integration and
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.
Page 38 of 43
On technology transfer and scientific and

technical cooperation, the Philippines reiterated the
need to have a clear program within the Convention
to provide technical and financial support to
developing and least developed countries. The
Philippines also noted the work done by the
Convention Secretariat on the role of intellectual
property rights in technology transfer within the
context of the Convention. It urged that equal
attention be given in identifying the barriers posed
by intellectual property rights to technology transfer
and how to overcome these using existing national
and international law or instruments and other
mechanisms.
time, the role of water management in these land

management and rehabilitation programs should
also be explored. Consistent with its position in 1998,
the Philippines also reaffirms the current ban on the
field testing and commercial use of Genetic Use
Restriction Technologies or GURTs. The Philippines
sees the work of the Working Group on Article 8 (j)
as an affirmation of the negative socio-economic
impact of GURTs not only on small-scale farmers but
also on the conservation and sustainable use of
biological and genetic resources by local and
indigenous communities. On the matter of using a
case-by-case approach in dealing with the impacts
relating to GURTs, the Philippines is of the position
that this is not only premature as no empirical study
has yet been produced to warrant its application, but
it also tends to weaken the precautionary principle
presently adopted by the Convention.
On the Conventions financial mechanism,

the Philippines took note that of the three
components of the Conventions objectives,
financing has so far been concentrated mainly on
conservation. Little has gone into sustainable use
and the equitable sharing of benefits arising out of
the utilization of genetic resources. It also gave
extensive concern over the resource allocation
framework (RAF) as totally inconsistent with the
provisions of the Convention on financial resources
and mechanism, that it goes against all guidance
provided by the COP, and that it runs the risk of
rendering the GEF almost irrelevant as an operating
institution.
Recognizing the extensive nature of its deep
sea bed marine environment such as the Sulu and
Sulawesi Seas as well as the Philippine Deep, the
Philippines expressed support to the SBSTTA
recommendations
on
marine
and
coastal
biodiversity as they relate to deep seabed genetic
resources beyond the limits of national jurisdictions.
It stressed that attention should also be given to
deep seabed resources within national jurisdictions,
as in the Philippine case, and called on further
research and international collaboration in marine
scientific research on deep seabed biodiversity and
the assessment of the threats to these resources. The
Philippines likewise declared its support to the
IUCN recommendation for an interim prohibition
on deep sea bottom trawling beyond national
jurisdictions
until
appropriate
management
mechanisms are in place to safeguard vulnerable
deep sea habitats such as seamounts, hydrothermal
vents and cold water corals.
expressed support for the cross-cutting initiative on
biodiversity for food and nutrition. However, it
stressed that the matter of addressing soil erosion in
various land management and rehabilitation
programs should also be prioritized. At the same

Through the intervention of the Philippines,
seasonal aridity or seasonal extreme dryness resulting from the emerging climate phenomenon
attributed to the increasing recurrence cycle of El
Nino - was presented in the Convention and was
considered
the
primary
basis
for
the
acknowledgment
that
desertification
as
a
phenomenon was appropriate not only in African
countries but in tropical countries as well. Thus, the
operationalization of this concept of desertification
as land degradation not only in arid, semi-arid and
sub-humid areas but also in seasonally arid areas
resulting from various factors, including climatic
variations and human activities is presently
submitted for the consideration of the Convention.
As proposed, it is defined as the reduction or loss of
the biological or economic productivity and
complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland,
or large pasture, forest and woodlands resulting
from land uses or from a process or combination of
processes, including those arising from human
activities and habitation patterns such as 1) soil
erosion caused by wind or water; 2) deterioration of
the physical, chemical and biological or economic
properties of the soil; and 3) long-term loss of natural
vegetation.
These emerging operational concepts on
desertification were also introduced by the
Philippine representative to the 7th Regional Meeting
of Asian and Pacific Focal Points on National Report
Preparation held in Bangkok, Thailand from August 7 to
11, 2006. In said presentation, the Philippine
presentor discussed that the Philippines is suffering
from incipient desertification, a pervasive, creeping

process of land and water degradation that result in
the loss of land productivity, severe reduction of
biodiversity and decline in soil resilience which
altogether contribute to the exacerbation of poverty
in vulnerable areas and stagnation of rural
development. The presentation continued that the
Philippines has a special case of climate anomaly
called seasonal aridity that increased the
vulnerability of poor subsistence communities and
which become pronounced with increasing
incidence of drought and El Nino phenomenon.
Thus, by virtue of GEF Operational Program 15,
ASEAN and Pacific countries, which are technically
outside the geographic limits of desertification,
become the showcase in the global prevention of the
further spread of desertification through the
formulation and implementation of sustainable land
management practices to combat land degradation
and deforestation.
Page 39 of 43
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
While Philippine government staff agencies

have not been shortcoming in commitment and ideas
insofar as creative project implementation and
follow through is concerned, efforts have been
bogged down more often than not at the level of the
pre-modern line bureaucracy, making effective
project implementation more of a special occurrence
rather than a standard outcome. This is why
successful projects often are pilot programs
invariably supported and propped up with foreign
funding. Once such foreign funding is withdrawn
and programs are deemed mainstreamed and
integrated for implementation down the line
agencies local level, the problem of sustainability
rears its head and project implementation becomes
dependent upon the vagaries of local political
patronage rather than upon any clear-cut and longterm programmatic prioritization backed up by firm
central government funding allocation. This explains
the prevalence of foreign-funded patrol vehicles
rusting in beaches and modern ranger stations in
pilot areas becoming dilapidated once foreignfunding is phased out and the project is supposedly
mainstreamed and integrated into standard
government operations.
A review of Philippine programs and

projects implemented as commitments and
compliance with the four international Conventions
shows that the Philippines has not lacked in policies
in support of these programs and projects. However,
beyond
the
level
of
policies,
program
implementation is effectively hampered by lack of
resources, both financial and technical, as well as
educational and public support arising from a
shortage of information and awareness campaigns.
This is not to mention the inherent administrative
and political problems of implementation unique to
It is in light of this singular hindrance to

public administrative modernization that the
National Capacity Self-Assessment Project of the
Philippines involving implementation of programs
pipelined in compliance with the countrys
commitments to three of the four multilateral
environmental Conventions is undeniably seen as
both timely and critical. The Philippine government
has not lacked dedicated and hard-working technical
personnel who are and always have been at the front
line of meeting the countrys commitments and
ensuring its compliance with its obligations under
the Conventions. It is therefore only timely that their
efforts are recognized by pouring resources for
The presentation of these emerging concepts

of land degradation and seasonal aridity were first
made in intervention by the Philippines during the
First Regional Consultation Meeting on the Abu Dhabi
Initiative for Implementation of the Priority Activities for
the Regional Action Programme (RAP) 2003-2008 held
in Abu Dhabi from March 21-23, 2005 and reiterated
in the Third Session of the Committee for the Review of
the Implementation of the Convention (UNCCD CRIC 3)
held in Bonn, Germany from May 2-11, 2005.
On other matters relating to the general
discussion of the objectives and implementation of
the Convention, the Philippines has invariably
adopted the positions put forward by the Subregional focal points of the Southeast Asian Region
as well as the Asia-Pacific Regional focal points in
the Conventions COP and MOP as well as CRIC
sessions.
_________
Page 40 of 43
capacity-building, where it matters and where it is

assured of long-term returns.
With regard to the UNCBD, the Philippines

implementation of the NIPAS Law as mandated
under the Convention since its inception has
provided a wealth of material of lessons learned, if
not of victories achieved in the fight against the
degradation of biological diversity, forestlands,
forest resources, as well as coastal and marine
ecosystems and resources in the country. The bioprospecting and wildlife resources policies and their
implementation has also greatly contributed to the
immediate realization of the previously nascent
concept of a peoples power and control over its own
biological and cultural heritage, giving said principle
an operational system of accountability and
proprietorship over commercial bio-prospecting
activities. In relation to this, the Philippines
empowerment of its indigenous peoples and
recognition of the value of their traditional
knowledge in conserving and protecting the
countrys biological resources has generated a new
regime of resource protection and conservation,
providing lessons on biological conservation outside
of ancestral domains, where these were previously
exclusively found. More than just giving recognition
to the rights of indigenous peoples to the biological
resources found within their ancestral lands, the
IPRA has residual benefits in terms of propagating
technologies that may be new to mainstream science
but known to indigenous peoples since time
immemorial, thus considerably contributing to the
countrys efforts to conserve, preserve and protect its
biological and genetic heritage.
At another level, the formulation of the

various National Action Plans implementing the
countrys compliance with its obligations under the
four multilateral environmental agreements shows
the Philippines commitment to concretizing the
principles and achieving the objectives of said
international Conventions. While these action plans
serve as blue prints to further refinement of
programmatic implementation of sustainable
projects, the problem of mainstreaming and
integration is more of a factor of modernizing the
Philippine government bureaucracy rather than of
mere policy invocation. Thus, full realization of the
objectives and concomitant benefits laid down in
these action plans is presently highly-dependent
upon firm central government policy commitment
as advocated by a professional and career-oriented
technical bureaucracy vis a vis the highly variable
and politically-charged reality of Philippine
government resource allocation and prioritization
practices.
While this discussion on Philippine
compliance with Convention commitments and
obligations has presented the various Philippine
government efforts in terms of its programs and
projects, an exhaustive assessment and analysis of
the success or failure of these projects is not among
its objectives. The present review of these
government projects shows that an assessment of
their overall impact at achieving the countrys
commitments to its Convention obligations is highly
in order. At any rate, even a cursory review of these
projects would show that the Philippines has
achieved much, and at some points has even gone
beyond what is expected from it in terms of its
Convention obligations.
Examples of these abound in the Philippines
commitment to achieving the objectives of the
UNFCCC, where its only material obligation is the
submission of a National Communication. But even
before the UNFCCC, the Philippines has already
created an inter-agency committee on climate
change, eventually serving as one of the
governments focal point to the climate change
Convention. In addition to this are the Philippines
efforts to enhance and expand its CDM project
activities, as well as to integrate and mainstream
climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies
in its energy as well as agricultural policies,
programs and projects.
On the part of projects and activities in

support of its obligations to the UNCCD, the various
agricultural programs of the Philippines shows its
commitment to relearning technologies in light of
the detrimental effects of the chemical fertilizer and
pesticide-based agricultural revolution on soil
sustainability. Agri-kalikasan, an organic-based
farming program, spearheads the back-to-basics
campaign of the DA. Together with its small water
impounding systems, soil and water conservation
programs,
and
community-based
watershed
management strategy of protecting and enhancing
critical watersheds for irrigation systems, the DAs
programs clearly embody an all fronts response to
the countrys land degradation and drought problem
caused by years of unmitigated deforestation,
irrational land use and conversion of rich alluvial
agricultural lands.
In the same vein, while a cursory review of
the Philippines positions on the various subjectmatter discussions raised during COP, MOP and
other Convention sessions shows the Philippines
consistent
support
of
positions
benefiting

developing country parties, a deeper analysis and
discussion of these positions and their consistency in
terms of Philippine government policy advocacy
within and outside of the Conventions objectives is
likewise in order. However, the present initial
review, though admittedly incomplete, shows that
the Philippine positions and advocacy on
Convention issues can be seen as having been
adopted in light of its own best interpretation of the
Conventions principles and objectives, and how
these are best realized and achieved.
At the moment, it is worthwhile to note that
a more systematic and institutionalized compilation
and databanking of Philippine positions on
Convention issues, either expressed or reiterated
within or outside Convention sessions, should be
undertaken. The same could improve on the PAWB
model of electronically compiling positions papers
as they evolve, from the technical committee levels
up to the Convention floor as Philippine statements
or session interventions, from the very first COP to
the latest, thus providing open and easy access to
information relating to Philippine positions on the
international
Conventions
throughout
the
Conventions sessions.
This effort can be achieved by simply
mandating the countrys focal points and
representatives to the Conventions sessions to
submit their reports and accumulated documents,
including written notes and final drafts, to the
countrys respective Convention focal points
secretariats, namely the EMB for the UNFCCC, the
PAWB for the UNCBD, and the BSWM for the
UNCCD. These focal agencies should in turn agree
upon a common system of databanking, improving
upon the PAWB model as earlier discussed, and
provide electronic portals for access by researchers
and the public at large, namely through the internet.
In connection with this, the International and Legal
Affairs Desk attached to the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects
(FASPO) of the DENR should be given the
corresponding capacity and authority to monitor all
Philippine government attendance in international
environmental Conventions, their sessions and
meetings, and to require official copies of travel
reports and Convention session documents,
especially those prepared by the Philippine
delegation, from members of the Philippine
delegation, particularly the members coming from
the above-mentioned three focal point agencies.
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
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__________
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Official Travel Report on the 5th Meeting of the
Subsidiary Body of Scientific, Technical and
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Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, February
2000.
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Report On Philippine Compliance To MEAs

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Convenbon on

PHILIPPINE COMPLIANCE and POSITIONS

Joacf Lcioi IL Garcia

STOCIIHOLM CONVENTION ON PFA5ISTD4T ORGANK POLLUTANTS (PCPs)

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs (Outline)

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs (Outline)

Executive Order No. 430 on Biosafety

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs (Outline)

Sustainable Agriculture and Marginal Uplands Development and Integrated

REPORT on CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY,

force of several UN environmental conventions and

Philippine Commitments and

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

The instant project of taking stock and

resources must be maintained and improved, that

Review of the Treaty Origins of the

The declaration also hedged on the

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

From June 3 to 14, 1992, the nations of the

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

According to the Declaration, in view of the

as spelled out in Presidential Decree No. 1151. It

Before the 1987 Constitution, during the

The 1987 Constitution was born in the era of

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Salient Points of the Multilateral

Principles and Objectives

The United Nations Framework Convention

The UNCBD is a legally-binding treaty to

Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed to work

The UNCBD focuses on seven thematic

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

An adjunct agreement to the UNCBD is the

a major concern during the UNCED at Rio de Janeiro

The Philippines ratified the UNCBD on

In order to achieve the objective of the

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Develop and periodically update and

The Kyoto Protocol sets legally-binding

Develop a National Strategy and Action

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Give due priority to combating land

Stockholm Convention on POPs

Review of Philippine Compliance with

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

include terrestrial and marine areas. There are also

within forest concessions; g) portions of areas

The NIPAS Law is largely implemented

Executive Order No. 318

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

However, since continued untrammeled and

activities are undertaken through participatory

The establishment of marine sanctuaries

The Balanced Fertilization Strategy

Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act

Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Report on Philippine Compliance to MEAs

Philippine position/s to international conferences

Based on the greenhouse gas emissions

One of the more specific tasks of the IACCC