Cavite Province
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STATE OF THE COASTS of Cavite Province The Provincial Government of Cavite, Philippines CERTIFICATE NUMBER AJA12-0026 Cavite is ISO 9001 certified State of the Coasts of Cavite Province The Provincial Government of Cavite, Philippines CERTIFICATE NUMBER AJA12-0026 Cavite is ISO 9001 certified State of the Coasts of Cavite Province August 2017 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes or to provide wider dissemination for public response, provided prior written permission is obtained from the PEMSEA Resource Facility Executive Director, acknowledgment of the source is made and no commercial usage or sale of the material occurs. PEMSEA would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any purpose other than those given above without a written agreement between PEMSEA and the requesting party. Published by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and the Provincial Government of Cavite, Philippines with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Printed in Quezon City, Philippines Citation: PEMSEA and Provincial Government of Cavite, Philippines. 2017. State of the Coasts of Cavite Province. Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Quezon City, Philippines. ISBN 978-971-812-042-2 PEMSEA is an international organization mandated to implement the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of PEMSEA and other participating organizations. The designation employed and the presentation do not imply expression of opinion, whatsoever on the part of PEMSEA concerning the legal status of any country or territory, or its authority or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries. PEMSEA Resource Facility P.O. Box 2502, Quezon City 1165, Philippines Tel: (+632) 929-2992 Fax: (+632) 926-9712 Email: [email protected] www.pemsea.org Cover photo by National Historical Commission of the Philippines – Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo, Kawit, Cavite. Republic of the Philippines Province of Cavite Office of the Governor Trece Martires City Message It is with pride that I present the State of the Coasts of the Province of Cavite (2002–2015). This work is a product of the diligent and careful labor of our tireless personnel in the Provincial Government of Cavite, and a testament to the collective efforts the government and the various sectors in the community have exerted to protect and conserve our coasts. Cavite has become a center of industrial development in the country, primarily due to its proximity to the nation’s capital and its robust human resources. With that, we have consistently maintained a commitment not only in fostering investments but also in ensuring that the progress does not come at the cost of the environment. As we recognize the importance of coastal conservation and the invaluable role our waters play in the local economy, we have always made environmental protection a priority in leading the province. Our Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan provides policies on the proper use of land and the environment, while the Integrated Coastal Management Division of our environment office remains hard at work to study, evaluate, and implement programs for the efficient management and protection of our coasts. Through this document, we have gained significant insights on the work we have done so far and the work yet to be done in order to ensure that the next generations of Caviteños benefit from our natural resources. The job to ensure sustainable development, particularly in our coastal areas, remains a formidable one, and we, in the provincial government, have nothing less than passion to meet this challenge head on. We are grateful to have the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) for guiding us throughout the task of protecting our seas. With our strong commitment to this mission, the dedication of our officers and PEMSEA’s continuous support, we are confident that the State of the Coasts of the Province of Cavite will only continue to progress in the years to come. ATTY. JESUS CRISPIN REMULLA Governor iii Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities United Nations Environment Programme Message On behalf of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities and the United Nations Environment Programme, we welcome the publication of the ‘State of the Coasts of Cavite Province’, a culmination of an engaging participatory process with a view to enhancing sustainable development and coastal resource conservation. The Global Programme of Action is indeed happy to have been associated with the efforts of the Provincial Government of Cavite and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) that has placed land-based marine pollution and its impacts at the center of coastal conservation and developmental issues. The Global Programme of Action is the only global intergovernmental mechanism directly addressing the connectivity between terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, and has supported countries across the globe in combatting marine pollution through the conduct of specific assessments, implementation of investments, development of policy, building capacity and raising awareness. As the world’s population continues to grow, the issues of pollution of the marine environment and damages to ecosystems and the services they provide, are expected to escalate if corrective concrete actions are not taken. However, innovative solutions are being developed across many levels to address land-based pollution and there has been emerging leadership to address the issue from private sector to governments to community-based organizations. With commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, preservation of the integrity of coastal resources through the lens of pollution abatement will mean a close nexus in meeting targets under Goal 6 on maintaining the quality of freshwater, and under Goal 14 on reducing marine pollution. The commitment has been amplified in the outcome of the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and the ‘Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action’, where countries have pledged “to accelerate actions to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land- based activities,….”. The Global Programme of Action will continue to play a role in assisting countries in meeting their commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals in relation to land-based pollution. One of these avenues has been under the Global Environment Facility-funded Global Nutrient Cycle (GEF-GNC) Project that has assisted the formulation of this State of Coasts Report of Cavite Province. Over the past five years, the GEF-GNC Project has contributed to providing knowledge foundations, tools and policy mechanisms to help governments and other stakeholders in initiating comprehensive, effective and sustained programmes to address nutrient over-enrichment and oxygen depletion from land-based pollution of coastal waters. The Global Programme of Action encourages the Provincial Government of Cavite, other national authorities and partners to showcase their experiences to the world, and we, at the United Nations Environment Programme stand ready to support in any future endeavors. Habib N. El-Habr, PhD Coordinator Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities UN Environment iv Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia Message I would like to commend the Provincial Government of Cavite and its partner national and local government agencies, academe, nongovernmental organizations and relevant stakeholders for their commitment and effort in preparing the first State of the Coasts (SOC) report of the Province of Cavite. This SOC report provides a comprehensive assessment of the socioeconomic and environmental status of Cavite Province from 2002-2015, including the management interventions and implementing arrangements that have been put in place for the sustainable development of the province’s coastal and marine areas. The effectiveness and success of the Cavite integrated coastal management (ICM) program can only be properly evaluated through systematic data gathering and analysis, as well as stakeholder consultation and participation. This approach applied in the SOC reporting system is important in order to determine both the changes that are occurring in the province’s ecosystem and the people’s perspectives and perceptions of the value and benefits of those changes, and the management program itself. With more than a decade of ICM program implementation, the report highlights the positive achievements of Cavite Province in putting in place the governance mechanisms (i.e., enabling policies and legislation, institutional and multisectoral mechanisms, stakeholder participation and awareness building, capacity building, and financing) necessary for the sustainable development and management of its coastal and marine