BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA  Presidential Proclamation No. 8ll dated June 07, 1935 – Proclaimed as Volcano National Park.

 Presidential Proclamation No. 421 dated November 27, 2000 – Proclaimed as Bulusan Volcano Natural Park

BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

Country Administrative Region V - Province Central 12’47’ North Latitude SORSOGON Coordinates 124’3’ East Longitude Altitude 300 – 1,565 meters asl Ecosystems Lake and Terrestrial BULUSAN (sub-montane forest) Classification Protected Area Key Biodiversity Area Conservation Extremely High Status* Critical

*Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priority Setting Program/ Key Biodiversity Area LOCATION Lies in the southern tip of Luzon Island, near the tip of the Camarines (Bicol) Peninsula. Southernmost part of the Sierra Madre mountain range. BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

MUNICIPALITIES (3) Three Main Peaks 1. Bulusan Volcano Bulusan 1,580 has (Highest) (43%) 2. Sharp Peak 1,048 has (28%) 3. Mt. Jormahan Juban 280 has (8%) (3) Three Lakes Casiguran 510 has (14%) 1. Black Bird’s Lake 2. Aguingay Lake Barcelona •255 has (7%) 3. Bulusan Lake

Protected Area under Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act (R.A. 7586) Total Area: 3,673.29 Hectares BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

. Bird (63%) . Reptiles (13%) . Amphibians and mammals (12%) . 30% Bird species that are endemic in Luzon are represented in the park; . 26% of the threatened birds in Luzon that are cited in the globally threatened bird list are found in the lake’s forests.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES • Biodiversity significance  Presence of wildlife with ecotourism value (FAUNA/FLORA) BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES Biodiversity significance Ecosystem types with ecotourism value . forest & lakes (freshwater) . Volcano, water falls, rivers and limestone formation BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

Due unabated illegal activities within the PA, on May 2005, a MOA was entered into by and Between the BVNP-PAMB & LGU Bulusan.  Giving authority to the LGU Bulusan to co-manage, develop and conserve the Bulusan Lake area up to 2 kilometers radius.  Develop its ecotourism potential to sustained economic growth and development of local communities living adjacent the PA. BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

SOCIAL PREAPREDNESS Presence of registered Civil Society Organization In September 2010, the LGU Bulusan accredited the Aggrupation of Advocates for Environmental Protection (AGAP Bulusan) thru SB Resolution as their partner to implement conservation and protection effort and develop the ecotourism potential of the Bulusan Lake area. BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

 Certificate of REGISTRATION (SEC) September 28, 2007  Certificate of ACCREDITATION September 13, 2010

SOCIAL PREAPREDNESS Presence of registered Civil Society Organization As early as 2007, AGAP was already at Bulusan Lake as a volunteer, recognizing the ecotourism potential of the PA. Organized by LIKAS Irosin, under the UNDP Small Grant Program initially to act as a Municipal Environmental Council with the purpose of protecting the Bulusan Volcano National Park (BVNP). However, due to the alliance member, organization’s active participation and the need for a genuine socio-economic development, It was agreed by the body to formally and legally register it as a corporation that will act as a Social Eco-Enterprise of the community. BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

CREATION of PRESERVE BVNP THRU THE UNDP CONSERVATION STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES: • Restoration, maintenance and protection of •Education and Information Campaigns biodiversity and enhancement of ecotourism • Participatory Reforestation attractions of BVNP Bulusan Area. •Ecotourism/eco-livelihood •Provision of capacity building and resource •Community Organizing and Capacity mobilization as a poverty alleviation mechanism Building and enhancement. •Eco-livelihood Trainings •Environmental awareness, information and •Biodiversity Watch and Research education campaign on biodiversity conservation • Community Nursery Establishment •Biodiversity conservation and environmental management related research and data banking. BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

SOCIAL PREPAREDNESS .As part of the activities in UNDP, AGAP Bulusan able to organized and capacitate 6 peoples organization. All are duly registered to SEC. “Association for Socio-Economic, Environment, Infrastructure & Institutional Support from People & Organizations” (ASENSO)/San Roque, San Jose, San Isidro, San Francisco, San Rafael and Sta. Barbara; • To sustain protection and conservation of the PA, some members are deputized as Wildlife Enforcement Officers (WEOs); • Some members also trained as Naturalist Eco-guides, duly accredited by DOT; • Women were trained to different alternative livelihood PROJECT; BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

SOCIAL PREPAREDNESS Involvement of organizations in tourism | ecotourism activities . Trainings, Tree planting, Dalaw Turo in Barangays and community BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

SOCIAL PREPAREDNESS Involvement of organizations in tourism | ecotourism activities . Trainings, Tree planting, Dalaw Turo in Barangays and community Participatory Reforestation BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

Bird watching

Bulusan Lake AQUA Adventures Trekking

DEVELOPED ECOTOURISM PRODUCTS

The development of ecotourism activities within the PA change the attitude of the community towards biodiversity conservation Vulcaneering BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

Eco-trail Run & Sky Run

Picnic

DEVELOPED ECOTOURISM PRODUCTS

The development of ecotourism activities within the PA change the attitude of the community towards biodiversity conservation BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

FOREIGN Guests in Bulusan Lake Local Guest in Bulusan Lake FY 2009 - 2013 FY 2009-2013

700 35,000 696 600 30,000 30,583 500 25,000 27,799 24,275 400 444 455 20,000 408 18,585 300 15,000 10,000 200 5,000 100 5,522 0 0 73 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011 Year 2012 Year 2013 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011 Year 2012 Year 2013

VISITORS ARRIVAL FROM 2009-2013 BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

ECOTOURISM SERVICES  Eco-guides (DOT Accredited Mountain Guides – ID release);  Presence of Tour Operators;  Information center; BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

CHELENGES IN ESTABLISHING THE LCA 1. Difficulty in transforming the attitude of the community/stakeholders towards conservation of the PA; 2. Fund sourcing to sustain activities in the PA/sustainable financing; 3. Insurgency; 4. Change of political leaders

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UPSCALING LCAs

1. Continuous capacitating/strengthening of stakeholders/communities; 2. Replicate the project in other areas/municipalities covering the PA; 3. Establish/create other livelihood alternative/enterprise for stakeholders; 4. Formulation of Environmental Defense Program thru community empowerment and social equity; 5. Sustainable financing to equip and provide remunerations to community; BULUSAN VOLCANO NATURAL PARK (BVNP) AS LOCAL CONSERVATION AREA

THANK YOU