FASPS Updates The official newsletter of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service Release no. 11 July-September 2017 PROTECTING THE CENTRAL PANAY MOUNTAIN RANGE THROUGH CRITICAL HABITAT Portion of Sibalom Natural Park (SNP) connecting to the forest of the municipality of ESTABLISHMENT San Remigio being proposed as a Critical Habitat in Antique | PAGE 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: FMP impresses JICA with project achievements | DENR-EMB launches the “Development of the Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) in the Philippines” Project | Lower Sierra Madre Grantees gather for the 2nd Annual Conference; “Amaya: Sa Pusod Ng Kagubatan” launched BIOFIN Philippines, Bhutan engage IN SOUTH-TO- PH, Germany CONSOLIDate GOOD PRACTICES IN MANAGING TO-SOUTH EXchange FOR BIODIVersity | page 4 SIXty EXISTING PROTECTED AREAS ALL OVER THE PH | page 10 FASPS Updates Release no. 11 July - September 2017 Table of Contents Protecting the CPMR Through CH Establishment 4 EDITORIAL Director Edwin G. Domingo BIOFIN Philippines, Bhutan engage in south-to-south exchange 4 to advance finance solutions for biodiversity conservation It is important to monitor whether projects are performing efficiently and demonstrating concrete contribution to DENR’s mandate. We must not only be able to identify areas of project success and failure; BIOFIN-UNDP, UP Pi Sigma during performnce checks, we should also constantly search for added values, best practices and lessons Fraternity hold a debate on 6 learned for the creation and reference of future projects. To do all of this, good coordination among mobilizing biodiversity financing project-involved offices must be established. from unconventional sources This August, FASPS held a Midyear Performance Review of the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects, Bike race for biodiversity in Panay back-to-back with a formal revisiting of the Logical Framework Matrices of the Forestland Management Island, Philippines 7 Project (FMP) and the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP). With a few representatives from the regional offices and local government units present, the Performance DENR-EMB launches the Review became a venue for replenishing synergies and valuable information sharing. As a result, urgent “Development of the Minamata necessary actions for projects and matters of improved overall management processes of such were Initial Assessment (MIA) in the 8 identified and prioritized during the forum. Philippines” Project Training programs, for instance, are to be formulated to address the needs of the field officers and in Lower Sierra Madre Grantees gather alignment to Secretary Roy Cimatu’s focus on enhancing and capacitating PENROs and CENROs. The for the 2nd Annual Conference; quality of capacitation at the local level greatly reflects the long-term project impact. The post-project “Amaya: Sa Pusod Ng Kagubatan” 9 initiative of the locals in project sites at generating livelihood and income through gained skills from the launched capacity-building activities is one good indicator of project sustainability. PH, Germany consolidate good practices in managing 60 existing protected areas all over the PH – at 10 least 56 new areas declared FMP iMPresses JiCA with ProJeCt AChieveMents FASPS News by Paolo Balderia FASPS attends workshop on sectoral policy gaps analysis 11 The Forestland Management Project (FMP) in Region VI received commendation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for its outstanding performance in implementing its project Snapshot News activities. Collaborative Energies Convene for Groundbreaking Ceremony 12 Ms. Ayumu Ohshima, JICA Senior Representative, was impressed with what she learned from the JICA field visit to FMP sites in Iloilo on July 26 – 28, 2017. FASPS participate in the 32nd ICC in Celebration of the Coastal Month 12 During the exit conference of the JICA visit, Ms. Ohshima admitted that her knowledge about FMP was limited to what she read in the documents, but the meetings and dialogues with stakeholders have FMP trains staff for roll out of provided her a good grasp of the Project’s direction in achieving its targets. community enterprises 12 (continue to next page) EDITORIAL ADVISER ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORS Atty. Jonas R. Leones, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Joel B. Abunda | Sheela V. Legaspi International Affairs CONTENT COORDINATOR EDITor-in-ChiEF Alma P. Estrada | Sheela V. Legaspi Edwin G. Domingo, Over All Director, Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service LAYOUT ARTISTS Laarni V. Marciano | Sheela V. Legaspi SCREENING AND EDITING BOARD Eddie B. Abugan, Jr. | Conrado A. Bravante, Jr. | CONTRIBUTORS Imelda R. dela Cruz Frances Mara Mendoza/ REDD+ | Léa Lacan/GIZ | Efrelyn Escultura- Calabano, Tanggol Kalikasan Inc./SGP5 | Ruth Martinez | Paolo MANAGING EDITOR Balderia | Angelique Ogena/UP Pi Sigma Fraternity | John Carlo Jeslina B. Gorospe Aguado | PMU of the MIA Project 2 Release no. 11 July - September 2017 FASPS Updates FMP IMPRESSES JICA (...continued from previous page) Migration to peri-urban areas is common for people living in upland “My knowledge of this project was pretty limited. But talking with the rural communities. They flock to cities to find jobs that will sustain the partners, as well as the SUSIMO (Sub-watershed Site Management needs of their families. However, the case for Barangay Hilwan started Office) members and also the PO (People’s Organization) members, I to change when FMP was introduced. was quite confident that this project was maybe a little bit delayed, but I think it’s on the right track, and it’s making people lives better,” said “Bumalik na yung population namin at nadagdagan pa yung household Ms. Ohshima. population namin. Ngayon, hindi na rin sila nahihirapang maghanap ng trabaho kung paano nila papaaralin ang kanilang mga anak. (Our Ms. Ohshima was referring to the small delay encountered by FMP population has gone back to normal and our household population has Region VI in completing its targets for 2016 under the Project’s Site actually increased. Now, they no longer experience problems in finding Development component. a job and how they will sustain their children’s schooling,)” Dalupines testified. According to Forester Antonio Latoza, Focal Person of the FMP Provincial Project Management Office (PPMO), the delay could be However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for FMP as some of the POs attributed to the additional area for site development, which was experienced struggles in implementing its activities. Some community contracted in the 3rd Quarter of 2016. members expressed resistance due to misconceptions about the Project. “Plantation establishment is very dependent on the season. The planting Ms. Jovie Camarig, Barangay Captain and PO President of Binolosan activity will be this year,” explained Forester Latoza. Pequeño Upland Farmers Association, said: “Hindi naging madali sa amin ang magkumbinsi ng kapwa naming IP. May agam-agam sa bawat Selecting an appropriate planting period for different site development isa. Hindi talaga nawawala yun. Baka kasi balang araw kapag na-develop modalities is crucial for their survival. In 2016, seedlings were not na yung ridor namin baka kukunin na ng gobyerno (It wasn’t easy for planted in the last quarter of the year due to the extremities brought by us to convince our fellow IP members. They have qualms to everyone. the Philippine climate. It’s inevitable. They think that someday the government will claim the lands they developed).” Since the start of the Project’s plantation establishment activities in 2014, FMP Region VI has so far attained 35% or about 4,000 hectares out of its But Ms. Camarig knew that this was not true and that they would have target of 11,500 hectares. It continues to complete its remaining targets full ownership of the areas they developed. This did not stop her and for the succeeding years. members of their PO from accomplishing their targets. They were still able to finish the contracted areas assigned to them. They expressed full Ms. Ohshima expressed confidence that the project will catch up with commitment to the Project until its completion. its targets in the remaining terms of its operation. Ms. Ohshima was personally moved by the stories shared by the POs. Validating FMP Sites in Calinog She also acknowledged the struggles experienced by them in order to Part of the JICA visit to Region VI was a validation activity in the FMP’s accomplish the project targets. agroforestry plantation under the Sub-watershed Site Management Office (SUSIMO) in Calinog, Iloilo. She expressed her confidence that the POs would fully realize their potential and thus continue to develop even after FMP reached Here, Ms. Ohshima was joined by representatives of the FMP Central completion. Project Management Office and the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service in inspecting some of the coffee plantation established by the FMP-assisted People’s Organization (PO). Representatives of the FMP-assisted PO had a chance to meet with Ms. Ohshima and share their experiences in the implementation of the Project. Ms. Narcisa Dalupines, President of the Hilwan Indigenous People’s Group, shared how the lack of employment opportunities in their community resulted in her neighbors seeking better jobs in the city. “Lumiit yung population ng barangay namin. Pumupunta yung mga tao sa bayan. Doon na sila tumitira dahil nagpapa-aral sila ng kanilang mga anak (The population of our