Datu Abdelwin Sangkula

Project Manager

NTFP-EP /ADVANCE REDD Project

Philippine Conference on Capturing Economic Benefits from Ecosystem Services

25 August 2011, ADB Manila

Palawan is known as the last ecological frontier of the Philippines

- it hosts over 1,500 species of flowering plants, approximately 19% of the 138 plant families and 650 genera recorded throughout the country.

-at least 422 species of terrestrial and marine vertebrate that accounts for 38.6% of species in the country.

- It has one of the largest remaining natural forest areas in the Philippines, with 46% forest cover (PCSDS, 2009) and

40% of the Philippines’ remaining mangroves.

Palawan Island & its biodiversity...

Palawan has been declared as a game and wildlife reserve under Proclamation No. 219 (1967) and as a mangrove reserve under Proclamation No. 2152 (1981).

Palawan possesses one of the biggest reserves of mercury in the Far East, with substantial deposits of oil, nickel, chromite, and other minerals.

Declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program as “Man and Biosphere Reserve” in 1991.

• There are 7 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements, -9 Small scale mining permits already have been issued.

• Some 429 mining applications are pending over some 651,000 hectares all over the province (PCSDS 2011).

• Exploration Permit Application (EPA) of Narra Nickel Mining and Development Corporation (NNMDC), McArthur Mining, Inc. (MM) and Tesoro Mining and Development, Inc. (TMDI) have been invalidated by the DENR, Dec. 2007.

Municipality of Narra

Municipality of Quezon

–Narra and Quezon : covering

154,625 hectares

Project Location

In the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) of Victoria-Anepahan Mountain Range: In the Municipalities of Narra and Quezon, Palawan

Victoria Anepahan

Range

Objectives• Overall objective:

– to promote effective forest governance and sustainable upland development in Southern Palawan.

Specific objective:

is to reduce the threats of deforestation and forest degradation through collaborative, local forest governance mechanisms, sustainable livelihood initiatives and climate change mitigation financing in the municipalities of Narra and Quezon, Palawan

Key results• Collaborative, local forest governance enhanced in 2

municipalities in Southern Palawan covering over 50,000 has of forest lands.

• Forest carbon and biodiversity co-benefits assessed, monitored, and sustainable carbon financing potentials explored for at least 6 barangays

• Sustainable livelihood systems installed in at least 6 barangays benefiting over 1,500 individuals.

VICTORIA-ANEPAHAN

RANGE

1978- 61, 077 has.

1993- 51,504 has.

2007- 47,810 has.

The Policy Environment: Forest Governance

• The Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan (RA 7611) provides the overarching legal framework in the conservation and management of the natural resources including forests and biodiversity of Palawan (Declaration of Policy).

• As a main strategy of SEP, it adopted a graded system of protection and development control all over the province from terrestrial to marine and ancestral lands, which is known as Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN).

The Policy Environment: Forest Governance

• All of the specific items related to ECAN (sec.7) are all related to conservation, protection, and management of forests, watersheds, biodiversity, endangered species, tourism, research and nothing about mineral development.

The Law also defines allowable and non-allowable areas through a management scheme and zonation.

Aside from other parameters, “all types of natural forest which include first growth forest, residual forest” are considered as “core zones”.

The Policy Environment: Forest Governance

• Comprehensive land use and forest land use plans are important tools in the holistic and efficient management of forest resources. Toward this end, the DENR and the LGUs together with other government agencies shall undertake forest land use planning as an integral activity of comprehensive land use planning to determine the optimum and balanced use of natural resources to support local, regional and national

growth and development (JMC 98-01, Sect. 1.3 )

Forest Governance Initiatives

Current Initiatives on Forest Governance: IECs

• Series of orientations and information drives on REDD+ and the proposed formation of Forest Local Governance Body (FLG) were conducted among the various local stakeholders (local officials, farmers , IPs) to generate social acceptability

Current Initiatives on Forest Governance: Local Endorsements

• Local legislative Councils’ (barangay and Municipal) endorsements for the project were secured to ensure project sustainability and enhance sense of ownership

Current Initiatives on Forest Governance: IP’s FPIC

• Free and Prior Informed Consents (FPIC) of the indigenous communities in 4 ancestral domains were secured as basic requirements prior to project implementation .

Current Initiatives on Forest Governance: Consultation/Planning

• Community consultations on land and resource use patterns and trends and localized action planning workshops were undertaken among IPs and non-IPs as inputs to FLUP & FLG formation

Current Initiatives on Forest Governance: FLUP Orientation/Planning and Piloting

• Basic orientation on FLUP processes was undertaken among key project partners in preparation for a full-blown FLUP development in Quezon municipality (pilot site)

Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives & Water System

Development

Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives• Integration of

sustainable livelihoods (agroforestry and NTFP enterprises) as an alternative to resource-destructive economic activities

Water System Development• Water system

development provides direct economic benefits to the rural communities and as an effective strategy to protect community watersheds (water source)

Forest Carbon Accounting & Biodiversity Assessment

Carbon Stock & Biodiversity Assessment

• Community members are being trained on forest carbon mensuration and biodiversity assessment as Community of Practitioners to ensure their meaningful participation and ownership of the carbon stocks.

Carbon Stock & Biodiversity Assessment

• The results of the assessments and inventories will eventually be integrated in the CLUP, FLUP and ADSDPP.

• Actual conduct of biodiversity and carbon stock assessments will depend on the issuance of SEP Clearance by PCSD.

Despite existence of a policy framework on forest conservation and governance, forested areas considered as “core zones” are converted into “mineral development zones” and other uses;

ECAN as a strategy faces a difficult challenge due to haphazard decisions of some local policymakers by amending ECAN zone ordinances just to allow mining operations;

Mining companies have “virtual control” over policy decisions on land and resource uses (e.g. ECAN, entry of REDD+ project)

KEY CHALLENGES

Developing an effective forest governance mechanism and eventually a benefit-sharing arrangement for future carbon revenue will remain to be a challenge due to culture of corruption.

KEY CHALLENGES

Consultations and dialogues are important ingredients in developing an effective forest governance mechanism and benefit-sharing scheme in the context of REDD+.

enhancing the political awareness and building the capacities of the local stakeholders should be considered as an investment towards sustainability.

Forests as a “lifeblood” should be instilled in the hearts and minds of the stakeholders .

SOME POINT TO PONDER

Developing forest governance and benefit-sharing mechanisms in the context of REDD+ must consider the community’s social dynamics, the political landscapes and the prevailing ‘political culture’ of the areas.

Any benefit-sharing mechanism should be based on the principle of transparency and accountability through participatory-based structures and systems and must redound to the benefits of the real stakeholders of the forestland, which include carbon.

SOME POINTS TO PONDER

Presence of legal and policy framework is not a guarantee to achieve success. Existing policies (e.g. SEP vs. IPRA) have to be harmonized and various interests of key stakeholders considered, and (2) the policymakers should have the strong political will to implement forest conservation policies.

Stakeholders should see REDD+ as an effective strategy to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, bring long-term economic benefits to the forest communities and ensure sustainability.

SOME POINTS TO PONDER

Advancing the Development of Victoria-Anepahan Communities and Ecosystems through REDD