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BIRDLIFE International is a global partnership of conservation
organizations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and
global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in
the use of natural resources. It promotes site support groups to
protect important habitats and species found in them, particularly
birds. Haribon, the Philippine partner of BirdLife, is doing just
that—working closely with the local government of Sablayan, Occidental
Mindoro, and other stakeholders in conservation work. Since 2002,
Haribon implemented a strategy that has introduced innovative ideas
and enabled a transformation. The foundation was laid under a
project called Integrating Forest Conservation with Local Governance
funded by the European Commission, that capitalized on the
decentralization of the Philippine government to build governance
capacity of the ‘devolved’ LGUs while injecting a dose of
conservation. Working with the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, municipal government, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, and
the barangays, Haribon started by conservation awareness-raising
campaigns and disseminating educational materials, then went on to
provide training in ecology, environmental law, and planning and
management of forest, along with governance. To help build networks
and broaden horizons of what was possible, Haribon sent staff and
partners to conferences and arranged for cross-visits to other
sites.
Recently, BirdLife through Karin Eberhardt
conducted an evaluation of the project. She found out that one
critical result of this explosion of learning and energy was the
creation of four barangay-level forest management plans and one for
the prison farm, that were then combined to create the Sablayan
Municipal Forest Management Plan. With support from the EU and
BirdLife, Haribon and local partners forged ahead to build on these
management plans to enhance livelihood activities for
forest-dependent communities. The local conservation partners also
put in place a monitoring system to assess status of the forest and
its protection by taking annual walks to count indicators of
incursions—cut stumps or agricultural fields; and biodiversity—sightings
of the Mindoro endemics.
The relationship has been so productive that
Noel Resureccion, Haribon Site Action department manager, says he
wants to continue working with Sablayan forever. On the side of
the local government, the staff describe how Haribon helped
transform their government. Now, says municipal planning officer
Mina Castillo, in local government circles conservation is a ”top
of the head” concern for all, every day.
According to Karin’s findings, a clear
indicator of the development and conservation enlightenment of the
local government is the budget spent on the environment. In early
2000, environmental concerns received 2% of the development budget,
or about P300,000. But by 2007 the local government allocated P6.44
million to the environment, 12% of the P52 million development
allotment. Local governments are obligated to provide 20% of their
budget for development, but in 2007, Sablayan put 34% of the total
P125 million budget to development. Say the local government
members, “Most politicians focus on infrastructure, something
tangible. Our government focuses on the conservation of forest and
coastal/marine resources.”
In 1994, Sablayan was the first municipality in
the country to establish a MENRO, a local counterpart to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Then, the Sablayan
LGU initiated an ecotourism program under MENRO which took advantage
of a government campaign to promote domestic tourism—as well as
Sablayan’s ample natural resources. Under the banner Wonderful
Sablayan, ecotourism officer Medel Bundang coordinates with tour
operators, service providers, World WildLife Fund and Department of
Trade and Industry to promote the municipality’s natural beauties,
which range from international dive destination Apo Reef Natural
Park, to white sand beaches, Mt Iglit-Baco National Park and its
tamaraw (an indigenous wild pygmy buffalo), and of course Siburan
forest. Sablayan’s tourist numbers skyrocketed from 1000 visitors
in 2003 to 4,300 visitors in 2007—54% of which were Filipinos.
That translates to an increase in tourism revenues to the municipal
treasury from P174,000 in 2003 to over P600,000 in 2007.
director@haribon.org.ph
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