The Philippine Environmental Governance Projectfaspselib.denr.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Publication Files/EG...The Philippine Environmental Governance Project 1 THE ECOGOV PROJECT

The Philippine Environmental Governance Project 1

THE ECOGOV PROJECTHelping local communities enjoy the benefits of

improved environmental governance

ddressing threats to the environment is adaunting task that requires deliberate andsystematic approaches. Effective managementefforts involve making informed decisions

based on long-term perspectives, adopting bestpractices, carrying out innovations that can be replicated,and sustaining commitments over time. It calls fordecentralized policies that enable both institutions andindividuals to exercise their authorities, perform theirresponsibilities, and be held accountable for theirdecisions and actions.

Managing the environment yields many benefits forthe present and coming generations, but only if the rightchoices and decisions are made, as they make positive ornegative impacts in the future. The ideal route for localgovernments to take is the consistent practice of the goodgovernance principles of transparency, accountability, andbroad-based participation.

Since 1986, the government of the Philippines throughthe Department of Environment and Natural Resources hasbeen preparing the ground by adopting decentralized anddevolved environmental governance policies. These pavedthe way for the active participation of LGUs, communities,civil society and socially-responsible private sector groupswho have joined hands to get the job done. Participatoryapproaches in decision-making opened up opportunities toimprove environmental management. This trend has beengaining ground in the past years.

In 2001, the USAID in partnership with DENR throughthe Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Projectembarked on a major effort to enhance the governance offorests and coastal resources, solid waste, and wastewater. The Project provided technical assistance focusedon supporting LGUs and communities in Northern Luzon,Central Visayas, and Western and Southern Mindanao—helping them make governance-oriented choices,decisions, and actions that are based on analysis,technically-sound plans, and the needs of variousstakeholders.

As of December 2006, the EcoGov Project has beenassisting about 100 local governments and theircommunities as they plan, implement, and upscale differentinitiatives to reduce illegal logging and forest conversion,reduce illegal and destructive fishing, and manage theirsolid waste and waste water.

LGUs take up the challengeThe growing city of Tacurong in Sultan Kudarat

worried about their worsening garbage problem. “We

didn’t want to wait for public health and environmentalproblems to happen so we chose to seriously manage ourcity’s solid waste,” narrated Mayor Lino Montilla. “We arenow implementing our 10-year solid waste management(SWM) plan and enforcing our ordinance that requirespayment of fees for SWM services.”

Bayawan City in Negros Oriental needed to protectits watersheds, the source of the city’s water, and to stopthe destructive flash floods that have plagued them fordecades. Mayor German Sarana Jr. said, “We couldn’tafford to be complacent about the situation, we cannotsurvive without the water the watersheds provide. OurForest Land Use Plan, and co-management agreement withthe DENR allowed us, the barangays and localcommunities, to be directly involved in managing ourwatersheds and rehabilitating our forests.”

LGUs in Zamboanga del Sur along Illana Bay haverealized that they can minimize illegal and destructivefishing by joining hands in implementing baywide coastalresource management programs. Eight LGUs of the IllanaBay Regional Alliance of Region 9 or IBRA-9 facilitatedcross-sectoral/cultural participation, making communitymembers their partners. Even rival clans and barangaysheeded the call to unite in the campaign to protect theirseas. In the words of Dinas Mayor Wilfredo Asoy, “Theculture of confrontation is being replaced with that ofdialogue and negotiation.”

Spreading the newsThis initial compendium of EcoGov success stories

gives recognition to LGUs who have proven themselvesequal to the tasks required of good environmentalgovernance and are putting in place sustainable programsin their localities. The common threads that run through allthe stories are a committed local government and anengaged citizenry—local communities imbued with a deepsense of “ownership” as they become active partners inmanaging their natural resources.

We have collected their stories in this folio, the first ofwhat we hope to be a series that should inspire other LGUsto pursue their own programs with similar dedication.

The local leaders and communities who play theleading roles in these stories have shown that nothing isimpossible. When local leaders pick environmentally-sound choices, take heed of analysis-based recom-mendations, carry out actions that are sustainable, andaddress community needs, ordinary people are able todream of improving their lives, and develop their capacitiesto make things happen.

AAAAA

Success Story2

inalungan in Aurora Province strikes thecasual visitor as a typical sleepy town—no different from countless other remotecoastal towns dotting the Philippine

archipelago. The streets are quiet all day. There is nolodging house, no cinema, and the market is nearempty. Power is supplied by a generator that isturned off late at night. It takes a long drive overtyphoon-ravaged roads to get to the provincialcapital, making it difficult to trade and do business.With very limited livelihood options, peopleindiscriminately take from the sea and the forests,hardly aware that these resources are finite.

The similarities end there. Unlike in most places,the people of Dinalungan woke up to the reality thatthey were fast losing their natural bounties, andacted before it was too late. Given the opportunityto do something about it, they embraced the gospelof environment management.

The town’s feisty Mayor Marilyn Marquez knewthis was the only route to take and put her energy

into it. They needed a comprehensive, well-plannedprogram to protect and manage their naturalresources, particularly the seas—the main source ofpeople’s food and livelihood—and make sure it wasstrictly implemented. “It used to be so difficult tocatch fish,” she said. “Ngayon masagana na angisda, hindi nawawala.” (Now there’s more, andsupply is constant.)

It took years of determined and collective effortto get to where they are now. Mayor Marquezneeded a lot of help, and she found it in her staff andDinalungan’s concerned citizens who took up thechallenge and from environment-orientedgovernment agencies and private organizations whoshowed them the way.

The road to recoveryAmong the first to answer the call was Antonio

“Master” Sinfuego, now an officer of the Fisheriesand Aquatic Resource Council (FARMC), whorecalls that their campaign against illegal fishing

Saving a slice of paradise:

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started in 1995 with help from theMunicipal Agriculturist’s Office(MAO). He helped start thebantay dagat team with thetown’s Samahang Mandaragat(Fieshermen’s Association) soonafter that. The FARMCorganized the fisherfolk and“opened their minds to newlearnings.”

Sinfuego relates that themajor breakthrough came whenMayor Marquez “discovered”USAID’s PhilippineEnvironmental Governance(EcoGov) Project while attendinga seminar in Baler. Sheimmediately asked the EcoGovpeople to help Dinalungan, andthe projet responded by bringingin technical assistance, incollaboration with theDepartment of Environment andNatural Resources, whichSinfuego describes as “morevaluable than financial help.” Thiscame in the form of consultations,formulation of a CoastalResource Management (CRM)Plan, training seminars andworkshops, and formulation ofenabling ordinances. Also criticalwas learning how to conductinformation, education andcommunication (IEC) campaignsto “educate” the people about theneed to protect their marineresources.

There are good reasons forthe people of Dinalungan to bemotivated. Their coastal watersare home to a rich variety ofmarine life, including dugongs(sea cows) and butandings(whale sharks), with anoccurrence of Halophila

spinulosa, considered as criticalhabitats for dugongs. Bangus(milkfish) fry is plentiful and is aregular source of income forcoastal residents who sell whatthey gather to bangus growersfrom Dagupan in Pangasinan.Massive mangrove trees,including one that is a century-old, are a source of local pride.

Getting to the brass tacksWhile Dinalungan was not the

first LGU to have a CRM Plan inAurora, it is ahead inimplementation. Formal EcoGovassistance started in June 2003and the next month, an orientationon participatory coastaldevelopment and action planningwas conducted. After barangay-level consultations with thefisherfolk and other communitymembers, the CRM Plan wasformulated. It was designed toaddress the environmental, socio-economic and institutional

problems, and issues andconcerns that affect the coastalresources of the municipality.

After the plan was legitimizedby the Sangguniang Bayan, aTechnical Working Group(TWG) was created to handleimplementation, with supportfrom a CRM Section under theMunicipal Environment andNatural Resources Officer(MENRO) which was to overseecoastal and fishery relatedactivities.

The CRM Plan had a twinfocus—fishery law enforcementand Marine Protected Area(MPA) management. The town’sfirst MPA was the MabudoMarine Sanctuary which wasestablished a year earlier,covering 38 hectares plus a 12-hectare buffer zone. A secondMPA was established in 2004—the Ditangol Marine Sanctuarywhich covered 20 hectares inBarangays Ditawini and Abuleg.

Barangay residents make up the Bantay Dagat team that guards the Ditangolmarine sanctuary round the clock.

Success Story4

The MPAs have been legitimized,with implementing ordinancesenacted. These contain budgetallocations, policy guidelines,prohibitions and penalties,thereby ensuring clear andeffective management

In the area of enforcement,Dinalungan employed effectivestrategies to manage, protect andregulate fisheries in order torestore it to its previous abundantstate. These strategies includeregistration of fishers and boats,permit systems for boat andgears, and a tough enforcementpolicy. To facilitate the process,a one-stop shop where alldocumentation is handled andfinalized was put in place, makingit easier for fisherfolk to complywith the requirements.

Strictly enforced are the

ordinances that prohibit blastfishing and the use of cyanide,fines for unregistered boats andfishing gear, and a 15-kilometerlimit for commercial fishing.Violators are warned the firsttime, then sent to the police andfined for succeeding offenses.Barangay fish wardens organizepatrolling operations, with thehelp of barangaytanods, in themunicipal waters.They are deputizedto make actualapprehensions.Bantay dagat teamstake charge ofprotecting the marinesanctuaries. Theteam members takepride in the fact thatMayor Marquez

sometimes goes patrolling withthem, and was herself involved inapprehending illegal fishers onone occasion.

A big boost to enforcement isa reporting system that the LGUdevised which directly involvescommunity members. They areencouraged to report violations offishery laws and are given cashincentives equivalent to 20% offines collected from theapprehended offenders.

A sustained IEC campaignmade sure that all sectors areaware and supportive of theCRM plan and CRM-relatedactivities. These includedorientation and consultationmeetings, house-to-housecampaigns, and the production ofa poster on fisherfolk registration.EcoGov conducted a materialsdevelopment workshop for theLGU’s IEC committee to helpthem come up with simpleinformation materials suited totheir needs and resources.

Serious effort rewardedThe drive to enforce fishery

laws has been effective; with thenumber of violations drastically

Paslit Pansin -Children as community watchdogs

The success of Dinalungan’s environmental advocacy ispartly due to an innovative program devised by the LGU.Paslit Pansin enlists children aged 5-14 to help “clean up”their barangays. They are formed into teams who report onimproper practices, particularly violations of environmentalordinances (see main story).

They are given incentives—20% of fines collected fromviolators they reported—which they get in kind, e.g. schoolsupplies. Benefits also include assistance in school tuition anduniforms.

The program is doing well. It trains children to becomevigilant and socially-conscious, and develops role models forchildren in other places. It has also encouraged greatercooperation among barangay residents in the pursuit ofcleaner, healthier, and more orderly communities.


reduced. Only four incidentswere reported in all of 2005,mainly illegal fishing and illegalentry in MPA waters. There hasonly been one apprehension thisyear, involving boatmen fromBaler who were caught gatheringstones in the Ditangol MPA. Thestones are used as weights (bira-bira) for fishing lines. These candestroy corals and blockopenings in the corals, trappingfish inside. The offenders werehaled by the bantay dagat to thepolice station and fined P2,500.

Ditangol barangay captainDominador Tabon, who is alsothe marine sanctuary manager,recalls that their bantay dagatteam started in 2002, even beforethe MPA was established. Theteam has 8 members rotating in12-hour daily shifts. They takethe responsibility very seriously,making do with a modestallowance from the LGU.

The two-pronged strategy ofenforcement and MPAmanagement has already yieldedresults. Local fishermen no longerhave to venture far to catch fish.They are landingbigger fish, averaging10 to15 kilos,sometimes reaching25 kilos, perfisherman in a day.

The fish can befound closer to shoreand there are morevarieties—dorado,blue marlin, tanigue,kitang, andtalakitok. Lately,salmon and largedalagang bukid have

become more common. Peopleare also earning well gatheringbangus fry which abound in thecoastal waters.

The increased fish catcheshave resulted in improvedincomes for Dinalungan’sfisherfolk. They have also realizedthat these gains can be sustainedonly if they continue working tohelp enforce fishery laws, andmanage their coastal resources.

Comprehensive programFull support for environ-

mental management is being givenby the local administration andthe Sangguniang Bayan, whichapproved an integrated budget ofP890,000 for 2006, includingP200,000 for fisheries. There isalso an allocation for barangaymanagement, helping propel thedetermined effort to fullyimplement the town’s CRM Plan.

The comprehensive programincludes a mangrove reforestationproject meant to further restoreand protect marine habitats.More than 5,000 bakawan treeshave been planted in a three

hectare area, with a 60% survivalrate. It has been a communityeffort, with the youth very muchinvolved.

A corollary activity is theGreen Belt campaign, a barangayproject that promotes tree-planting throughout themunicipality. This was supportedby the SB which passed anordinance requiring Grade 6 andsenior high school students toplant a tree before they cangraduate. Government employeesare also asked to plant trees asadditional input to theirperformance evaluation.

Realizing that children are themost effective champions for theenvironment, the LGU alsolaunched an education initiative.This involves the integration offisheries conservation in Sciencesubjects for both elementary andhigh school students.

Linking up for bettermanagement

“Getting all these initiativesgoing requires total communityinvolvement,” noted Mayor

Marquez. To this end,the local governmentwas able to harnessthe cooperation of thevarious sectors,particularly people’sorganizations, NGOs,and environment-oriented entities.“EcoGov, amongother organizations,has been of great helpin all our CRMefforts.”

Dinalungan’s century-old mangrove tree.

Success Story6

Coastal managementwas scaled up when threeother LGUs along Baler Baywaded in, spurred by theneed to better protect,manage, and regulatefisheries in their sharedwaters. With EcoGov andDENR assistance, an Inter-LGU Fisheries Management(ILFM) Plan was jointlyformulated and adopted forimplementation by the townsof Baler, Dipaculao, SanLuis and Dinalungan. Theobjective is to restore Baler Bayinto its previous abundant stateby establishing baywide,ecosystem-based fisherymanagement to do CRMenforcement and management offishery resources. Among the fourLGUs, Dinalungan is the mostadvanced in terms ofimplementation.

Still, there is a long way togo; many challenges have to besurmounted. While there ispotential for increased fishproduction, Dinalungan is stymiedby the difficult access to markets,owing to the bad roads linking itto Baler and other centers ofcommerce in the region. There is

no ice plant in the town; iceneeded to keep their fish longerhas to be transported from distantNueva Ecija. An even moreserious problem is theenvironmental risk posed by amining concession that wasrecently granted a permit tooperate. The concession covers2,000 hectares of uplands,including forest areas, the town’swatershed, and Bulawan Fallswhich is the pride of Dinalungan.

But after having won overmany adversities to get to wherethey are now, the peopleof Dinalungan are hopeful thatthey will prevail. Having tastedthe initial fruits of caring for theirenvironment, they are determined

Creative CRM promotions

An effective strategy has been to use events as vehicles to promoteCRM awareness. An annual Coastal Clean-up was started in 2003,with all barangays participating. The LGU is planning to do theactivity quarterly. Last June 17, Dinalungan launched “Araw ngMangingisda” (Fishermen’s Day) to celebrate the anniversary ofthe Mabudo MPA. Activities included an essay writing contest forchildren of fisherfolk with the theme “Sagipin ang dagat, sagipinang gubat” (Save the sea, save the forest), and contests thatincluded bangus fry gathering and endurance diving.

to work even harder.Already, Dinalungan ranks

first in good CRM governanceamong all LGUs nationwide in theEnvironmental Governance Indexsurvey conducted in 2005 andguided by the EcoGov Project.The municipality was alsoawarded the “2005 GawadPunong Lalawigan para saKapaligiran” for outstandingperformance in environmentalmanagement.

For Mayor Marquez, this isjust the beginning. “We are nowworking on saving our forests andwe need to formulate a forestland use plan. There is so muchground to cover; we cannotafford to be complacent.”


e want to avoid whatManila has been

experiencing,” TacurongCity Mayor Lino Montilla

said, referring to the city’s growinggarbage problem. “We don’t wantgarbage to cause public health andenvironmental hazards. That is why wesought ways to effectively manage ourcity’s solid waste.”

Located at the crossroads linking itto the cities of Davao, General Santosand Cotabato, Tacurong is fastbecoming a commercial and educationhub in Central Mindanao. The city’spopulation is multiplying and moreurban problems are cropping up. Themost visible and potentially menacingof these is the rapid increase of solidwaste.

The search for the right interventionbegan in 1994 when the local govern-ment acquired a 4-hectare land whichwas turned into a waste disposal site.This did not immediately bring thedesired result, however. For quitea while, the site was simply a wideexpanse of garbage emitting foul odorand fumes, an ideal breeding groundfor disease-causing insects thatthreatened the health of nearby residents.

Haunted by images of waste engulfing the city,Tacurong’s officials decided to seriously complywith the Ecological Solid Waste Management(ESWM) Act, also known as Republic Act 9003,which was enacted in 2000. The law mandates alllocal government units (LGUs) to formulate a 10-year ESWM Plan.

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Tacurong City has converted its open dump (above) into a controlleddump (below)

Partnerships to get things movingWhen Tacurong officials realized they needed

technical help to formulate the plan, they turned toUSAID-funded Philippine EnvironmentalGovernance (EcoGov) Project and the Departmentof Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),which had been assisting LGUs in managing theirnatural resources and urban environment. A

“

Success Story8

memorandum of agreement wasfinalized between the municipality,EcoGov and DENR onOctober 14, 2002.

Mayor Montilla said, “Theassistance helped us determinehow to deal with our present-dayproblem with wastes and, moreimportantly, how to respond tothe needs of the future whenour population has ballooned,together with the volume of ourwastes.”

The seven-day solid wastecharacterization study showedthat Tacurong generates 48 tonsof solid waste every day. A keyfinding was that a big chunk ofthe garbage—52 percent—wasbiodegradable and could go intocomposting, 25 percent wasrecyclable and could be sold, andonly 20 percent should bedisposed as garbage. That meanta significant volume of the wastecould be diverted from disposalsites.

The waste characterizationexercise was a major componentin the process ofinformed decision-making that guided theformulation of the city’s10-year ESWM that wascompleted in 2003, thefirst LGU in Mindanao todo so.

To accomplish thetarget in waste reduction,diversion, and recycling,as outlined in the ESWMPlan, Tacurongimmediately established amaterials recovery facility(MRF) wherecompostable and

recyclable wastes are to becollected and sorted. This wasfollowed by the conversion of itsopen dump site into a controlleddump facility.

A comprehensive solid wastemanagement ordinance wasenacted in 2003 to make sureprogram implementation wasgoing to be clear. The provisionson enforcement clearly set thepenalties for non-compliance andenvironmental management fees(EMF) to be collected; andguidelines on MRF operation.Enforcement started in 2004.

Waste segregation is thefirst step

Waste segregation is crucialto waste management andTacurong took concrete steps toestablish the practice. It wassuccessfully piloted in JM Homessubdivision with its 170households, where waste issegregated into three types:biodegradable, recyclable and

residual. Segregated collection isdone once a week. Strictenforcement of no “segregation-no collection,” and “no payment-no collection” policies yielded an80 percent compliance rate. Thecity is exerting more efforts inmonitoring strict enforcement ofthe policy to achieve 100 percentcompliance in the subdivision.The city is expanding its programto cover the nearby puroks.Segregated collection has alsostarted in the public market.To make sure everyone knowswhat to do, regular orientationsessions were conducted formarket vendors associations.To emphasize that the marketvendors themselves areresponsible for their own waste,they are made not only tosegregate their waste, but puttheir waste in separate bags andtake them to the market’sdesignated collection area wheretwo dump trucks—one forbiodegradable, the other for non-biodegradable waste—are

located.The city is operating

a centralized compostingfacility in the city MRFwithin the disposal site.Per EcoGov recom-mendations, it has beenupgraded to increase itscapacity, make it easierand more efficient tooperate, and producebetter quality compost.The facility’s shreddercan process 500 kilos ofwaste per hour. It has 14composting bins, madeof reinforced bars and

Segregated waste collection is now being practiced inthe public market; and vendors are asked to take theirwaste to where the dump trucks are. (Above) One of thecity’s personnel help a vendor unload his non-biodegradable waste.


plastic net, capable ofholding as much as 20drums per bin ofshredded wasteintended forcomposting.

The city’sEnvironment andNatural ResourcesOfficer, NemesioCarigaba Jr., claims thatto date, about 20 %diversion of waste has alreadybeen achieved mainly due to thecomposting of biodegradablewaste from the city market andthe JM Homes Subdivision. Thisfigure factors in the efforts of theinformal recovery sector(households, businessestablishments) that practicesrecycling. The rate of wastediversion, he added, woulddefinitely increase within the nextfew months once the facility startsprocessing branches of trees (thecity generates a big bulk of suchwaste) into compost.

“The Department of Environ-ment and Natural Resources willgive us a chipper, which can cutthese branches into pieces smallenough to be accommodated byour shredder,” he said.

A number of waste pickers—many of them former scavengersin the dump site—have beenhired to collect and sortrecyclable waste, stored intemporary storage areas and latersold in bulk to junk shops. Tomake the program more viable,livelihood activities are beingplanned for idle residents and alivelihood center has beenconstructed near the MRF site.

This year, the city plans topurchase equipment, such assewing machines, to be used forlivelihood training activities.

The data on solid wasteassessment was a helpful input indesigning a landfill that will notonly cater to the city’s own needsbut those of the adjoining townsof Isulan in Sultan Kudarat andTantangan in South Cotabato. Itis expected to be operational in2007. It could be one of the firstLGUs to comply with theRA 9003 requirement forcategorized disposal facilities.

Getting the difficult partdone—charging fees

Tacurong City has devisedand piloted various incentivesystems to promote the diversionof waste from disposal areas.One of the bold initiatives was theintroduction of a garbage feecollection system based not onthe size of an establishment buton the volume of waste itgenerates. Again using the datagathered during its waste study,the city was able to determinehow much waste a particularestablishment produces andbased on this, formulated the

appropriate fees it has to impose.While households, for example,pay a uniform amount of P35 permonth, fees for institutions varyfrom P500 to P10,000 permonth.

In an admirable exercise ofpolitical will, the city governmentseriously imposed the collectionof environmental managementfees (EMF) to make the wastemanagement campaign self-sustaining. Starting in January2004, the EMF was applied tothe business sector byincorporating it in the feescharged for business permits andrenewals. A database billingsystem was established, withbilling notices issued tohouseholds by enforcers as partof their monitoring operations.To add muscle to enforcement,penalties are imposed onviolations of the ESWMordinance. These include theunscheduled taking out of waste,not placing waste in sacks,littering and burning of waste, andlate payments of fees.

The city government’s boldexercise of political will inimposing environmentalmanagement fees has reaped

(Left) Biodegradable wastes are sortedand shredded and placed in bins(above) to be processed into compost.

Success Story10

handsome dividends. FromJanuary to October in 2005, thecampaign netted a total ofP532,208 from businessestablishments, and P288,211for the whole of 2005 fromhouseholds. Few LGUs in thecountry can boast of a similarachievement.

“Imposing fees has alwaysbeen a difficult task; people don’tlike to pay more for a service thatthey think the LGU should reallyprovide for free,” said Carigaba.“Many LGUs avoid it for fear ofpolitical backlash. Fortunately,we have a mayor who believesthat for a program such as SWMto be really successful, everybodyhas to pitch in. This is a clearmessage that waste managementis everybody’s concern.”

A model for other LGUsThe path to success involved

rigorous work. Tacurong officialstook to heart the principles ofgood governance that guide

soundenvironmentalmanagement.Foremost of theseare transparencyand participatorydecision-makingand communityinvolvement inspecific programsand activities.

As anexample, toensure thateverybody wasmade part ofdecision making,stakeholders werebrought together

in public hearings andconsultations that guided thecrafting of local ordinances. Evennow, the city continues to consultvarious sectors as it amends theexisting SWM ordinance tostrengthen incentive mechanismsfor deputized volunteers byproviding monthly and annualcash incentives.

To promote transparency,particular focus was given toinformation, education andeducation (IEC)to make sureresidentsappreciate theISWM plan, andthat householdsand waste-generatingestablishmentswill activelyparticipate in itsimplementation.The intensive IECcampaign

included barangay-levelorientation assemblies, andhouse-to-house informationdrives spearheaded by students.

Accountability was promotedwhen the city emphasized theneed for market vendors to beresponsible for their waste andasked them to segregate and taketheir segregated waste to dumptrucks.

Tacurong has attracted theattention of other LGUs with itsno-nonsense approach to lickingthe garbage problem. A numberof LGUs have conducted“lakbay-aral” visits to TacurongCity to learn from its experience.Tacurong is an LGU awardee ofDENR Region XII for “2003Outstanding Achievement inEnvironmental Management.”

Mayor Montilla has the finalword, “We are envisioning a citynot anymore disturbed by thewaste menace. Through theconcerted efforts of all sectors inTacurong, and with the help ofEcoGov, we can look forward tothe full and exemplaryimplementation of our solid wastemanagement program.”

Former waste pickers, who now call themselves “EarthSavers,” working on the city nursery where the citygets its supply of ornamental plants used in itsgreening and beautification projects. The nursery, aswell as the city park and other gardens, use compostproduced in the central composting facility. The newlyconstructed building will house the city’s livelihoodcenter.

Personnel from the 10 municipalities of South Cotabatovisit Tacurong’s MRF.


ater is life. That is an accepted fact.Unfortunately, this most valuable resource

is one of the most abused by man, whocan’t seem to realize that it is finite.

There is no appreciation of the value ofwatersheds, the source of diverse socio-economicbenefits. Watersheds provide water that allowsuninterrupted, sustained and stable agricultural,commercial and industrial enterprises. Likewisepotable water for drinking and other uses, andsecurity from flash flooding. Watersheds are wherepeople live and make their livelihood – from theuplands to the coastal villages. Degradation of thiscritical resource is thus a recipe for disaster.

The local governmentof Bayawan City in Negros Oriental is takingdetermined action to be spared the consequences ofenvironmental abuse. They have reason to bealarmed. Of Bayawan’s 69,908-hectare land area,only about 20,000 hectares are classified asforestlands. The rest are alienable and disposable(A&D) lands, mostly private property over whichthe LGU has very limited control. In many cases,the use of these lands may not be compatible withdesired protection of water sources.

Mayor German Saraña Jr. shared that Bayawanwanted to “green” the city to protect its sources ofwater and protect if from destructive flash floodsthat have plagued the city the last few years. “Wecannot afford to be complacent about this gravesituation,” the mayor said, stressing that Bayawancould not survive as a city without the water thesewatersheds provide. “Something has to be done,and it has to be done now!”

The “greening” of Bayawan was a big challengefor the city’s leaders as well as the entire community.They lacked the expertise needed to push such anambitious program, and the adequate manpower forthe effort.

Getting support of DENR and otherpartners

“It was important to get the full support of majorforest stakeholders—like the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources (DENR) withits expertise in forest management, and members ofpeople’s organizations (POs) who live nearest theresource and have the numbers to deploy for forestprotection,” said Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP)Member Agustin Barte Jr., who heads the SP

Bayawan partners with DENR,community to protect its sources of water

Success Story12

Committee on Natural Resourcesand Protection. “This was noeasy task.”

“It all came together when theUSAID-funded PhilippineEnvironmental Governance(EcoGov) Project and the DENRcame to help us prepare ourForest Land Use Plan (FLUP).In the process, we were able toforge partnerships not only withDENR but with the POs as well,”Barte narrated.

After a series of workshopsand consultations with communitymembers, and the preparation ofvarious maps, the FLUP wascompleted and got SP approvalin December 2003. The followingyear, the city and DENR signedan agreement to jointly implementthe plan, committing to allocatefunds for the purpose. When the2005 city budget containing theP10 million allocation for FLUPwas submitted to the city council,it was readily approved.

“The entry of EcoGovprovided us a holistic view of the

forestry situation in Bayawan,”said Roger Dael, CityEnvironment Officer. “Guided bythe FLUP, with inputs from theDENR and other governmentagencies, the city government hada clear view of what had to bedone to improve Bayawan’sforest situation,” FLUPimplementation was focused onthe protection and managementof critical water resources.

Saving the Bayawan RiverWatershed

Top priority was given to the38,000-hectare Bayawan RiverWatershed which occupies 57%of the city’s total land area andaccounts for 58% of its forestlands. However, less than 20% ofthe watershed still has forestcover, and about 70% of the areais classified as alienable anddisposal.

The Bayawan Watershed isthe lifeblood of the city’sagricultural sector. It supports

four major irrigation systems thatsupply water to more than 1,000hectares of rice fields, largesugarcane plantations mainlyoperated by small landowners,and vegetable farms. It alsosupplies the potable water needsof eight barangays.

Guided by its FLUP, the cityinitiated measures to protect andmanage the watershed. Tocontrol riverbank erosion, theBayawan Riverbank Stabilizationand Rehabilitation Project wasput in place. This involved theplanting of vitiver grass,kakawate and bamboo withinthe 5-meter strip along the banksby the local government, workingwith 14 POs. As of the end of2006, the city has spentP3,046,800 and completed 85%of the 170,000-meter project.

The LGU is consideringengineering solutions to parts ofthe river which are severelyeroded or where floodings occur.Private landowners are also beingencouraged to grow permanent

crops such as rubber.Having identifiedrubber as the majorcrop to be promotedsince there is amarket for it; the cityis willing to invest inprocessing facilities.The city has startedgrowing rubber inseveral nurseries fordistribution tointerested farmersand landowners. Thecurrent stock of morethan 300,000seedlings will beMore than 1,000 hectares of rice fields directly benefit from the water supplied by the

Bayawan River Watershed.


planted within a 600-hectarearea, part of a target planting areaof 1,000 hectares.

All these can only be goodnews to the upland residents.Edgar Osorio, a 46-year-oldfarmer, tricycle driver and part-time fish vendor who lives withhis family of nine in BarangayTayawan, said, “Without thewater that this watershedprovides, I don’t know what willhappen to me and my family.”His main source of livelihood isa 5-hectare farm planted tosugarcane, rice and somevegetables.

Taking care of other watersources

The LGU thrust extends toother existing and potential watersources. Also in extreme dangeris the 1,658-hectare NalundanWatershed which supplies all thewater needs of the city’s urbanbarangays and its two resorts—the Shangri-la Del and Captain’sMiracle Spring Resort.Nalundan’s forestcover is down toless than 20 percent.The ricefields alongNalundan Riverextending to thenational highway areflood-prone.

The NalundanWatershed impactson the current andfuture social andeconomic activity ofBayawan City. Itdirectly influencesthe productive plainsof three barangays

that comprise the rice granary ofthe city. Run-off water from thewatershed poses the threat offlash floods that destroy cropsand properties in the heavily-populated low-lying areas.

Establishing clear propertyrights in virtual open access areasis identified as the first of a seriesof steps that have to be taken toarrest these recurrent problems.It entails sub-allocating areas thatcan be devoted to sustainableupland agriculture, via a system ofproperty rights and/or manage-ment privileges. The managementof settlements is also crucial.Although population growth isinevitable, it is the scale ofunauthorized land uses andactivities in forestlands, ratherthan the load of people, whichaccelerates degradation.

The Danapa Sub-watershedwithin the Bayawan RiverWatershed is in a similarpredicament and also needsrehabilitation and protection.New spring sources have been

found in the area which could betapped when the adjacentBAWAD water source in theCamayaan River Watershed willno longer be able to supply thecity’s potable water needs.However, the source is locatedwithin A&D areas and needs tobe secured. The LGU is acquiringland for the purpose; 120hectares have been procured outof a target of 600 hectares. Theyhave started planting trees in thenewly-acquired land. Some16,000 seedlings, mainlymangium and mahogany, havebeen planted in a 24-hectarebrushland area.

Other water production areas(WPAs) are also being attendedto. Rural barangays (24 out ofthe total 28), are encouraged toidentify sources of water supplyand develop plans to protect andmanage the micro-watershedswhere these sources are located.These production areas become“protection” areas; the land useswithin the micro-watershed may

Bayawan suffers from periodic flooding.

Success Story14

need to be modified tomake them consistentwith the overallfunction of the place.The LGU providesfinancial support forthe implementation ofapproved plans, andadvocates that theactivities be conductedin a participatorymanner. The amount ofP2.5 million has beenreleased for WPAprojects.

Co-managingopen accessareas andcommunityinvolvement

One significant result of theFLUP formulation is the decisionof the city government toformalize a co-managementagreement with the DENR.Signed last June 8, 2004 theagreement covers the jointmanagement of 14,434 hectaresof forestlands, mostly within theBayawan River Watershed. TheLGU is completing the resourcemanagement plan for the co-management area and has starteddiscussions on how propertyrights will be recognized withinthe area, leading to the adoptionof appropriate policies.

A significant offshoot of thisagreement is Bayawan’s move todirectly involve the barangays inco-management. The strategy isto encourage barangays—beingthe political unit nearest to thesource of water—to manage the

WPAs, or micro-watersheds.Joel Baterna, head of the city’sForest Management Unit (FMU),said that 17 of the 28 barangayshave entered into an agreementwith the city government tomanage their WPAs. Under theagreement, barangays areresponsible for variousmanagement activities such asplanting trees, maintaining anursery, and fencing restrictedareas.

The involvement of localcommunities is a key componentof Bayawan’s FLUP; it isimportant for them to feel thatthey are part of the process. Thiswas one reason why the term“water production area” wascoined. “A lot of people,especially those at the communitylevel, could not relate to the word‘watershed’. They have limitedunderstanding of the role ofwatersheds in providing the water

we use for our farms, for ourhousehold chores, and fordrinking. Now they know thatand fully understand howimportant watersheds are,”explains Baterna.

Identification and planning ofthese WPAs are coordinated bythe barangay. This involvesconsensus building on land usesand land use policies. Funding forapproved plans are releaseddirectly to the barangays. Plantnurseries and FLUPimplementation offices areestablished in selected barangaysto make it easier for constituentsto be involved.

Community-level involvementis heaviest with the riverbankplanting program where residentswere organized into riverbankdwellers associations, andprovided with contracts forplanting and maintenanceactivities.

Members of the PO plant Napier Grass along the Bayawan River bank. The POs also plantKakawate and bamboo along some portions of the river bank.


There is also a livelihoodcomponent, which is crucial towinning more community supportfor environment efforts. River-bank settlers with successfulriverbank establishments qualifyfor livelihood loans from theLGU, particularly for poultryraising. The program already has190 beneficiaries.

Strong DENR support tothe LGU

DENR support is crucial toenvironment management effortsand it was important to establishgood working relations betweenthe LGUs and DENR lineagencies in Bayawan. SBmember Barte, who also headsthe FLUP Technical WorkingGroup, said DENR people wereinvolved as early as thepreparation stage of the plan. Herecalled that “They helped usexplain the FLUP’s importance to

our different communities. Andalong with EcoGov staff, theyguided us through the wholeprocess.”

The city is now conductingforest line delineation surveys,which is important for thepreparation of forestlanddevelopment plans. The DENR-LGU survey team has so farcovered 70 kilometers, or about30% of the city’s 228-kilometerlong forest line. The team expectsto complete the survey by earlynext year. “This is one goodexample of how the localgovernment and the DENR cancomplement each other’sfunctions,” said Baterna. Otherjoint DENR-LGU activitiesinclude the commissioning of 92deputized Environment andNatural Resources Officers(ENROs), majority of whom areofficials of rural barangays; theconduct of tenure assessment;

and training of holders ofCommunity-based ForestManagement agreements who arepreparing their CommunityResource ManagementFramework.

Investing in forestmanagement

For quite a time, localgovernments ignored theimportance of playing an activerole in governing theirenvironment and naturalresources, as manifested by theirallocation of measly budgets forthe purpose. In contrast,Bayawan City invested significantfunding for its forest managementand land use plans, underscoringthe seriousness of its intentions.The city officials realized that thiswas the only way to get results. Itwas also the best way to win thetrust and confidence of partnersin development.

In 2005, the LGU allocatedP7 million to acquire 123hectares of land within theDanapa Watershed, insuringeffective management of thecritical area. Another P11.5million went to forest manage-ment projects, with the bulkgoing to watersheds and Water

Production Area protectionmeasures. The budget for2006 was P8.8 million,including an outlay forrubber tree propagationand the rehabilitation ofdenuded watersheds.The various people’sorganizations in Bayawanare now working veryclosely with the city

A member of the team surveys a portion of Bayawan’s forestland. (Inset) Sample of aconcrete marker used in the surveyed area.

Success Story16

government, buoyed by the no-nonsense approach to its“greening” program. “The POsknow that the city is really keenon rehabilitating Bayawan’sforests and in helping themalleviate their situation. That’swhy they are fully supportive,”Baterna said. He added that

In many areas in Bayawan, spring water is diverted and stored in concrete tanks and laterdistributed to small farm lands

several activities are ongoing notonly in the co-management area,but in idle lands as well.

For its part, the DENRacknowledges that BayawanCity has always been first inOriental Negros in pursuingdevelopmental initiatives, and isnow a key partner of the agency

in managing the forestlands.“Effectively managing our forestsis a difficult task,” said ProvincialENRO Antonio Cabrido.“”DENR cannot do it alone.We—all sectors of society—must work as a team. InBayawan, this is alreadyhappening.”


ayor AnicetoP. Lopez Jr.of Maasim,Sarangani

Province in SouthernMindanao had adream—he wanted tohelp his people lead apeaceful life andbecome economicallyproductive. Now onhis second term asmayor, he is alreadyrealizing his dream, andalong with it thedreams of many of hisconstituents who have known only poverty most oftheir lives. How did he do it? He invited the privatesector to invest in what were once bare forestlands and a substantial portion is now being turnedinto productive pineapple plantations.

“I couldn’t believe that it is already happening,”said Mayor Lopez. “Every time I come to theplantation site, I’m amazed at the fast rate ofdevelopment, considering that this area has alwaysbeen without tree cover, except for a few coconutand some trees here and there.” He added that agood gauge of the economic lift his people areexperiencing is the number of people who used toline up in his office to ask for financial help. “Thereused to be long lines of people; now, there’s only ahandful. Many are already busy attending totheir plantations,” he said.

Along with peace comes development

Maasim town in Sarangani addresses povertyMaasim town in Sarangani addresses povertyMaasim town in Sarangani addresses povertyMaasim town in Sarangani addresses povertyMaasim town in Sarangani addresses povertyby making bare forestlands productiveby making bare forestlands productiveby making bare forestlands productiveby making bare forestlands productiveby making bare forestlands productive

Poverty and peace and order problem

Maasim comprises 46,600 hectares of forestlands,with only about 2,000 hectares having forestcover. The area now being developed—all formerpasture lands—used to be a war zone, wheregovernment soldiers and members of the NewPeople’s Army (NPA) would battle each other,sowing fear and panic among the local settlers.

“Residents were in abject poverty,” was how themayor described the people living in the area.“Grievances were not really properly addressed,and people tended to seek justice from elsewhere.NPA sympathizers grew in number,” the mayoradded.

What used to be unproductive lands are now being turned to pineapple plantations,providing local communities with livelihood, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Lopez (inset).

Success Story18

Entry of investments,good governancepractices

Mayor Lopez said the muchimproved peace-and-ordersituation in Maasim was a bigcome-on for the private investors.He said he knew many of theNPA commanders in the areaeven when he was still a barangaychairman. “I talked to them andpersuaded them to lay down theirarms,” he said. “I told them thattheir concerns would beaddressed, that I would workhard to alleviate their economicsituation. And with the recententry of investments, the prospectof economic stability helps inmaintaining the town’s peace andorder.”

It also helped that Maasimformulated a Forest Land UsePlan (FLUP). Having completedthe plan boosted the LGU’sconfidence in its ability to manageand put into sound use its ownresources. And in turn, it built theconfidence of investors in thetown as they realized that theMaasim was now in the “frontseat” in the management of itsdenuded forestlands, whichconstitute about 90 percent of theLGU’s total land area.

The mayor said he startedconvincing the private sector,notably Dole Philippines, to investin Maasim when the municipalitywas completing its FLUP withassistance from USAID’sPhilippine Environmental

Governance (EcoGov) Projectand the Department ofEnvironment and NaturalResources (DENR). Togetherwith other partners, they havebeen helping LGUs in Mindanaoand other parts of the countrydevelop FLUPs, which guidethem in determining beneficialuses of forestlands and inallocating the land.

“The EcoGov and the DENRwere a big help indeed,” saidMayor Lopez. “They did not onlyguide us through the whole FLUPprocess, they also helped us buildour confidence in ourselves, that

we can manage our resourcesand use them responsibly.” Hesaid the experience opened theireyes on the need for goodenvironmental governancepractices in dealing withconstituents as well as privateinvestors.

“The FLUP was a product ofcommunity participation,” he said.The decision to invite investors, akey strategy in implementing theplan, was also reached afterseveral consultations, he added.

Lopez said there are otherbusiness groups who have

Avoiding hostilities through MENRC

The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Council(MENRC) is a multi-sectoral group with membersrepresenting government agencies like the DENR and theLGU, the NGO community, the people’s organizations andothers. The council addresses complaints and settles landand other related disputes.

The ability of the council to resolve land conflicts was put totest in the case of pasture lease agreement (PLA) holders onone hand, and the IPs of Maasim on the other. The IPs,whose claim over a 2,000 hectare area was declaredlegitimate by the National Commission on IndigenousPeoples (NCIP), were complaining about the intrusion ofthe PLA holders in the IP area.

Bloody confrontation was avoided when the two warringgroups met in August 2004—after several consultations,map validations and small meetings. The results of theseactivities were presented by the MENRC. With theinformation provided, the head of the IP clan agreed toallocate 600 hectares (out of 2,000 hectares) to the PLAholders.


signified their interest in investingin Maasim, including a foodcompany and a power firm.

To ensure that conflicts areresolved in a transparent andparticipatory manner, themunicipality established aMunicipal Environment andNatural Resources Council(MENRC). Employingtransparency and community, heMENRC has succeeded insettling at least five disputes,bringing back people’s faith in thegovernment and the justicesystem.

Economic benefits to thepeople of Maasim

Mayor Lopez estimated that DolePhilippines has invested aroundP100 million in the area throughcontract growing of pineapple inabout 200 hectares of land, andthe lease of another 500 hectareswithin an area covered by aCertificate of Ancestral DomainTitle. Plantations could cover asmuch as 2,000 hectares of bareforestlands.

The mayor’s efforts to bring ininvestors have so far benefited200 households—a number ofthem either NPA rebels orsupporters—now doing businesswith Dole Philippines as contractgrowers, or as workers of thecontract growers. He said thedevelopment of the area willcontinue to benefit more people.

Access of upland dwellers toservices and markets in thelowlands had improved through a50-km road network that linksthem with the Maasim towncenter. The town has tappedvarious government sources toraise funds for the project, nowamounting to P22 million.

Many are now reaping therewards; one of them is PringMalo, a father of seven. Engagedas a pineapple contract grower,Malo recently received awindfall—he earned a P180,000net income from his two-hectareplantation, after subtracting costsfor plantation inputs, “weeders,”and his advances to meet dailyneeds, from a harvest thatgrossed about P400,000. “WhenI got the money, I didn’t knowwhat to do with it,” said Malo.He decided to put most of it in abank, after buying a motorcyclein cash, which he now uses toferry paying passengers. With theimproved income, all his childrenare now able to attend school.

Another beneficiary is formerNPA commander Alfie, nowemployed as head of forestguards composed of ex-rebels.He said he now leads a peacefullife and enjoys being with histhree children. “I earn enough tosend my eldest child to school. Iam pretty much content with thekind of life I am living now.”

Next in the LGU agenda:soil and waterconservation

Mayor Lopez stressed that thefocus of this development projectwill not be all plantations. “It willbe a balanced development; wewill take care of our people butwe will also make sure that wewill not degrade our resources.”

The next step, he explained, is topromote the adoption of soil andwater conservation measures toprevent erosion and soildegradation (Maasim has a rollingterrain with some steep slopes).Measures being considered arethe proper selection of sites forplantation development;development and promotion offarming models for contractgrowers that integrate soil andwater conservation measures;study tours to the MindanaoBaptist Rural Life Center wheresuch measures are showcased;and discussions and agreementswith investors for the use ofsustainable farming practices.

“We want to directly negotiatewith investors, and remind thecontract growers as well,regarding their environmentalresponsibility,” Mayor Lopezsaid. “Everyone, including ourupland farmers, shouldunderstand that as they get morefrom the land, they should alsoinvest in it so that they wouldcontinue reaping the benefits.”

Success Story20

Thus in 1999, the Municipalitiesof Dinas, Tabina, Tukuran, SanPablo, Dimataling, Labangan,Dumalinao, Pagadian City andthe Province of Zamboanga delSur agreed to form the Illana BayRegional Alliance of Region 9, orIBRA 9 and unite to conserve,develop and properly manage

The baywide approach incoastal resource management in Illana Bay

their sharedcoastline thatstretches 123.6kilometers. Two of the moredetermined LGUs approachedthe USAID-funded PhilippineEnvironmental Governance(EcoGov) Project and theDepartment of Environment and

Natural Resources(DENR) for technicalassistance. But even asthey were formulatingtheir individual CRMplans, the direction wasalready towards abaywide initiative to bestaddress the seriousproblems.

Adopting a baywideapproach

The strategy is toscale up potentialecological and socio-

economic benefits throughbaywide, ecosystem-basedfisheries management; and forgepartnerships and support systemsfor sustained good environmentalgovernance practices.

The opportunity for suchinter-LGU work came whenEcoGov signed a memorandumof agreement with IBRA-9, theZamboanga del Sur provincialgovernment, the Department ofEnvironmental and NaturalResources (DENR) and otherconcerned national line agencieson October 10, 2002, to provideCRM technical assistance andhelp facilitate inter-LGUcollaboration.

The EcoGov Projectprovided a package of assistancewith a particular focus in the

ocal government units (LGUs)Along Illana Bay, particularly thosein the western portion of

Zamboanga del Sur, are increasingly realizingthat they can arrest the problems posedby illegal and destructive fishing practices byimplementing coastal resources management(CRM) programs that directly involve thevarious sectors of the community.

FLET Team Stingray conducting field chart plottingduring training exercises.

Creating a culture of dialogue and participation:

EcoGov Technical Assistance Package

Prepare and implement CRM plansSet up municipal level fisheriesmanagement plansEstablish marine protected areas orfish sanctuariesOrganize and capacitate technicalworking groups to implement thefinalized CRM plansDelineate municipal water boundariesConduct information, education andcommunication (IEC) training forLGU IEC teams, DENR and other lineagencies and law enforcement bodies


critical area of fishery lawenforcement. In 2005, local chiefexecutives of the IBRA 9municipalities renewed theircommitment through a new MOAwith EcoGov. This helped IBRA9 score a number of successes inimplementing good governanceprograms in CRM and fisherieslaw enforcement.

Increased multi-sectoralparticipation

One major achievement is theheightened cross-sectoral/culturalparticipation and contribution indecision-making processes. Thecreation of technical workinggroups (TWGs) representing thedifferent sectors and the activeparticipation of communitymembers have given them a deepsense of “ownership.” Localpeople have become partners inmanaging their coastal resources,involved in the planning andimplementation of CRMprograms. These includebiophysical assessment activities,cluster zoning workshops,validation of the proposedcoastal zones, feedbacksessions and public discussionsof coastal management plans.

A positive behavioralchange has since been observedamong LGU personnel,residents and stakeholders. Asexpressed by the Mayor ofDinas, “the culture ofconfrontation is gradually beingreplaced with that of dialogueand negotiation.”

While the LGUs aroundIllana Bay used to have difficultyin getting people to join public

hearings, their problem now ishow to limit the number ofcommunity members who attendmeetings, as they now seethemselves as part of the LGUdecision-making process.

Translating to concreteactions

With increased interest andappreciation in environmentalgovernance, the Illana Bay LGUshad a lot of help as they tookconcrete steps to improve coastalresources management.

Water boundaries delineatedContentious water boundary

disputes were resolved thru inter-LGU cooperation, coordinatedby the Provincial TWG and withtechnical assistance fromEcoGov. Municipal waters of theeight LGUs along Illana Bay arenow fully delineated—a keyrequirement in enforcing lawswithin municipal waters.

Crowning the achievement isa similar breakthrough made by

the municipalities of Tukuran inZamboanga del Sur and SultanNaga Dimaporo in Lanao delNorte. The two LGUstranscended their differences andfinally agreed on their municipalwater boundaries. The resultingMemorandum of Agreementsigned last December 9, 2005ended months of intensivenegotiations that almostthreatened the effectiveenforcement of coastal laws inIllana Bay.

Inter-LGU efforts onenforcement

A viable inter-LGU FisheryLaw Enforcement Plan has beenformulated and legitimized inIllana Bay. This paved the wayfor the creation of the Illana BayRegion 9 Fishery LawEnforcement Team (IBRA 9FLET).

The IBRA 9 FLET is headedby the Zamboanga del Sur PoliceProvincial Office (ZDS-PPO)and is composed of different

Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Government plays Big Brother

The participation and stewardship of the provincial government ofZamboanga del Sur through the Provincial Technical Working Group (PTWG)in the implementation of the inter-LGU coastal resources management and lawenforcement plans have proven to be crucial.

Among the PTWG’s contributions are the facilitation of inter-LGUagreements on coastal terminal points (CTPs) and the determination andmapping of coordinates of CTPs and municipal boundaries. The PTWG hasprovided a non-partisan venue for settling differences and conflicts betweenmunicipalities. Its members have facilitated dialogues between warring LGUssuch as Dinas and San Pablo. They have also promoted cordial discussionswhich has led to a positive agreement between the towns of Dimataling andTabina.

The PTWG has also become a nerve center for IEC work and a one-stopsource of information and training materials. It maintains regular radiobroadcasts on IBRA 9 activities and other coastal related issues. It spearheadsseminars and workshops for bantay dagat enforcers that have led to increasedapprehensions and the imposition of fines and penalties to offenders.

Success Story22

are better able to apprehendillegal fishing boats, limit access tofishing grounds, and stop illegalfishing. In the four-month periodthat followed the Fisheries LawEnforcement Training conductedby EcoGov in April 2005, a totalof 29 apprehensions were

reported by the Maritime Police.Among the violations were fishingin municipal waters withoutpermits and the use of illegalfishing methods. The CoastGuard and BFAR have sincereported a dramatic increase inthe registration and licensing of

Vice Mayor gives up life to protect town’s waters

The coastal town of Dinas along Illana Bay in Zamboanga del Sur has always been noted for its richmarine resources – abundant seagrass and mangrove forests and coral reefs that nurture many species of fishand other marine life. This attracts commercial fishers from neighboring towns and elsewhere who regularlypoach in their waters, crowding out local fishermen who resorted to using homemade explosives and cyanide tobe able to compete. The intense exploitation resulted in a steep decline in fish production and other coastalresources, and the impoverization of Dinas fisherfolk.

Pushed by the need to stop the depletion of their waters, Vice-Mayor Abdulbasit Maulana worked on theestablishment of a marine sanctuary in Dinas and got the town council to allot P100,000 for the purpose. Heorganized a bantay dagat team made up of former MNLF rebels who resolutely defended the protected areafrom intruders and illegal fishers.

Not willing to give up their source of valuable catch, the encroaching fishers fought back, bombing thesanctuary and burning bantay dagat boats and guard house in a series of violent encounters that got several ofthem killed. This did not stop the intruders, but the bantay dagat members were determined to defend theirwaters. They were inspired by the dedicated leadership of Vice Mayor Maulana who always fought beside them.“We will continue protecting our marine sanctuary because our coastal communities are benefiting from it,” hedeclared.

In yet another encounter in July 2005, the vice mayor rushed to help his bantay dagat team like he alwaysdid. But this time, he perished together with four of his men.

Vice Mayor Maulana will always live in the hearts of the people of Dinas for having staunchly championedcoastal resource protection and management, and for being a martyr to the cause.

agencies: the PNP MaritimePolice, Philippine Army, theCoast Guard, National Bureau ofInvestigation, Zamboanga del SurProvincial Government, DENR,Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR), CityAgricultural Office, Provincial andCity Prosecutor’s Offices,Provincial Attorney’s Office,Bantay Dagat, FARMC and theDepartment of Interior and LocalGovernment. The FLET is taskedto enforce fishery laws andfacilitate prosecution of violatorsin the area.

EcoGov is helping strengthensupport mechanisms for fisherieslaw enforcement with the trainingof bantay dagat teams, registryof fisherfolks and boats, issuanceof permits for fishing boatsoperating within municipal waters,and establishing a system toreport illegal practices. With theircapability enhanced, LGU teams

FLET boat with composite team patrols Illana Bay.


commercial fishing vessels andworkers. There has also been areduction in incidences of piracy.

Tukuran, one of the moresuccessful municipalities in termsof enforcement, recorded a bigincrease in apprehensions duringthe period June to September,2005. These included 12 mennabbed for illegal fishing (usingcompressors and poisonoussubstances), and another sevenfor fishing inside marinesanctuaries. Five commercialfishing boats were caughtpoaching in the municipal waters.

In the most recent incident,FLET members led by the PNPMaritime Police confiscated 350kilos of dynamited fish being soldin Pagadian City. Support forenforcement is firming up inindividual LGUs such as Tabina,Tukuran and Dinas where thenumber of deputized fish wardensis increasing and incentives forBantay Dagat members, such asallowances and life and healthinsurance, have beeninstitutionalized. TheMunicipalities of Tukuran andDumalinao have also startedgiving out awards to outstandingBantay Dagat members duringtheir Foundation Daycelebrations.

Regular budget allocation forCRMClearly, CRM is a priority ofLGUs along Illana Bay, asevidenced by the regularizationand consistent increase in budgetallocation for CRM programs. InTukuran, the budget for CRMprograms went up from

P400,000 in 2001 to more thanP600,000 in 2005. Dinasallocated a budget of P380,000in 2002, but gave CRM a bigboost with P1.42 million in 2005.Tabina has also been steadilyincreasing its budget support forCRM.

Organizational strengthsAnother indication of the

strong “buy-in” from LGUs is thepresence of a number of resourcemanagement organizations thatcontinue to be functional. ACoastal Resource ManagementTechnical Advisory Council iscurrently at the helm of CRMactivities in Tabina while CoastalResource Management Councilsare actively implementing CRMplans in Dinas, Tukuran,and Dimataling. Thesemanagement units have becomeresponsible for maintaining asystem for licenses andregistration, and application forpermits. They are alsoresponsible for the disseminationof public information to promotetransparency and accountability.

Forging partnershipsCo-management agreements andlaw enforcement programs havealso been facilitated, especially inlarger marine protected areas(MPAs), as a result of goodgovernance practices.

In Tabina, three levels of co-management exist. The TambunanMPA, which has an area of 95hectares, is managed by themunicipal government. TheTalisay MPA with an area of 19.8hectares is being managed by thePangalaran EnvironmentLivelihood Association (PELA)while the 28-hectare ConcepcionMPA is being managed byBarangay Concepcion in Tabina.The Talisay LGU also passed anordinance “Declaring the Coast-lines from District Pangalaran,Malim to Sto. Domingo asPELA–Managed MangroveArea.”

Moving forwardClearly, LGUs in Illana Bay

have given priority to CRMprograms. Three LGUs alreadyhave legitimized CRM plans and

Success Story24

municipal fishery managementplans. A number of ordinanceshave been adopted, fisheries lawsare being implemented, andincentives are provided to fish

wardens.Budgets havebeen allocated tosupport CRMand MPAprograms.

This wasvalidated by theEcoGov-initiatedEnvironmentalGovernanceIndex whereIBRA9 LGUsscored high pointsin bothgovernanceprinciples and

governance functions. IBRA 9alliance members were seen to beimplementing best practices insuch governance functions asplanning and implementation,

EcoGov assistance to LGUs includes training theirpersonnel in preparing maps of their municipal waters.

MPA paves the way for peace and reconciliation

Rich in natural resources, the coastal barangay of Combo in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur should havebeen a model community for development. That has never happened because four local leaders and theirfamilies have been locked in a long and bitter conflict borne out of political as well as family differences.

The local government, with help from USAID’s EcoGov Project, saw the need for residents to start caring fortheir coastal environment by implementing a proper coastal resource management program and establishing amarine sanctuary in the area. But the technical working group for the Marine Protected Area (MPA) realizedthat any attempt at community effort would be futile unless the warring clans were reconciled.

Labangan Mayor Abubakar Afdal, Al Haj initiated peacemaking initiatives and with the help of the TWGand the town’s council of elders, engaged the bickering leaders in a series of dialogues. Fittingly, the effort wascapped by the signing of a peace accord during the public consultations on the establishment of the barangay’sMPA on May 11, 2006.

Headed by Monie Mamasalagat, Menting Unto, Sukarno Mamasalagat and Osmenia Guimba, the families-in-conflict saw the urgent need to forge peace and harmony among members of the community, and increase theiropportunities for a better life. They also realized that crucial to that goal is full support for the development of amarine protected area.

“Our barangay has been left behind for many years now. The reconciliation of our leaders will hopefullypave the way to development.” Kagawad Motingting Tinggalong expressed.

As a direct result of the reconciliation, a 22-hectare barangay-managed MPA has been established. Withassistance from Municipal Bantay Dagat law enforcers, the marine sanctuary ensures the sustainabledevelopment of fish resources in the area.

Indeed, Barangay Combo is now in the process of rebuilding not just structures but relationships for aunited effort against the threats to their marine resources. And together with the other LGUs in Zamboanga delSur that are supported by the EcoGov Project and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,Labangan is now seriously addressing its coastal environment concerns.

budgeting, procurement,issuances and enforcement.

Alliance members have alsobeen performing well in theobservance of good governanceprinciples such as functionality,transparency, accountability andparticipatory decision-making.

These results indicate a highlevel of organizational maturitywhich bodes well for thesustainability of the LGUs’environmental initiatives.Prospects for Illana Bay arereally bright and IBRA 9 mayeventually become a workingmodel for other coastal areas inthe country, which may then leadto more inter-regional bay-widecollaboration for resourcemanagement.


Success Story26

Documents

The Philippine Environmental Governance Projectfaspselib.denr.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Publication Files/EG...The Philippine Environmental Governance Project 1 THE ECOGOV PROJECT