R334 B for ecosystem management

The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) launched yesterday the 1334-billion blueprint for the management of the country’s ecosystems, providing the bulk of the funding allocation to address habitat loss and overexploitation of protected areas until 2028.

The Philippine Biodiversity Sustainable Action Plan (PBSAP), which will serve as the country’s blueprint in managing its natural wealth, was developed through extensive consultations with various sectors at the national and local levels.

It will be the country’s biodiversity management design plan for the next 12 years or until 2028.

“At present, less than 1 percent of coral reef remains in excellent condition. We have also observed a decline in the number in forest species,” BMB Director Theresa Mundita Lim said. “The state of the Philippine biodiversity is alarming at this point but there are improvements.”

“Although that is the current situation, we can say that we can still see the light at the end of the tunnel due to higher public awareness among Filipinos and active efforts to preserve endangered species such as the tamaraw where we have reported an increase in its sighting,” she added.

“We also have very active social media reports, where netizens have been our partners and advocates. We just need to translate this into action to improve the state of biodiversity in the Philippines,” she also said.

Aside from adhering to global targets on biodiversity and sustainable development, like the 2010 Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals, the PBSAP also addresses local development needs and is intended to be consistent with other national plans down to the local plans, such as the Comprehensive Land Use Development Plan.

Under the PBSAP, 20 targets have been identified to address drivers of biodiversity loss, reduce its threats, improve its status, and enhance ecosystem services, all towards the overarching goal of improving human well-being.

Likewise, specific indicators were identified to monitor the progress in achieving the targets. The lack of specific targets and indicators is one of the gaps of the 1997 action plan, which was addressed in the 2015-2028 version.

The total cost of implementation of the PBSAP until 2028 will range from 1337.9 billion to 1393.3 billion, with the largest cost estimate of 39 percent for the prevention of habitat loss and overexploitation of protected areas.

The funding is expected from public and private sources, including international support. The government is already implementing efforts to address the financing gap for PBSAP implementation.