Background

Natural systems such as forests and wetlands provide many valuable services that markets rarely capture. These ecosystem services continue to decline due to resource degradation, often caused by lack of clear property rights, conflicting policies, and other market forces. To sustain the provision of ecosystem services and the financing needed for management of natural systems from which they are derived, market creation approaches are increasingly being used. These allow for transactions between those who directly benefit from these services and those in a position to sustainably manage the forests, reefs, or other natural systems. To support these efforts, ADB is implementing a regional Research and Development Technical Assistance (RDTA) project -- Capturing Economic Benefits from Ecosystem Services (CEBES). Seven developing member countries (DMCs) – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and Vietnam – are being assisted to understand and benefit from the new opportunities offered by these approaches while managing the accompanying risks.

Objectives

Elicit views and concerns from Philippine stakeholders about payments for ecosystem services (PES) and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) as an innovative and sustainable financing scheme, especially for managing forest ecosystems.

Expected outputs

Results from this conference will feed into a regional synthesis publication. Workshop summary will be uploaded on the ADB website.

Target participants

Participants will comprise key stakeholders in the Philippines such as government, non-government, and peoples’ organizations, private corporations, and donor groups. Around 60-70 participants are expected to join the conference.

Resource speakers

• Bernd Marcus-Liss, Principal Advisor for BMU Projects, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
• Rodel D. Lasco, Senior Scientist, World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF)
• Datu Abdelwin Sangkula, REDD Project Manager, Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Program (NTFP-EP)
• Emiliana Labata, Environmental Management Specialist, Provincial Government of Southern Leyte
• Ericson Mendoza, Section Chief, Watershed Management Dept., National Power Corporation (NPC)
• Pedro Walpole, Executive Director, Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC)
• Marlo Mendoza, Asst. Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
• Alex P. Calingasan, Governor, Bukidnon Provincial Government
• Norma Llemit, Program Development Manager, Hineleban Foundation
• Elvino Balicao, Mayor, Wao Municipal Government, Lanao del Sur Province