Philippines : Decentralized Framework for Sustainable Natural Resources and Rural Infrastructure Management

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management

The Philippine government has adopted sustainable development as a national policy for all environment and natural resources plans and programs. Towards this end, it has employed the integrated watershed management or the watershed ecosystem management approach. It is the policy of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure the attainment and optimization of environmental, socio-cultural, economic benefits from all watershed programs and projects through holistic, participatory management and effective implementation of interventions to sustain their production of multiple goods and services for the present and future generations. In this context, the Philippine government has enunciated an array of sector policies, laws and regulations on forestry, protected areas, wildlife conservation, agriculture, public works, energy, air and water quality, waste management, and mining with significant implications for the management of URBs.

Sustainable increase in rural household incomes based on natural resources in participating LGUs

LGUs and communities capable of planning and investing for sustainable watershed management

1. Selected Bukidnon URB watersheds are profiled and capacity for partricipatory watershed planning enhanced.

2. LGU's capacity for rural infrastructure planning, design, operation, and maintenance strengthened.

3. LGUs and communities in Bukidnon URB watersheds having increased knowledge of livelihood options based on sustainable watershed management

Output 1. Selected Bukidnon upper river basin (URB) watersheds have been profiled, and the capacity of stakeholders for participatory watershed planning enhanced, resulting in the delivery of a proposed framework for watershed management planning. Based on the planning framework, 7 watershed management framework plans and micro-level management plans of 21 forest management units have been developed, incorporating climate change, gender, and IP perspectives.

Output 2. LGU capacity for rural infrastructure planning, design, and O&M has been strengthened, resulting in the following: (i) delivery of 20 Rural Infrastructure Project Proposals integrating climate change, gender, and IP perspectives; (ii) enhanced capacity of municipal personnel (municipal engineers (MEs), municipal environment and natural resource officers (MENROs), and municipal planning and development coordinators (MPDCs) of 20 municipalities in RI planning, implementation, and O&M; (iii) training of MEs and MPDCs of 22 municipalities in project proposal and feasibility study preparation; (iv) capacitation of barangay officials and communities in 41 barangays of 17 municipalities in RI and O&M planning, processes, and procedures; and (v) development of a Manual on Effective RI Planning and O&M with standard specifications and prototype designs for common RI infrastructure facilities incorporating climate change and gender and IP perspectives.

Output 3. LGUs and communities in the Bukidnon URB watersheds have been provided with enhanced knowledge of livelihood options based on sustainable watershed management, resulting in the delivery of (i) 14 watershed-based livelihood proposals, which were developed directly with the proponents, including women and IPs; and (ii) 21 other proposals developed as part of forest management unit (FMU) management planning by 20 people's organizations (POs), including indigenous POs. The proposals, particularly those related to watershed rehabilitation, as provided for in FMU management plans, have a good likelihood of obtaining funding from the ADB loan-funded Integrated Natural Resources Management Project (INREMP) and the National Greening Program (NGP) of DENR.

Activities for the cross-cutting areas of gender, climate change, social marketing, and knowledge management have also been completed.