OUTLINE
I. RATIONALE
II. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BATAAN
ICM PROGRAM
-
Describes how Bataan ICM
Program evolved since its inception up to the present.
III. THE FOCUS OF ICM
- ICM = Partnership
- Focus of ICM
- The ICM Cycle
IV. THE BATAAN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
- Describes what the BSDS is all
about
- BSDS formulation
- Scope of the BSDS
V. MAJOR ACTIVITIES, WORK TARGETS AND
ACHIEVEMENTS AS OF END OF 2007
- Describes the overall objectives
of the Bataan ICM Program
- Describes the achievements of
the program since its inception in Year 2000
VI. FUTURE DIRECTIONS
- Integration of the BSDS into
the national level and regional level policy
- Formulation of Integrated
Management Plans (waste management, watershed/catchment-based management plans)
- Coastal Land and Sea Use Zoning
Plan for Bataan
- Development of Decision Support
Information System (Integrated Information Management System linked with GIS)
- Continuation of Highlight
Activities – Coastal Clean-up, Mangrove Rehabilitation, Watershed
Rehabilitation, Riverbank Stabilization, Supplemental Livelihood Support
VII. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
- The PCC Structure - describes
the PCC structure and the role of the Provincial Government, the BCCFI and
PEMSEA in
terms of funding the ICM program; also describes the multi-sectoral
composition of the PCC, and that membership
or involvement therein is purely
voluntary on the part of the sectoral representatives
-
BCCFI Member Companies
VIII. WHY ENGAGE IN ICM
-
Improvement of services and
response system
-
Improvement of relationship
between sectors
-
Strengthening of management
capability
-
Enhancement of the image of
different sectors / organizations
IX.
APPENDIX
A – List of PMO Staff and PCC Members
X.
APPENDIX
B – List of Members of the Technical Working Group
XI.
APPENDIX
C – List of Members of the Bataan Coastal
Care
Foundation, Inc. (BCCFI)
I. RATIONALE
Bataan, a peninsular province, is endowed with rich natural resources, which offer various opportunities for development. This common resource base is subjected to different uses and diverse perspectives among resource users or stakeholders. This diversity when pursued without a sense of interdependence, connectivity and awareness of consequences will heighten the conflict between resource users,
especially when ranged along the concept of free and open access to resources and unlimited use. More often than not, this led to
inequitable access to resources – A RESOURCE USE CONTROL CRISIS.
Bataan has lost most of its forest and upland resources and negative impacts are already being felt along its extensive coastal area. If control and management will not be pursued, it won’t be long before the province loses the productivity of its coastal and marine resources. Previous coastal resources management efforts in Bataan have largely been sectoral and tend to duplicate, if not contradict each other.
These are also hampered by limited awareness among target beneficiaries and lack of institutional support from local government units (LGUs) aside from distrust between key sectoral groups – LGUs, the private sector, NGOs and other civil society groups.
This situation prompted the need for an integrated resource management program and a strategic awareness and mobilization
campaign to emphasize that dependence on a common resource should unite rather than create divisiveness of efforts among and
between key stakeholder groups – a realization that there is UNITY IN DIVERSITY. Along this line, the need to establish partnerships
between sectors becomes paramount, as one group alone cannot successfully pursue resource management programs without the participation and strength of other sectors. More importantly, people need to be mobilized and empowered to care for their resource base through tangible and participatory efforts for them to gain a better grasp of the environmental situation in Bataan and to act concertedly
for their own benefit. These needs presented an opportunity for LGUs to display a transparent development process to gain the trust and confidence of the private sector, NGOs and key civil society groups as well as their local constituents. For the private sector, this is an opportunity to band together and exercise responsible corporate citizenship. For NGOs and civil society groups, this is a chance to
have their community development and empowerment efforts to be promptly recognized and be molded into the mainstream institutional development process while strengthening their own capacities to establish linkages with other key stakeholder groups.
II.
BRIEF HISTORY
In February 2000, a Memorandum of Agreement between the Provincial Government of Bataan, the Bataan Business Community represented by Petron Corporation and the UNDP/IMO – PEMSEA was signed to establish the
Bataan Integrated Coastal Management Program (BICMP). Bataan, thus, became the first parallel site of PEMSEA, a province having its own integrated coastal management
program purely funded by the provincial government in partnership with the private sector and fully supported by other stakeholder organizations.
A Project Coordinating Committee (PCC) composed of representatives from different stakeholders in the province was formed to act as the highest decision making body for BICMP. Also, a Project Management Office was established under the Governor’s Office in April 2000 to handle the day-to-day activities of the ICM program. The private sector, in turn, organized a foundation called the Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, Inc. (16 companies) in July 2000, to facilitate funding support to the program. As such, the BICMP is implemented through a public-private partnership using the resources of the province and that of the private sector. Since then, the program engaged in various activities based on the ICM framework as promoted by PEMSEA, the
coastal clean-up activity, which started in September 1999, was
used as a primary hands-on awareness campaign vehicle to promote the BICMP.
III. THE FOCUS OF ICM
The ICM program follows the integrated coastal management (ICM) framework
provided by the GEF/UNDP/IMO – PEMSEA. Basically, the premise of ICM is
anchored on partnerships between different stakeholder groups namely: (a) the
central and local government – Bataan Provincial Government; (b) the private sector;
(c) non-government organizations together with community-based organizations, people’s organizations, the media and other civil society groups; (d) international organizations; (e) the academe and the scientific community; and (f) donor organizations. One sector cannot hope to resolve issues in coastal resources management by itself. Through steadfast partnerships, better opportunities can be created and mobilization of resources will be easier as well as strengthening
knowledge management. Further, the partnership increases the effectiveness of networks of respective sectors while also improving cost efficiency of implementing
the ICM program.
Through partnerships, ICM hopes to address problems and institutionalize action projects focusing on the following: (a) protecting critical habitats; (b) protecting biodiversity; (c) marine pollution prevention and management; (d) sustainable fisheries development; and (e) sustainable aquaculture development.
The ICM process follows six different stages which can be adapted at the local level, starting with the preparatory stage, followed by the initiating, developing and adopting stages, then by the implementation stages up to the refinement and consolidation stage, wherein a
new ICM cycle starts. Bataan is currently at the apex of implementing and refining / consolidating ICM experiences to start a new ICM cycle.
IV. THE BATAAN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The BICMP, through an arduous communication campaign highlighted by numerous consultation workshops and focus group discussions in all 11 municipalities and one city of Bataan, formulated the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy (BSDS). This Strategy is an environmental management framework proclaiming the vision and mission of Bataeños to pursue a strategic use and management of environmental resources.
Understanding the complexity & diversity of the overall coastal system, including people and their coastal environment is the basis in forming the vision for the BSDS. It outlined strategic action targets ranging from participatory information, education and communication (IEC) projects, mitigation of environmental damages, protection and rehabilitation of critical habitats and rational development pursuits including poverty alleviation of coastal communities. As mentioned, it is a product of an extensive consultation process involving the following: (a) local government units (LGUs) executives & officials; (b) representatives from local government agencies (LGAs); (c) civil society groups (NGOs, Fisherfolk Groups, Religious Groups, Multi-sectoral Groups & the Private Sector); and
(d) others including members of FARMCs, Bantay-Dagat, guest speakers from different government agencies (DENR, DA, DTI, PNP, DOST).
The BSDS covers a broad spatial area which includes: (a) the land & water on the seaward side of the coastal watersheds, including the upland watersheds of Bataan; and (b) the sea and seabed area w/in the maximum. 15 km municipal waters limit as defined by RA 8550 (Fishery Code). Using a simplified Bataan land and coastal/marine ecosystem interaction network, the strategy seeks to address impacts of land & sea activities broadly classified as: (a) catchment impacts - impact of land-based activities on land ecosystems & waterways entering the marine waters; and (b) nearshore or offshore impacts - impacts on land & sea as caused by various activities.
The
VISION as stated in the strategy is a well-developed community with an abundant natural resource, clean environment and
responsible citizenry, empowered to care for nature and its bounty.
The
MISSION is to clean the environment, develop it sustainably and make it safe from human activities for us to live peacefully,
blissfully and honorably amidst nature’s bounty through active participation in integrated resource management efforts.
At this point, it is important to note that the UNDP / IMO – PEMSEA program, do not provide funding to the BICMP, they only provide technical support. Civil society groups and their network (NGOs and People’s Organizations or POs) provided the mass base for the program. With PEMSEA sharing their technical expertise on ICM, Bataan was declared as its first ICM Parallel Site, and model for coastal resources management in the Manila Bay Region.
V. MAJOR ACTIVITIES, WORK
TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS AS OF END OF 2007
Based on the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy, several annual component projects were strengthened and designed to
educate and empower coastal communities through the (a)
regular coastal cleanup; (b)
mangrove enrichment planting activity; (c)
tree planting; and (d)
supplemental / alternative livelihood development. These activities are participated in by almost the whole cross-section of stakeholder groups in the province and being managed and monitored by the Bataan Integrated Coastal Management
Program – Project Management Office (BICMP-PMO).
Long term projects have also started, these are: (a) formulation and publication of a Coastal Land and Sea Use Zoning Plan;
(b) establishment of an Integrated Information Management System, a database of information about Bataan’s ecological and
social environment, which is intended to be a decision-support system for development projects and legislation of environmental policies
for the province; (c)institutional development through ICM legislations from the provincial to municipal and barangay levels; and
(d) facilitation of discussions and consensus building on key environmental management issues.
Goals / Objectives
The Bataan ICM Program, through the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy, intends to develop an environmental management
plan to address the range of environmental concerns in Bataan and transform them into concrete action projects. Based on the principles of ICM, the BICMP hopes to address environmental concerns such as pollution from land-based activities, habitat and resource degradation, overfishing and destructive fishing, siltation and sedimentation, oil spills and sea-based sources of pollution, as well as the range of multiple resource-use conflicts and transboundary issues between resource users in the province. Using a comprehensive management framework,
we aim to:
· establish partnerships between key stakeholders in the province;
· institutionalize the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy in different levels of governance in the province and serve as a blueprint or
framework in using and managing Bataan’s abundant natural resources; and
· mobilize stakeholder support, particularly coastal communities, in the rehabilitation, protection, preservation and rational use of resources.
These objectives are being achieved through a range of information, education and communication (IEC) activities targeting specific stakeholder groups (e.g., adults and youths in coastal communities, children / grade-schoolers, religious groups, etc.). These include the use of all available communication media such as local and national print and broadcast media, consultation series (e.g., proactive seminar workshops, focus groups discussions, on-site monitoring of activities, etc.).
The IEC framework revolves around a core message in line with the
VISION of “well-developed community with an abundant natural resource, clean environment and responsible citizenry, empowered to care for nature and its bounty”. Achievement of these objectives is
also in line with the
MISSION of Bataeños to “clean the environment, develop it sustainably and make it safe from harmful human activities
in order to live peacefully, blissfully and honorably amidst nature’s bounty through active participation in integrated resource management efforts.”
Intended Beneficiaries
The target beneficiaries of the Bataan ICM Program and its component projects are mainly the coastal communities in all
11 municipalities and one city of Bataan, which comprises 35% (231,753) of Bataan’s total population as of 2007. These are fisherfolk
families depending mainly on coastal / marine resources and limited agricultural production. Other stakeholders involved in the program are local government units, members of NGOs and other civil society groups, employers and employees of private companies. The Bataan ICM Program needed to reach these multi-faceted audiences and beneficiaries through a systematic and tangible communication process with supporting budget and logistics.
The Bataan Coastal Care Foundation and the Provincial Government provided the budget and logistics while NGOs and civil society
groups provided the link with community members through their network of community-based people’s organizations. The academe and
various local offices were also included in the process of promoting the Bataan ICM Program and its component projects.
Local radio stations and print media are also instrumental in reaching the broad base of intended beneficiaries. In-depth communication
with the beneficiaries is carried out through regular consultation workshops and focus groups discussions in all 11 municipalities / 1 city of Bataan. The end-result of these communication efforts are strategic actions strengthened by a shared consensus and supported by a well-informed mass base who are ready to take on the challenge of implementing the ICM program in the province.
Project Achievement Summary
Currently, Bataan ICM Program is sustained by the participation of various stakeholder groups in the province. It enjoys an active support from LGUs, provincial and national level government agencies and international conservation groups. Component projects such as the coastal clean-up and mangrove enrichment planting activities continue to draw more volunteers from stakeholder groups and has encouraged other provinces, notably Cavite, and municipalities around the Manila Bay to do the same.
The coastal clean-up drive, for one is now a force in itself as various coastal barangays in all 11 municipalities and one city of Bataan conduct cleanups on a quarterly, monthly and some even on a weekly basis, especially in the towns of Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Abucay,
Orani and Morong. The BICMP was also able to establish about 26.5 hectares of mangrove enrichment planting / reforestation area being managed by community-based organizations, FARMCs and barangay councils in the towns of Abucay, Pilar, Orion, Limay and the city of Balanga.
The program, through the Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, Inc. (BCCFI), also provided soft loans to nine (9) fisherfolk associations from Abucay, Orion and Limay to fund mussel culture areas as a supplemental livelihood source benefiting close to 110 households. The BCCFI also provided a livelihood support grant to the Bantay Pawikan, Inc. -- an organization of fisherfolk volunteers empowered to protect and managed a marine turtle conservation area in Morong, Bataan. With the help of UNLAD-PRRM, a local NGO, the BICMP aims to help the Bantay Pawikan, Inc. establish a fish consignation and fuel-buying center in two barangays to help draw the community away from
destructive poaching of marine turtles and their precious eggs.
These tangible projects, aside from serving both conservation of resources and poverty alleviation functions, also served as an education
and communication campaign vehicle that elevates the awareness of Bataeños to resolve environmental issues and concerns with interdependence and interconnectivity of resources in mind.
Stakeholder groups in Bataan are now taking the steps to make the Bataan ICM Program as part of their sustainable development agenda. Proof of this is publication of the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy and the Coastal Land- and Sea-Use Zoning Plan, wherein
series of consultation meetings with various stakeholders from the national and local government agencies, the academe, non-government
and people’s organizations and the community laid down the foundations of their plans and projects in protecting the upland and coastal environment of Bataan.
Implementation
The Bataan ICM Program followed three main phases of program development: (1) Entry Phase – awareness campaign through proactive and hands on participation – coastal clean-up drives and mangrove planting activities; (2) Development Phase – establishment of network for sustained partnership to pursue awareness campaign initiative and establish a body to sustain environmental management program in the province; and (3) Adoption and Implementation Phase – the implementation of the Bataan ICM Program, follows the integrated coastal management cycle guided by the technical expertise of PEMSEA. This ICM cycle was subsequently adapted by the Bataan ICM Program to suit the existing conditions in the Bataan Peninsula.
Entry Phase: Organizing the coastal clean-up drive as a proactive awareness campaign activity and established the working relationship between the private sector and the Bataan Provincial Government including support from international organizations to start the process of a sustained coastal care program for the Bataan Peninsula.
Development Phase: Activities during this stage, included: (1) strengthening the coastal clean-up drive awareness campaign,
complementing this with an assessment of issues around the peninsula including stakeholders’ initiatives for sustained coastal care;
(2) established the linkage and network of stakeholder action teams, while broadening the support of the UNDP-IMO PEMSEA Program to design a sustainable coastal resources management program; and (3) established the mechanisms and institutional structure to implement
the program following the integrated coastal management (ICM) framework.
At this stage, the fist two stages of ICM cycle commenced, starting off with the: (a) ICM Preparing Stage – included signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Bataan business community, the provincial government and the UNDP-IMO to implement
the ICM program, establishment of Project Mechanisms, to wit: (i) the Project Coordinating Committee composed of representatives from
major stakeholder groups in Bataan; and (ii) the Project Management Office (PMO) which is tasked to handle the day-to-day activities of the ICM Program, plus budget and logistical allocations and training of the PMO Staff on the rudiments of the ICM program, development of a 5-year workplan plus a continuous stakeholder awareness drive; (b) ICM Initiating Stage – activities include stakeholder consultations and focus groups discussions from municipal to provincial levels to formulate the Bataan Sustainable Development Stategy, identify the concerns and prioritized management targets, continuous awareness and consensus building through hands-on IEC campaign such as the coastal clean-up drive and mangrove planting activities.
Full Implementation of the Bataan ICM Program Phase: During this phase, the partnership between key stakeholder groups is solidified. Stage three of the ICM cycle – ICM Developing Stage -- started with such activities as (1) Finalization, publication and distribution of the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy (BSDS); (2) institutionalizing the BSDS (formerly the Bataan Coastal Strategy) through legislation, with the Bataan Sangguniang Panlalawigan passing Resolution No. 68, Series of 2002 declaring the BCS as Bataan’s primary framework for coastal resources management; (3) development of issue- and area-specific action plans to resolve identified environmental problems outlined in the coastal strategy; and (4) data gathering for the establishment of an integrated information management system.
The fourth ICM stage -- ICM Adopting Stage – included such activities as: (1) strengthening of institutional arrangement through legal mechanisms and ICM-related legislations; (2) strengthening of current annual projects, including supplemental livelihood for fisherfolk organizations and identification of more component projects derived from the BSDS; (3) continuous IEC; and (4) strengthening of funding mechanisms for specific action targets.
The fifth stage – ICM Implementing Stage – focusing initially on: (1) implementation of the Coastal Land- and Sea-Use Zoning Plan; (2) Establishment of the Integrated Information Management System (IIMS) and research work on formulating an environmental monitoring program. The Bataan ICM Program will then enter the ICM Refining and Consolidating Stage to assess: (1) institutional setup of the ICM program, transforming the Project Coordinating Committee into a more dynamic Bataan Sustainable Development Council; (2) Evaluate the program since it started; (3) revise strategies and action plans; and (4) create the plan for the next ICM program cycle based on the environmental management agenda.
Challenges
Coastal management is a long and arduous program. It is a process by which effects cannot be seen over a short-term period. As such,
the challenge is how to sustain stakeholders’ support and interest and keep it on an upbeat tempo while undergoing the ICM process.
Hence, the Bataan ICM Program, while essentially following the prescribed ICM cycle, combined the various ICM stages to adapt the process according to the needs of stakeholders and for them to see tangible results to own the program and sustain active participation. The third, fourth and fifth stages of the ICM cycle were combined through a workplan where action targets are based on the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy. The coastal strategy essentially became a strategic environmental management plan and was used as the basis to create issue-specific and area-specific tangible actions where stakeholders can actively participate while laying down the foundations for long-term action projects.
The Bataan ICM Program used annual component projects as area-specific actions such as the coastal clean-up drive and mangrove enrichment planting activities as hands-on IEC vehicles doubling as conservation measures to initiate long-term rehabilitation projects. This effectively sustained stakeholder interest in the ICM program.
As for issue-specific actions, Bataan ICM Program recognized that coastal communities and key stakeholder groups couldn’t be
mobilized without addressing poverty alleviation issues. This is not explicitly implied in the ICM cycle. However, as part of Bataan’s ICM adaptations, poverty alleviation measures were established. These measures include provision of soft loans to fisherfolk association to strengthen indigenous livelihood activities and livelihood support grants to draw them away from destructive resource use activities.
As such, stakeholders can see tangible results while looking forward to bigger aspects such as having a rational resource use plan and environmental monitoring mechanism to ensure sustainable resource use and development. Through the combined annual component project activities doubling as IEC vehicle and conservation drive, spiced with poverty alleviation drive, the long-term effects of the ICM program envisioned in the coastal strategy is ensured.
Measuring
and Evaluating Project Success vis a vis Project Objectives
Since the inception of the Bataan ICM Program, the following success indices have been achieved:
Objective One – Establish partnerships between key stakeholders in the province. The Bataan ICM Program now serves as a public-private partnership model for ICM in the Manila Bay Region in the Philippines and the whole East Asia Seas Region. The ICM Program is being promoted by UNDP-IMO PEMSEA as a prime example of an ICM program funded and managed mainly by a partnership between a local government (Bataan Provincial Government) and the private sector (Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, Inc.).
The Province of Bataan and the BCCFI also received the first PEMSEA Award for Outstanding Partner in ICM. Our public-private
partnership with BCCFI since 2001 has received numerous compliments because of camaraderie with each other and commitment they
have for the implementation of ICM in Bataan.
Furthermore, Governor Enrique T. Garcia, Jr. was elected as Vice-President of the PEMSEA Network for Local Governments for
Sustainable Coastal Development on December 2006 during the 3rd East Asian Seas Congress in Haikou City, Hainan Province, PR China.
lso, civil society groups in the province now recognized the Bataan ICM Program not simply as a resource management program but a venue for consensus and awareness building on various environmental management issues and concerns in the province. Bataan is also
being used by the Manila Bay Environmental Management Project (MBEMP) of the DENR and PEMSEA as a model, which other provinces around Manila Bay can follow in formulating their own coastal resources management programs. The following table shows the number of partner agencies actively participating in the Bataan ICM Program.
No. of
Local Government Units
|
11 Municipal + 1 City
LGUs
|
|
No. of Private Companies
|
16 companies
comprising the BCCFI
|
|
No. of International Organization & Agencies
|
1 (UNOPS – PEMSEA
Resource Facility)
|
|
No. of National Agencies
|
22 National Agencies
through their local offices
|
|
No. of Provincial Agencies / Offices
|
27 Provincial / Local
Offices
|
|
No. of NGOs / Academe / Media / Community-based
Groups
|
20 plus their network
organizations
|
Objective Two - Formulate the Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy which will serve as the blueprint or framework in using and managing Bataan’s abundant natural resources, including its institutionalization and adoption. The Bataan Sustainable Development Strategy was completed in September 2006, published and distributed among stakeholder groups in December 2006.
The BSDS will serve as the guideline for: (1) IEC efforts on environmental management; (2) Mitigative measures and action targets to
lessen the impact of damaging activities to environmental resources; (3) Protect and rehabilitate critical habitats and key resource areas;
and (4) Development of critical areas according to carrying capacity and designed use of such an area, including poverty alleviation measures. Issue- and area-specific action projects are now in place based on the BSDS.
At present, there are two annual component projects used as IEC vehicles and conservation / rehabilitation measures (Coastal Clean-up
and Mangrove Enrichment Planting activities); and three long-term projects designed for rehabilitation and development of critical coastal
areas: (1) Integration of the Coastal Land and Sea Use Zoning Plan with the Comprehensive Land-Use Plans; (2) Approval and development
of the Bataan Biodiversity Conservation Center that was submitted to the UNDP-Small Grants Project for funding; and (3) Integrated
Information Management System (IIMS).
Objective Three - Mobilize stakeholder support, particularly coastal communities, in the rehabilitation, protection, preservation and rational use of resources. IEC was extensively used to mobilize stakeholder support to all component projects of the Bataan ICM Program.
For in-depth campaign, the program used regular stakeholder consultation meetings, conduct focus group discussions and seminars to generate and sustain support for the program.
In turn, these efforts helped bring about the following results:
Project: KONTRA KALAT SA DAGAT
No. of Barangays involved
|
All 87 coastal
barangays & 62 (42%) out of 149 inland barangays
|
|
No. of Towns / City
involved
|
All 11 municipalities
and 1 City
|
|
No. of Individual
Stakeholders Involved
|
Approximately 75,000
individuals
|
|
Amount of debris
collected (in metric tons)
|
215 mt since 1999
|
|
Length of coastline
cleaned
|
156 kms of 177 (88%)
|
|
No. of towns regularly
doing KKD
|
8 towns w/ at least 10
barangays doing coastal clean-up on a weekly / monthly basis
|
Project: Mangrove
Enrichment Planting
No. of Barangays involved
|
8 barangays (Brgys.
Wawa & Mabatang in Abucay; Brgys. Daan Pare & Camachile, Orion; Brgy.
Balut II, Pilar; Brgy. Alangan, Limay; Brgy. Sibacan & Tortugas, Balanga City)
|
|
No. of Hectares
Covered
|
26.5 hectares in all
barangays covered (2000-2007) plus 20 hectares in Abucay (2005)
|
|
No. of Propagules
Planted
|
More than 232,000
propagules with at least 70% survival
|
|
No. of individual
Volunteers
|
About 5,700 individual
volunteers
|
|
No. of household
beneficiaries
|
About 650 households
in all barangays covered
|
Project: Livelihood
Support Project
No. of
Municipalities Involved
|
4 (Abucay, Orion,
Limay & Morong)
|
|
No. of Barangyas Involved
|
12 barangays (3 each
in involved municipalities)
|
|
No. of Fisherfolk Associations (FAs) Involved
|
10 Fisherfolk
Associations (translates into almost 500 households and associate
communities)
|
In all these results, an intensive and aggressive IEC campaign on a regular basis is the key to sustain stakeholder participation and
with the partnership between key sectors involved, Bataan ICM Program will continue making waves in promoting the program and mobilizing an active, well-informed and empowered citizenry.
VI. FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THE BATAAN ICM PROGRAM
The new provincial administration heralds the beginning of a new ICM cycle in Bataan. As such, the Bataan ICM Program hopes to
continue nursing the seeds of ICM planted in the last five years. The next steps include:
1.
Renewal of the MOA for the Public-Private Partnership Implementation of
the Program
The legal contract, Memorandum of Agreement, binding the Provincial Government and the private sector, together with UNDP-IMO,
in a
formal public-private partnership set-up towards sustainable development will end by February 10, 2005.
In May 12, 2005, the Provincial Government of Bataan entered into another Memorandum of Agreement with the Bataan Coastal Care
Foundation, Inc. and the UNDP-IMO for the second phase of the sustainable implementation of the integrated coastal management
program in the Province of Bataan.
2.
Strengthening Institutional Arrangements
The BSDS is a valuable management framework, which provides the province with a tool to pursue sustainable coastal resources
conservation and development. While it gives focus to the coastal ecosystems, it also considers other land-based ecosystems such as
Bataan’s precious watershed and lowland agricultural areas. To strengthen the BSDS, this can be linked up to existing national and
regional level policies as enacted by various laws particularly the Local Government Code.
Furthermore, the current BICMP-Project Coordinating Committee can be elevated to a “Bataan Sustainable Development Council”,
a body which can come up with recommendations to balance development and conservation efforts in the province.
3.
Implementation of the Coastal Land- and Sea-Use Zoning Plan for Bataan (Manila Bay
Pilot Project)
The Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, Inc. (BCCFI) has entered into a MOA with UNDP-IMO PEMSEA to formulate the Coastal
Land- and Sea-Use Zoning Plan for Bataan to complement the comprehensive land-use plan of the province. This is in coordination
with the Manila Bay Environmental Management Project of the DENR and PEMSEA. Already, a US$ 16,900.00 grant was approved to
make the coastal zoning plan in Bataan as the pilot project for the zonation and sea use plan for the whole Manila Bay region. The
zonation and sea use plan is designed to minimize multiple resource use conflicts in the coastal areas of Bataan and ultimately the
whole Manila Bay Region.
The implementation process started with the delineation of water boundaries per municipality. Integration of the CLSUZP with the
existing land-use plans of the province and local government units is on-going. The PMO is piloting the Municipality of Abucay in
formulating their Integrated Land- and Water-use Development Plan.
5. Formulation of Integrated Management Plans –
Waste Mgt. Plan, Watershed/Catchment-Based Mgt. Plans (community-based), etc.
The proposed Bataan Integrated Solid Waste Management System will have to be re-evaluated for its merits. This will be complemented
by the formulation of other area-specific management plans covering land-based activities and ecosystems. This will include watershed/catchment-based management plans, which will be formulated using a series of consultations to be participated in by concerned communities and stakeholders in specific catchment areas. The support of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in this endeavor would be critical, ditto with the participation of local government units and civil society groups.
6.
Continuation and Innovations in Supplemental Livelihood Projects for
Coastal Communities
The BCCFI remains committed to pursue supplemental livelihood projects in coastal communities of Bataan through the ICM program.
The Provincial Government also continues to provide livelihood projects to fisherfolk associations.
The PMO is currently developing a comprehensive project proposal for the establishment of a fish sanctuary and capiz shell culture
in the
Municipality of Samal.
7.
Completion of the IIMS Database System Linked with a Geographical
Information System (GIS)
This is one of the continuing targets for the Bataan ICM Program, which is expected to facilitate decision-making processes in using
coastal and marine resources of Bataan, especially in terms of pursuing development in fragile coastal areas.
The IIMS is a software that enables storage, retrieval and analysis of data that will provide decision-makers and other stakeholders with
information about the environment and its interconnections with human activities. It is a comprehensive database covering habitats and
biological resources, demography, institutional profiles, socio-economic activities, pollution sources, environmental quality and
physiographic characteristics.
8.
Continuing IEC and Annual Ecological Awareness Activities
Information, education and communication (IEC) will remain a critical tool in fostering greater public support for the ICM program
and to the Provincial Government leaders as well. Annual ecological awareness activities such as the Kontra Kalat sa Dagat,
mangrove planting and Pawikan Festival are likewise seen as vehicles to promote environmental governance from the provincial down
to the barangay level, which should be advantageous for elected officials of the province. This will be complemented by other activities
such as riverbank
stabilizations, ecotourism activities and park rehabilitations.
We have also launched the SINOP KALAT, LINGAP DAGAT PROGRAM. This program is a joint undertaking of Bataan Provincial
Government, Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, and Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) in coordination with Municipal and
Barangay Level of Govt.
This project institutionalizes the continuous efforts of the BICMP in environmental management and protection by assigning NSTP
students of BPSU in selected coastal barangays. The students will conduct cleanup drives and mangrove planting activities with the
assistance of the community.
Future plans of SKLD include distribution of trashcans and cleaning tools to coastal barangays to assist the students, barangay
council and community residents in proper waste management.
Artificial Reef Project. We have also extended technical assistance in the development and organization of an artificial reef project
and its components as well as deployment of 10 modules of concrete mouldings in the coastal area of Alas-asin, Mariveles.
Total Philippines
Corp., Liquigaz and the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) jointly undertook this project in
coordination with BFAR and Municipality of Mariveles.
Bird sanctuary project in Balanga City. This is a pet project of the City Government in coordination with the Provincial Government,
the
BICMP-Project Management Office and the Provincial Tourism Office. We have conducted a study on the feasibility of establishing
a bird sanctuary in the city. In a site survey performed by PMO and members of the Bird Watchers Club of the Philippines, it was
validated that Barangay Tortugas. Puerto Rivas Ibaba, and Lote-Sibacan host a number of birds. The combined wetland, marsh,
grassland, woods, mangrove, mudflat and sand flats, offers lush vegetation and roosting to birds, both residents and migrants.
During winter months, birds from Siberia, Korea, Japan, China, Russia and even North America migrate in the South where climate is
warmer and the weather is mild. Balanga City, which lies in the Australian Migration Flyway, offers an ideal stop over and vacation site
for migrant birds. On record, at least 15 families and 35 species of birds fed, roosted and flew in the city.
The proposed sanctuary will feature view towers and decks, sound garden, exhibit and orientation halls, picnic and activity
centers.Recently, the Department of Tourism conducted an ocular inspection to the bird sites as requisite for accreditation as
a bird watching area/site.
The accreditation would enhance Balanga City’s tourism industry as well as the endeavor to preserve the birds and their habitat.
Producing a BICMP audio-visual presentation. We are targeting the end of 2008 to shoot a short documentary film to highlight the
development and accomplishments of the Bataan ICM Program. This is also in preparation for the 2009 East Asian Seas Congress that
will happen in Manila. Bataan will, likewise, host next year’s PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) in November 2009.
VII. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Project Coordinating
Committee and the Project Management Office
The abovementioned achievements and future directions cannot be achieved without a sound organizational structure. In the past four years, the Project Coordinating Committee consisting of people coming from different stakeholder groups manages the Bataan ICM Program (BICMP). This multi-sectoral assembly is the highest decision-making body for BICMP. It has an executive committee composed of the
Bataan Provincial Governor, the Vice-Governor, and the President of the Bataan Coastal Care Foundation, Inc., a select representative of the Provincial Governor’s Office, the respective committee chairpersons and the PMO Head. The Project Management Office is the main
workforce behind the Bataan ICM Program doing the day-to-day activities for the BICMP. The different committees are: (a) Incentives Committee; (b) Administration Committee; (c) Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Committee; (d) Community Participation Committee; (e) Programs Committee; and (f) Alternative Livelihood Committee.
Membership and inclusion in the BICMP Project Coordinating Committee is purely voluntary on the part of the sectoral representatives.
The role of the Provincial Government and the Bataan Coastal Care Foundation is to provide the funding for the Program’s expenses and operations.
The structure is shown next page:
