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YEAR 2 QUARTER 1

Meeting with the DHSUD-ELUPDB to Discuss Capacity Building Plans

The WILUP team, composed of Dr. Vida Carandang, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, project research associates, and project admin, conducted a meeting with DHSUD-ELUPDB representatives, composed of Director Mylene Rivera, Assistant Director Jeanette Cruz, Ms. Julia Collado, and Mr. Ivan Sumilang. The said meeting was conducted on January 13, 2023, at the main headquarters of DHSUD-ELUPDB to discuss how both parties will harmonize their plans to capacitate the LGUs.DHSUD provided the WILUP team with a copy of their list of training activities inside their Technical Planning Assistance Program (TPAP). The WILUP team will review this list together with the other materials provided to them by DHSUD and overlay them with their training.DHSUD also urges the WILUP team to involve DHSUD regional offices in the pilot sites even if the MOA deployed to different LGUs is not yet being signed. This is because DHSUD regional offices are the ones who implement training and check the CLUP outputs of LGUs.The plan of the WILUP team to develop SUCs as a hub for technical assistance, which can happen through a partnership with CHED, was also supported by DHSUD since a force multiplier to streamline the capacity-building process is included in their targets. Through the SUCs, Mr. Sumilang believes that DHSUD can garner more trainers for capacity building. Further, Dr. Cruz mentioned that SUCs’ locations are strategic for capacity building since extension programs are included in their mandates.The WILUP team also informed DHSUD about its ongoing efforts to determine where in the HLURB guideline will the WILUP guidelines should be incorporated. Additionally, they mentioned that they will have a meeting with the Provincial Government of La Union in February to discuss their capacity-building initiatives.

Fifth Meeting with the TWG Representatives

The WILUP team conducted its fifth meeting with the TWG representatives from various agencies that primarily aimed to discuss the updates on the project activities. The said meeting happened on January 11, 2023, and was attended by representatives from ELUPDB-DHSUD, FMB-DENR, CODE-NGO, DPWH-BOD, OCD-NDRRMC, NEDA, NCIP-OSESSC, and The Asia Foundation. Included in the updates presented by the WILUP team are the stakeholders’ consultation and workshop with LGUs of the Watersheds within Los Banos, Laguna; finalization and reviewing of the MOAs; continued updating and development of the WILUP website; ongoing editing of the WILUP Guidelines draft; and the scheduled face-to-face meeting of the team with the DHSUD-ELUPDB.During the meeting, Ma’am Alma Monica de La Paz, a representative from CODE-NGO, opened the need for considering the monitoring of the non-conforming uses in the development of the CLUP. She also mentioned that it is important that the plans that will be crafted for the watershed must interface with the plans of the IPs in their ancestral domain.Regarding the concern for the lack of monitoring of non-conforming uses, Sir Ivan Sumilang, a representative from DHSUD, provided an update regarding one of their works in progress which is the development of a monitoring framework that will address this problem.Moreover, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz mentioned that in the case of non-conforming uses, reversible cases must be reversed. On the other hand, mitigation plans will be demanded from those that are engaged in irreversible non-conforming uses.Ma’am Carmelita de Silva, a representative from NCIP-OSESSC, expressed her gratitude towards the WILUP team for being in touch with them. She is also thankful that their unit is being considered in projects that involve the ancestral domain which concerns the IPs.Dr. Rex ensured that WILUP can further help IPs to be protected. He also mentioned that what is good for the watershed must be the paramount concern of every sector and must serve as a reference in developing sectoral programs.Before the meeting ended, the TWG representatives agreed to set March 15, 2023, as the tentative date for the next TWG meeting where the updates for the WILUP Guidelines will be discussed.

Stakeholders’ Consultation and Workshop with LGUs of the Watersheds within Los Banos, Laguna

On November 25, 2022, barangay and municipal representatives from Los Banos, Bay, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo City, Calamba City, and Sto. Tomas, Batangas participated in the conduct of the stakeholder consultation and workshop at the Los Banos Multipurpose Evacuation Center. The activity aims to orient the various barangays through its representatives about the WILUP project; engage the participants in analyzing the influences of the various barangays and understand the implications and degrees of influence of various stakeholders in determining how land and other water resources are utilized; identify problems in relation to watershed and rank them according to its degree of severity; create problem and solution trees based on the identified major problem for each component identify the different kinds of stakeholders and analyze their importance and influence in the watersheds within the boundary of Los Banos, and formulate vision and mission for each LGU.The Hon. Roberto F. Ranola, Jr., Los Banos Municipal Admin, gave a welcoming speech on behalf of Mayor Genuino for the event. At the same time, Dr. Vida Carandang, WILUP Project Leader, presented the Rationale of the activity. Dr. Rex Victor Cruz presented a brief lecture about Watershed and Situational Analysis of the Watersheds within Los Banos emphasizing the importance of the R2R framework in formulating development plans such as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Dr. Lorena Sabino, WILUP project staff, facilitated the stakeholders' workshop with the assistance of the WILUP University Research Associates. The participants were grouped into three groups depending on their location on the watershed map as this will integrate the experiences and perspectives in environmental, social/institutional, economic, institutional, and disaster risk reduction management/infrastructures aspects.The concerted efforts of the representatives to discuss their situation and understand the major problems of each watershed led to a successful activity. The WILUP team will process the data and organize a municipal-level plenary meeting to validate the results and further discuss the R2R/WEM application.

Consultation with DHSUD on the Harmonization of WILUP Guidelines and Scheduling of Capacity Training

To discuss the salient features of the WILUP project and the various activities that the WILUP Team plans to implement with DHSUD, the team spearheaded by Dr. Vida Carandang and the DHSUD staff led by USEC Hon. Henry Yap scheduled a meeting on November 2, 2022, at the Conference Hall, DHSUD Building. There were two major agenda items during the meeting pertaining to the roles of WILUP and DHSUD in capacitating LGUs in updating CLUP and adoption of DHSUD of R2R approach in their guidelines.As per the highlights of the meeting the WILUP team can assist in promoting awareness of the R2R approach by providing technical assistance while DHSUD agreed to cooperate with the provincial level to integrate and assist planners in developing/updating PDPFP and other plans using the R2R approach. Thus, the collaboration of DHSUD and the WILUP Advocacy project will aim to capacitate LGUs in crafting plans by providing technical assistance, updating the 2013 guidelines, and most importantly promoting synergy of local to national plans and programs.

Meeting with DENR-FMB and Policy Planning Division

To present the WILUP Project and to discuss the harmonization of plans and activities, Dr. Vida Carandang and Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, along with the project research associates visited the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for a meeting last October 20.

The Forest Resources Conservation Division (FRCD) Chief Ma. Teresa G. Aquino called the meeting to order. Dr. Cruz presented the WILUP Project and once again emphasized the primary goal of the R2R/WEM Approach to land-use planning is to integrate frameworks for enhancing vital ecosystem services and minimizing losses brought about by land use and development-related activities.

During the discussion, the OIC Director of the Policy and Planning Service, Melinda Capistrano, asserted that the ideal scenario for IWMP is for the different regions to do the plan together for integration, but it is not implemented on the ground. They recognized that the lack of inclusion in the planning process may be one of the reasons why the produced plans are not well received by the locals.

The meeting ended with the appreciation of mainstreaming the R2R/WEM concept as a tool for planning in the DENR. Moving forward, the WILUP team will present the project to the DENR secretary as the attendees cordially recognize that IWMP, as the sole planning document, may solve the confusion in preparing the different plans that the DENR requires. The DENR representatives also suggested that drafting a joint MC/AO with concerned agencies is beneficial to facilitate coordination.

Project Presentation and MOA Discussion Meeting with the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment

Municipal Councilor Marlo Alipon, chair of the Committee on Environment, called the meeting to order at 9:07 am to discuss the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be entered by the Municipality of Los Baños and the DOST-PCAARRD funded project titled "Institutionalization of Guidelines on Watershed Integrated Area Land Use Planning Towards Resiliency" (WILUP) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños last October 18. The Municipal Administrator, Dr. Roberto F. Ranola Jr., Municipal Councilor, Jonsi Siytiap, Municipal Planning and Development Officers, Ms. Twila Torres and Ms. Lou Andie G. Diaz-Reyes, along with Councilor Alipon represented the municipality of Los Baños while Dr. Vida Carandang and Dr. Rex Victor Cruz along with the research associates represented the WILUP-UPLB.

During the meeting, Dr. Cruz presented a brief introduction about the WILUP Project while Dr. Carandang, as the WILUP project leader, emphasized the details related to the MOA including the revision and future plans in updating the municipality’s comprehensive land-use plan (CLUP).

Upon thorough review of the MOA, the representatives of the Los Baños LGU and the WILUP team acknowledged that the agreement could be finalized after minor revisions. The team will continue to communicate with the MPDO and SB Officers to finalize the agreement and to proceed with the activities necessary for the implementation of the project.

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