As a party to the CBD, the Philippines have accepted certain time-bound obligations, in return for a more sustainable future. In compliance with these obligations, the country formulated the 1997 National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP), which under Article 6 of the Convention is the principal instrument for implementing the Convention at the national level.
The 1997 NBSAP was updated, with this publication of the 2015-2028 Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). This updated plan builds on the achievements thus far made in fulfilling the CBD obligations, particularly the commitment to implement the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including the 20-point Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The 2015-2028 PBSAP integrated and mainstreamed CBD objectives into the national development and sectoral planning framework that includes measurable targets for CBD commitments. The participative stocktaking process in biodiversity planning, plus its focal on new thematic areas like agrobiodiversity and urban biodiversity, will strengthen national government initiatives to involve local governments to perform greater role in biodiversity conservation. It is just the latest manifestation of the the Philippines’s firm resolve to preserve its heritage of biodiversity. This plan, painstakingly crafted as it was, demands and deserves corresponding implementing actions, participated in by all stakeholders.
The PBSAP covers seven major chapters with Chapter 1 providing an overview on the status and trends of Philippine biodiversity.
Chapter 2 describes how the PBSAP is anchored in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP). While the PDP adopts the framework for inclusive growth, the PBSAP articulates the same direction of pursuing economic growth while protecting the environment. This emphasizes that people are at the core of conservation, protection and rehabilitation, and developmental initiatives.
Chapter 3 deals with the principal pressures of biodiversity loss using the Pressure, State, Benefits, Response (PSBR) framework of indicators, which has been proposed to report on the 20 Aichi targets at multiple scales.
Chapter 4 focuses on the policy, governance and financing of biodiversity in the Philippines with key environmental laws, technical agencies with resource management functions and programs on biodiversity and the country’s commitments to international conventions.
Chapter 5 examines how the current PBSAP was formulated, the regional and national consultations for PBSAP updating process and the key project steering committee behind this. The gaps in the previous PBSAP iterations are also discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 6 identifies the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan with nine priority strategies developed from the regional and national consultations. These actions are translated into national targets with respective indicators that conform to the global Aichi ICHI goals.
Chapter 7 discusses the implementation needs of the PBSAP and also provides recommendations on the coordination management, implementation planning at the agency levels, peer support networks and individual local government units. This also covers the program assessment and knowledge management including monitoring and reporting, capacity building support to implementation and highlights on emerging good practices.
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