Zamboanga City --- Mindanao’s biodiversity hot spot will take center stage here.
This as representatives from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) assessed on April 8, 2010 the progress of its biodiversity conservation projects in eleven sites in the island region.
The activity is part of US$6.3 million grant of the facility to reinforce implementation of the Natural Resources Management (NRM) component of the second phase Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP2).
GEF is an organization that plays key role in addressing global environmental priorities such as biodiversity, climate change, ozone depletion and pollution of international waters.
Its biodiversity program, the largest portfolio of 36 percent, aims conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the maintenance of the ecosystem goods and services that biodiversity provides to society, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
World Bank is one of the implementing agencies of GEF.
Eleven sites in Mindanao have been found to house globally significant species such as dugong, marine turtles, manta rays, giant clams, sea cucumbers, whale sharks, diverse mangroves and shells, endangered fowls, forest trees and other flora and fauna from its mountains down to its seas.
The sites include the towns of Olutanga, Mabuhay, and Tulusan in the province Zamboanga Sibugay; Rizal and Sibuitad, in Zamboang del Norte; and Margosatubig and Vencinzo Sagun in Zamboanga del Sur.
Marihatag and San Agustin, Surigao del Sur in Caraga region; and two more are in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the towns of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao and Lamitan City, Basilan.
The discussion will highlight the activities conducted of the covered sites and the outline of it’s the on-ground investments.
“Being at the heart of the coral triangle, the Philippines, particularly Mindanao takes pride of its abundant and diverse natural resources but fears its eventual degradation due unfriendly human activities and other external factors,” MRDP program director Lealyn A. Ramos said.
She added that it is everyone’s concern and duty to preserve the environment since it’s the source of most livelihoods and food.
“As stewards of the gift of rich environment we are duty-bound to protect it for our own use and good,” she said.
In February this year, President Arroyo through presidential proclamation 2003 declared 2010 as the national Year of Biodiversity in support to the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity of the United Nations.
The proclamation recognizes the importance of biodiversity for human well-being and that, Philippines is among the mega diverse countries with immensely rich biodiversity but is facing threats of degradation.
