TheMangatarem Experience: Expansionof PA thru Critical Habitat Establishment

The Mangatarem CriticalHabitat (CH) inMangatarem, Pangasinanwas declared by theMunicipal LocalGovernment Unit (MLGU)as a Wildlife CH throughSangguniang BayanResolution No. 49-2013 onAugust 28, 2013.

It has an area of 5,063.47 has.,almost thrice as large an expansionof the existing protected area in themunicipality, the ManleluagSprings Protected Landscape(MSPL), which is only 1,935.17 has.The current total conservation areaof Mangatarem is 6,998.64 has.,which is half of the total forestlandsof the municipality.

Such a conservation area is veryimportant not only to the municipality but tothe whole of Pangasinan because it is thelargest remaining forest in the province. TheMangatarem CH has an approvedmanagement plan and the managementstructure is already in place. The MLGU hasopted to establish this conservation area basedon the mandate of R.A. 9147 or the WildlifeResources Conservation and Protection Act.The conservation area declared as a CH wasoriginally identified under the Forest LandUse Plan (FLUP) of Mangatarem approved bythe Sangguniang Bayan in 2010.

Directly managing the CH is the CriticalHabitat Management Board created under theFLUP Steering Committee, which wasmandated through the Co-ManagementAgreement signed between the MangataremLGU and the Department of Environment andNatural Resources (DENR).

The Mangatarem CH lies in the northeasternpart of the Zambales mountain range, which is aKey Biodiversity Area (KBA). The Zambalesmountain range is among the few remainingtropical rainforests in the Philippines that servesas a barrier against environmental disasters,particularly typhoons. This rainforest harborscritical watersheds for the provinces ofPangasinan, Zambales, and Tarlac. Being a KBA,the Zambales mountain range is the habitat ofsome endemic, unique, and threatened speciesof plants and animals like the scale-featheredmalkoha (Phaenicophaeus cumingi), rufous hornbill(Buceros hydrocorax), rufous paradise flycatcher(Terpsiphone cinnamomea), whiskered pitta (Pittakochi), Philippine frogmouth (Batrachostomusseptimus), cloud rat (Phloeomys sp.), yellow-facedhorseshoe bat (Rhinolophus virgo), and commontree frog (Polypedates leucomystax).

The Mangatarem CH is adjacent to theexisting forest protected area within themunicipality, the MSPL. The entire forests andforestlands of Mangatarem, which covers an areaof 13,863.61 hectares out of the total land area of31,011 hectares of the municipality or 44.7%, isthe largest remaining forest in the province ofPangasinan and in the whole ZambalesMountains KBA. The CH covers 5,063.47 has.,thrice as large as MSPL which is 1,935.17 has. Thetotal area now protected for conservationcomprises half of the entire forestlands ofMangatarem. The forest cover of MSPL is in factmuch less dense than the newly declared CH.

Directly dependent on the forest resourcesof Mangatarem for their livelihood are residentsfrom seven barangays surrounding theMangatarem CH, namely Cacaoiten, Cabaluyan2nd, Lawak Langka, Malabobo, Catarataraan,Calomboyan Sur, and Pacalat, having a totalpopulation of 6,758 (Municipal Planning andDevelopment Council Data 2013). Utilization offorest resources, however, is not limited to thembut to other communities around the entire forestarea, which comprise a total of 13 barangays, aswell as businesses and consumers who patronizeor even finance forest extractive occupations.Mangatarem forest serves as a watershed thatprovides irrigation water for vast agriculturallands in the municipality and other towns withinthe province of Pangasinan and the adjacenttowns of Tarlac. The upland communities alsoderive water from springs and rivers for theirdomestic use.

Conservation Objectives

The move of MangataremLGU and DENR to declare theMangatarem CH has been borneout of the need to protect theremaining forest cover fromfurther destruction brought aboutby human activities fromsurrounding communities.

The forests and forestlands ofMangatarem have been degradedwith logging, land conversion,mining, kaingin, tree cutting forcharcoal and fuelwoodproduction, and gathering of non-timber products for domesticconsumption and trading.Commercial logging since the1930s has converted vast tracts offorestlands into grasslands. Itmay have stopped in the late 70sbut tree cutting continued for localuse and intermittent trading.DENR has launched reforestationprograms since the 80s and hasissued tenurial instruments toseveral entities and individuals,all for the purpose of improvingvegetation and forest cover.However, very minimalimprovement was derived fromthis, outweighed by the extractiveactivities of forest-dependentcommunities that furtherdegraded the forestlands.

As degradation continued,water resources for crop irrigationand domestic use diminishedwhile flooding became commonas rivers easily overflowed evenwith moderate rains. Soil erosionfrom the uplands silted the riversand creeks. Landslide-proneareas in Cacaoiten became moreevident and hazardous to nearbysettlements. Grasslands becamewider without productive use, noteven for conventional agriculture.One impact of forest degradation,however, was continuouslyoverlooked – its impact onbiodiversity.

Batrachostomussept imus

( Ph i l ipp inefr og mo uth)

Results of a biophysicalassessment in June 2012 showed thatMangatarem forest holds significantpopulation of flora and fauna. A totalof 43 tree species was recorded, 14 ofwhich are globally threatened with 5that are endemic, namely tanguile(Shorea polysperma), kamagong(Diospyros philippinensis), dagang(Anisoptera aurea), palosapis (Anisopterathurifera) and white lauan (Shoreacontorta). A total of 61 bird speciesbelonging to 29 families was recorded,with 3 species listed as vulnerable[Philippine duck (Anas luzonica),flame-breasted fruit dove (Ptilonopusmarchei), and Philippine eagle-owl(Bubo philippensis)], while two are near-threatened [Philippine scops-owl(Otus megalotis) and Northern rufoushornbill or kalaw (Buceros hydrocorax)].The latest biophysical survey inOctober 2013 recorded 47 species ofterrestrial vertebrates, 36 species ofbirds, and 46 species of trees. Faunalendemicity was high at 60% for thebird species, with 21 of the 36 foundonly in the Philippines. Threeendemic bat species were alsorecorded. Fifteen of the 46 tree speciesare categorized as globally threatened.

The fact that many of these species areglobally threatened justifies the need fordeclaring the Mangatarem CH and formanaging and conserving Mangataremforest since its function as a habitat is asequally important as its watershed function.Although considerable conservationmeasures were done and still exist in thearea, threats to the wildlife are still evident.Pressures such as logging, kaingin, andcharcoal making cause rapid deteriorationof the various habitats present in the forest.Hunting or collection of wildlife for foodand pet trade poses a direct effect on species,thus causing their population to dwindle.

Reforestation in Mangatarem institutedin the past decades may have improvedforest vegetation a bit, but it has notprovided protection to the remainingwildlife because the trees that were plantedwere exotic species, most of which were notcompatible with the endemic flora andfauna.

To address this threat to biodiversityand revive, or at least arrest, the diminishingecosystem services of Mangatarem forests,the MLGU and DENR, in partnership withHaribon Foundation, formulated the FLUPof the municipality that was finally adoptedby the Sangguniang Bayan in 2010. Throughthe FLUP, a Co-Management Agreement wasimmediately forged between the LGU andthe DENR to jointly manage open access andunclassified forests and forestlands. The Co-Management Agreement provided for theformation of a Steering Committeecomposed of multi-sectoral stakeholderswhose primary responsibility is to ensurethe implementation of the FLUP. Amongthe functions of the Steering Committee is“to set aside conservation areas and developappropriate management plans overportions of Mangatarem forest that areknown to harbor unique habitats andthreatened flora and fauna as well as overareas that deserve conservation, consistentwith national policies, rules, andregulations.” The Steering Committee,therefore, was able to decide to push for thedeclaration of the FLUP-identified forestconservation area of 5,743 hectares, which ispart of the 9,754.61-hectare open accessforestlands.

FLUP SteeringComm meeting

Processes Undertaken inEstablishing LCA Good Practices

The LGU of Mangatarem is the lead actor inestablishing and managing the MangataremCritical Habitat. Having no MunicipalEnvironment and Natural Resources Office(MENRO), the Municipal Planning andDevelopment Office, in close coordination with theSangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment,served as the coordinating office for allenvironment-related activities of the municipality.The system of coordination was institutionalizedwith the creation of the FLUP Steering Committeein June 2011, mandated by a Sangguniang Bayanresolution. The creation of the Steering Committeewas provided for under the Co-ManagementAgreement between Mangatarem LGU and DENRsigned in May 2011. The role of DENR under thisAgreement is to provide technical assistance to theLGU, communities, and concerned stakeholders,particularly to the Steering Committee, inimplementing the FLUP and the subsequentmanagement plans it will approve. Chaired by theMunicipal Mayor and co-chaired by the DENRRegional Executive Director, the SteeringCommittee is composed of Pangasinan PENRO,Dagupan CENRO, Sangguniang BayanChairpersons of Committees on Environment andLand Use, Provincial Planning and DevelopmentCoordinator, Municipal Planning andDevelopment Coordinator, MENRO, MunicipalAgriculturist, Punong Barangays of 13 forest-edgebarangays, Supervisor of School District II, HaribonFoundation, and PO representatives. Among thefunctions of the Steering Committee are to set asideconservation areas and to develop appropriatemanagement plans, over portions of Mangataremforests that are known to harbor unique habitatsas well as threatened flora and fauna that areconsistent with national rules and regulations.

The conservation areaindicated under the FLUP was thesubject of the SteeringCommittee’s decision making onwhat management option toadopt. This area was previouslyproposed by the MSPL ProtectedArea Management Board to serveas an expansion of the protectedarea. However, under theNational Integrated ProtectedAreas System, the process willtake long, thus, to immediatelydeclare the area for conservationand protection, other options hadto be considered.

With guidance from theDENR provided through the NewConservation Areas in thePhilippines Project (NewCAPP)that was locally implemented byHaribon Foundation, the SteeringCommittee decided to pursue thedeclaration of the conservationarea as a CH. DENR led the areadelineation and mapping. DENR,Haribon, MLGU, Barangay LGU(BLGU), and people’sorganizations (POs) joined in theconduct of the biophysical survey,community awareness raisingactivities on CH establishment,and management planning.

The MLGU created the TWGfor CH management planning andprovided counterpart resourcesduring mapping, biophysicalsurveys, community IECs, andplanning workshops.

The community POs andBantay Gubat participated in allaspects of management planning,having understood andappreciated the move for CHestablishment in Mangatarem.They prepared for the eventualstrict enforcement of forestry lawsthat would surely affect forest-dependent livelihoods. TheBantay Gubat became active incommunity informationdissemination of forestry lawviolations and penalties,specifically targeting thosehouseholds that are knowncharcoal makers and forest productgatherers, coupled with regularpatrolling and monitoring of illegalforest activities.

Haribon led in the capacitybuilding of communityorganizations and the SteeringCommittee through trainings,seminars, and field exposures.Haribon accessed other resourcesfrom foreign support groups tosupport these interventions,including those for livelihood andforest restoration projects.

The schools also played animportant role in IECs, whichbecame venues for forums andexhibits that drew substantialparticipation of students andteachers, raising their awareness onthe importance of Mangataremforest in biodiversity conservationand in mitigating climate change.

Area Identification, Mapping,and Decision Processes

The Mangatarem CH was first identified asa conservation area under the FLUP. The basisfor thes were the biophysical and economicsurveys conducted in 2006 by Haribon. Theestimated remaining forest cover back then was6,500 ha, 1,935 of which was already a protectedarea, the MSPL. To legitimize and pursue acomprehensive management of the conservationforest, the Steering Committee proposed as earlyas October 2011 for its declaration andestablishment as a CH. Timely enough,NewCAPP was being implemented inMangatarem by the then Protected Areas andWildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the DENR togetherwith Haribon as its local resource partner,providing the Steering Committee and theMLGU with technical advice in selecting the bestmanagement options for the conservation area.This resulted in the decision of adopting the CH,in accordance with R.A. 9147, otherwise knownas the Wildlife Resources Conservation andProtection Act wherein declaration andestablishment can be initiated by an LGU.

In November 2011, the boundarydelineation of the conservation area was doneby DENR-LEP, MLGU, Haribon, andcommunity representatives, which covered anexpanse of 7,474 has. Before the end of themonth, the Sangguniang Bayan passed aresolution asking DENR Secretary Ramon Pajeto declare or cause the declaration of 7,474hectares of forest as a CH. However, the SteeringCommittee and the MLGU decided to limit theproposed site to 5,743 hectares as originallyidentified in the FLUP because the rest of thearea belonged to the provinces of Zambales andTarlac based on present political boundaries.

In the first quarter of 2012, however, the MLGUproposed to excise a portion of the restoration site withinthe conservation area to be used as napier plantation forits Renewable Energy Project. This proposal first had tobe settled by DENR given that the PAWB/Protected AreaWildlife Coastal Zone and Management Services(PAWCZMS) had its own counterproposal to utilize otherareas for such a project.

Given the unsettled issue, the LGU did not pursue theCH declaration in 2012 until a final decision was renderedon the LGU proposal. That year, however, communityawareness-raising continued and a biophysical survey wasdone. Focused group discussions on the socio-economicconditions of the barangays surrounding the CH area wereconducted, generating recommendations on theconservation and development strategies to be undertaken.Likewise, community organizations in surroundingbarangays were given trainings on livelihood andorganizational development, which were led by Haribon.The Bantay Gubat organization, with its members comingfrom those barangays, was active in its forest patrollingactivities. The Municipal and Barangay LGUs providedfunding as well as technical and legislative support tolivelihood and law enforcement activities in thesecommunities.

Finally, by early2013, the area for the CHand napier plantation wassettled. The FLUPSteering Committee cameup with resolutions inFebruary 2013 urging theSangguniang Bayan (SB)to legislate the necessaryresolution/ordinance forthe declaration of the CHarea and for an FLUPamendment allocatingareas for napierproduction excised fromthe forest conservationarea. On 28 August 2013,the Sangguniang Bayanof Mangatarem issuedResolution 49-2013declaring the CH covering5,063.47 hectares,including the buffer zoneof 100 meters separatingit from the napierplantation area.

Bantay Gubatmeeting withMLGU &BLGUs

CH Management Planning Process

Meanwhile, management planning for the CHproceeded on. A TWG was formed by the FLUPSteering Committee, backed up by an ExecutiveOrder issued by Mayor Teodoro Cruz on 14 August2012. The TWG formulated the planning modulesand guidelines in January 2013 and proceeded withthe different workshops based on the modules agreedupon. Module 1 (Situational Analysis forMangatarem Critical Habitat) was started by the TWGin January 2013 and completed in another workshopin July. Module 2 (Cross Visit to established CriticalHabitat), however, was not undertaken because theoriginal target site, the Las Pinas-Paranaque CriticalHabitat and Ecotourism Area, was a mangrove area,while the second site in Adams, Ilocos Sur was stillin the process of declaration. Module 3 (ManagementPlanning – Vision, Mission, Goals, and StrategiesFormulation) was conducted in the last week ofSeptember 2013. Module 4 (Public Consultations) wasconducted from October to November. Module 5(CHMP Writeshop) was done in the first week ofNovember 2013.

Technical assistance was provided to the TWGthrough NewCAPP. The data utilized in preparingthe Critical Habitat Management Plan (CHMP) areproducts of participatory processes gathered andobtained by the TWG from secondary data generatedfrom the MLGU and DENR Region 1 and on field datathat had significant contributions from the localcommunities and from actual observations during thebiophysical survey conducted as part of ImportantBiodiversity Area Monitoring System. Maps wereprepared by DENR-LEP out of the boundarydelineation conducted in November 2011 and theavailable data that were validated in 2012 delineatingthe buffer zone, producing the thematic maps.

Post-planning

The Sangguniang Bayanapproved the CHMP onDecember 11, 2013 and issueda resolution to this effect onDecember 23. All requirementsand documents, including adraft Department AdmistrativeOrder (DAO), were forwardedto the DENR Region 1 inJanuary 2014 for endorsementto the DENR Secretary for thelatter’s counterpart action indeclaring the Mangatarem CH.

To generate the resourcesneeded for implementing theCHMP from 2014 to 2018, aBusiness Planning Workshopwas conducted by the SteeringCommittee wherein potentialinternal and external fundingsources were identified. One ofthe possible fund-generatingprojects identified that could bepromoted was local ecotourismoutside of the CH. User fees orenvironmental fees can becharged and the incomederived will be used to fundsome of the CHMP activities.All the resources that will begenerated are meant tocomplement the funding to beallocated by the MLGU andBLGUs from its InternalRevenue Allotment (IRA)andother internal sources.

Innovative Mechanisms

The process of establishing anddeclaring the Mangatarem CH tookyears, but along the way, environmentalawareness and consciousness wasinstilled not only within the LGU, butmore importantly, among the ruralcommunities surrounding the forest andamong other institutions within themunicipality.

This consciousness has beeninstrumental for the gradualinstitutionalization of social structureslike the FLUP Steering Committee, whichplayed a significant role in the decision-making process of the CH declarationand establishment. Being multi-stakeholder in nature, this served asvenue for in depth and participatorydiscussions of several issues concerningconservation, sustainability oflivelihoods, and forest law enforcement,among others. One concern the SteeringCommittee struggled with was the localimplementation of the NationalGreening Program (NGP), which wouldcontribute not only to the restoration offorestlands surrounding the MangataremCH, but more significantly, to thesurvival of forest dependent families andto the capacity building of local POs.

The first year of the NGPimplementation in 2011 was tainted withirregularities, especially because thesupply of seedlings and planting materialswas undertaken by outside contractors.Several negative impacts were identified,namely: (1) externally sourced seedlingsmight imperil the natural characteristic ofMangatarem forest, including itsbiodiversity; (2) possible contaminationwith viruses and other pests and diseases;(3) waste of public funds; and (4) failure toattain the very essence and objective of theNGP, which is local poverty alleviation andforest regeneration.

In 2012, the Steering Committeeinitiated its own investigation on the NGPimplementation, and therefrom, formulatedguidelines for local NGP implementation.Afterwards, the Steering Committee had adialog with DENR National, resulting in theparticipation of POs in all stages of the NGPimplementation. With this full involvementfrom seedling propagation, plantationestablishment, and plantation maintenance,local communities generated additionalincome for their families while a significantreduction in extractive forest activities wasobserved, particularly within the CH area.The POs also generated savings from theNGP earnings, which were used to establishnew livelihood projects.

Com muni tyconsultation onCH declaration

Bantay Gubatpa tr o l l ing

Sustainability Mechanisms

The establishment and declaration ofthe Mangatarem CH by the MLGU,complete with a CHMP and a managementstructure, are the sustainabilitymechanisms installed for the LCA. TheCHMP illustrates the strategies and policydirections for the next five years.

The process of CH establishmentprovided the MLGU, BLGUs, localcommunities, and stakeholders with acertain level of environmentalconsciousness that has been instrumentalto the gradual institutionalization of socialstructures like the FLUP SteeringCommittee. Despite a lack of funding, thecreation of MENRO will be pursued in2015, which will serve as a coordinatingoffice to ensure the implementation of theFLUP and CHMP.

The Bantay Gubat formation is anothersignificant sustainability mechanismsupporting forest management. Despitethe absence of deputation in its earlyexistence, their presence has been felt in thecommunity because of their activemonitoring and patrolling operations.Among their initiatives is the apprehensionof illegal loggers in barangay LawakLangka. Sustained community informationdissemination through house-to-housevisits also contributed in deterring furtherillegal activities in the forest.

PO strengthening had an impact onforest management as they were able toexpand pilot livelihood projects, whichare necessary to gradually wean themaway from forest extractive activities. Tostrengthen the community and enhancecoordination towards environmentalprotection and sustainable livelihood,seven POs and the Bantay Gubat wereorganized into a federation, throughHaribon’s intervention and with thesupport of the LGU. Capacity buildingof POs made them confident toundertake forest restoration activitiesthrough the NGP and other projectssupported by private institutions.

Trainings provided to BLGUs,MLGU, and the FLUP SteeringCommittee were translated into theactive support of LGU in terms offunding for forest conservation activitiesof POs, the Bantay Gubat, and thecommunity, as well as legislation forforest conservation. The BLGUs havealso allocated annual Forest Funds forforest management, utilization of whichis for POs, Bantay Gubat operations, andcommunity nurseries. Environmentalgovernance has been put into practice bythe LGU. Motivation was turned intoaction even before the formal CHdeclaration, manifested in defining theconservation strategies under the CHMP,which was not opposed by thecommunity.

Lessons Learned

A. Success Factors

In 2010, the partnership ofMangatarem LGU with Haribon wasalready in existence and only becamestronger and productive through theconstant and open discussionsbetween and among key people of theinstitutions even in between formalmeetings. The MLGU has been vocalin its acceptance of establishing andexpanding the protected area inMangatarem forest ever since theimplementation of NewCAPP in themunicipality. The MLGU and BLGUsupport in terms of funding to theBantay Gubat and the POs wasprovided. Necessary legislationswere passed by the SangguniangBayan to legitimize the formation ofthe Steering Committee and tomandate the Barangay Councils toallocate funding for forestmanagement activities called ForestFund. The support and participationof the MLGU and BLGUs in allactivities and processes of the CHestablishment continued in 2012despite the differences in opinion overthe napier plantation project.Nevertheless, in 2013, relationshipsbecame smoother with the settlementof this issue. The positive partnershipoutlook was among the successfactors, manifested by the immediatepassage of resolutions from theSteering Committee followed by theofficial declaration of the CH by theSangguniang Bayan of Mangatarem.

At the level of the Barangay Councils, therewas no difficulty in encouraging them toprovide support to POs and to Bantay Gubatactivities.

Partnership among sectors was alsoestablished. One case is with the PhilippineArmy wherein the local command postprovided active support specifically for forestrylaw enforcement. They agreed to be part of theadvisory committee of the Bantay Gubatorganization and participated in actualoperations. With the academe, the schoolsinitiated activities in support of forestconservation. With the media, activities andupdates on forest conservation initiatives wereregularly published over local newspapers.

The partnership within the communities forforest restoration and protection was alsostrengthened as POs and Bantay Gubat tookactive part in forest patrolling, monitoring, andin implementing the NGP. The POs and theBantay Gubat had a smooth partnership withthe BLGUs and MLGU, both abiding to theircommitment of providing funding support tothe forest patrolling and IEC activities of theBantay Gubat. In lieu of the absence ofdeputation from DENR, the LGU formally gavethem recognition through a Sangguniang Bayanresolution.

Moreover, public consultations held for theCH declaration and management planning weresignificant in serving as avenues for dialogbetween the LGU and the community. Therewere no longer major disagreements betweenstakeholders regarding environmentalprotection, unlike in the previous years whenresistance coming from forest-dependentfamilies had been strong.

The support given by internationalinstitutions accessed by Haribon hascontributed to some crucial activities,thereby facilitating the capacity buildingin community law enforcement, publicIEC, sustainable livelihood, and POcapacity building. These institutions arethe Toyota Environmental Grant Programand Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund.

B. Challenges and Issues

One major factor that delayed thedeclaration of the Mangatarem CH was thedifferences in opinion within DENR overthe proposal of the MLGU to utilize theforest restoration site within theconservation area for napier plantation inits biomass-to-energy project. It took oneyear before the issue was settled. Officersof DENR at different divisions had nounified position over the napier project.The DENR Forest Management Serviceallowed it while PAWCZMS did not. Tocome up with a win-win solution for theCH area and the napier plantation site, theMangatarem LGU accepted therecommendation of PAWCZMS to get aportion within the conservation area oncondition that a buffer zone must beestablished in between. Then DENRRegion 1 delineated the proposed napierplantation site and the buffer zone. InFebruary 2013, the Steering Committeefinally came up with a resolution for theestablishment of the Mangatarem CH,covering 5,063.66 ha including the 97.524-hectare buffer zone, which was endorsedto the Sangguniang Bayan for approval ofthe amendments to the FLUP.

Another issue that affected the CHdeclaration process was the irregularity inthe 2011 NGP implementation that hadcaused tension among stakeholders. In theinitial stage of the NGP in Mangatarem,DENR had no coordination with the LGU,which was supposedly done because theCo-Management Agreement mandatedsuch. The DENR should have clearlypresented the details of the NGP to theFLUP Steering Committee, but instead ofdoing so, the local DENR offices startedimplementing the NGP. The LGU onlylearned about it when feedback from thebarangays arose that there wereirregularities observed. The issue wasaddressed by the Steering Committee, andeventually, a dialog with DENR AsecMendoza, who was then the NGP nationalcoordinator, resulted in a settlement.

At the level of community partners,demoralization had been experienced bythe Bantay Gubat due to the utter lack ofsupport from DENR. Partnerships turnedsour as the Bantay Gubat got demoralizedin 2012 when their application fordeputation was not acted upon by DENR.Haribon persistently followed-up anddiscussed with DENR the Bantay Gubatdeputation. Finally, by the 4th quarter of2013, the DENR conducted the training ofWildlife Enforcement Officers (WEOs) andthen eventually issued the deputation ofthe Bantay Gubat as WEOs early in 2014.Earlier in 2012, the MLGU, through an SBresolution in 2012, had rendered formalrecognition to the Bantay Gubat, in lieu ofDENR deputation, and provided themsupport funds for operation.

Recommendationsfor Upscaling LCAs

The strategies and activitiesstipulated in the CHMP are meantto address the gaps in policy,institutional capacities, communitylivelihoods, law enforcement, etc.Local DENR offices arerecommended to render closecoordination and technicalassistance to ensure theimplementation of the CHMP. TheBantay Gubat as WEOs also need tobe strongly supported in all levels– from capacity building tooperations to pursuing legal actionsagainst perpetrators.

Likewise, DENR participationin the Steering Committee must besubstantial since it is a co-chairmanship body with theMLGU. Their active participationwill ensure balanced decisionswithin the Committee, which is theappropriate venue for providingtechnical guidance to the LGU onforest management.

Differences in opinion betweendivisions within DENR hamper itsposition on issues and in theperformance of its role in providingtechnical guidance to the LGU asmandated in the Co-ManagementAgreement. Thus, it isrecommended that DENR internallysettle their differences and come-upwith a unified position on issuesconfronted in forest management sothat the partnership for forestconservation will be effective.

It is not just DENR that mustprovide support to LGUs inenvironmental governance but theDILG and other agencies as well.Mangatarem LGU still needs closeguidance and technical assistance toensure the management andconservation of Mangatarem CHand the implementation of the FLUPand Co-Management Agreement.