Network Establishment of LCAsin the Polillo Group of Islands

The Polillo Group of Islands(also referred to as the Polillos,Polillo Archipelago, or PolilloIslands) is located off the centraleast coast of Luzon Island inQuezon province and comprises27 small islands and islets.

It is an important conservation areabecause of its remaining forest, whichis classified entirely as a lowlandevergreen forest and serves as a habitatto several endemic species and sub-species of fauna and flora. Speciesdiversity in the Polillos is attributableto its wide range of habitats,represented from terrestrial to marineecosystems, including unique limestoneforests and caves.

The group of islands furthersupports important populations ofseveral globally threatened species, suchas the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatuahaematuropygia), the Butaan monitorlizard (Varanus olivaceus), and at leastnine endemic bird sub-species,including two of the world’s mostendangered parrots, namely, theendemic Polillo blue-naped parrot (T. l.hybridus) and the Polillo blue-backedparrot (T. s. freeri). The biodiversityimportance of the Polillos is affirmed bybeing one of the Key Biodiversity Areasof the Philippines as declared by theDepartment of Environment and NaturalResources (DENR) through theBiodiversity Management Bureau andseveral international and nationalinstitutions.

The biodiversity of the Polillos is threatenedmainly by the loss of its forest habitats, which arenow reduced to about 19% of the total land area.The loss is primarily due to the extensive commer-cial logging that occurred between the 1950s and1980s, and now most of the forests are alreadyfragmented. The municipality of Polillo accountsfor about 46% of the total forest cover of the Polilloarchipelago, the largest across all municipalities,followed by Burdeos and Patnanungan, each withalmost 18% of the total. Mangroves are situatedalong the coastlines of the five municipalities, themost extensive of which are found in Burdeos dueto a number of islands in its jurisdiction. Marshesor wetlands, covered with grassy vegetation, canalso be found in Jomalig.

Most formerly forested areas in the Polilloshave since been converted into human settlementand permanent agriculture, particularly coconutplantations, while most of the few remainingforests are secondary, fragmented, and otherwisedisturbed. The continued attrition of these forestfragments through slash-and-burn cultivation,coupled with unregulated cutting of trees,hunting, and other unsustainable extraction offorest products, poses further obvious and severethreats to the biologically important species andhabitats in the Polillos, especially the lowlandforest. Prior to the implementation of someconservation initiatives in the area, theinadequacy of locally available resources andsupport, the lack of capacity and technicalexpertise, and the absence of appropriateinstitutional arrangements to effectively protectand manage the remaining forests seriouslyaggravated the situation.

LCA Development

With technical assistancefrom Polillo Islands BiodiversityConservation Foundation, Inc.(PBFCI) and the PhilippinesBiodiversity ConservationFoundation Inc. (PBCFI), thePolillo municipality and all otherlocal government units (LGUs) inPolillo Islands maximized theopportunity accorded by theLocal Government Code (LGC) indeveloping and implementingthe pioneering concept of theLocal Conservation Area (LCA) inthe five municipalities. Given thatmuch of the forestlands in thePolillos have no clear institutionalmechanisms and effectiveprotection measures from thenational government before theestablishment of LCAs, it is onlylogical that the LGUs should takeappropriate conservation strate-gies to ensure the conservation ofthe biodiversity of this group ofislands. The actions of the LGUsto declare LCAs were motivatedby the assistance extended byPBCFI and PIBCFI, particularly inproviding relevant and updatedinformation on biodiversity andcapacity building, includingmentoring and coaching in thedevelopment of local ordinances,programs, and projects for LGUs.

LCA Rationale and Legal Accord

There is no doubt that the PolilloGroup of Islands has numerousimportant biodiversity sites, as affirmedby numerous studies. However, thequestion is on the kind of managementregime that should be introduced inorder to secure the area from destructiveactivities. While there are severalmanagement options available, most ofthese are issued nationally and requiresubstantial processes to institutionalizesuch as the protected area managementscheme.

Other important considerations indesigning the conservation managementmodel to be implemented in the Polillosare the practicability, effectiveness, andlocal ownership of the system to beintroduced. As previously mentioned,there are several important proceduresand processes to be followed in theestablishment of protected areas underthe National Integrated Protected AreasSystem (NIPAS). These procedures areindeed necessary to ensure that theproposed sites have the necessaryrequirements to become protected areas.The urgency of arresting further forestdegradation and instituting amanagement regime for the PolilloGroup of Islands have motivated thePIBCFI and PBCFI to develop alternativeschemes for the management of theidentified biologically important sites ofthe area. As such, the concept of an LCAwas coined and developed for the PolilloGroup of Islands.

The local governments aremandated to ensure the delivery of basicsocial and other welfare services to theirconstituents. Protecting the forest for theprovision of domestic waterrequirements and other ecologicalfunctions is therefore an importantaspect of local governance. Thisconsideration is of paramountimportance for LGUs to enact ordinancesand implement programs and projectsthat would ensure the protection of theforest. The LGC clearly supports thisnotion by granting authority to LGUs inproviding measures for the

establishment, maintenance, andconservation of communal forests andwatersheds, tree parks, greenbelts,mangroves, and other similar forestdevelopment projects. The LGUs,therefore, are in a position to exploremechanisms in implementing their legallyconstituted mandate.

Moreover, the management of theenvironment and natural resources coversa broad range of concerns andresponsibilities. The DENR itself isencouraging the participation of thedifferent sectors in ensuring environmentalprotection and natural resourcesconservation. With the limited financialand personnel resources of the DENR, itcan hardly cover all areas where itspresence is supposedly badly needed. Bycontrast, the local governments frombarangay to provincial levels are all overthe country. Their proximity to those areaswhere the remaining forests are left is idealfor them to take on certain forestmanagement functions.

It is also important to invoke localaccountability in terms of natural resourcesmanagement. The highly centralizedsystem of natural resources governance inthe Philippines has not been proven to beeffective as our environment continues todeteriorate while our natural resources areprogressively depleted. With the differentconditions prevailing in the municipalitiesand cities across the country, it is necessarythat policy issuances shall also bedecentralized, which the LGC invokes.These premises led the way for the LCA toevolve in the Polillo Group of Islands.

T. l. hybridus (Pol il loblue-naped parrot)

(Top r ight) BK guards patrolling.(Top left to bottom) Flow chart

showing LCA declarationprocess. PIBCFI file photos

LCA Declaration Process

The LCA establishment in thePolillos did consider severalprocedures that are both scientifi-cally and socially acceptable. Itlikewise considered the proceduralrequirements of the law-makingfunctions of the local government.

The numerous studiesconducted in the Polillos becamethe basis in identifying potentialsites to be the declared as LCAs.Since there are numerous sites tobe considered, short listing wasdone using the criteria of biologicalimportance (presence of habitatsand endemic species) and threats,accessibility and manageability,and high potential for success. Theshort-listed sites were thensubjected to further assessmentand validation, which resulted inthe preparation of site profiles thatconsisted of physical and spatialcharacteristics, biological resources(habitat, flora, and fauna), socio-cultural and economic conditions,and institutional and managementarrangements.

The profiling involved both scientific andparticipatory approaches so that the differentstakeholders were already involved in theselection processes of the LCAs. The criteriawere further evaluated based on assessments toestablish the list of candidate sites for declarationas LCAs, which were further mainstreamed inthe legislative processes of the localgovernments.

The declaration of these sites followed aconsultative process involving all affectedcommunities and officials in the 23 separatebarangays covering these sites. This was doneprior to the Sangguniang Bayan’s approval of thesalient ordinances in each of the threemunicipalities. The LGC requires the conductof public hearings for ordinances to be passedby LGUs, and this process was also completed.PBCFI and PIBCF not only helped ensure thatissues and concerns raised during publicconsultations were considered in the finaldrafting of the three ordinances but that theseordinances also included numerous provisionsbalancing biodiversity requirements of LCAsand community needs for livelihood and landtenure. These LCA ordinances in the threemunicipalities of Polillo Island have beenaffirmed and approved by the SangguniangPanlalawigan of Quezon province.

Various BK activities: trekking, s ite monitoring,recording of observed biodiversity in the area,advocacy with locals, and habitat monitoring.

PIBCFI

The LCA Management

Since the declaration of the LCAs withinmainland Polillo in 2007 and the additionalareas established within the neighboringmunicipalities of Patnanungan and Jomaligfive years later, various conservationinitiatives focused on these priority siteshave been implemented in partnership withthe lead agency, the LGUs, People’sOrganizations (POs), and the localcommunities.

One such initiative is the formation offive Bantay Kalikasan (BK) groups with acumulative number of volunteers totaling140. These groups include the Samahan ngBantay Kalikasan ng Polillo (SABAKAP),Burdeos Bantay Kalikasan Brigade (BBKB),Panukulan Bantay Kalikasan Association(PABAKA), ISLA Berde, and Jomalig BantayKalikasan Association (JOBAKA). DENRdeputized 57 of the 140 BK volunteers asDeputy Environment and Natural ResourceOfficers (DENROs).

BKs assist the LGUs in implementinglocal and relevant environmentalordinances and regularly conductmonitoring of the LCAs at three levels: 1)barangay level, 2) LCA cluster level; and 3)inter-municipality level. Monitoring resultsare relayed to barangay captains who aremembers of the LCA site managementcommittee, and in cases involving moreserious offenses, are endorsed to themunicipal LGU through the MunicipalEnvironment and Natural Resources Office.

As DENROs, BKs were given theauthority to assist in the implementationof national laws and in some cases, toassist in the seizure of illegally acquiredforest products and to act as witnesses forthe government during cases againstoffenders (i.e, case of Willy Zacarias ofBarangay Anawan, Polillo, Quezon).

These BK groups federated into acoordinating body, which they callFederation of Bantay KalikasanAssociations within Polillo Islands. Thefederation president facilitates thecoordination of information that needs tobe settled across municipalities withinBK groups. In the last federation meetingthis year, one decision was to unify theresponse process of BKs relative toreported illegal activities and to reinforcea protocol in providing assistance toLGUs across the five municipalities.

As part of the New ConservationAreas in the Philippines Project(NewCAPP) target, in May 2011, DENRthrough the Forest Management Bureau’sLand Evaluation Party, surveyed 109kms. as part of the LCA delineationprocess and established 491 monumentscovering more than 7000 has. ofdipterocarp forest in the island. Animportant accomplishment, thedemarcation and delineation processensured that the boundaries of theconservation priority sites were clearlyidentified and had visible markers on theground.

BKs of Patnanungan and Jomalig during the DENRO training workshop at Sta. Monica Beach Resort, Infanta, Quezon.Virtito C. Natural Jr./PIBCFI

Another importantaccomplishment for LCAconservation is the establish-ment of a 130-hectare HabitatRestoration (HR) site coveringdenuded forest ecosystemswithin LCAs using AssistedNatural Regeneration andAgroForestry (AgF) strategies.These HR sites wereestablished in partnershipwith BK groups and in casesof AgF sites, with individualclaimants who wereencouraged to diversifycultivated crops from mono-cropping to multi-croppingand by integrating fruitbearing trees (i.e., coffee andcacao) within coconutplantations.

A science-basedapproach to conservation, theLCA framework wasestablished using the resultsof various studies within thePolillo archipelago. Consoli-dating available informationinto a single document wasaccomplished by developingthe Resource and Socio-Economic Assessment (RSEA)documents for the fivemunicipalities with focus onLCA sites. The RSEAs wereused as the basis for thecurrent updating processbeing done by LGUs for theirComprehensive Land UsePlan.

LCA Dev’t KeyFeatures, Insights,and Lessons Learned

The major contribu-tion of LCA was thedevelopment of aninnovative and far morelocalized system ofmanagement for theenhanced conservation ofbiologically importantareas. Prior to thisdevelopment, one of themost popular options forthe development of new“protected areas” was theNational IntegratedProtected Areas System.

The LCA processoffers more ownership tolocal stakeholders, thusincreasing the prospectsof more effective, shorter-term enactments of agreedconservation manage-ment priorities and thelikely longer-termsustainability of theseinterventions through keyfunding mechanisms andother provisions of thecovering municipalgovernment ordinances,which are specificallytailored to addresspriority concernsidentified and agreedupon during priorconsultative processes.

LCA Network

Local stakeholdersfrom five municipalities ofthe Polillo archipelagocommit-ted to supportbiodiversity conservation inthe island.

The five LCA Manage-ment Councils overseeingmanagement of the 10 LCAclusters within PolilloIslands converged to formthe initial network to directthe conservation initiativesacross the municipalities.This was done through theinitial formation of thePolillo Group of IslandsEnvironment ManagementCouncil during the 1stPolillo Group of IslandsBiodiversity Summit held atBinakayan, Cawit, Cavite on10-12 October 2012.

Through the declara-tion of support towardsbiodiversity conservation,the five LGUs through theirexecutive and legislativeleaders committed todevelop the Polillo IslandsBiodiversity ConservationStrategic Action Plan. Thesecommitments were rein-forced in the SangguniangBayan Resolutions adopt-ing the summit manifesto.

The salient features of the LCA ordinances include the following:

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Delineation of sites declared asLCAs with specific technicaldescriptions.

Acceptance and incorporationof any prior rights (i.e., areaswithin LCAs covered byexisting legal private landtitles, stewardship contracts,and other valid and legitimateresource use rights) while stillrequiring all activities in theseareas to conform to themanagement plans preparedfor each site through thecreation of formal partnershipagreements with prior rightsholders that would enable thecooperative management andprotection of the tenured areas.

Even more important, theidentification and subsequent declarationof these LCAs were firmly centered on bothregion-wide and site-based biodiversitysurveys led by the most experienced localfield research biologists. The new LCAnetwork was not only established on thebasis of sound scientific criteria but wasalso designed to optimize local socialacceptability and stakeholder ownership.

A clearly defined institutionalmechanism for the management ofbiologically important terrestrial habitatsand ecosystems in the Polillos, through theconcept of LCA, was developed andimplemented with the full support andactive assistance of relevant localstakeholders. The development of LCAsfacilitated the first co-managementarrangement in resource managementbetween the DENR and the localgovernments in the Polillos. The DENRdesignated representative co-chairs withthe Mayor in the LCA Management Councilin the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos,and Panukulan.

This initiative is in consonance withthe national thrust on collaborativeresource management between the nationaland local agencies, as contained in a jointmemorandum circular of the DENR andthe Department of Interior and Local

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Formal establishment of LCA Management Councilin each municipality to serve as the requisite (butpreviously non-existent) local management authority.Each council is co-chaired by the municipal mayorand DENR officer, but must also include councilmember representatives from all relevant local NGOsand POs.

Development and implementation of a detailedmanagement plan for each declared LCA that alsodefines necessary management zones such as the strictprotection or core areas and any other limited-use areaessential for local community livelihood requirementsand land tenure agreements.

Definition of prohibited activities and correspondingpenalties and policing mechanisms.

Establishment of relevant financing mechanisms suchas the annual LGU budgetary allocations.

Government (DILG) issued in 2004 tosupport the further devolution of authorityand functions of national governmentagencies to local governments, as mandatedby the Local Government Code. It thereforeprovided the enabling environment for theDENR and DILG local offices and localgovernments to comply with this nationaldirective.

The creation and institutionalization ofthe LCA Management Councils in the threePolillo Island municipalities was also apioneering effort in establishing a formallocal resource management on terrestrialbiodiversity in this region, which wasentirely absent in the past. As such, thisinitiative addressed the issue of lack of aninstitutional mechanism to manage thebiologically important sites in the Polillos.Moreover, the participation of NGOs andcommunities/POs in this managementcouncil is now assured. This innovationconforms to the President’s Executive Orderon Sustainable Forest Management of thePhilippines, which invokes participation ofcivil society groups in resource manage-ment.

The establishment of the first evernetwork of protected sites was identifiedand selected on the basis of both biologicalimportance and representation in terms ofspecies, habitats, and ecosystems diversity.

* Lifted from Developing LocalConservation Areas: ThePolil lo Group of IslandsExperience, A Primer byGatumabato, E.A, Oliver, W.O,and Villanueva, L.

The identification and development of theseLCAs was based on sound scientificcriteria, guidelines, and methodologies.The vast majority of the data was alsocollected and assessed by the mostexperienced local practitioners noted fortheir technical and specialist expertise.

The establishment of these LCAs wasinitiated entirely through local processesand approval, thereby also creating astrong sense of ownership and collabora-tion among the different stakeholders.The development of ordinances declaringthese LCAs was also undertaken througha participatory approach, which includedtechnical capacity building among locallegislators through provisions of practicaltraining on policy development onenvironment and natural resourcesmanagement. The identification andselection of LCAs were also subject toextensive consultations involving localofficials and community representatives,and the public hearing requirements ofthe Local Government Code for thepassage of LGU ordinances was likewiseconsidered.

With the establishment of LCAs,communities were provided with concreteopportunities pertaining to land tenuresecurity and sustainable livelihood, whichwere included in the ordinances for thedeclaration of LCAs. Similarly, the LCAordinances contained additionalmeasures for community organizing sinceno such POs exist in the communitieswithin and surrounding these LCAs. Themanagement sustainability of the LCAs islikely assured through the creation of theLCA financing mechanism. To these ends,the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, andPanukulan have each allocated an annualbudget for the different LCAs. Similarly,all LGUs in the Polillos have officiallydesignated Municipal Environment andNatural Resources Officers (MENROs).

Clear road maps for the managementof LCAs were laid down with thedevelopment of initial management plansfor these sites. These initial plansenumerate necessary strategies and keyactions to ensure the protection andconservation of biodiversity, withidentified institutions responsible for theimplementation of various activities. Theconcept of LCA is now becoming analternative modality to the existingresource management systems in thePhilippines. Several organisations havealready expressed interest over thisconcept. In particular, the PhilippinesBiodiversity Conservation Program aimsto implement this concept in its other keyproject sites in the Calamians, Mindoro,Panay, Negros, and other islands.*