MSN calls for mandatory allocation of 5% dev't fund for coastal management
The Marine Protected Areas Support Network (MSN) has approved a resolution asking the local government units for a mandatory allocation of at least five percent of the their 20 percent development fund for integrated coastal management (ICM) and coastal resource management (CRM).
The resolution was approved during the Sustainable Financing and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) through the Coastal Zone Philippine 2 Summit (CZPhil 2) held last week. The congress was organized by the Marine Protected Areas Support Network (MSN) led by its coordinator Dr. Perry Alino.
The mandatory allocation of at least five percent of the 20 percent development fund is included in the group's advocacy for the improvement of fund access and availability. They also call for the institutionalization of CRM and ICM of the local government unit level with fund and staff component and networking and linking of local initiatives in both national and foreign funding institutions.
Copies of the resolution will be furnished to the House of Representatives, Leagues of Provinces, League of Cities and Municipalities and other concerned government agencies, academe, civil society groups and private sector.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Finance (DoF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will also be furnished of the resolution.
The same resolution calls for the strengthening of law enforcement capabilities at the local government unit and inter local government units, advocate for the establishment and institutionalization of pollution monitoring and evaluation program for the coastal zone as part of the waste management of municipalities and cities.
They also want to promote and support sustainable livelihood practices, formulate research and development agenda focusing on but not limited to, carrying capacity of the marine environment and facilitate the utilization of scientific inputs in support of decision-making in the coastal zone and promote ICM as a rallying point for private-public partnerships.
They also want to promote and develop capacity of coastal stakeholders for MPA management including resource use conflict resolution and establishment of sustainable financing mechanisms such as but not limited to user fees.
The resolution also want to facilitate access to adequate technical support from appropriate government agencies, research institutions and non-government organizations. At the same time, they want support for the formation of MPA networks and alliances in municipal, provincial, regional and national level.
Among the members of the MSN are the USAID-Philippine Environmental Governance 2 Project; USAID-Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest Project (FISH); Tanggol Kalikasan, Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM), Haribon Foundation Inc. and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines).