Management Planning for Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape

Environmental degradation and habitat destruction throughout the Philippines are not only harming wildlife but also undermining people’s livelihoods and creating social instability. The U.S. government, through the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), partnered today with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to launch a new biodiversity conservation project that will help protect and manage the Philippines’ diverse habitats and species. The Protect Wildlife program in the Philippines works towards biodiversity conservation, enhancement of ecosystem services and improvement of peoples’ well-being. The program approach is supported by four pillars, namely landscapes and seascapes, situational crime prevention, inclusiveness, and public-private partnerships. This partnership with multi-pronged programs identified the provinces of Sarangani and South Cotabato, which host some of the most biodiverse yet vulnerable natural habitats and species in southern Mindanao. The Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) is one of the identified areas that need Integrated Management Approach.

Facilitated by the Protect Wildlife with the assistance of DENR-PASu, an Orientation on Management Planning for Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape was conducted at Ellis Suites, General Santos City last July 11-13, 2018. This aimed to strengthen the partnership among the members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) which are from the National Government Agencies, Local Governments Units, Academe and Civil Society Organizations. The workshop gave emphasis on the 4 aspects – IEC, Research, Enforcement, and Land use/Zoning. The outputs will then be used in the preparation of 5-year Strategic Management Plan for SBPS.