Workshop participants from the Davao Region work on the assigned tasks
The DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project* recently conducted consecutive site inception workshops for both Davao and Caraga Regions. The two regions host the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC) – one of two biodiversity corridors where the project is implemented, the other being the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor.
The BD Corridor Project conducted the onsite inception workshop for Caraga Region (Region XIII) in Butuan City on March 14-15 and for Davao Region (Region XI) in Davao City on March 17-18.
For the Caraga leg, OIC Director Glenn Marcelo Noble of the DENR Policy and Planning Service (PPS), Assistant Director Edna Nuestro of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), OIC Assistant Regional Director Maritess Ocampo of the DENR in Caraga, BD Corridor National Project Manager Dr. Mary Jean Caleda, EMBC Corridor Project Manager Tanya Conlu, and Programme Analyst Ma. Theresa Espino-Yap of the UNDP Climate Action Programme graced the workshop.
For the Davao leg, in attendance were Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel Evasco of the DENR in Davao Region, Assistant Director Amelita Ortiz of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Assistant Director Ma. Sabrina Cruz of the Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Service of the DENR, Assistant Director Edna Nuestro, Dr. Mary Jean Caleda, EMBC Project Manager Tanya Conlu, and UNDP’s Ma. Theresa Espino-Yap.
Assistant Director Ortiz thanked the UNDP, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and project’s partners for what she said was a “thrilling journey” toward the formation and strengthening of alliances and conservation clusters in eastern Mindanao.
“We have a huge challenge ahead of us as we attempt to converge and take action to integrate not just ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning processes and plans, but most importantly and ultimately, generate and ensure multiple benefits for all,” she said. (BD Corridor/ Mitch R. Confesor)
* The Integrated Approach in Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines or BD Corridor is a development cooperation between the Government of the Philippines and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)funded through a grant from the UNDP - Global Environment Facility (GEF) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the lead implementing agency.
The project aims to operationalize the integrated management of biodiversity corridors to generate multiple benefits including effective conservation of globally threatened species and high conservation value forests.
