Vol. 9, Issue No. 5 (May 2008)
PEMSEA News
PEMSEA Contribution to Coastal Tourism Recognized
Manila, Philippines The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia
(PEMSEA) received a special recognition from the Sustainable Coastal Tourism in Asia (SCOTIA), a
United States-Agency for International Development (USAID) Program, for its continuous support in
promoting coastal tourism through its Public-Private Partnership initiatives for the development of
adequate infrastructure for sanitation in Puerto Galera. Prof. Raphael P.M. Lotilla, PEMSEA Executive
Director, received the certificate from SCOTIA Team Leader, Ms. Grace Favila; US-AID Representative
Mr. John Lindborg; and Secretary Joseph Durano of the Department of Tourism, during the Sustainable
Coastal Tourism Conference held on 28 May in Manila.
Mr. S. Adrian Ross (PEMSEA), Mr. John Lindborg (USAID), PEMSEA Executive Director Raphael
P.M. Lotilla, Secretary Joseph Durano of the Philippine Department of Tourism, and Ms. Grace Favila
(SCOTIA) during the Sustainable Coastal Tourism Conference.
According to Prof. Lotilla, the recognition given to PEMSEA by SCOTIA was truly special, as it "speaks
volumes of the esteem that our collaborators and partners have for PEMSEA's work."
Prof. Lotilla thanked SCOTIA "for recognizing the good that we do as we assure them of our continuing
commitment to build upon the legacy of our partnership."
PEMSEA and SCOTIA teamed up in 2006 as a response to the urgent call of the local government of
Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, to address the municipality's problems of sanitation and
marine pollution that have began to hurt their tourism industry. PEMSEA has continued to provide
technical assistance while SCOTIA takes charge of education and information dissemination, as well as
community relations to help the local government implement a sewage collection and treatment project
using a public-private partnership approach.
During the conference, Mr. S. Adrian Ross, Chief Technical Officer of PEMSEA, shared PEMSEA's
experience in public-private partnerships to facilitate the establishment of a wastewater treatment facility
in Puerto Galera. Hon. Hubbert Dolor, Mayor of Puerto Galera also joined the panel.
The SCOTIA conference was attended by more than 150 participants composed of local government
officials, representatives from government agencies, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations,
experts in the fields of water and sanitation, as well as various stakeholders. The former Secretary for the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Ms. Elisea Gozun, served as Conference Chair.
Vietnam Province Initiates Replication of Danang's ICM Project
Experience
Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam Thua Thien Hue is one of four provinces in Vietnam's central region
economic zone. The province is bordered on the north by Quang Tri Province, on the south by Danang
City, on the west by Lao PDR, and on the east by the East Sea. The lagoon system in the coastal area
embodies a unique eco-system, and has significant potential for development as an ecotourism site.
But Hue faces a number of issues that are having a negative impact on the sustainable development of its
bountiful marine and coastal resources, including:
1. Pollution of the lagoon from industry, tourism, agriculture , aquaculture and human activities
around the lagoon;
2. Overexploitation and destructive use of aquatic resources, particularly in the lagoon area;
3. Unregulated/uncontrolled mining of minerals, sand and gravel in the coastal area, wetlands, and
rivers;
4. Natural disasters, including floods, coastal erosion and inlet instability;
5. Salinity intrusion into the Huong River, causing water supply problems for domestic and
manufacturing use;
6. Conflicting uses of resources in the lagoon among fisheries, tourism, agriculture and domestic
sectors; and
7. Poverty.
In November 2007, Thua Thien Hue Province expressed its desire to become an integrated coastal
management (ICM) parallel site of PEMSEA. To determine the site's suitability for ICM implementation,
a site evaluation mission was conducted on 11-12 April. The evaluation mission confirmed the ongoing
initiatives of the local government as well as other stakeholders in the community for sustainable
management of Hue's marine and coastal resources; identified the various challenges to sustainable
development in Hue; and confirmed Hue's commitment to develop and implement an integrated coastal
management program and to functioning as a PEMSEA ICM parallel site.
Hue Province has a coastline of 126 km, stretching from Phong Dien to Lang Co. The selection of Hue as
an ICM parallel site provides an opportunity for a continuum of coastline in Vietnam under ICM
management, stretching from Hue Province in the north, across Danang City, and through to Quangnam
Province in the south. Danang is an ICM demonstration site, while Quangnam is an ICM parallel site of
PEMSEA. Collectively, they cover a total coastline of 343 km, or more than nine percent of the coastline
of Vietnam, excluding islands.
The ICM program in Hue also serves as a demonstration of national ICM scaling up and replication,
using the Danang ICM demonstration site as the spring board to replication. On 9 October 2007, the
Prime Minister of Vietnam signed Decision No. 158, which approved the development and
implementation of a national ICM program focused on 14 coastal provinces. Thua Thien Hue Province
was identified as one of the 3 ICM sites in north central Vietnam under the program. The lessons from
Hue will be directly applicable in other coastal areas of Vietnam under the national ICM program.
Guimaras Aims High Towards Achieving Its Sustainable
Development Targets
Guimaras, Philippines Guimaras, an island province of the Philippines, located in the western Visayas,
is well-known for its mangoes - its signature product; its pristine beaches and coves; and more recently, as
the site of the worst oil spill in the history of the Philippines. On 11 August 2006, two million liters of
bunker fuel were spilled into the Guimaras coast, causing an environmental and economic disaster that
seriously affected more than half of its population living along its 238-km coastline that depended on the
coastal and marine resources for their livelihood.. The results of the rapid damage assessment showed the
magnitude of impacts on the ecosystems and population which were manifested in the loss of livelihood,
health problems and degradation of the important coastal habitats including mangroves, coral reefs and
seagrass beds.
The oil spill incident provided a window of opportunity for Guimaras to consider adopting an integrated
management approach due to the problems encountered during the oil spill response process, which
included lack of interagency coordination. Integrated coastal management (ICM) holds great promise
particularly in promoting policy and functional integration and in helping the local government develop
policies, strategies and action plans to address issues that affect its sustainable coastal development,
including natural and man-made hazards prevention and management.
On 21 September 2007, the Provincial Government of Guimaras expressed its intent to implement an
ICM program through a letter sent to PEMSEA. A site evaluation mission was conducted on 28-30 April
2008 to determine Guimaras' suitability for ICM implementation. The evaluation mission was able to
identify the various challenges to sustainable development in Guimaras. The mission likewise assessed
how the ongoing initiatives of the local government as well as other stakeholders that focused on the
sustainable management of the Province's marine and coastal resources can be integrated and more
importantly, confirmed Guimaras' commitment to ICM and to functioning as a PEMSEA ICM parallel
site.
Guimaras is undertaking the necessary preparatory activities towards the development and
implementation of a full-blown ICM program. The Governor of Guimaras, Hon. Felipe Hilan A. Nava, is
spearheading the process. Governor Nava issued Administrative Order No. 4 (2008) establishing the
Guimaras ICM Project Coordinating Committee (PCC) and the Project Management Office along with
the necessary budgetary allocations for their initial operation. A Memorandum of Understanding is
anticipated to be jointly signed by the Provincial Government, PEMSEA and the Philippine Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in July 2008 to officially recognize Guimaras as a
PEMSEA ICM parallel site - a very unique site as it showcases the integrated management of an island
ecosystem.
Philippines Hosts EAS Congress 2009, Venue Set in Manila
Manila, Philippines The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, and the
PEMSEA Resource Facility have confirmed that the site of the EAS Congress 2009 will be Manila,
Philippines. The date for the Congress is set for 23 -27 November 2009.
A global center of marine diversity, an archipelago with more than 7,100 islands, and one of the longest
coastlines in the world, the Philippines provides visitors with access to all that is wondrous and beautiful
about the ocean and coastal resources, as well as insights into the challenges to sustainable development
and management of those very resources.
The EAS Congress 2009 will be a venue for reviewing and sharing on-the-ground experiences in integrated
management of coastal and marine resources. Carrying the theme, "Partnerships at Work: Local
Implementation and Good Practices," the EAS Congress 2009 will highlight initiatives and good practices
covering aspects of coastal and marine resource management and how government and non-government
partnerships are contributing to regional and international environmental targets.
The City of Manila is a lively metropolis commanding a magnificent view of the world-famous Manila
Bay and its golden sunset. This "Philippine Cosmopolitan Capital" blends regional cultures and flavors.
Manila is home to Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the country's chief executive and one of the
most historic structures in the Philippines. The Manila Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of
Manila, and the San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in Metro Manila and one of the four
Philippine Baroque Churches inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List.
The EAS Congress meetings and workshops will be held in Asia's first international convention center, the
Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The conference is expected to gather both
government and non-government partners and other stakeholders from the academe, local communities,
youth, and private sector from within and outside the region, as well as international and regional
organizations and institutions, to ensure the steady advancement of partnership initiatives for the
sustainable development of the East Asian Seas region.
For more information on the EAS Congress, visit www.pemsea.org/eascongress.
For more information on Manila and the Philippines, visit the WOW Philippines website at:
www.tourism.gov.ph.
SOC Evaluates ICM Implementation on the Ground
Batangas, Philippines Fourteen years have passed since integrated coastal management (ICM) was
initiated in the Batangas Bay region. The experience has since been been replicated in two other bays in
the province, namely the Balayan and Adjacent Bays, and the Tayabas and Adjacent Bays region. But
apart from the geographical expansion of ICM efforts, has there really been progress achieved on the
ground. Has ICM created impacts on the sustainable marine and coastal environment and more
importantly to the well-being of Batangueños?
To date, there are no indicators and reporting systems in place to assess the progress and impact of ICM
implementation by local governments. The State of the Coasts (SOC) reporting system, which
incorporates process, state and impact indicators, is being developed by PEMSEA primarily to document
and evaluate what has been achieved by ICM implementation. Piloted in Batangas province, a seven-day
field survey covering nine coastal municipalities (Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lobo, Mabini,
Nasugbu, San Juan and Tingloy) and one coastal city (Batangas City) was conducted to document local
issues and management responses, as well as to validate results.
The survey focused on 36 core indicators, covering governance (policy, legislation, institutional
arrangements, public awareness, capacity development and financing mechanism) and well as sustainable
development issues common to coastal areas (natural and man-made hazard management; habitat
restoration and management; water supply use and management; sustainable livelihood and coastal
fisheries management; and pollution reduction and waste management).Interviews were conducted with
municipal leaders, heads of city/municipal planning departments, agriculture, environment, engineering,
health and disaster management offices, as well as community leaders. Documents concerning coastal
development and management were also reviewed. Coastal issues were also validated from the on-site
survey and documented through photos.
The SOC field survey was conducted by the PEMSEA Resource Facility in collaboration with the
Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resource Office (PG-ENRO) of Batangas.
The results of the survey are still being analyzed. It is expected that the SOC report for Batangas Province
will be available for dissemination in July 2008. The SOC report will hopefully serve as an operational
tool for local Chief Executives to monitor and manage coastal programs more effectively. It is further
envisaged that this first SOC report will provide an incentive and example for other ICM sites in the
region to develop and implement an SOC reporting system in their respective locations.
Xiamen Gears Up for 2008 World Ocean Week (XWOW)
Xiamen, PR China The Xiamen Municipal Government is aiming to exceed the achievements of the
2007 XWOW, which was attended by 500 participants from 33 countries. To meet the challenge, the
Xiamen Oceans and Fisheries Bureau brought together representatives from the State Oceanic
Administration, the United Nations Development Programme in China, Xiamen University, the Fujian
Provincial Oceans and Fisheries Bureau, and PEMSEA to plan and discuss the organization of the 2008
XWOW, scheduled on 7-13 November. The First Organizing Committee meeting was held in Xiamen on
23 April.
The meeting deliberated on the lessons learned from the 2007 XWOW to further strengthen and improve
the organization of this year's event. The gathering also developed a five-year plan (2008-2012) for
XWOW, including measures to transform into an international event of similar standing as the World
Water Week in Stockholm.
The Municipal Government of Xiamen's main objective is to ensure that emerging and critical issues
affecting sustainable coastal development are discussed, knowledge is shared, and strategies and actions
are identified. By providing a platform for international cooperation and exchange of management
experiences, Xiamen is showing the way among coastal cities and local governments through the XWOW
forum.
PEMSEA Welcomes New PRF Staff
Quezon City, Philippines PEMSEA welcomes Ms. Maida Aguinaldo, Mr. Renato Cardinal, Mr. John
Eric Dylan Saet and Mr. Andre Jon Uychiaoco to the PEMSEA Resource Facility.
Ms. Maida Aguinaldo joins PEMSEA as Technical Assistant of the Learning Center. Prior to joining
PEMSEA, Ms. Aguinaldo worked as Coastal Resource Management/Collection Area Management
Planning Specialist at Reef Check-Philippines. Maida has a degree in Community Development from the
University of the Philippines. As Technical Assistant, she will provide support to the establishment and
mobilization of the regional and national task forces including periodic review of task force applications,
updating and maintaining the task force database. She will also be assisting in the design and packaging of
learning materials and the design, development and standardization of training modules.
Mr. Renato Cardinal is Audit/Certification Officer. Mr. Cardinal has a degree in Metallurgical
Engineering and brings to PEMSEA over 14 years of experience in audit and systems review of ISO 9001,
ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and IMS requirements from Neville Clark Philippines Incorporated. As
Audit/Certification Officer, Ato will be responsible for overseeing the development, testing and
verification of the ICM code in selected countries, including the formulation of a recognition and
certification system that conforms to ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental
Management) certification standards, among others.
Mr. John Eric Dylan Saet joins the PRF as Webmaster. Jed has a Bachelor's Degree in Library Science
from the University of the Philippines. Prior to joining PEMSEA, he worked for the Ayala Foundation,
the Asian Development Bank, and the International Organization for Migration. Jed is currently
developing the East Asian Seas Congress website as well as enhancing the current PEMSEA website into
an information one-stop-shop.
Mr. Andre John Uychiaoco is the Technical Officer for Project Development and is responsible for
providing technical assistance in the implementation of the SDS-SEA and related coastal strategies and
action plans in the region. He will particularly support the development of the State of Coasts, as well as
preparations in the development of several manuals and guides, case studies and project proposals. Andre
obtained his doctorate in Ecology and Evolution at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and
Masters in Community Development from the University of the Philippines. Prior to joining PEMSEA,
he worked with the UP Marine Science Institute, handling projects on the development and
implementation of a common database of marine protected areas.
Maida, Ato, Jed and Andre join other staff as PEMSEA enters its new phase focusing on the
implementation of the SDS-SEA.
Partner News
NOWPAP Strengthens Links with Partners
NOWPAP has recently increased exchange with partners through participation in a number of
international meetings and workshops.
On 7-10 April, NOWPAP activities were presented at the 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and
Islands (attended by over 400 patricians from 70 countries). NOWPAP is trying to bring interested
partners, such as PEMSEA, to share their experience in Integrated Coastal and River Basin Management
(ICARM), and have received positive response.
At the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Conference on 23-25 April, NOWPAP marine litter
activities and future plans were introduced to 60 attendees, including the ICC national coordinators from
the United States and around the world. NOWPAP publications on marine litter were distributed to
participants. The Ocean Conservancy, the ICC initiator and advocate, has expressed its willingness to
participate in a training workshop planned by NOWPAP in September 2008, in order to further promote
the ICC campaign in the region.
Presentation on NOWPAP efforts in marine litter monitoring has been made at the meeting of the
UNEP/IOC Technical Working Group (TWG) on 1-3 May. TWG members discussed the first draft of
the UNEP/IOC Operational Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter. Experience
accumulated by NOWPAP member states in marine litter monitoring will be taken into account while
finalizing the UNEP/IOC Guidelines, along with expertise from OSPAR, HELCOM and other
programmes.
In order to strengthen partnerships with other organizations and programmes in the region, NOWPAP
participated in the 7th IOC/WESTPAC International Scientific Symposium "Nature Hazards and the
Changing Marine Environment in the Western Pacific" and the 12th Session of the NEAR-GOOS
Coordinating Committee which took place on 21-25 May. Both meetings were organized in conjunction
with 7th Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific on 26-29 May.
Presentations on NOWPAP current and future activities were delivered for strengthening further
cooperation with partners.
USAID's SCOTIA Project Shares Lessons Learned
USAID's environmental project Sustainable Coastal Tourism in Asia (SCOTIA) - Philippines recently
held its end-of-project conference to share best practices with local governments and resorts outside of its
project sites. These project sites included leading coastal tourism destinations like El Nido, Panglao island,
Mactan island, Balayan Bay, Moalboal and Puerto Galera.
The primary message of the conference was that proper environmental management is critical for
protecting the tourism value of our country. Hence the lessons shared focused on environmental
management like solid waste management and sanitation. Of special interest was the innovative low-cost,
low-technology reed bed sanitation system that SCOTIA assisted many resorts to install. SCOTIA
highlighted how it built local capability for setting up community-wide solid waste management systems
that achieved waste reduction levels that were higher than the targeted 25 percent.
The lesson that attracted the most attention from the participants, especially the 2 governors, 17 mayors
and over 40 other LGU officials nationwide was the concept of environmental user fees. Environmental
management costs money and yet it conflicts with the common notion that nature is free. The conference
emphasized that when a tourist visits a place like Puerto Galera and enjoys its natural beauty for a couple
of days, he leaves behind not only garbage but also human wastes like urine and feces, which must be
treated properly so as not to destroy the touristic value of the place. On this basis, the LGU has the moral
and legal right to collect environmental user fees. The conference cited the example of Puerto Galera
which has collected close to PhP 7 million since it started collecting such a fee in November 2007. With
such a financing source in place the local government unit has purchased the land for its centralized
sanitation system and is currently preparing to bid out the first phase of the construction which is
estimated to cost close to PhP 100 million.
Secretary of Tourism Joseph "Ace" Durano gave the keynote address which also highlighted the need to
protect the environment for the sustainability of the tourism industry. For the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Asst. Sec. Ana Lisa Teh also gave a clear message that there must be a balance
between environment and tourism as an economic activity. A certificate of Special Recognition was given
to the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) for "its persistent
and resolute support in promoting Public-Private Partnership for the development of adequate
infrastructure for sanitation in Puerto Galera." It was received by PEMSEA Executive Director Raphael
P.M. Lotilla.
Aside from SCOTIA, 15 other environmental projects, non-profit organizations and private
environmental service suppliers set up exhibits at the conference hall to inform LGUs and resort-owners
how they can better protect their coastal environment.