Home> OIC Director Dorado Speech at Melaka, Malaysia

Local Governments -- Towards Sustainability

By: DIR. ROMEO B. DORADO
OIC-Executive Director
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff
During the Twin Cities Convention 2008
Melaka Historic City Council, Malaysia
April 16-17, 2008, Equatorial Hotel, Melaka, Malaysia (April 17)

TO the HON. CHIEF MINISTER…….distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon.


I will share with you today the story about the province of Palawan, perceived to be the Philippines’ model in sustainable development. My presentation will cover the unique environment of Palawan and its importance, the international and national recognitions accorded to our province, the evolution of the SEP law and Palawan’s sustainable development policies. In closing, I will be sharing with you the lessons learned in the governance of the province as far as sustainable development is concerned.

Palawan is the country’s largest province of about 1.5 million hectares occupying about 5 percent of the Philippine territory. There are 1,768 small islands in the province, which forms the westernmost extension of the Philippine archipelago.

Palawan is considered as the last Ecological Frontier of the country because of its unique characteristics and diverse environment. The unique and diverse environment of the whole province together with the rich culture of its people is internationally recognized by UNESCO, hence Palawan was declared as a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1990. There are also two World Heritage sites in the province: the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park and the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park. In addition Tubbataha is recognized as a Wetland of International importance under RAMSAR (Convention on Wetlands signed in RAMSAR, Iran in 1971;

Palawan is a province that is about to exemplify the theme of this convention…enhancing sustainable and safe city…” A province which is located in the Southern part of the country and one that is nearest to Sabah Malaysia. This alone already demonstrates that among Asian countries, Malaysia is closer to our hearts.

Back in the 1970s, Palawan was one of the least attended provinces in the country. It was an abode stricken with poverty since the development gear of the country focused in the mainstream cities of: Manila in Luzon, Cebu in the Visayas Region and the City of Davao in Mindanao.

Palawan was left behind. Development was elusive as the province was then known for Malaria, the highest cause of mortality in the area. It is the land of lepers – the place where leprosy patients were brought and nurtured. It is the detention center of the convicts and prisoners as the three Penal Sub-colonies of the country is situated right at the heart of Palawan’s main City.

Infrastructure facilities were wanting. The roads were rough and total road network was only 3, 896 kilometers or a road density of only 0.26 km per square km of land area. Only around 27% of the total number of households had access to potable water system and only 8 of the 24 municipalities were served with electric power supply. Agriculture was less productive and farm lands were limited. Of the 690,000 hectares potential for agriculture, only 31 % was cultivated. Also at that time, peace & order situation was critical as there were areas positive for presence of rebels and outlaws.

Given these, one would thought that life in Palawan would be an ordeal, and that the future would be entirely bleak. But, Palawan is not at all that bad!

Palawan’s asset is anchored on its rich and unique natural resources. The province is endowed with beautiful beaches, a profusion of coral reefs, an underground river and rich flora and fauna which are of considerable attractions to tourists. Almost 60% of its land area is covered with forest,- the highest forest cover in the country, and a habitat to bio-diverse wildlife. The mangrove forest of around 52,000 hectares is the second largest in the country. The mineral deposits both metallic like nickel, chromite, laterite iron, gold, manganese and non-metallic such as silica, limestone, marble, sand and gravel are abounding. Its nickel deposit alone represents 37% of the deposit in the country and laterite iron, 29% of the country’s reserves. It is said to be the mineral capital of Asia.

Palawan is the country’s major oil and natural gas producing region and the primary site of exploration and development activities. The country’s estimated recoverable reserves of 400 million barrels of oil and 4.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are practically in the province.

The coastal waters are undeniably rich teeming with marine life. Considered the fish bowl of the country, Palawan is the source to about 65% of the commercial fish supply in the Luzon area and a major supplier of live fish amounting to 55% of the country’s total export.

Most importantly, the people are peace loving and friendly.

While the resources are rich, the province is considered fragile, because of its long and narrow mainland, (and small islands), where the mountain slopes are steep. The soil is hardly permeable to hold water, and the lowlands narrow consisting only about 36%, so only about this much is supposedly available for built-up areas. This clearly demonstrates that whatever activity is done in the mountains will directly and severely affect the whole landscape of its lands and waters.

In the 1980’s, signs of environmental degradation were becoming evident: trees were cleared at an alarming rate due to “slash & burn farming, logging - both legal and illegal, which subsequently and unconsciously resulted to biodiversity loss. Generally, apparent issues were: unsustainable harvesting of the forests, damage and overexploitation of coastal fisheries and threat from erosion and pollution.

Worst, the demand for the resources kept increasing as there was an upswing trend in the exodus of poor people from other provinces coming to Palawan for settlement.

But again, it’s not at all that dark for Palawan.

A new day for Palawan’s progress promised with the entry of the Palawan Integrated Area Development Project (PIADP), which was the fifth of its kind in the country. PIADP was an ADB funded project aimed at developing Palawan’s agriculture by implementing Crop Intensification and Diversification Program, Livestock Development, Malaria Control, Land Classification, establishment of Irrigation Systems, farm to market roads, ports and bridges improvement and other social services. Truly, PIADP was an attractive package to stir Palawan’s economy.

But, however attractive the ADB package may seem, Palawan leaders then were cautious at grabbing the opportunity.

They asked: which shall Palawan choose, environment or development?

So they thought, there was an imperative need to thoroughly and carefully study Palawan’s environment and to prudently identify the best development option for the province. The study should identify the best strategy on how to get to the finish line. Considering the fragility of its resources, development activities may spoil the benefits for the future. And they were unanimous, that the development roadmap should be “sustainable”. So the Integrated Environmental Program (IEP), funded by the now European Union, was included in the PIADP package. A thorough scientific study and series of people consultation were conducted that resulted to the formulation of the Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan or SEP. This Plan is a comprehensive framework by the principles of sustainable development such as:

1. Ecological viability – that is ensuring that the physical and biological cycles of natural ecosystems are kept intact.

2. Social acceptability – that is fostering equity in people’s access and benefits to their full participation in the sustainable development of the province

3. Integrated approach – this entails a holistic view of environmental issues and concerns, providing opportunities for coordination and sharing among various stakeholders to sustain the SEP.

SEP believes that while trade-offs between development and environmental protection is inevitable, these should heavily consider the needs of the future generations as well. Thus, the SEP aims to improve the quality of life of the Palaweños in the present and future generations through the use of complementary activities of development and conservation. In effect, through SEP, Palawan leaders emphasized that development options for the province are welcomed but these projects must render less stress to the environment.

To put more teeth to the Plan, Palawan leaders thought of elevating the Plan into becoming a Law. Endorsements from Local Government Units, NGOs, and civil societies were gathered and persistent lobbying in the Philippine Congress followed. Palawan was very fortunate because during that time, the Speaker of the House of Representatives was a Palaweno – the late speaker Ramon V. Mitra, in tandem with the very eloquent Congressman David Ponce de Leon (who incidentally is now the vice governor of the province). SEP’s journey in Congress was easier though longer.

Finally, in June 19, 1992, the Strategic Environmental Plan was signed into a Law by virtue of Republic Act 7611which signals the birth of SEP for Palawan Act. The passage of the SEP into a Law has legitimized the concerted efforts of all sectors to protect the unique and fragile ecosystem of Palawan Island.

Innate in the SEP Law is the creation of the PCSD or the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, which is directly under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. It is empowered to do the task of formulating policies and ensure that all programs and projects in the province - whether private or government, are aligned with the SEP. The PCSD is a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary body composed of the following: Members of the House of Representatives representing the province, the Provincial Governor, Deputy Director General of National Economic & Development Authority, the Undersecretaries of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Mayor of Puerto Princesa City, President of the Mayor’s League of Palawan, President of the Liga ng mga Barangay, Executive Director of the PCSD Staff, and representations from NGO, Military sector, Philippine National Police, Provincial Prosecutors Office, Provincial Tourism Council, Indigenous People and the Business Sector.

The main strategy of the SEP is the ECAN or the Environmentally Critical Areas Network. The ECAN is a comprehensive land and water use framework plan that prescribes basic rules and criteria for zoning the province, from areas which should be free from human presence and intervention, Core Zone, to areas where compatible resource uses can be allowed, Multiple Use Zone.

Simply put, ECAN is a zoning strategy ensuring wise and judicious use of the resources. ECAN delineates critical and delicate areas that need protection and be subjected to maximum care, as well as provide areas for development. ECAN, which in itself is a land use tool, serves as our guide where to develop and what to protect. This way, the environment is not compromised in the course of development.

Through ECAN, the SEP will ensure the conservation and protection of the forest, our bio-diversity, and our indigenous peoples including their culture. To safeguard plight of the indigenous peoples, ECAN facilitated the identification and establishment of Tribal Ancestral Zones and afforded them preferential options in the gathering of minor forest products.

As support to ECAN, mechanisms are put in placed: Continuing Environmental Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and Environmental Education. Also, compliance to Environmental Impact Assessment is strictly observed, rehabilitation of critically degraded areas while ensuring control of harmful practices through strict enforcement of environmental laws with active involvement of the communities.

An important provision of the SEP is the imposition of a Total Commercial Log Ban all over the province. Hence, only Community-based forestry and LGU led Communal Forest are allowed to address the lumber needs of the populace currently estimated at 400,000 cubic meters for fuel wood and 60,000 cubic meters for lumber requirements of households and government projects.

In mid-90’s, financial and social facilities dramatically lined up in main thoroughfares, prompting other industries to flourish eventually, providing work and livelihood opportunities for the communities. With the completion of PIADP, and other government projects, infrastructures were improved. The province now has around 4,171 km of road, with a road density of 0.28 km/sq km of land; 60 % of the household have access to safe drinking water and 18 out of the 23 municipalities have 24 hours electric power supply.

The inclusion of Palawan in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia Philippines – East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) was also made possible through the initiatives of the PCSD. The major strategies for the province include stricter enforcement of environmental laws and proper utilization and management of terrestrial and marine habitats by developing a socially and environmentally sensitive tourism industry and, development of high value agri industrial products and use of environment friendly technologies. These strategies were adopted to maintain the ecological balance in the province.

The PCSD also initiated the “PISTA Y ANG KAGUEBAN” or Festival of the Forest, a community tree planting project at the city watershed. This successful activity has been institutionalized by the City Government of Puerto Princesa for more than fifteen years and has made the festivity a tourism attraction. The PISTA has recorded more than 3 million of trees planted with 80% survival rate and participated in by almost a million planters and well-wishers in the city. The overwhelming participation from various sectors prompted the provincial government to adopt an expanded concept called “PISTA NG KALIKASAN” or Feast of the Environment. Spearheaded by the Local government units in each municipality, Pista ng Kalikasan is implemented by LGUs every 19th day of June, the date of approval of the SEP Law. The whole day affair starts with a festive tree planting activity and highlighted by other forms of environmental education activities like on the spot painting contest, cultural presentations and environmental concerts. The program has become a movement where people from all walks of life including tourists participate.

The implementation of the SEP is the task of everyone in the province. the SEP Law mandates all agencies operating in the province, local government units, the private sector, NGO, and the communities to align their plans and programs with the SEP. The role of the PCSD is to provide policy directions to ensure that the sustainable development objectives for the province are achieved.

Thus far, PCSD already formulated about 200 policies. Major of which is the SEP Clearance System that ensures that the SEP provisions, particularly the ECAN are adhered.

At present, with the active support of LGU’s and other partners, the ECAN has been integrated in the Comprehensive Land & Water Use Plans of every Local Government Units in the province. On the other hand, with the Total Commercial Logging ban in placed through the SEP, Palawan has increased its forest cover. From a threatened loss of forest cover at 19,000 hectares per year in the 80’s, present satellite imagery analysis indicated a total forest cover of 56% , the highest in the country that contributes to 38% of the country’s total wildlife biodiversity with endemism placed at 5%. The mangrove forests constitute 44% of the remaining mangrove forest in the country. Communities are empowered through continuing environmental education and gradually realized the value of “wise resource use”.

Synchronized with community empowerment is the establishment and operationalization of the PCSD Konek facilitating shared responsibility among the enforcement agencies and the communities towards quick reporting of environmental violations and quick response system to avert these activities.

After thorough assessments and local consultations, ECAN Coastal Resource Management Learning Centers in seven communities have been set-up to ensure that coastal resources are protected and people who are direct users of marine resources are empowered to manage and be accountable to the environment. Furthermore, an enthusiastic initiative of establishing corridors of Protected Areas and protected coastal straits in the province is underway.

Along this context, PCSD manages major Protected Areas such as: the famous Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, a slice of Africa in Asia which is a haven for African animals (giraffe, zebra, eland, bushback) together with vulnerable indigenous species of animals in Palawan like the Calamian deer, mouse deer and Palawan bearcat.

Likewise, together with the local government units, PCSD co-manage several protected areas in the province among which are the following: the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park which is a world renowned dive site with abundant and diverse reef assemblage, including marine turtles and water birds. Tubbataha is among the candidates in the seven Wonders of the World; the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, also a UNESCO world Heritage site which is the jewel of Puerto Princesa City with its 8.2 km exceptional river under the St Paul mountain range; the Ursula Island Game Refuge and Bird Sanctuary, the home for migratory birds in the south, famous for a large concentration of Imperial pigeons; the Malampaya Sound Protected Land and Seascape dubbed as the “Fish bowl of the Philippines” and is popularly known as the habitat of Irawaddy dolphins, and the El Nido –Taytay Resource Managed Protected Area covering about 90,000 hectares of breathtaking limestone formations and calm sea enclosed in Bacuit Bay.

PCSD has just completed the implementation of foreign funded projects such as the ten-year-2 phases Palawan Tropical Forestry Protection Programme funded with a grant from the European Union, and the ECAN component of the Sustainable Environment Management Project funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Livelihood programs for communities funded by Shell Philippines Exploration BV are also being implemented by concerned Local Government Units through the PCSD.

PCSD also, has been mandated by Law to govern the implementation of related national laws such as the Wildlife Act, Chainsaw Act, Solid Waste Management Act, and the Caves Act specifically in Palawan.

In terms of the mining industry, Palawan plays a key role as far as mineral development in the country is concerned. Mineral development in Palawan is currently focused in the southern part of the province with an estimated 414 million tons of nickel ore deposits in the province. Currently, the municipality of Bataraza is host to the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation and the Coral Bay Nickel Corporation processing plant. There are other small mining ventures operating in the municipalities of Narra, Espanola, Quezon and Brookes Point.

Mineral exploration and development is possible in Palawan as long as the SEP-ECAN which is the basic framework for SD of these resources is in placed and strictly followed. This means that mining is permitted only in areas allowable under the ECAN zoning.

The PCSD to date has received close to a hundred mining applications to extract minerals such as nickel, manganese, limestone and marble among others. Of these, only 29 were given SEP clearance by the PCSD based on the ECAN Zoning guidelines.

While we recognize the global issue of climate change, global warming, coastal and forest areas degradation, and even security and safety of our people, we are likewise challenged with the gargantuan responsibility of meeting a gamut of human needs. With the increasing number of people dependent on the limited resource, there is more mouth to feed, more opportunities to provide, thus, a proactive leadership imploring good governance is necessary. With good governance that is driven by a high degree of political will, responsibility and accountability, we are optimistic the future of Palawan will certainly be bright.

Now, Palawan’s economic portfolio is focused at eco-tourism for the northern area, and agro-fishery development for the southern part. Palawan because of its natural beauty is one of the eight major tourist destinations in the country, is also included in the Central Philippines mega region for tourism. Recently, the province became a recipient of various airport projects, distributed in strategic locations in the province. This development is a clear indication and a confirmation, that Palawan all along had been on the right track and direction, giving importance to the environment from the very beginning, and rewarding us with unique ecosystem now attracting tourists and researchers. With us being cautious and careful at pushing the right development option, we were able to capture the attention of the national government into giving its priorities to Palawan. So we conclude, that SEP, will lead us further to our target direction of sustainable development.

In economic terms, ecotourism can generate local employment and allow the infusion of foreign earnings thru the provision of ancillary services to foreign tourists, But still, we are looking closely at theses developments. While we welcome more tourists, there is the need to establish the tourists’ carrying capacity of the province to prevent adverse impact to the environment such as pollution of waters along beaches.

Now, Palawan is at the crossroad- as I have mentioned earlier, our province have rich potentials in terms of mineral reserves. Mining is definitely extractive, thus thrust could be on tourism because it is environment friendly, however, our National Government has identified mining as profitable industry that could propel the country’s economy.

As such, the people of Palawan must be proactive since there is no room for complacency in our desire to keep Palawan a bountiful heritage for the future generations. When we refer to the pillars of sustainable development, the key question we ponder is: "Are we maintaining the balance of the three pillars of Sustainable Development as we pursue progress?" While we are generating income from the environment, are these incomes re-invested to public sector projects that capacitate our people to be productive and self reliant to uplift their standard of living while ensuring the maintenance of ecological processes and services? While we allow activities in controlled zones, will the project affect our IPs and farmers by ensuring the preservation of culture and a continuous supply of water for irrigation and domestic use? The SEP law provided us with the physical framework for Sustainable Development through the establishment of the ECAN Zones, it just have to applied on the ground, and therefore, complied with.

The Province of Palawan is strategically important, possessing great potentials and attaining initiatives that require careful planning and integration to attain sustainable development.

In summary, Palawan’s experience confirmed many basic success points and lessons learned such as:

• That Local Government Executives or leaders, however diverse in terms of political affiliations and opinions, must agree and work in unison towards a common bottom line – a prudent future for its people. An empowered leadership is not dictated and not just merely learned. It is leadership with a “heart”, complete dedication to the vision, centered on the wellness of its constituents.

• Respect the rules of nature, work within its bounds and limits. Decisions should go beyond PERSONAL AND PARTY POLITICS and consider the benefits as well as the negative impacts to the environment, the economy, the present and future generations Carefully study , plan, and turn the Plan into a Policy, solicit involvement of the community , continuously educate the people, and all together point the direction towards the future while keeping the focus awake and vibrant - and it will be rewarding.

• Shared responsibility matters. Encourage popular cooperation of stakeholders to participate in every endeavor. It will be less costly, but it promotes pride and ownership among the communities.

In the context of public safety and security, Palawan leaders believed that it normally follows as a result of good governance. For in the end, we believe that when people are well fed, they will be obliged to join the force of goodness towards continuing the cycle of “sustainable development”. With the efficient and effective enforcement of anti-drug campaign programs, youth have been pre-occupied with worthwhile endeavors. People feel safe in the province. Evidently, tourist arrivals, both local and foreign, have been one of the highest in the country.

The excellent peace and order situation is best explained by the pronouncement of Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr, Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before audience to the 32nd Western Command anniversary celebration saying and I quote, “Palawan, aside from it being the greenest and cleanest province, is the most peaceful and the safest place in the Philippines today. It inspires many provinces to work towards attaining sustainable development as it preludes safety and security…I probably will spend my retirement age here in Palawan”.

May I also share with you the insights of our leaders in Palawan. The first PCSD Chairman, the late Governor Salvador P. Socrates in reference to province’s fragile environment declared and I quote “as far as the protection of Palawan’s environment is concerned, it is absolute. There is no compromise, it is non-negotiable.”

Finally, our Chairman and Governor of Palawan today, Honorable Joel T. Reyes enjoins every Palaweno in his battle cry for progress dubbed as “kapag sama-sama, kayang-kaya”.

In closing, on behalf of Palawan people, let me invite you to visit Palawan, and experience for yourself the nature at its best that only Palawan could offer, just as I have shared with you today. Again, good afternoon, and thank you very much. Assalam Mulaykum.