Debt-for-Nature Swap in the Philippines
Case Study C0215
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| Date | 1995 |
| Agency | Government of the Philippines |
| Donor/support agency | Haribon Foundation WWF USAID |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | Philippines |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Development focus | Local communities |
| Conservation goals | Support conservation by improving the management of existing protected areas |
| Poverty reduction goals | Improve the livelihoods of local communities by engaging them in sustainable activities in and around protected areas |
Summary
The Government of the Philippines, the Haribon Foundation (the leading conservation organisation in the country), and WWF reached an agreement in 1988 on the first debt-for-nature swap to take place in Asia. The agreement authorised WWF to acquire debt instruments with international commercial banks up to a total of $2 million. The first phase of the project, which started in 1989, was aimed at two specific sites: the Saint Paul National Park, in the island of Palawan, and the El Nido National Marine Park, located northwest of Palawan. The Saint Paul National Park, which comprises mountain forests and marine ecosystems, is home to at least four species of bats. The El Nido Marine National Park includes coral reefs, and endangered species such as the sea turtle. The project activities, funded with the debt swap during its first phase, include the development of management plans for the parks and their buffer areas, improvement of park infastructure, research programmes and training activities in natural resource conservation for local communities.
The following are some of the projects that were implemented during the first phase:
- Mt. Isarog National Park Conservation Project
- Human Resources Development Project
- Public Awareness Campaign on Wildlife Trade and Issues
- St. Paul Subterranean River National Park Project
- El Nido Marine Sanctuary Project
- Monitoring Wildlife Trade
- Census of Macaques
Following this first phase, other debt-for-nature swaps projects have been carried out in the Philippines, mainly financed by WWF and USAID.
Conservation impact
The following are some of the achievements of the project:
- Haribon initiated the Philippine Netsman Program to train aquarium fishers away from using cyanide fishing
- A management plan for Mt. Isarog National Park was prepared, also thanks to a significant contribution from local communities
- A 15-hectare sanctuary and a 4 km x 700 m reserve were established in Anile, in Maine, Battings
Poverty reduction impact
The following are some of the achievements of the project:
- The Community Based Resource Management Program (CBRM) was initiated covering both forest and marine ecosystems. The first marine sites were San Salvador Island, Masinloc, Zambales and Anilao, Mabini, Batangas. The forest ecosystem site was in Brgy. Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon
- Numerous community livelihood activities in the form of cooperatives were established
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Payments for conservation services
Reference 1
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/006/T0670E/T0670E00.HTM
Reference 2
http://www.haribon.org.ph/index.php?q=node/view/129&PHPSESSID=934b70e117da0fb9f95ac0febf500ddb
Related records above this one:
- Government of Philippines (Organisation O0029)
- WWF International (Organisation O0115)
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (Organisation O0100)
Similar record to this one:
- Debt-for-Nature Swap in Bolivia (Case study C0211)
- Debt-for-Nature Swap in Ecuador (Case study C0213)
- Debt-for-Nature Swap in the Dominican Republic (Case study C0216)
- Debt-for-Nature Swap in Madagascar (Case study C0214)