The Philippine Wetlands Component

The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) is the Specialized Executing Agency (SEA) for the Philippine Wetlands Component. To assist the SEA, a national committee is established for each component, one of which is the project National Wetlands Committee (NWC). The NWC provides syntheses of scientific, legal, policy, socio-economic and management data and information on the national wetlands to the Regional Working Group for Wetlands (RWG-W), and the National Technical Working Group (NTWG). The Chairperson of the NWC is the focal point designated by the SEA while the members are individuals from various institutions and expertise.

The Philippine NWC is composed of: Ms. Marlynn M. Mendoza of the PAWB-DENR (chair), Mrs. Ruth Grace Rosell-Ambal of the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Philippines, Inc., Mr. Danilo S. Balete of the Laksambuhay Conservation, Inc., Mr. Renato D. Cruz of the PAWB-DENR, Mr. Renato T. Cruz of the EMB-DENR, Mr. Carlo Custodio of the PAWB-DENR, Dr. Noel O. Padilla of the DENR Planning and Policy Studies Service, Mr. John Francisco A. Pontillas of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Atty. Ma. Paz G. Luna-Severino of the Tanggol Kalikasan, and Dr. Perry S. Ong of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Major outputs of the Philippine Wetlands Component include: a review of data and information on wetlands and an assembled national meta-database, a review of past and ongoing projects on wetlands, a review of national criteria for prioritization of wetlands including components of socio-economic valuation, and, a summary of existing legislations pertaining to the management, use and conservation of wetlands. A national wetlands action plan that meets the targets of the regional Strategic Action Programme is also being developed.

Under the framework of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project, activities of the wetlands sub-component are focused on five specific types: inter-tidal flats, estuaries, lagoons, peat swamps and non-peat swamps. These types of wetlands exemplified in the western side of the Philippines were identified and then prioritized for conservation using the criteria that the NWC developed. A summary and characterization of these areas are shown on a map.