RDP Chapter 20
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The SOCSKSARGEN Regional Development Plan 2017-2022 focuses on preserving ecological integrity and improving environmental health through various programs aimed at forest and resource management, climate change adaptation, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Despite efforts, the region faces challenges such as forest protection, water supply issues, and climate change impacts, necessitating stronger collaboration among stakeholders and legislative support for environmental protection. Priority strategies include harmonizing land use, enhancing coastal management, and increasing community education on environmental issues.
RDP Chapter 20
- 1. Chapter 20 Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean and Healthy Environment | 169
- 2. 170 | SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Plan 2017-2022
- 3. Chapter 20 Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean and Healthy Environment | 171 Chapter 20 Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean and Healthy Environment The region strives to ensure that the environment and natural resources are pre- served, conserved and rehabilitated. Programs were implemented to manage and protect the forestland and forest resources, protected area and wildlife, coastal and marine resources, wetlands, ecotourism sites, and air and water quality. Cli- mate change mitigation and adaptation were also among the major concerns of the region. The environment and natural resources (ENR) sector is crucial to regional de- velopment. It provides the following ecosystem services: (a) provisioning (e.g., food, raw materials, freshwater); (b) regulating (e.g., local climate and air quality, carbon sequestration and storage, erosion prevention); (c) supporting (e.g., habitats for species, maintenance of genetic diversity);and (d) cultural(e.g., recreation, tourism). These ecosystem services support the growth and perfor- mance of other sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, industry and services, and provide livelihood, especially to resource dependent communities. Provision of these indispensable services, including the maintenance of a healthy and good quality environment, has been increasingly compromised due to mis- management, misuse, and overexploitation of the country’s ENR. It is critical that environmental health is improved and integrity ensured to support the acceler- ated economic growth that the administration aims to achieve, strengthen re- silience against the impact of climate change (CC) and disasters (natural and human induced), and improve the welfare of the poor and marginalized members of society. The Regional Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 shall pursue more aggressive strategies to rehabilitate and restore degraded natural resources, and protect the fragile ecosystems while improving the welfare of resource-dependent commu- nities. Assessment To support the conservation and rehabilitation of the region’s natural resources, the following programs were implemented for the period 2011-2015: agro-forestry development, national greening program (NGP) or the upland development program, watershed management, ecotourism development, forest protection, management of protected areas and coastal management. Specifically, about 480 hectares agro-forestry farms were developed in 2012, 350 hectares in 2013, 250 hectares in 2014 and 350 hectares in 2015. The development of agroforestry farms was aimed at addressing food supply while supporting sustainable development. The NGP was able to reforest 5,333 hectares in 2011 after its launching and 11,637 hectares in 2012. In 2013, the NGP reforested 21,840 hectares, 15,934 hectares in 2014 and another 18,657 hectares reforested in 2015. Watershed areas and river banks were planted with trees for their rehabilitation.
- 4. 172 | SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Plan 2017-2022 About 3 ecotourism sites were developed by the end of 2015 while protection of natural resources remained enforced. The 30,547 hectares of untenured forestlands were steadily patrolled and maintained. The five identified protected areas of the region were managed by its corresponding Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). The protected areas are as follows: Allah Valley Protected Landscape, Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape, Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape, Mt. Apo Natural Park, and the Libungan-Alamada Natural Biotic Area. The 2,444 hectares untenured forestland along the coast are still protected and patrolled in coordination with the organized Municipal Coastal Law Enforcement Teams (MCLETs). Theregionalsoimplementedenvironmental laws relative to the preservation of the ecological integrity, such as the Environmental Education and Awareness Act of 2008 (RA 9512), Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (PD 1586), Philippine Clean Air Act (RA 8749), Clean Water Act (RA 9275), Toxic Chemicals and Hazardous Waste and Nuclear Control Act (RA 6969), and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003). The region maintained three (3) sampling stationstomonitortheairpollutionstatusand identify critical areas needing appropriate preventive measure. The sampling stations are located in Koronadal City, Tupi in South Cotabato, and General Santos City. The 2014 ambient air concentration monitoring in 3 stations resulted to “fair” condition for the particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), “good” condition for sulphur dioxide (SO2), and “good condition for the nitrogen oxide (NO2) based on the standards set by the DENR-National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). SOCCSKSARGEN Region has 39 water bodies with 2 bays, 1 lake, 21 principal rivers, and 15 minor rivers that support the domestic and industrial water requirement in its service area. Monitoring results showed that these water bodies were able to maintain their status per their classification. Water quality monitoring was also conducted for the following parameters: hydrogen ion concentration (pH); dissolved oxygen (DO); biochemical oxygen demand (BOD); total suspended solids (TSS) and the total and faecal coliform. Generally, the region’s water quality is within the standard for the mentioned parameters, except for the TSS and BOD in some sampling points. The Taplan and Sefali Rivers in South Cotabato, recorded TSS levels higher than the standard of 95 mg/L for Class C category. Likewise, the Sarangani Bay was only 84 to 87 percent TSS compliant and Silway River exceeded the TSS standard particularly in the General Santos City area, which can be attributed to heavy siltation and solid waste accumulation. Silway River was only 87.5 percent BOD compliant as Class C water body. For other parameters (pH, DO, total and faecal coliform), Sarangani Bay and Silway River are 100 percent compliant for their given classifications. Challenges While efforts on conservation of natural resources were applied in the past years, still the region is faced with the following challenges: • Protection and rehabilitation of watersheds to ensure adequate supply of water for irrigation, domestic use and power generation. • Ensuring protection of existing forests including mangroves. • Preventing conversion of forestlands to other unsustainable uses. • Meeting the increasing demand for round wood and fuel wood.
- 5. Chapter 20 Ensuring Ecological Integrity, Clean and Healthy Environment | 173 • Reducing the impacts of climate change hazards (flooding, landslide, storm surge). • Strengthening stakeholders’ collaboration in the management of forest resources. • Management and protection of shared resources, e. g., Mt Apo and Liguasan Marsh. • Unsustainable small scale mining and mining in protected areas. • Disposal of solid waste in water bodies. Priority Strategy • Harmonize land uses from ridge to reef by integrating forest land use plans, watershed management plans, protected areas management plans, and other related forestry plans into the Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) of the local government units. • Intensify coastal management through theNationalCoastalGreenbeltProgram or the establishment of mangroves and beach forests to effectively mitigate the damaging impacts of waves and storm surges. • Integrate soil and water conservation measures in upland farming systems. • Identify areas vulnerable to climate change hazards and corresponding adaptation measures in collaboration with LGUs and other stakeholders. • Diversify livelihood sources of upland farmers through multi-storey agroforestry and partnership with private investors and forest products processors. • Coordinate with the neighboring region and LGUs for the protection of shared resources, e. g., Mt Apo and Liguasan Marsh. • Forge partnership between private investors and forest dependent communities in developing forest plantations. • Intensity information campaign and education on climate change and its impacts on forest ecosystems and communities. • Establish mining safeguards to prevent environmental hazard. • Strengthen implementation of RA 9512 (Environmental Education and Awareness Act of 2008) and RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act). Legislative Agenda • Resolution of land conflicts brought about by overlapping tenurial instruments issued by DENR, DAR and NCIP • Implementation of the National Coastal Greenbelt Program Target • Protect 492,852.75 hectares existing forests including mangroves • Develop agroforestry (8,503 hectares of bamboo plantation) • Formulate five (5) integrated watershed management plans • Formulate Forest Land Use Plan for 19 local government units • Establish 211,201 hectares as vegetative soil and water conservation measures • Conduct of vulnerability assessment in priority watersheds and 7 protected areas • Management of five (5) protected areas in the region
- 6. 174 | SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Development Plan 2017-2022