Forest Management Bureau

Title: Sustainable Forest Management, Poverty Alleviation and Food Security in Upland Communities in the Philippines (Project PHI/01/010)

Short Title: Review/Updating of the Forestry Master Plan

Implementing Agency: FAO-Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Services for Policy and Program Development (SPPD)

Project Coordinator: Forest Management Bureau (FMB)
Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Project Office: Forest Management Bureau, DENR, Visayas Avenue,
Diliman, Quezon City

Project Background:

Through the years, the forestry sector in the Philippines continuously declined in physical, economic and environmental terms. Most of the country’s once rich forests which generated substantial revenues to the government and the society are now gone. Such decline has been largely attributed to a number of inadequate and poorly-implemented forestry policies. These policies led to the rapid exploitation of timber from virgin forests at prices far below real market values. The proliferation of only short duration timber licenses in the past discouraged long term investments in forest development and dampened private sector initiatives. Forest destruction rose to very alarming levels while forest recovery through natural and artificial means never coped with the forest destruction rate. Furthermore, the institutions mandated to implement forest policies to address all these problems had not been equipped to fully address the situation. Meanwhile, the social settings in the uplands and forest adjacent communities continue to exert pressure on natural resources and made the tasks of conserving the forests more difficult. The very high incidence of poverty in the uplands continues to exacerbate environmental degradation problems.

In response to the rapidly declining conditions of the country’s forest resources, the Philippine Government through the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Finnish International Development Agency (FINNIDA), formulated a 25-year Philippine Master Plan for Forestry Development (MPFD) in 198901990. The MPFD was accepted and approved by the Philippine Cabinet in June 1990. It consists of three umbrella programs and fifteen major programs designed to revitalize the Philippine Forestry Sector back to its former significant role in national development. Formulation of Regional forestry development plans ensured, and was followed by formulation of a medium term plan for 1993-1998, all of which were completed in 1992.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has the primary responsibility in implementing the MPFD. Of the 15 major programs of MPFD, domestic and international support were concentrated on two: a) the People-Oriented Forestry Program (POFP) which evolved into Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Program and b) Biodiversity Conservation, which became the foundation of the Integrated Protected Area System (IPAS). A 1999 UNDP fact-finding mission on preliminary review also noted successes of MPFD in selected areas. However, several major programs did not progress as projected. The DENR struggled and failed to get the needed support for the successful implementation of the Plan. The failure of the proposed bill on “sustainable forest management” to be passed into law further kept the DENR from pursuing aggressive sustainable forest management strategies because of lack of enabling forest policy in the sector.

Finally, since the MPFD was formulated, several new development and concerns have emerged in forestry, both in the local and international fronts. These issues now affecting forestry in the country were unforeseen at the time MPFD was formulated. Among these are the following: a) forestry and land-use implications related to climate change; b) forest certification; c) development and implementation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management; and, d) increasing recognition of the role of forests and forestry in poverty eradication and support of sustainable livelihood, among others. The review of MPFD implementation conducted by UNDP mission also noted several weaknesses and aspects of the Plan that had become less relevant in guiding the country’s forestry activities. The mission recommended the review and revision of MPFD taking into consideration the changed environment and priorities in the Philippines and other emerging trends in local and international forestry. In February 2000, ADB hosted a forum on Philippine MPFD where an action agenda was proposed. Such agenda also called for the Government and all stakeholders to reevaluate, revise and promote adherence to MPFD considering other emerging issues in forestry and environment sector.

Project Objectives:

The project has the following specific objectives:

To develop a clear framework plan for review and revision of the MPFD;

To assess the accomplishment of MPFD relative to its six objectives, i) conservation of the forest ecosystem and its diverse genetic resources; ii) promotion of social justice and equity, iii) placement of the country’s production forests under sustainable management iv) proper land management; v) proper management of watersheds; and, iv) contribution to employment and growth of the local and national economies;

To ascertain the extent to which achievement of the MPFD’s objectives has contributed to the alleviation of poverty and improvement of food security among rural poor, particularly those located in forestlands/upland areas;

To re-evaluate, revise and/or update the MPFD as appropriate, taking into consideration the need for strong partnership with relevant and major stakeholders;

To identify and recommend needed remedial measures, including further strengthening of policies and institutions, to hasten the full attainment of MPFD’s objectives.

Issues Being Addressed:

The project addresses issues arising or related to the achievement or non-achievement of the MPFD goals related to equitable access on forest resources and benefits; scientific management, conservation and utilization of forest resources by a mix of managers from the private sector and local communities; and satisfaction of the basic needs of people with respect to forest goods and services on a sustainable basis. Several associated objectives and potential and actual issues as a result of various consultations are being evaluated. Issues and plans arising from the process of regional and national consultations shall be synthesized and evaluated for appropriate program actions.

Basic Project Methodology:

The project is carried-out using a five-step methodology as follows:

Review of the objectives of the Master Plan for Forestry Development

Assessment of the achievements and extent of implementation of MPFD programs and effectiveness of supporting policies;

Conduct of field programs reviews and consultations;

Policy analysis and assessment; and

Preparation of MPFD programs and policy revisions.

Basic Strategic Program Thrusts and Directions of Revised MPFD

Given the situations and desired scenarios of the different forestry subsectors, revised strategic directions are being formulated. This process relies significantly on the issues, comments, and suggestions raised in various papers and for a. Among the identified strategic program thrusts and directions are as follows:

Addressing the vicious cycle of forest degradation and upland poverty

Enhancing forest integrity and its capacity in sustaining supply of goods (wood, water, food, shelter, medicine, etc) and enhancing delivery of environmental services

Enhancing private investments, viability and economic contributions of forest-based industry

Promoting forest science in forestry, and enhancing forestry education and extension

Ensuring productive participation of various stakeholders and equitable sharing of benefits

Institutional streamlining and capacitation.

The overall planning framework/strategy was anchored on the watershed and ecosystem management approach as overarching principle in forest resources management. Among the considerations emphasized under this framework is the adoption of a management planning tool which has the flexibility to incorporate unique features and other exigencies of the watershed and the institutions managing them. Basic to this is a comprehensive resource assessment at all field level offices for planning and management purposes and adoption of practical operational systems for putting every ha of forest land into definitive management system (under SDUs), each with accountable land manager, equipped with the proper tools for effective management.

The subsector strategies involves the following major activities:

identification of specific policy and program directions, these must support related program thrusts and directions, must address and prioritize the various issues raised during workshops, consultation and field validations

identification of resource requirements

analysis of strategic impacts

anticipated constraints, mitigating strategies

specific institutional and human resources development directions

Major Support Programs for Effective Masterplan Implementation (cross cutting strategies)

There are many existing programs and parallel efforts related to or supporting the masterplan. The general strategy is to take a critical look on these efforts and continue to build-up on their gains, enhance the implementation of those needing enhancement, reformulated others which need redirection and formulate new ones to support the new thrusts to be promoted. Critical to the success of these programs is the effective collaboration of major institutional players in the sector. Among the initial long list of support programs being evaluated are as follows:

Institutional restructuring/strengthening

Institutional linkages and sectoral/stakeholders participation

Participatory/adaptive forest resources management

Forest resource accounting

Continuing forest assessment

MIS/data standardization

Boundary delineation

HRD, Administrative capacitation

Population-related programs

Research and Development

Financing strategies

Forestry education and extension

Policy and Legislation

AN assessment of the general policy situation is being conducted together with the important factors that hinder the effectiveness of forest policies. Policies or rules for that matter, become weak if it has defects, whether structural or formulation related. Under the MPFD implementation, defects contributory to weak policy implementation are being examined together with the policy opportunities and constraints that worked positively or negatively to the sustained development of the sector. Likewise, the project draws policy suggestions from the sector itself based on initial analysis already made or based on the observations of those who are directly implementing or are affected by forest policies and decisions.

Monitoring and evaluation

An assessment of the current M & E systems is also being done. How can the M & E be a practical and effective tool in ensuring project success, in improving decision succeeding potency to make project turn-around or improve the chance of success of succeeding similar projects? Can a practical M & E framework for different level (hierarchial decision making) be feasible, featuring a tapering information volume for the consumption of different hierarchial levels (e.g., CENRO, PENRO, REGION and CO). Should a national criteria and indicators for forestry be made the backbone of a strong M & E component in every sectors activity. How sub-sectoral M & Es shall be designed primarily to improve feedback processing and ensure effective communication system?

Members of the Master Plan Team

The Director of the Forest Management Bureau of the DENR acts as the National Project Coordinator and Team leader counterpart. Likewise, the DENR technical counterparts of the national consultants were formally designated by FMB Special Order No. 2002-177.

Project Duration:

The project has a duration of one (1) year.