Environment For Development

Cooperative Efforts in Environmental Management in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation, Inc, a non-governmental organization geared toward the protection of the country’s fishery resources, has entered into a memorandum of agreement among the different government agencies, namely the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Interior and Local Governments, National Defense, Transportation and Justice. Its purpose is to consolidate efforts in order to efficiently manage the country’s marine resources as well as effectively implement and enforce law and regulations relative thereto.

Philippine Council for Sustainable Development

The Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) was created by Executive Order to monitor environment and sustainable initiatives in the country. It provides guidance in the form of policy reforms, programmes, and new legislation to address continuing and emergent issues. The PCSD includes government representatives as well as members of civil society. Through the Council, the Philippines undertook concrete steps toward sustainable development, for example by formulating the Philippine Agenda 21 as the State’s blueprint for sustainable development. The PCSD is mandated to oversee the implementation of the Philippine Agenda 21 by providing the coordinating and monitoring mechanisms for its implementation. It is also authorized to mobilize coordinating bodies, including regional and local councils for sustainable development, for this purpose. 

To effectively carry out its functions, the PCSD created committees and sub-committees with mandates to address specific concerns. The Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is the Chairperson of the PCSD, while the Secretary of the DENR is the Vice-Chairperson. The membership of the Council is composed of various governmental departments and civil society organizations. The four Committees created correspond to the four major areas of concern in the global Agenda 21, and they are: the Committee on the Social and Economic Dimension, the Committee on Strengthening the Role of Major Groups, the Committee on Means of Implementation, and the Committee on Conservation and Management of Resources for Development. 

For more information, contact pcsd@neda.gov.ph