ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza has vowed to include the province of Romblon in the six-year Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project (ICRMP) funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 

Atienza said with the inclusion of Romblon in the $62.3-million ICRMP project, the province will be able recover from the adverse effects of Typhoon Frank through the rehabilitation of its coastal and marine resources.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief recently met with Romblon Gov. Jojo Beltran and 13 out of 17 of the province’s local chief executives during a recent meeting where he assured the local officials that he will endorse the inclusion of the province in the project.  The project, which begins this year, will be implemented until 2012.

So far, a total of 68 coastal municipalities in the provinces of Cagayan, Zambales, Masbate, Siquijor and Davao Oriental are covered by the project upon the endorsement to the ADB of the ICRMP steering committee.

Atienza, who heads the committee, said his group will meet on July 8 to deliberate on the proposal to include Romblon in the ICRMP effort and seek an endorsement from the group. He is confident that the body, as well as the ADB, will approve of Romblon’s inclusion, given the importance of the province’s coastal and marine resources upon which most of its poor residents depend on.

Atienza noted that the province is one of the 20 poorest provinces in the Philippines.    

According to Atienza, reports reaching his office showed that Typhoon Frank also affected many of Romblon’s mangrove and fishing areas.

Aside from the DENR, other national agencies represented in the committee are the Department of Agriculture, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Budget and Management.

ICRMP seeks to improve management of coastal and marine resources by integrating and coordinating efforts at the national, regional and local levels. The project gives priority to areas considered of great importance to marine biodiversity and their socio-economic value.  

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