The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is allocating P10 million to finance biodiversity-friendly social enterprises for coastal communities within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau said the funding can be accessed by community-based organizations, nongovernment organizations, people’s organizations or cooperatives that are willing to partner with the DENR-BMB in promoting biodiversity-friendly programs and projects that will help conserve and protect the country’s rich biodiversity.
“For this year, we have allocated only P10 million but the focus is on MPAs because it is under the flagship CMEMP program.” Rodriguez told the BusinessMirror, referring to the Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Management Program.
For 2019, she added, the DENR-BMB had informed DENR regional offices aware of the program and funding availability.
These regional offices, she added, will receive and process applications from interested parties, who may wish to avail themselves of funding support.
The DENR regional offices, Rodriguez said, also conducts the assessment and issues recommendations as to the amount of financial support a development partner can avail itself of.
The CMEMP was established by virtue of DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2016-26, to promote Biodiversity-Friendly Social Enterprise Development.
Under this endeavor, the DENR is mandated to promote the conduct of economic activities and practices of micro, small and medium enterprises that promote the sustainable use of coastal and marine biological resources, wealth and value, and open opportunities for the equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders.
“The provision of these livelihood options shall help sustain the community support on all coastal and marine management efforts,” the DAO stated.
Through the program, the DENR–BMB provides capacity building training and technical assistance to development partners, including the local government units.