The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Integrated Approach in Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines or BD Corridor Project held its 6th National Project Board (NPB) Meeting on Monday, August 5, 2024, at BMB Training Center, Quezon City.
The session provided various presentations including updates on the project status as of June 2024 and midterm evaluation findings. The meeting also covered the Revised 2024 Annual Work and Financial Plan and proposed revisions to the Project Operations Manual.
The meeting was chaired by DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones, and attended by NPB members, including representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), community-based forest management (CBFM) federation, DENR offices and bureaus, Project Management Units, and Project Consultants.
Prior to this, BD Corridor recently conducted its Mid-term Review of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC) from July 16-14 and the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor (MBC) from July 16-20. The purpose of the review was to evaluate the project’s technical, financial, management, and legal aspects, as well as its adherence to the design and results framework. The effectiveness of mainstreaming actions such as policy and legislation was also assessed. The review team, composed of international and national consultants, conducted interviews and site visits with stakeholders, including local government units and indigenous communities. In EMBC, the review focused on evaluating various project components, while the MBC assessment included support for the Mindoro Island Biodiversity Network Project (MIBNP) and Mount Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary (MCWS).
The BD Corridor is a UNDP-GEF-funded project of the DENR that aims to operationalize integrated management of biodiversity corridors to generate multiple benefits including effective conservation of globally threatened species and high conservation value forests, reduce deforestation and degradation, and enhance local biodiversity-friendly livelihoods.
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