CALAPAN CITY, ORIENTAL MINDORO — The first-ever Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor (MBC) Summit was held on October 16, 2025 at the Calapan Convention Center, gathering representatives from the national and local government units (LGUs), academe, civil society organizations (CSOs) and local community and indigenous peoples to strengthen partnerships for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across the island.
Opening the event, DENR MIMAROPA Regional Executive Director Felix S. Mirasol Jr., CESO III, emphasized that the summit serves not merely as a conference but as a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders working within the MBC.
In a message delivered by Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO) OIC EnP Lily May E. Lim, Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” A. Dolor commended the efforts of the DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project (BD Corridor Project) in advancing integrated management initiatives within the corridor. Bongabong Mayor John Michael K. Malaluan also emphasized the importance of ensuring that development efforts go hand-in-hand with preservation and conservation.
PG-ENRO OIC EnP Lily May E. Lim (left) (on behalf of Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito “Bonz” A. Dolor) and Bongabong Mayor John Michael K. Malaluan (right) highlighting the significance of Integrated Ecosystem. Management (IEM) in the MBC
Messages of support were likewise extended by the DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Atty. Jonas R. Leones and the DENR Undersecretary for Finance and Climate Change and GEF Philippines Operational Focal Point Atty. Annaliza Rebuelta-Teh. Both officials highlighted the significance of Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) as a vital investment and strategy for sustaining shared landscapes like the MBC.
The summit also featured ceremonial signings to advance Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises (BDFEs). A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on SLM was signed with the Taybungan Tagbakin Farmer’s Association, represented by Chairperson Nilo Garan, while 12 people’s organizations (POs) signed MOAs and received grants supporting BDFEs.
A highlight of the event was the launch of “Lakbay! Tamtam”, a children’s book authored by Clinth Jezter G. Dela Cruz with the support of the BD Corridor Project and co-launched by DepEd MIMAROPA Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Felix M. Famaran. Lakbay Tamtam focuses on the story of a young Tamaraw’s journey across the MBC. Famaran announced that the book will be integrated into school curricula to promote cultural and environmental education and will be part of the upcoming National Reading Month in November.
The event also marked the awarding of Certification Precondition (CP) or the Certificate of Compliance to the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process and Certification that the community has given its consent for the DENR MIMAROPA to implement the MBC project within the ancestral domains of 11 Indigenous Peoples (IP) groups in Mindoro. In partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Regional Office, the DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) turned over 19 tablets equipped with applications for biodiversity and socio-economic monitoring to NCIP and IP representatives from Oriental and Occidental Mindoro. These tablets may also be used in accessing and viewing weekly learning episodes and training materials under the Indigenous Potentials for Peace and Resilience Academy (IPPRA).
Anchored on the theme, “One Mindoro, One Corridor: Nurturing Life, Celebrating Culture, Sustaining Biodiversity”, the inaugural MBC Summit underscored the growing collaboration among government agencies, local communities, and development partners in ensuring ecological integrity, advancing connectivity conservation, and a sustainable future for Mindoro.
The Integrated Approach in the Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines, or DENR–UNDP/GEF BD Corridor Project seeks 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.
The project is implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Global Environment Facility. ⛰️🌱
