Calapan, Oriental Mindoro – A coordination meeting was held on February 26, 2026, at the Conference Hall of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in order to strengthen collaboration in support of the DENR-UNDP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project (BD Corridor Project) in the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor (MBC). Representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) joined the meeting to explore partnership opportunities aimed at enhancing biodiversity-friendly livelihood initiatives across the Mindoro island.
The activity centered on strengthening support for Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises (BDFEs), a key intervention of the project guided by DENR Administrative Order No. 2021-13, which provides guidelines for the development and recognition of enterprises that promote conservation within protected and conservation areas.
Ms. Jhoanne Mae E. Dapito, BDFE Officer of the MBC Project Management Unit, shared the status of the enterprises supported by the project and identified the key capacity-building needs of partner organizations. Representatives from TESDA, DTI, and DOST also presented the programs and support mechanisms that could benefit the identified enterprises, including skills training, entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs, market linkages, and product development assistance.
Eventually, this resulted in several key agreements among the participating agencies which led to TESDA committed to sharing information on training programs such as the Tulong Trabaho Scholarship Program and coordinating with the project on enterprise-based training opportunities. The DTI also expressed their support in providing financial literacy and entrepreneurship training and linking enterprises to Negosyo Centers and potential trade fair opportunities. Meanwhile, the DOST highlighted its capacity to assist enterprises through Good Manufacturing Practices training, product testing, and access to facilities such as the Food Innovation Center at Mindoro State University Calapan Campus.
The meeting concluded with Mr. Alvin Sanico emphasizing the value of inter-agency collaboration in strengthening biodiversity-friendly enterprises and advancing sustainable livelihood opportunities that support conservation efforts across Mindoro.
This initiative is part of the DENR-UNDP/GEF project on “Integrated Approach in the Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines” or BD Corridor Project, which 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. 👥🤝
