On July 17, 2026, the DENR-UNDEP/GEF Biodiversity Corridor Project (BD Corridor Project), through the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM)- Project Management Unit, Soil Conservation and Management Division (SCMD) and the Agricultural Land Management and Evaluation Division (ALMED), conducted an online Harmonization Workshop for the Integration of the SAFDZ and SLM into the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of Local Government Units (LGUs).
The activity was attended by 50 participants representing the partner Local Government Units (LGUs), including personnel from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO), GIS Units, and other technical staff from municipalities within the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (Regions XI and CARAGA) and the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor (MIMAROPA Region). The orientation aimed to strengthen the capacity of LGUs to integrate SAFDZ and SLM into local land use planning in support of sustainable agricultural development, biodiversity conservation, and the project’s Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Incentive Mechanism.
Engr. Evangeline Dacumos, Project Focal of the DA-BSWM for the BD Corridor Project, gave the opening remarks and an overview of the project. Ms. Regine Marie Sabornido (DA-BSWM, ALMED) discussed the overview of the National Protected Areas Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD) Program and the Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones (SAFDZ), including the harmonization and integration of SAFDZ into the CLUP. Ms. Ditse Marie Tesorero (DA-BSWM, ALMED) discussed the legal basis for land use reclassification and addressed frequently asked questions on land use reclassification applications. During the open forum, the DA-BSWM SCMD and ALMED team, including Engr. Angelica Ecito, Supervising Agriculturist of ALMED, addressed various questions and clarifications raised by LGU participants regarding land use planning and zoning, as well as the processes for land use reclassification.
The orientation highlighted the importance of harmonizing SAFDZ and SLM in identifying priority degraded agricultural lands for rehabilitation, integrating SAFDZ-SLM into the CLUP of partner municipalities as part of the project’s objective in facilitating Local SLM Programming, streamlining municipal agricultural investment zoning for prime agricultural lands within agroforestry and watershed areas that are ecologically fragile, and incorporating land suitability evaluation for strategic production areas of high-value crops while aligning these with SLM principles .
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.
