PH sets up trust fund for protected areas

MANILA, Philippines – In an effort to preserve the Philippines’ wildlife sanctuaries, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) established a trust fund that would allow protected areas to finance their development activities.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje and DBM Secretary Florencio Abad signed the joint memorandum circular on the implementing guidelines of Republic Act No. 10629, which provided for the retention and use of 75% of the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF) by Protected Area Management Boards (PAMB).

Under the circular, PAMBs will be allowed to retain and use 75% of the revenues generated by protected areas. 25% of the IPAF will be remitted to the National Treasury.

“This is certainly a new milestone in the country’s protected area management,” Paje said.

He added: “It is a big boost to our efforts of promoting ecotourism in the country, as it allows us to reinvest some 75% of all revenues generated by a protected area to activities deemed necessary to protect and rehabilitate the PAs.”

Paje said the retained amount, which will be called the IPAF Retention Income Account, would help PAMBs use their share of the IPAF without having to go through the National Treasury.

The retained amount can be used to fund implementation activities specified under a Protected Area Management Plan and should be approved by the PAMB. 

There are a total of 240 protected areas, comprising 5.45 million hectares or more than 18% of the Philippines’ total land area. – Rappler.com