Mt. Kanlaon, Its Myths and Wildlife, Painting by Masaste

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Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park

Management Plan: June 2001

5.0       PROPOSED MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The NIPAS Law provides the legal framework for the participatory management of protected areas. This rationalizes the roles and functions of various stakeholders to eliminate overlaps and define responsibilities and accountabilities in the management of the PA. The management of MKNP will be done through various structures and in coordination with different multi- sectoral agencies and institutions. In the proposed management structure, at the site level, the major actors are the PAMB and its Executive Committee, the  DENR and the Office of the PASu.

The PAMB, as proposed, is the policy making body of the MKNP. It decides by majority vote and is mandated to issue all rules and regulations to prohibit and regulate acts that maybe prejudicial to the PA; issue necessary permits within the PA; approve programs and projects for the park and deputize through the PASu individuals for law enforcement, among others. The PAMB is composed of pre- determined number of representatives of LGUs from the provincial to the barangay levels covered by MKNP,  NGOs, POs, IPs and DENR. The DENR RED Region VI chairs the Board and its Executive Committee created from among its membership.

Proposed management structure of MKNP

The DENR through the RED shall ensure that the PAMB acts within the scope of its powers and functions. The DENR shall likewise create an Office of the PASU headed by a Superintendent who shall serve as the DENR Chief Operating Officer of the MKNP. The PASu shall be directly accountable to the PAMB and the RED of Region VI. Among its functions and power are the preparation of the MKNP Management Plan and its successor plans,  serves as secretariat of  the PAMB, establish partnership with local communities and other stakeholders of the PA, enforce laws and regulations relevant to the PA and implement a park information, education and visitors’ program, among others.    

The participation of stakeholders in the management of the PA is assured through these various structures that work along participatory principles and practices. The participation of civil society is critical in all phases of management work as input providers and implementors of programs and projects in the PA. The structure is also facilitative of a more coordinated and complementary provision of services of national and local line agencies of government.  

 The Core Staff

The core staff is the required size of personnel to administer the core activities such as the following :

1.   PAMB Management

a.    PAMB Operations

b.    Maintenance of Equipment, Vehicles, etc…

c.    Sub-IPAF Operation

2.    Resource Protection and Management

a.     Patrolling

b.     BMS

c.     IEC

3.     PA Zones Establishment and Management

a.     Zones Delineation / Demarcation

b.     Tenurial Instrument Issuance

c.    Livelihood Implementation Monitoring

The core staff and activities are computed on the assumption that  DENR could only allocate  scant resources to the P.A. at year 2001 due to budgetary constraints set by the national government.  The table below show the core fund requirement for 5 years.

Institutional Coordination

The task of managing protected areas is enormous and multifaceted as can be gleaned from the program of activities of PAs. The management of protected areas covers people’s welfare and various phases of community life involving no less than the overall protection, conservation and development of its natural environment including its flora and fauna. Compounding the task is the reality of scarce and competing use of management resources, such as manpower, money and machine. Budget requirements most particularly may be wanting when the project has been weaned from the bosom of financial sponsorship by GEF-WB.

Having realized this ever-present situation, a self-reliant approach of initiative and linkaging with other institutions becomes a practical solution. The CPPAP management adopts an institutional arrangement of coordination and linkaging with government and private agencies, academic institutions, research institutions and NGOs whose programs or charters are connected, related and/or would contribute to the achievement of the goals of PA. Such an approach is envisioned to tap support from these institutions so that this management plan can be implemented fully.

The figure below is a diagram of the framework of institutional coordination adopted by this project, which is expected to systematize and improve linkaging with other agencies to secure their organizational support. The coordination will start from the level of the national government to the provincial, down to the municipal or city, and finally to the barangay level. The PASu may coordinate laterally at its level or may request CPPAP management to represent the former in its behalf to contact and secure the assistance of NGOs and other institutions outside PASu’s operational sphere.

Coordination with LGUs is of paramount importance. As the project operates at different levels of local governance, LGUs are considered partners of PASu in implementing NIPAS. The management of PAs deals with the provincial, municipal or barangay problems in addition to the fact that each of them is represented in the PAMB. Open communication alone through constant dialogue between LGUs or other institutions and PASu as facilitated by effective coordination may establish immediate rapport among cooperating institutions. As the PA project is not always in a position to assume every projected cost, the LGUs may be tapped to contribute to the activities of PAs directly or indirectly. For example, remote areas in the project may have to be provided with access trails or feeder road. PA management may not have the necessary budget for such undertaking, however the LGUs may be able to program their road construction in coordination with the project, thus enhancing both projects of the PA and LGU.         Other areas of coordination with LGUs that may provide supports to PAs are in policy development and law enforcement, staff augmentation and training, statistics and data gathering, community participation, project cooperation as in road construction above, “bayanihan”, etc. Through coordination the provincial, municipal or barangay plans and programs within PAs are expected to work within the principles of NIPAS law and the goals and objectives for the PA as described in this management plan, which in turn are to be reflected in regional development plans. Furthermore, the same channel of coordination and resource sharing will provide LGUs and the local manpower the opportunity to develop technical skills and expertise in PA management through technology transfer and on-the-job management experience and training.

In fact at this stage of PA implementation, LGUs in protected areas are beginning to demonstrate local capability in PA management. At some future time, they may well be in a good position to manage and protect PAs, in coordination with communities, in their respective jurisdictions. Attesting to their newly acquired capability, skills and expertise in PA management are legislative bills which have been filed in Congress by their Representatives providing PAs permanent legal status and empowering them to have a voice and participation in its management.  

Coordination with other national government agencies, including Congress, academe, research institutions, etc, is as equally important. These institutions, particularly the various Departments through which the different programs of government are implemented, are mandated to deliver services such as infrastructure, health, economic and financial assistance, livelihood development, education, etc. In one way or another, either directly or indirectly, the various government Departments, with their local representatives, can provide the services which the PA may need in conjunction with its protection and conservation mandate.

 As we recognized the fact that although the protection and conservation of the area is the basic mandate of the project, such injunction can be achieved effectively through an integrated approach to the problem besetting the populace and the physical environment of the project. In short, socio-cultural, economic and political issues that may have a role in the effective management of the project need to be addressed with equal import as the physical protection of the landscape and the conservation of wildlife. Management concerns therefore outside of the capacity of DENR (beyond 2001) due to budget limitation have to be addressed by way of coordination with the appropriate agencies.

It has been observed that some residents in the PA continue or are forced to continue the destructive utilization of lands and other natural resources like illegal fishing or timber smuggling. The reason advanced is that such livelihood has been traditional or same residents have no other legal, non-destructive alternative income-generating activities. Under these circumstances, the project would have to start coordinating with the proper government authorities mandated to provide solutions to the problem just described in an integrated fashion. Training programs offered by agencies such as TESDA, TLRC and vocational institutions; livelihood programs of DA, DAR, DENR, DOT and other agencies; NGOs’ marketing arms; and law enforcement of PNP, DENR, DA and Coast Guards. They have to be orchestrated so as for the project to utilize the full package of services available to address the gaps on management plan implementation.

 The same coordinated approach may be used to look into projects involving infrastructure such as communication facilities, ports, bridges, etc. For this type of needs by the project, linkage and representation would have to be made with the LGUs and DPWH. Funding for infrastructures could be acquired from the special funds of Congress personalities. This will be a matter of good lobbying and representation by the PA and concerned LGU officials before their respective legislators.

Research needs and backups are readily available from universities and research agencies such as the Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau of DENR, Marine Science Institute of UP, DA’s Extension Bureau and DOST, to mention but a few. Data needs and information gap, particularly in the technical aspect of PA management such as marine life or geological formation studies, may be submitted to research agencies as possible research projects.

Coordination may be had likewise on a project basis or individual government institution. For example, a community with the assistance of the LGU and PASu office, especially in project identification, may propose construction of irrigation canals or water impounding devices with NIA. Special land distribution scheme for needy peasants and fisherfolks could be arranged and implemented with DAR or DENR.

Working together through effective and efficient coordination is a success formula for project implementation and management capability building. With initiative and active participation from the communities in PAs and support of the LGUs this institutional arrangement has tremendous potential to achieve projects and activities that could not be implemented by the PASu alone. As it is a framework for productive endeavor and working together, it is as flexible and open as can be to accomplish a harmonious working relationship among project participants in sharing of management resources for the conservation and protection of protected areas.

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