A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), and the Department of Agriculture (DA) represented by the DA-Bureau of Soils
and Water Management (DA-BSWM), was signed for the purpose of implementing the Integrated
Approach in Management of Major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines (BD Corridor Project).
The MOA signing was held at Park in Radisson North EDSA, Quezon City on June 22, 2022.
Present in the signing DENR-Secretary Jim I. Sampulna; DENR-Undersecretary for Policy, Planning,
and International Affairs Atty. Jonas R. Leones; DA-BSWM Director Engr. Pablo M. Montalla; DA-
BSWM Assistant Director Dr. Gina P. Nilo, DENR-Manila Bay Coordinating Office (DENR-MBCO)
Executive Director Jacob F. Meimban, Jr.; DENR-Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service
(FASPS) Director Dr. Al Orolfo; DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) Director
Natividad Bernardino; KOICA Philippines Assistant Country Director Choi Misun; and Sustainable
Use of Peatland and Haze Mitigation (SUPA) Principal Advisor Berthold Haasler.
Under the agreement, the DENR is the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Executing Agency and
Implementing Partner of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the DA-BSWM as
the recognized Responsible Partner (RP) to implement the Output 3.2 of the Project. The Output 3.2
of the Project is that Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is applied to degraded agricultural lands
through a suite of SLM technologies, practices, and incentives.
The agreement between DENR and DA will operationalize integrated management of biological
corridors to generate multiple benefits including effective conservation of globally threatened
species, high conservation value forest, reduced deforestation and degradation, and enhanced local
biodiversity-friendly livelihoods within the Central Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor and Eastern
Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor.
“The partnership between the DA and DENR, in jointly implementing the Project on Integrated
Approach in the Management of major Biodiversity Corridors in the Philippines is a welcome
opportunity to demonstrate SLM as a viable solution to our common concerns. We firmly believe
that the project will contribute to our initiatives in increasing farm productivity and income,
enhance food security and agriculture-based livelihoods, rural poverty reduction while at the same
time maintaining the biological diversity and ecosystem services.” DA-BSWM Director Montalla
said.
The Integrated Approach in Management of Major Biodiversity Corridor in the Philippines (BD
Corridor Project) is a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP-GEF PIMS ID No 5886) in amount of US$ Twelve Million Two
Hundred Sixty Thousands Two Hundred Forty One (US$ 12,260,241.00).
