𝐏𝐂𝐒𝐃𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐂𝐔 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐎𝐀 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS), through Acting Executive Director Niño Rey C. Estoya, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with James Cook University (JCU) at the PCSDS Conference Room today, July 13, for “Enhancing the Role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Philippines in Marine Resource Management, Maritime Security and Policy Implementation.”

The MOA marks the implementation of Maritime Consultancy 2.0, a four-year regional program of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that aims to assist its partner states in South East Asian Countries to strengthen their maritime policies, frameworks, and capabilities in line with the international law. It enables the formation of Community of Practice (CoP) among local CSOs on the field of marine resource management in the province of Palawan.

The MOA will also identify, develop, and deliver locally relevant, effective tools, methodologies and approaches for promoting and implementing best practice in managing marine and maritime resources and space; identify current opportunities and challenges for CSOs and Government to support each other on marine and maritime issues, and assist in designing solutions for those issues; and develop programs to support CSOs to meet the capacity needs for implementing identified solutions via the establishment of a CoP.

The MOA signing was also attended by ECAN Monitoring and Evaluation Division (EMED) chief Engr. Madrono Cabrestante, PCSDS District Management Division South Chief Glenda Cadigal, PCSDS Dr. Marianne Faith Perez, Western Philippines University (WPU) Ms. Sharon Rose Anonciado, Palawan State Univeristy (PSU) Maricel V. Elorde, PSU Patrick Regoniel, and NGO Representative Ms. Marvi Trudeau.