PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND EDUCATION

A partnership was forged between the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), the managing agency for Palawan Biosphere Reserve, and the Asia Climate Change Education Center (ACCEC), representing Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve of South Korea, in the hopes of achieving sustainable development at regional, national and global levels through collaborative activities. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies was signed last June 19, 2015 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The signatories are the PCSD Chairman and Palawan Governor, Jose Chavez Alvarez and the Director of ACCEC, Dr. Dai-Yeun Jeong. The purpose of the MOU is to promote mutual cooperation and exchanges of sustainability strategies and ideas that can increase and widen both agencies’ knowledge of environmental sustainability and lead towards wise management of their respective model sites. The areas of collaborative activities between the two organizations include the following: (1) Undertaking and /or training for cultivating experts of sustainable development, focusing on the issues related to society, economy and environment; (2) Organizing and/or convening workshops necessary for improving the capacity related to said training; and (3) any other areas of mutual interest identified and agreed by the two organizations. According to Dr. Dai-Yeun Jeong, ACCEC will do its best in developing programs that would benefit both organizations, particularly on research and education program. On behalf of PCSD, the Executive Director of PCSD Staff, Engr. Nelson Devanadera, said that both provinces will serve as laboratories for each other, since both have unique experiences in terms of environmental protection, economic development and tourism programs. Both Palawan and Jeju biosphere reserves were nominated and were chosen as two of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Both also have garnered numerous awards and citations in the international community as best tourism spots. The MOU signing happened during the 23^rd anniversary of the Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Act’s (Republic Act 7611) passage into law. This is the governing law of PCSD.