“A RESOLUTION REQUESTING JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (JBIC) TO MAKE USE OF THE REMAINING CONTINGENCY LOAN ALLOCATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR NORTHERN PALAWAN (SEMP-NP) FOR THE FORMULATION AND PACKAGING OF SEMP PHASE II “

WHEREAS, Section 6 of Republic Act 7611 otherwise known as the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan Act provides that the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) shall exercise the governance, implementation and policy direction of the SEP;

WHEREAS, the main strategy of the SEP is the establishment of Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN), a graded system of protection and development control over Palawan that needs to be operationalized considering that ECAN Zoning is a management tool to ensure environmental management and protection of critical environments;

WHEREAS, the implementation of JBIC-fiinded Sustainable Environmental Management Program for Northern Palawan (SEP-NP) composed of the ECAN Zoning and Soil Protection Control Sub-components are coming to a close by end of December 2006 except for the Sustainable Tourism Development component which will be completed by CY 2007;

WHEREAS, the said program was rated as one of the best performing Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs) based on the National Economic Development Authority Official-Development Assistance (NEDA-ODA) Review conducted last March 2006 so that the momentum gained in its implementation needs to be pursued;

WHEREAS, ECAN zone maps, management framework and guidelines as project outputs lay the ground for sustainable development in northern Palawan;

WHEREAS, there are other project components identified and recommended by the Special Assistance for Project Formation (SAPROF) team for the SEMP-NP which were not implemented due to different levels of readiness of the proposed projects and insufficient budget cover of agencies involved;

WHEREAS, the need for a similar project is identified for Southern Palawan considering its vasts potentials in terms of natural resources, that a zoning framework is needed that will define policy guidelines and management prescriptions to rationalize sustainable development of its ecotourism, agriculture and forestry sectors;

WHEREAS, additional investments in the target areas for a possible SEMP Phase II need to be pursued to strengthen the forward and backward linkages between and among northern, southern and island municipalities considering the potentials of these areas for eco-tourism, fishery, forestry and agricultural development;

WHEREAS, preparatory studies, reformulation and packaging for a possible phase II of SEMP for Palawan need to be immediately undertaken to complement the initial investments put in place to ensure a strong backward and forward linkages to promote sustainable tourism development in the province;

WHEREFORE, on motion of Secretary Alfredo E. Abueg, Jr. and duly seconded, the Council RESOLVED as it is hereby RESOLVED that a request be made to JBIC through the Department of Tourism to use the remaining contingency loan allocation of the SEMP-NP for the preparatory studies and formulation of a possible Phase II of SEMP for Palawan;

RESOLVED FINALLY, that copies of this resolution be furnished to Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Department of Tourism (DOT), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and all concerned agencies for their information and appropriate action.

APPROVED and ADOPTED this 26th day of May 2006 in Puerto Princesa City.

I hereby certify to the correctness and accuracy of the above-quoted resolution

ROMEO B. DORADO Acting Secretary

APPROVED FOR THE COUNCIL: REP.ABRAHAM KAHLIL B. MITRA Chairman

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