BY: ANA-LIZA S. MACATANGAY
NAGA CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) --- The province of Camarines Sur, once declared as a Biosphere Reserve will be globally recognized as a learning site not just for biodiversity conservation location but also as a pivotal area for tourism and sustainable development.
Currently, of the 621 Biosphere Reserves in 117 countries, Palawan and Puerto Galera were the only areas in the Philippines named as Biosphere Reserves as part of the Man and Biosphere program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Camarines Sur hopes to be included in the list after it was nominated by various stakeholders that include representatives from the local government units (LGUs), private sectors, members of the academe and by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) who will serve as the secretariat of the CamSur Biosphere Reserve Council, prepared the nomination document containing comprehensive description of the biological, socio-economic, cultural and other important details regarding the nomination. Said document has been signed by the stakeholders and was forwarded to the UNESCO National Committee (UNACOM) for their perusal and final designation.
The UNACOM will then review the dossier and will endorse the nomination to UNESCO, Paris, France.
Camarines Sur Governor Migs Villafuerte, PENRO Arnel Rodriguez who represented DENR Sec. Ramon Jesus P. Paje and Clarin Tobias of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) unanimously pledged their commitment to support the CamSur BR and officially nominate its designation as a Biosphere Reserve during the last day of the Camarines Sur Biosphere Reserve Management Planning Workshop held last week at the Alvaro Ravina Hall, CBSUA Pili Campus.
CBSUA Professor Arthur Estrella who is also the concurrent lead research associate of the project said that the BR management also contains salient characteristics that requires the cooperation of the stakeholders.
“ BR Management is stakeholder managed, it is integrative and coordinative and involve a wide range of partners. It is based on dialogue, consensus and agreement of stakeholders. The proposed CamSur BR Council will be composed of members that are binded by an agreement based on dialogue and consensus, where every member has equal rights. Council has also oversight function and every member has assigned roles and responsibilities based on the management plan,” Estrella said in an interview.
Estrella added that the initial study of CBSUA conducted in July 2013, showed that initially, there are 16 municipalities that could qualify as a biosphere reserve. This would include the Mt. Isarog Natural park as the core zone including the six municipalities and one city immediately surrounding Mt. Isarog: Naga City, Pili, Goa, Calabanga, Tinambac, Ocampo and Tigaon. This would comprise the core and buffer zones of the reserve. The core zone is a strict protection zone while the buffer zone provides area for sustainable development.
“Other areas which were found to be bio-geographically linked with the core zone are to be designated as transition zone. This zone provides opportunities for sustainable development and eco-friendly livelihood activities. This include the towns of Milaor, Bombon, Camaligan, Sangay, Bula, Magarao, San Jose and parts of Libmanan, Magarao, Lagonoy. The biosphere reserve is about 107,000 has,” Estrella stated.
Camarines Sur is optimistic that it can be a part of the world network of biosphere reserves around the globe and become an internationally recognized learning site managed by stakeholders. It endeavors to showcase a harmonious co-relation while enjoining community-based endeavors to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. (AAN/LSMacatangay-PIAV/Camarines Sur)
NAGA CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) --- The province of Camarines Sur, once declared as a Biosphere Reserve will be globally recognized as a learning site not just for biodiversity conservation location but also as a pivotal area for tourism and sustainable development.
Currently, of the 621 Biosphere Reserves in 117 countries, Palawan and Puerto Galera were the only areas in the Philippines named as Biosphere Reserves as part of the Man and Biosphere program of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Camarines Sur hopes to be included in the list after it was nominated by various stakeholders that include representatives from the local government units (LGUs), private sectors, members of the academe and by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) who will serve as the secretariat of the CamSur Biosphere Reserve Council, prepared the nomination document containing comprehensive description of the biological, socio-economic, cultural and other important details regarding the nomination. Said document has been signed by the stakeholders and was forwarded to the UNESCO National Committee (UNACOM) for their perusal and final designation.
The UNACOM will then review the dossier and will endorse the nomination to UNESCO, Paris, France.
Camarines Sur Governor Migs Villafuerte, PENRO Arnel Rodriguez who represented DENR Sec. Ramon Jesus P. Paje and Clarin Tobias of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) unanimously pledged their commitment to support the CamSur BR and officially nominate its designation as a Biosphere Reserve during the last day of the Camarines Sur Biosphere Reserve Management Planning Workshop held last week at the Alvaro Ravina Hall, CBSUA Pili Campus.
CBSUA Professor Arthur Estrella who is also the concurrent lead research associate of the project said that the BR management also contains salient characteristics that requires the cooperation of the stakeholders.
“ BR Management is stakeholder managed, it is integrative and coordinative and involve a wide range of partners. It is based on dialogue, consensus and agreement of stakeholders. The proposed CamSur BR Council will be composed of members that are binded by an agreement based on dialogue and consensus, where every member has equal rights. Council has also oversight function and every member has assigned roles and responsibilities based on the management plan,” Estrella said in an interview.
Estrella added that the initial study of CBSUA conducted in July 2013, showed that initially, there are 16 municipalities that could qualify as a biosphere reserve. This would include the Mt. Isarog Natural park as the core zone including the six municipalities and one city immediately surrounding Mt. Isarog: Naga City, Pili, Goa, Calabanga, Tinambac, Ocampo and Tigaon. This would comprise the core and buffer zones of the reserve. The core zone is a strict protection zone while the buffer zone provides area for sustainable development.
“Other areas which were found to be bio-geographically linked with the core zone are to be designated as transition zone. This zone provides opportunities for sustainable development and eco-friendly livelihood activities. This include the towns of Milaor, Bombon, Camaligan, Sangay, Bula, Magarao, San Jose and parts of Libmanan, Magarao, Lagonoy. The biosphere reserve is about 107,000 has,” Estrella stated.
Camarines Sur is optimistic that it can be a part of the world network of biosphere reserves around the globe and become an internationally recognized learning site managed by stakeholders. It endeavors to showcase a harmonious co-relation while enjoining community-based endeavors to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. (AAN/LSMacatangay-PIAV/Camarines Sur)
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