Project Overview  

Executive Summary

The Payment for Water Ecosystem Services (P-WES) has been recognized in the Philippines as one of the solutions to water-related crises. However, P-WES has not been institutionalized in the country. Continuing and building on the efforts of UPLB-INREM’s P-WES and PESO-SWaP’s projects, the proposed project aims to mobilize and collaborate with key national and sub-regional stakeholders for the institutionalization of P-WES.

A series of policy dialogues at the local and national level with different institutions, e.g., Nueva Vizcaya Provincial board in parallel to the lower and upper house, DENR-RBCO, and DENR-FMB, will be conducted. These dialogues will culminate into a one-day Science Policy Dialogue, where all of the relevant institutions and concerned stakeholders will be invited. The proposed National P-WES Policy will be presented in this event. The participants will be able to raise comments, and suggestions for the proposed National P-WES Policy. Concurrently, dialogues will also be conducted with the Provincial Local Government of Nueva Vizcaya for the local P-WES ordinance. These policy dialogues will ensure that the developed national and local policy will be timely, relevant, inclusive of the ideas and sentiments of all stakeholders.

The results of this project include a national and local policy on P-WES, stimulating the establishment of P-WES mechanisms in the country, and boosting efforts for sustainability.

Objectives

General objective:

This project aims to engage with local and national stakeholders for the establishment and institutionalization of P-WES in the Philippines.

Specific objectives:

1. Raise awareness of the significance of P-WES in the Philippines and the different local-level P-WES initiatives;
2. Provide the P-WES and PESO SWaP projects’ stakeholders platform to improve the proposed National P-WES policy draft;
3. Implement a parallel effort to institutionalize P-WES at the provincial level; and
4. Institutionalize the implementation of P-WES as a natural resource conservation strategy in the country through a proposed legislation.

Potential Impacts

• Environmental Impacts

1. 1. • Stable and sustainable water supply and water quality facilitated by strengthening of PWES systems and PWES policies at the National and Local levels
      • Sustainable land management of different communities in water source areas

• Economic Impacts

1. 1. • Economically viable industries 
      • Poverty alleviation in communities who manage water sources
      • Better provision of water ecosystem services, which bring about improvements to other ecosystem services and institutions that are connected with it.

• Social Impacts

1. • Increased livelihood and wellbeing of population
   • Food security through enhancement of water ecosystem services
   • Empowerment of communities who manage water sources

Project Outputs

Publication

• One (1) advocacy kit which contains the following:
  • One (1) Brochure on the National P-WES Policy 
  • Two (2) IEC materials regarding P-WES in the Philippines and its role in addressing water-related issues in the country
• Science Policy Dialogue Proceedings

People Services

• 100 participants learning about the status and significance of P-WES mechanisms in the Philippines
• 100 participants with improved knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of P-WES as an environmental management approach in the Philippines

Places and partnership

• Memorandum of Agreement with DENR-RBCO and DENR-FMB
• Memorandum of Agreement with future partner institutions in Nueva Vizcaya
• Community of practice to advance and ensure continuity of efforts for P-WES institutionalization in the country

Policy

• One (1) P-WES Policy Brief
• One (1) Draft National P-WES Policy
• One (1) Provincial Ordinance in Nueva Vizcaya