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| MISSION AND OBJECTIVES |
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Archives: The Philippine Coastal Environment Coastal Resource Management in the Philippines 
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[CRM] comprises those activities that achieve sustainable use and management of economically and ecologically valuable resources in the coastal areas which consider interaction among and within resource systems as well as those of humans and their environment. CRM is also referred to as ‘coastal management’, ‘coastal zone management’, ‘coastal area management’, and ‘integrated coastal management.’ In more specific terms, it means planning, implementing and monitoring the sustainable use of coastal resources. Accepted wisdom says the process must be participatory, that is, it must be consultative, multisectoral and interdisciplinary. It must consider the interconnectedness of the various ecosystems. It must encourage cooperation among individuals, among communities, among countries. It must, in other words, be rooted in the truth that we all share but one ocean. CRMP’s approach to CRM was both holistic and integrated, covering a diverse set of project activities designed to bring about effective management of coastal resources at both the national level and the local level. The Project was initially implemented in six learning areas -- Olango Island, Cebu; San Vicente, Palawan; Malalag Bay, Davao del Sur; Negros Oriental; northwest Bohol; and Sarangani Province -- which served as strategic expansion nodes from which good CRM practices spread to other coastal areas in the country. To support the replication and sustainability of the project, activities were directed at enhancing the capability of national and local governments and the communities themselves to develop and implement resource management processes and systems. Community participation was therefore an inherent and integral part of CRMP: Throughout the CRM process, we worked with and through a wide cross-section of coastal resource users, including fisherfolk, local governments, the national government, NGOs, the private sector, and POs. By the end of Project implementation in December 2003, CRMP had covered 113 municipalities and cities in its six learning area provinces, and in Davao Oriental and Masbate. CRMP included the following project activity components:
All these had one ultimate goal: the widespread and sustainable application of CRM in our coastal communities. The overall strategic objective was 3,500 km of the 18,000-km Philippine coastline under sustainable resource use and enhanced management, and the development of a critical mass of communities and leaders involved in CRM activities and living by the CRM philosophy of sustainable resource use. From this threshold, CRM practices and systems are expected to spread to other municipalities. We used a two-pronged approach to achieving sustainable resource use: influence policy at the national level and at the same time implement specific CRM activities and systems at the local level. By collaborating with other donor agencies involved in CRM, we were able to expand our reach in a strategic way. The Project assisted national government agencies in finding practical solutions to four key problem areas in coastal resource management: jurisdictional issues management, mangrove management, commercial fisheries management, and biodiversity conservation. At the local level, it helped communities institutionalize CRM planning and implementation. To achieve our objective of sustainable resource management in Philippine coastal areas, CRMP mobilized all sectors of society, the private sector, the Church, media, NGOs, schools and the government. It also conducted public education and social mobilization activities to ensure that CRM is prioritized in the national social agenda.
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