Bohol & Lapu – Lapu City, October 16, 2023 – The CCEF Protect Danajon Project Technical Team took part in the recent 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 for the 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗔) 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗳. This initiative is an integral component of DENR’s regional objectives in bringing the Danajon Bank into the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS). CCEF provided crucial support for its successful execution.
The Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA) serves as a rapid screening and evaluation process for proposed areas to determine their eligibility for designation as protected areas. The PASA shall also recommend the appropriate category of the proposed protected area as provided for in Section 3 of the NIPAS Act to serve as basis for its management.
The aim was to evaluate the suitability of various regionally significant locations for special protection, with the targeted areas comprising of 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗮 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗼𝗻, 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗹-𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗽𝘂-𝗟𝗮𝗽𝘂 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗲𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗻.
This collaborative effort was made possible through the leadership of 𝗖𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗣 𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗥 𝟳 and joint efforts of the 𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗥 – 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 (𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗖), DENR Central Visayas – 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗢) 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗼𝗻 & 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻, Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office and 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 & 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠) 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺.
The dive survey technical report will be finalized by the end of December and will undergo thorough review and finalization by the Regional Office before being submitted to the DENR Secretary through the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) in adherence to the guidelines outlined in Section 11 of the DENR – BMB Technical Bulletin No. 2016 – 04, focusing on the Procedural Guidelines for the Conduct of the Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA).
#USAID #GRF #CCEF #ProtectDanajonProject
By: Justine Jace R. Baisac, Communications and Development Associate
