Philippines, PEMSEA Sign Headquarters Agreement

 

Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Executive Director Raphael P.M. Lotilla signed on July 31 the Agreement establishing the PEMSEA Resource Facility Center which will be housed within the compound of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City.

 

PEMSEA is a regional program funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It supports regional cooperation among developing countries to address transboundary ocean issues within the East Asian Seas Region. It also provides technical assistance to selected local governments to help demonstrate the implementability of integrated coastal management (ICM).

 

PEMSEA is currently working with the DENR particularly on the Manila Bay Operational Plan Coastal Strategy. The local governments of Guimaras, Bataan, Puerto Galera and Batangas are being assisted in various aspects of their ICM program.

 

Apart from sustainable development of marine and coastal resources, PEMSEA and the Philippines also seek to cooperate in the areas of natural and man-made hazard prevention, pollution and waste reduction, food security, and livelihood management.