Workshop for the Sustainable Development of East Asian Seas Concludes with Work Programs

Manila, Philippines — In preparation for the next phase of PEMSEA, 56 participants composed of Project Management Office (PMO) Directors and National Focal Points (NFPs) from 11 countries across the region were brought together in a workshop held in Manila from 12-15 December 2007. Representatives from proposed ICM sites, such as Guimaras Province, Philippines, and Thua-Thien Hue, Viet Nam, also participated in the workshop.In addition to facilitating good communication and fostering camaraderie among the PMO Directors, NFPs, and PEMSEA Resource Facility, the workshop also aimed at promoting cross-learning, identifying opportunities and constraints to sustainable coastal development, as well as identifying strategies and approaches in ICM scaling up and replication that would contribute to the implementation of the SDS-SEA. The various presentations, workshops and open discussions were a basis for the refinement of the three-year work programs that had been previously prepared at ICM sites and national levels.The presence of Senator Pia Cayetano, Chair of the Philippine Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; Governor Enrique Garcia, Jr, Province of Bataan, Philippines, and Vice President of the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development; Governor Felipe Hilan A. Nava, Province of Guimaras, Philippines; and Undersecretary Teresita Castillo of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines, during the workshop demonstrated the desire to share experiences and good practices for improving ocean and coastal governance among the national and local governments across the region.The PMO Directors and NFPs, in coordination with PEMSEA will further refine and finalize the three-year work programs in consideration of the results of the discussions. It is expected that the work programs will incorporate strategies to ensure that the 20 percent target of the region's coastline is covered by ICM programs by 2015.The PMO Directors and NFPs are considered as the prime movers in project implementation and coordination at the various ICM sites and participating countries of PEMSEA. They have contributed significantly over the past years in helping PEMSEA achieve its goals, particularly in laying the groundwork for ICM scaling up.