Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga is optimistic over the effective implementation of the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act with the launch of the “Sukat ng Kalikasan” (SnK) framework and toolkit during the International Day for Biological Diversity last May 22.
The PENCAS law will serve as a tool for determining the contributions of ecosystems to economic development and therefore contribute to a science-based approach in the management of natural resources and improving climate and disaster resilience.
The DENR, with the establishment of the Geospatial Database Office, is encouraging a science-informed and risk-based approach to address the complex, and interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, energy transition, and sustainable development.
The environment chief noted that SnK will strengthen PENCAS’ implementation as SnK will allow for “more effective natural resource management to reduce biodiversity loss, increase private sector engagement and investment, and make more resilient communities and a more resilient economy.”
Republic Act No. 11995, or the PENCAS Act, is the Philippines’ first law establishing a system to measure the country’s natural resources and stop unchecked development and resource exploitation. Under this law, the DENR shall work together with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Interagency Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Statistics (IACENRS), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Stressing that SnK will bridge the gap between economic planning and environmental conservation, Secretary Loyzaga pointed out that SnK is “customized for the Philippine context” and its adoption places the government “in a more resilient position to manage our natural resources sustainably while achieving our development goals.”
The SnK provides diverse applications in conservation areas, both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with its available assessment tools and mechanisms that will enable planners and policymakers to craft evidence- and science-based management plans and decision-making tools for biodiversity conservation areas and prioritize the use of limited resources, address climate mitigation, adaptation and good governance.
SnK is likewise designed to measure and assign monetary value of the country’s natural assets and the services they contribute to the society and economy.
SnK is a joint undertaking of the DENR with the United States Agency for International Development’s Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans and Landscapes (SIBOL) Project, a five-year natural resource management and biodiversity conservation project launched in 2020.
Other national government agencies involved in the SnK initiatives include the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Economic and Development Authority, Philippine Statistics Authority, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and National Commission for Culture and the Arts.###
