DENR, DBM OK guidelines on dev’t of protected areas The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Budget and Management recently signed a joint memorandum circular (JMC) that will allot a substantial amount of the revenues generated by the country’s protected areas (PAs) to development activities that will help boost the PAs’ protection and rehabilitation. “This is certainly a new milestone in the country’s protected area management. At the same time, it is a big boost to our efforts of promoting ecotourism in the country, as it allows us to reinvest… [in] activities necessary to protect and rehabilitate the PAs,” DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said during the signing of the JMC with DBM Secretary Florencio Abad. “The joint circular allows PAMB to immediately utilize their share of the IPAF without having to go through the National Treasury.” by Ellalyn De Vera October 15, 2014 The JMC lays down the implementing guidelines of Republic Act (RA) No. 10629 for the retention and use of 75 percent of the Integrated Protected Area Fund (IPAF) by the Protected Area Management Boards (PAMBs). The boards will now remit only 25 percent of the IPAF to the National Treasury. It will be placed in the Special Account in the General Fund, along with revenues remitted by the PAs prior to the effectivity of the guidelines. IPAF is a trust fund established under RA 7586, or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, as amended by RA 10629. It is comprised of all earnings generated from operating a PA. This include taxes from the permitted sale and export of flora and fauna and other resources from protected areas, proceeds from lease of multiple-use areas, contributions from industries and facilities directly benefitting from PAs, and such other fees and other incomes derived from the operation of the PA, like entrance fees and from ecotourism activities. A total of 240 PAs — ranging from large natural parks and landscapes, to wildlife and marine life sanctuaries — are recognized under the NIPAS covering 5.45 million hectares (more than 18 percent) of the country’s total land area.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:44:40 +0000