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Landmark Unity to Conserve Polillo Island’s Biodiversity

Led by its five local chief executives, approximately 150 local government leaders, NGOs and community representatives from the municipalities of Polillo, Burdeos, Panukalan, Jomalig, and Patnanungan came together in an outstanding show of support for the first Polillo Group of Islands Biodiversity Summit held on October 10-12, 2012. The summit enabled participants to adopt a common strategic action plan to conserve this key biodiversity area and to enhance resilience of communities from the adverse effects of climate change.

The pioneering initiative is part of the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Up-Scaling Forest Restoration Efforts in Key Biodiversity Areas project with the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE).  The project in Polillo is being implemented by the Polillo Islands Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc (PIBCFI) and Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PBCFI). The summit was also supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility.