Empowering the Stakeholders for Effective Protected Area Management: The Bulusan Volcano Natural Park Experience

Abstract

The study characterized the processes and experiences in promoting and enhancing stakeholder's participation in the management of the Bulusan Volcano Natural Park located in the Province of Sorsogon. Specifically, the study described the current status of the BVNP vis-a-vis the NIPAS Act, assessed PAMB performance, characterized the role and extent and form of participation of local stakeholders in BVNP management, identified the current capacity and constraints of the PAMB members and the requirements for developing an enabling environment and capacities to render the BVNP management a community-led system for ensuring genuine, committed and active involvement of people. A primarily descriptive-evaluative method was used involving PAMB members and DENR staff deployed in protected area work as main respondents.

It was established that the PAMB is the venue through which issues and concerns of different sectors are raised, discussed and resolved, thus, ensuring stakeholder's participation. Nevertheless, it is not the only one nor the best structure, primarily because, the extent and form of participation in the PAMB is dependent on the “level of control” of the DENR and the DENR's and the PAMB member's definition and appreciation of the principle of participation. The PAMB can be facilitative of participation only to the extent that its members, the DENR, including, would want it to be participative. This implies the institution of other structures and mechanisms within the system that would allow for involvement of people in its decision-making and concrete protected area initiatives beyond the confines of PAMB's formal structure. These enabling conditions include the (1) provision of the required information and appreciation for the need for participation, (2) capability building inputs to create at the minimum, awareness of environmental issues and at the maximum, knowledge and capacities or skills to act upon environment issues and the (3) creation of structures through which people can articulate problems, needs and demands and eventually, take initiatives in forest protection, resource management and be benefited in the process. The third underlies the importance of an organized group, particularly PO or NGO, as a more effective mechanism for participation, a sort of parallel structure working closely with the PAMB, but can work autonomously.

Ensuring stakeholder's participation also requires a review and the necessary changes at the policy level. The NIPAS, though mandating participation, maintained the prerogatives of power and the resources of decision-making in the DENR, leaving the PAMB and PASu with limited powers and resources to be equal and capable partners in environmental planning and protected area management. Moreover, the participation clause in the NIPAS and its IRR equates participation to merely “consulting or being consultative” without clear prescriptions, leaving the definition of participation open to wide interpretation. There is also lack of clear prescription and therefore, no proactive program on public awareness raising and capability building (including protected area staff) which are the pillars of community organization and participation.