The CEPF niche focuses on building alliances and civil society capacity essential for the success of corridor-level conservation. A majority of resources will support means to this end in three selected areas: the Sierra Madre, Palawan, and Eastern Mindanao, where collectively 70% of the Philippines' biodiversity is concentrated. A hotspot-wide fund for recovery of Critically Endangered species will help conserve the 30% of the Philippines' endemic species diversity that falls outside corridor-based efforts, in places such as Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu, and the Sulu Islands.
CEPF funds will remain flexible, as factors such as absorptive capacity for funding and political climate may dictate shifts in distribution. It also should be noted that priority will be given to NGOs and communities which either work at the local level or link with local organizations in order to build conservation capacity of key stakeholders within the focal corridors. However, this stipulation does not preclude support of national awareness-building and advocacy in support of conservation within these corridors.
Success within this niche is possible because of the strong presence and potential capacity of NGOs in the Philippines. The CEPF has a strategic opportunity to bring together networks of NGOs, communities, and the private sector to pool resources and expertise under a shared common agenda.
| CEPF Strategic Directions |
CEPF Investment Priorities |
| 1. Improve linkage between conservation investments to multiply and scale up benefits on a corridor scale in Sierra Madre, Eastern Mindanao and Palawan |
1.1 Encourage corridor-level natural-resource conservation efforts led by civil society |
| 1.2 Support building of alliances between civil society groups and projects favoring corridor-level conservation |
| 1.3 Support corridor-wide mapping and tracking of conservation investments |
| 1.4 Strengthen communication and information sharing advantageous to corridor conservation |
| 2. Build civil society's awareness of the myriad benefits of conserving corridors of biodiversity |
2.1 Build civil society's understanding of the rationale and mechanisms for achieving corridor-level conservation of biodiversity |
| 2.2 Support initiatives that demonstrate or document benefits of corridor-level conservation |
| 2.3 Build capacity of civil society to assess costs and benefits of options for natural resource use |
| 3. Build capacity of civil society to advocate for better corridor and protected area management and against development harmful to conservation |
3.1 Facilitate sharing of lessons learned from conservation efforts within each corridor |
| 3.2 Build, through civil society, the capacity of local government to properly manage protected areas |
| 3.3 Support civil society in efforts to influence or mitigate development that will negatively affect biodiversity |
| 3.4 Build capacity of civil society to participate in development and implementation of management plans for protected areas |
| 3.5 Support civil society in promoting new protected areas within selected corridors |
| 3.6 Support initiatives to increase civil society's understanding of laws affecting corridor-level conservation |
| 3.7 Build capacity of civil society to monitor, document, and report the impact of extractive industries |
| 3.8 Build capacity of civil society to monitor natural resource use and conservation. |
| 3.9 Support civil society initiatives which improve effectiveness of the Wildlife Act |
| 3.10 Support initiatives to evaluate and improve existing policies and laws affecting biodiversity conservation |
| 4. Establish an emergency response mechanism to help save Critically Endangered species |
4.1 Support projects that help conserve the habitat of Critically Endangered species or mitigate threats to their survival |
| 4.2 Support activities to highlight the extinction crisis in the Philippines and enlist civil society in species conservation |
Although there are some conservation networks in the Philippines, corridor-wide management of biodiversity is a relatively new concept in the Philippines. And while there are existing alliances among Philippine NGOs at the national level, there are few alliances at the local level. CEPF will support activities that strengthen links and coordination among conservation initiatives, NGOs, communities, government agencies, donors, and academia in order to facilitate corridor-wide biodiversity conservation in the focal corridors. These activities should favor civil society networks advocating corridor conservation and encourage relevant government bodies to adopt and implement corridor-scale conservation policies.
The CEPF will support building public awareness of practical and socio-cultural benefits made possible by conservation of biological diversity, especially on a corridor scale. Ideally, some CEPF-supported projects will demonstrate to key stakeholders the biological and economic benefits of this broader, coordinated corridor approach to conservation of natural resources. At the same time, raising public awareness of the means to achieve and sustain corridor-scale biodiversity conservation is essential.
In order for corridor initiatives and alliances to succeed, the CEPF should help build the capacity of civil society to advocate corridor-wide biodiversity, to create corridor-wide communications mechanisms and information sharing, and to monitor and evaluate the corridor-wide conservation initiatives.
The CEPF will encourage civil society's involvement in the development and implementation of management plans for protected areas. Stakeholder involvement is of particular importance, especially for indigenous peoples, local farmers, women, and other groups that otherwise would not be consulted.
The CEPF also should help build the capacity of civil society to understand and intervene in developments that may adversely affect biodiversity in the focal corridors. This may include building technical skills as well as communications and conflict-resolution capacity.
Following on from this, the CEPF will help build the capacity of NGOs and civil society to understand and encourage sound natural resource management, land use planning, resource inventory and monitoring, and options for sustainable enterprise and livelihoods.
It is important that CEPF-supported projects that facilitate the sharing of lessons learned about resource management and sustainable livelihood among the various communities and NGOs in each corridor.
One option for implementing this strategic direction would be small grants programs run from within each corridor, with the aim of distributing funding among groups and individuals who currently lack the capacity to access fund earmarked for conservation.
Through civil society efforts, the CEPF will initiate and support activities that raise public awareness of the extinction crisis in the Philippines and utilize innovative ways to address the crisis. Local academic institutions should be integrally involved in efforts led by civil society to protect critically endangered species.
To address this urgent need, the CEPF will establish an emergency fund for the protection of Critically Endangered species endemic to the Philippines. This strategic funding direction would provide grants specifically for projects conserving the habitat of these species or mitigating key threats to their survival. Most grants under this strategic direction will support projects outside the focal corridors.
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