Protect Wildlife Quarterly Progress Report 1

The activity is a technical assistance grant by the United States Government to the Government of the Philippines, with a focus on reducing threats to biodiversity, poaching, and wildlife trafficking. The long-term vision is to contribute to biodiversity conservation in the Philippines. The Protect Wildlife activity fits within the USAID Biodiversity Policy, which builds upon the Agency's long history of conserving a global biological heritage. The activity supports the Philippines' current policies on biodiversity conservation and wildlife trafficking under the NIPAS Act and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. The Philippines is a megadiverse country, with a significant proportion of its flora and fauna considered endemic. However, much of its biodiversity continues to be under risk from natural and human interventions, including conversion for agriculture and settlements, illegal harvesting, and destructive mining and quarrying. The Protect Wildlife activity aims to address these challenges by supporting initiatives to align conservation policy with on-the-ground wildlife actions and enforcement. The activity will improve ecosystem goods and services for human well-being and link wildlife habitat management and enforcement with local, regional, and national development processes. The activity will focus on several key areas, including: * Conducting a theory of change workshop to finalize the Protect Wildlife TOCs and prepare the first annual work plan and the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan. * Finalizing the Protect Wildlife TOCs and preparing the first annual work plan and the MEL plan. * Implementing the Protect Wildlife activity, which includes activities such as: + Conducting a baseline survey to assess the current state of biodiversity conservation in the Philippines. + Developing a comprehensive biodiversity conservation plan for the Philippines. + Implementing a wildlife enforcement program to combat wildlife trafficking. + Providing technical assistance to the Government of the Philippines to improve its capacity to manage and conserve its biodiversity. The Protect Wildlife activity will be implemented over a period of four years, from June 17, 2016 to December 11, 2020. The activity will be implemented in partnership with several local stakeholders, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD). The Protect Wildlife activity aims to achieve several key outcomes, including: * Reducing threats to biodiversity, poaching, and wildlife trafficking. * Improving ecosystem goods and services for human well-being. * Linking wildlife habitat management and enforcement with local, regional, and national development processes. * Strengthening the capacity of the Government of the Philippines to manage and conserve its biodiversity. The Protect Wildlife activity will be monitored and evaluated through a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan. The plan will include several key indicators, including: * The number of wildlife species protected and conserved. * The number of communities engaged in biodiversity conservation activities. * The number of wildlife trafficking cases investigated and prosecuted. * The number of biodiversity conservation plans developed and implemented. The Protect Wildlife activity will also provide technical assistance to the Government of the Philippines to improve its capacity to manage and conserve its biodiversity. This will include providing training and capacity-building activities for government officials, as well as providing technical assistance to support the development and implementation of biodiversity conservation plans. Overall, the Protect Wildlife activity aims to contribute to biodiversity conservation in the Philippines by aligning conservation policy with on-the-ground wildlife actions and enforcement. The activity will focus on several key areas, including conducting a theory of change workshop, finalizing the Protect Wildlife TOCs, and implementing the Protect Wildlife activity. The activity will be implemented over a period of four years, from June 17, 2016 to December 11, 2020.