Protect Wildlife Quarterly Progress Report 5

The activity works in target landscapes to reduce threats to biodiversity, reduce poaching and use of illegally harvested wildlife and wildlife products, and improve ecosystem goods and services for human well-being. Protect Wildlife also links wildlife habitat management and enforcement with local, regional, and national development processes. The Philippines, a megadiverse country, is home to approximately 1,100 terrestrial vertebrates and 5 percent of the world's flora, a significant proportion of which is endemic. However, much of this biodiversity is under various threats, including land conversion for agriculture and settlements, illegal, unregulated, and unreported harvesting, and destructive mining and quarrying. The value of biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services they provide are not effectively communicated to local stakeholders. Protect Wildlife targets wildlife trafficking hotspots and local stakeholders with initiatives to improve local capacities, incentivize communities and local government units (LGUs), leverage financing support, and deepen knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for the effective management, regulation, and enforcement of wildlife habitats and wildlife trafficking transshipment points such as ports. The activity works across geographies in the Philippines to address wildlife trafficking transshipment, but implements a more comprehensive ecosystem approach in the biologically significant areas of Palawan, Zamboanga City-Tawi-Tawi, and General Santos City-Sarangani-South Cotabato (Region 12). The Protect Wildlife activity has established partnerships with various organizations, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and various national-level enforcement law agencies. At the local level, the activity works directly with DENR Regional Offices, Provincial and Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (PENROs and CENROs), and provincial, city, and municipal LGUs, as well as local offices of DA-BFAR and NCIP. The activity has made significant progress in the first quarter of Year 2, with notable achievements including the completion of a comprehensive ecosystem approach in the biologically significant areas of Palawan, Zamboanga City-Tawi-Tawi, and General Santos City-Sarangani-South Cotabato (Region 12). The activity has also established partnerships with various organizations, including the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS), and has made significant progress in improving local capacities, incentivizing communities and LGUs, and leveraging financing support. The Protect Wildlife activity has also made significant progress in addressing wildlife trafficking transshipment, with notable achievements including the establishment of a wildlife trafficking hotline and the conduct of a wildlife trafficking survey in the target areas. The activity has also made significant progress in improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for the effective management, regulation, and enforcement of wildlife habitats and wildlife trafficking transshipment points such as ports. The activity has also made significant progress in implementing the U.S. Government's Eliminate, Neutralize and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016, with notable achievements including the establishment of a wildlife trafficking task force and the conduct of a wildlife trafficking training program for law enforcement agencies. The activity has also made significant progress in supporting the Philippines' current policies and programs on biodiversity conservation and reduction of wildlife trafficking under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. The Protect Wildlife activity has also made significant progress in improving ecosystem goods and services for human well-being, with notable achievements including the establishment of a payment for environmental services (PES) program and the conduct of a study on the economic benefits of biodiversity conservation. The activity has also made significant progress in improving the value of biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services they provide, with notable achievements including the development of a biodiversity valuation framework and the conduct of a biodiversity valuation study in the target areas.