The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) in partnership with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda showcased products and ecotourism services from Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises (BDFEs) from all over the country receiving financial assistance from the BDFE Program of the DENR-BMB.
The exhibit titled “Hiyas ng Kalikasan: A Glimpse of Biodiversity-Friendly Enterprises in Protected Areas and Other Conservation Areas” featured 25 people’s organizations (POs) from 10 regions in the Philippines with a Protected Area Management Plan and are located and cultivating areas within the proclaimed National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). It was held at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City.
The exhibit provided a venue to introduce the concept of BDFE to the stakeholders in the Senate of the Philippines; showcased existing products and services of POs supported by the BDFE program; and opened further opportunities related to BDFE implementation.
Pursuant to Administrative Order 2021-13 on Guidelines for the Development and Recognition of BDFEs in Protected Areas under the NIPAS and Conservation Areas, Providing for Incentives and Supporting Mechanisms, BDFEs are enterprises that do not have significant adverse effects on the environment.
“The main goal of BDFE is simple yet profound: to ensure that the conservation and sustainable use of resources in both upland and coastal communities lead to tangible and sustainable economic benefits for the communities residing within the protected areas and other conservation zones,” said Armida P. Andres OIC Assistant Director of DENR-BMB.
BDFEs are categorized as sustainable agriculture, sustainable fisheries, sustainable forestry, manufacturing and distribution, and services. Through BDFE, POs go beyond traditional tourism practices towards the sustainable use of the environment and natural resources for better quality products and services. The POs featured in the exhibit are from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
In observance of Women’s Month and alongside DENR-BMB’s goal to empower People’s Organizations with entrepreneurial support, the exhibit recognized the invaluable contribution of women in communities within protected areas.
Among the standout all-women POs showcased in the “Hiyas ng Kalikasan II” exhibit were the Bayangan Women Vendors Association (BWVA), renowned for seafood delicacies from Murcielagos Island; Kablacan WINDS, specializing in turmeric powder in Maasim; San Vicente Kababayin-an, offering Olango Bread in Olango Island; Selinog Island Dapitan Women’s Association (SIDWA), crafting romblon plant leaf handicrafts; Aliguay Island Women’s Association (AIWA), producing dried seafood; and Rabon Seaside Glacilaria Seaweed Association (RSGSA), creating seaweed chips and noodles in La Union. Notable indigenous POs included the Agta Diget Association, producing HAVU Wild Pure Honey in Cagayan Valley, and the Lumad Almaciga Tappers Association (LATAGG), sustainably harvesting almaciga resin in Davao Oriental, showcasing the diverse spectrum of sustainable livelihoods across the Philippines.
The Hiyas ng Kalikasan II follows the successful first exhibit on BDFEs last year.#
