The Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) of UPLB’s College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) is helping the Ivatan people of Batanes province explore policy options for the sustainable management of the Batanes Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (BPLS).

This is in response to the community’s concerns regarding the significant challenges they encounter in accessing essential resources needed for infrastructure development. 

Through the project “Access and Benefit Sharing Policy Options for the Sustainable Management of the Batanes Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (ABS Batanes),” IRNR, in collaboration with the Batanes State College, seeks to evaluate the BPLS declaration and related policies, assess their implementation, and examine its distributional effects on the local community.

Its ultimate goal is to provide actionable policy recommendations that protect Batanes’ natural assets while enabling the local community to thrive.

Protecting Batanes’ landscape and seascape

The Batanes province, located at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, is celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes, diverse seascapes, unique biodiversity, and rich cultural heritage. 

It is recognized as one of the country’s 15 biogeographic zones and one of 18 centers of plant diversity. The province is also home to the Ivatan people, known for their distinctive stone houses with cogon grass roofs designed to withstand the region’s frequent and powerful typhoons. 

The entire province was designated as a protected area through Republic Act 8991 in 2000 to preserve its exceptional natural and cultural assets. 

While this declaration has safeguarded Batanes’ environmental and cultural resources, it has also posed challenges to the local community by restricting their access to vital natural resources like sand, aggregates, and forest trees—key materials for building the traditional Ivatan stone houses.

The IRNR project team has confirmed the access issue as a significant challenge for the community in meetings with local government units, DENR-PENRO, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples of Batanes in a scoping trip conducted in August 2024 to identify critical community resources restricted by the BPLS declaration. 

Balancing environmental conservation and access to resources

The IRNR project, funded by DOST-PCAARRD and led by Dr. Frechie Belle Otivar Lo, aims to balance environmental conservation with the welfare of the local Ivatan people by examining access and benefit-sharing (ABS) mechanisms within the BPLS framework.

By applying the ABS framework, the study will recommend policy options that ensure the sustainable management of the BPLS while addressing the needs of affected stakeholders.

The IRNR project will employ a multi-disciplinary approach, incorporating policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, and multi-criteria decision analysis. On-site data collection will involve focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and household and tourist surveys to gather insights from key stakeholders.

In conducting the study, the IRNR is committed to supporting the Ivatan people and the broader Batanes community. By improving resource access while protecting the environment, the project seeks to achieve sustainable management of the BPLS, ensuring that the province’s cultural and natural heritage continues to thrive. (Marc Danielle D. Pabilonia and Romdel A. Acebedo)