Overlapping jurisdictions. Due to the large number of players in the environment and natural resources sector, governance issues are inevitable. In some instances, conflicts arise between national and local governments in terms of the protection and utilization of natural resources. This is apparent when LGUs initiate the reversion of abandoned fishponds, while it is the DENR who should lead the process, following the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and several joint administrative orders. Another concern is the national-local conflicts in mining projects, specifically when LGUs pass local legislation rejecting or opposing the entry or expansion of large-scale mining projects. This contravenes the DOJ opinion that local ordinances cannot undo a law and should not run counter to national policy; DENR memoranda also order its regional offices to continue implementing their mandate.27
To ensure compliance in incorporating CCA and DRRM management in the development process, the roles of agencies and their respective mandates as provided by law must converge and synchronize. The Climate Change Act and the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010 are significant strides to include climate change and DRR management in the planning process. Sectoral plans, including the Environment and Natural Resources Framework Plan, must be updated to include these concerns.
Technical expertise. Environment and natural resources management requires a skilled and competent workforce to implement professional standards of operation in environment, but technical experts and trained personnel at the national and local levels are in short supply. Some implementing agencies have the capacity to implement provisions of environment and natural resources laws requiring the application of new and sophisticated technologies (e.g., highly technical LAMTM technologies - geographic information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), valuation, databases and online connectivity of information systems). Still others, however, particularly LGUs, still have to develop the competence to implement their mandated tasks and to properly assume environment and natural resources functions.
Information systems. Integrated, updated and quality information for ENR and climate change is necessary for planning, management and decision making. The lack of a participatory and science-based baseline data creates discrepancies that can cause uncertainty and lead to serious errors in carrying out the policy and planning functions of ENR stakeholders.
A better system for gathering, processing, storing, and sharing information needs to be put in place. The DENR is currently implementing the Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) which aims to provide a coherent, integrated and decentralized set of data to every office, making information to stakeholders available anytime. ISSP also aims to develop information systems that will address the integration, collaboration and consolidation of data/ information to deliver quality and timely statistics in spatial and digital form. (Box 10.2 summarizes current government efforts on environmental education.)
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27 DOJ Opinion No. 8, Series of 2005