ILOILO – Aiming for a greener and more climate-resilient future, the Iloilo provincial government is stepping up efforts by engaging in preparatory discussions regarding the Urban Biodiversity Assessment to transform urban spaces into biodiversity-rich zones, as part of its vision to become a “Forest Province” by 2044.
The initiative, anchored in the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is being localized through the Iloilo Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. This is spearheaded by the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), in collaboration with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
“The Province of Iloilo is the pioneer in localizing the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP). This proactive approach has sparked the province’s growing interest in conducting Urban Biodiversity Assessments to examine and enhance the ecological health of urban areas,” said Mitzi S. Peñaflorida, Supervising Environmental Management Specialist of PGENRO, in an interview.
To support its environmental goals, the province, through PGENRO, has conducted a series of orientations for local government units (LGUs) on Urban Biodiversity Assessment. These are based on DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Technical Bulletin No. 2018-02, which outlines biodiversity assessment procedures, and Technical Bulletin No. 2021-04 or the “Guidelines on Urban Biodiversity Management Planning Process”.
“Nag-training kita sa 100% nga municipalities, gin-involve naton sila sa training kay dapat sila gid maghatag sang target. Kay ang mga areas for conservation and for protection, sa ila gid na dapat mahalin,” she added.
PGENRO highlighted the importance of conducting Urban Space Assessments before launching full-scale urban greening projects.
“We want to establish guidelines and parameters aligned with national policy before identifying specific sites. That’s why we held preparatory orientations with the DENR and LGUs. This ensures that site identification and development harmonize with national environmental strategies,” Peñaflorida further explained.
She added that these national guidelines have already been cascaded down to various regions and provinces, with Iloilo being one of the early adopters.
Despite ongoing infrastructure expansion and economic development, the province remains steadfast in balancing growth with ecological sustainability through its Urban Space Greening efforts.
Urban space greening involves enhancing green areas within cities and towns — such as plazas, parks, and other public infrastructure — to promote biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Urban site assessments are also conducted to identify environmental challenges and needs. “What else does the space require? Does it need improvement? What types of plants should we introduce, and how can we protect them? We must also consider species that require conservation or active propagation, especially those slowly disappearing. Promoting urban biodiversity is one of our key goals,” Peñaflorida said.
With strategic planning and inter-agency cooperation, Iloilo is positioning itself as a model for integrating urban development with environmental stewardship — planting the seeds today for a greener province tomorrow./PN
