By Charissa Luci-Atienza

Citing that a sustainable national integrated coastal management is “very crucial” to the country’s economy, House Deputy Majority Leader and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar has batted for the creation of a National Coordinating Committee on Integrated Coastal Management (ICM).

She filed House Bill No. 3315 seeking the creation of such a committee that would formulate, institute and implement the country’s national policy on coastal management to ensure the sustainable development of the coastal and marine environment and resources.

The House leader said her proposed sustainable national integrated coastal management seeks to “overcome” the falling fish populations, rising pollution levels, continued threats on coral reefs and mangrove forests, and increasing poverty incidence in coastal communities.

“These challenges are winnable. We should just strengthen further the country’s campaign on coastal management efforts to reverse the situation,” she said.

“The coordination and support of local government units to national government is very crucial to effect an integrated coastal management, especially on fisheries and habitat protection efforts,” Villar pointed out.

The stalwart of the Nacionalista Party explained that under HB 3315, the national panel on ICM is tasked to “grant incentives to local government units that exhibit exemplary performance in the development and implementation of their respective local integrated coastal management plans.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will assist the committee on the grant of incentives to the LGUs.

Villar cited the importance of coastal environments–shorelands, mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs–to the livelihood of the people, tourism and country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“They are among the most productive and biologically diverse landscapes known to man. Coastal and marine areas are vital sources of food, minerals and raw materials, as well as natural setting for sports, recreation, and other social and cultural activities, while marine-related economic activities, including fisheries, marine transportation, tourism, coastal mining, and offshore oil and gas development make significant contributions to a country’s GDP as well as provide livelihood and employment opportunities to coastal communities,” she said.

HB 3315 mandates the National Coordinating Committee to formulate, adopt, institutionalize and amend, if necessary, the National ICM Framework; and identify ICM management areas such as bays, lakes, gulfs, river basins, watersheds, wetlands, protected areas, and other resources that are shared by two or more provinces.

Under the bill, it is mandated to resolve conflicts arising from ICM between or among provinces; and recommend to Congress for the enactment of legislations or to the appropriate government agency for issuance of policies.

The bill provides that the National ICM Framework shall be composed of goals and objectives; strategies and action plans; required policy or legislation; information and public awareness campaign; financing mechanisms; and capacity building and National ICM Training Program.

It shall be implemented in all coastal and marine areas to address the interlinkages among associated watersheds and wetlands, by all relevant government structures at the national and local levels.

Sitting at the Committee are secretaries or the designated representative of the DENR, Departments of Agriculture (DA), and Interior and Local Government (DILG); Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) or his/her designated representative as member; and a representative each from the academe, non−government organizations (NGOs) and from the private sector as members.