Outline of the Project

Project Name

Capacity Development Project on Water Quality Management

Country

Philippines

Date R/D signed

October 24, 2005

Project Site

Metro Manila, Regions III, VI and XII

Term of Cooperation

From January 2006 until January 2011

Implementing Organization

Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources

Project Background

The desire to promote economic prosperity has led to unsustainable exploitation of the environment in the Philippines where concerted efforts by relevant authorities are significantly constrained by limited funds for adequate sanitation, urban drainage, and proper solid waste management. These, in turn, have resulted to degradation of surface (both freshwater and marine) and groundwater quality with adverse effects on public health, fisheries production, and tourism.

A dramatic shift in water quality management policy took place in 2003 in which various schemes of incentive mechanisms were introduced into the set of policy instruments to maximize economic efficiency and effectiveness of pollution control actions. This was further strengthened by the enactment of the Philippine Clean Water Act (CWA) of 2004 in May of the same year. The CWA mandates relevant departments of the government including local government units (LGUs) to implement policies and actions towards improved water quality. Strengthening the capacity of the Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) in performing the unprecedented tasks assigned to it by the enactment of the CWA is an imminent need which would be materialized by translating the provisions in the CWA into workable procedural and technical guidelines and by providing trainings for the operationalization of the guidelines by the EMB staff.

In this context, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines in 2002 requested the Government of Japan to undertake a technical cooperation project to address the capacity gap in its overall environmental management. A preparatory study was undertaken to assess project needs in which water quality, among others, was identified as the priority area for intervention. JICA then conducted subsequent studies to elaborate the Project Document from October 2004 to July 2005. As a result of the studies and through a series of discussions, JICA and Philippine authorities concerned agreed on 24 October 2005 that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines would implement the "Capacity Development Project on Water Quality Management" (hereinafter referred to as the Project) in cooperation with JICA.

Purpose

Project Purpose :Capabilities of EMB Central and Regional Offices to implement priority actions mandated under the CWA IRR are strengthened.

Overall goal: Under initiatives of the WQMA Governing Board, industries, commercial entities, LGUs, and other public organizations take necessary actions for achieving the water quality goal established in the WQMA Action Plans.

Outputs

1. Integrated policy framework for WQM based on the CWA is established and supported by adequate procedural guidelines and training for EMB staff.
2. Capacity of EMB Central Office to lead and support the Regional Offices is strengthened.
3. Capability of EMB Regional offices to establish and support WQMAs and related institutions is strengthened in 3 pilot regions; and
4. Overall capability of EMB Regional Offices in water quality management is strengthened in 3 pilot regions.

• Pilot Regions
  The Project is implemented focusing on the EMB Central Office (CO) as well as the Regional Offices (ROs) in three pilot areas. JICA and concerned authorities of the Government of the Philippines designated Regions III, VI and XII as pilot regions of the Project as set forth in the M/M attached to R/D signed on October 24, 2005. However, the direct recipients of capacity development are not confined to the staff of the CO and the pilot ROs but encompass all the ROs of EMB in the country.
• Timeline and Project Phase
  The Project consists of 2 phases, namely: Phase 1 which focuses on Outputs 1 and 2, and Phase 2 which focuses on Outputs 3 and 4. The timetable to achieve these outputs is presented below.

• Management System