P84-M budget cut to hamper PAWB work

MANILA, Philippines - The big cut in the budget of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) for next year, amounting to some P84 million, will reportedly threaten the ability of its staff to monitor and conserve protected areas and natural parks.

With the signing of Executive Order 79 that closed protected areas and natural parks to mining, the PAWB is expecting a budget increase.            

PAWB director Mundita Lim said a bigger budget and additional personnel are necessary for them to conduct intensified monitoring of protected areas.

The PAWB is an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

PAWB’s budget of P595 million in 2012 was reduced to P510.8 million for 2013.

During a recent consultation meeting between the DENR and civil society groups at the DENR central office in Quezon City, Lim stressed that under the National Integrated Protected Areas (NIPAs) Act, there is a need to intensify monitoring and safeguarding of protected areas and natural parks from destructive mining activities.

“Our budget was supposed to get bigger but what happened was that it was reduced. With the new mining policy in place, NIPAs should now be given more protection from mining activities,” Lim said.

The PAWB’s P595-million budget covers allocations for various wildlife conservation programs, including P5.9 million for the Philippine eagle, P4.6 million for the Philippine tamaraw, P10.9 million for the two species of the Philippine crocodile, and P5.6 million for the sea turtle.

Meanwhile, the DENR budget was raised from P17.4 billion in 2012 to P23.6 billion in 2013.

Almost half of the DENR budget or 49.5 percent is allocated for personal services for the salaries of employees, and the balance for maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay.