MANILA, Philippines — Only P4 billion of the P25 billion needed to fund biodiversity conservation was allotted under this year’s budget, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
At a press conference, Biodiversity Management Bureau officer-in-charge Armida Andres said the P25-billion annual funding for biodiversity conservation was based on the study conducted by the Biodiversity Finance Initiative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
“That’s a huge gap that we are trying to address,” Andres said as he announced the launch of a mobile game application, with the proceeds to fund biodiversity conservation.
The DENR, UNDP and Forest Foundation Philippines launched the Animal Town mobile app yesterday as “part of the innovative solution” to narrow the gap.
Andres said the project initially targets revenues amounting to P810,000 this year.
DENR Undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs Jonas Leones said the mobile app would be a ”powerful tool” to mobilize support for biodiversity conservation efforts.
“By simply playing the game, in-game purchases or viewing ads, players can directly contribute to funding crucial conservation initiatives across the country,” Leones said.
He said the mobile app also serves as an educational platform, raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity and the need for its sustainable management.