BAYBAY, LEYTE, Philippines (September 23–24, 2025) – Four municipalities in Leyte have developed draft local conservation plans to safeguard the Sab-a peatland, addressing threats such as land reclassification, agricultural expansion, peatland fires, and unsustainable wildlife collection.
The plans were created during a two-day unified planning workshop, building on the provincial Local Conservation Area (LCA) ordinance and the LSBP Plan prepared by the DENR, which incorporated technical studies from the initial IIRR-led project in 2018.
The workshop brought together local government officials, including MPDCs, MENROs, MAOs, and MDRRMOs, alongside community representatives, civil society organizations such as ELAC and WEAVERS, and technical partners from DENR, DILG, DAR, Bureau of Fire, and PNP. Participants identified municipality-specific conservation measures, informed by national policies like DENR-DILG JMC 98-01, which transfers forest management responsibilities to LGUs.
Following the event, draft LCA action plans were formulated for each municipality. The Luyon team (IIRR and VSU) will conduct follow-up workshops to refine these plans and convert them into a comprehensive Local Conservation Area ordinance and implementation plan, ensuring a coordinated and sustainable approach to peatland protection.
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