12
July 2008
Many partnerships have been born. Others have worked. Some are still trying.
Biodiversity conservation of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas (SSS) requires the coordination of complex
interrelationships among diverse stakeholders across sectoral and geo-political boundaries. Like
the vast waters of the SSS that mediate complex interactions among diverse marine organisms,
partnerships in this large marine ecosystem, which spans nearly a million square kilometers of the
Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, have resulted in many lessons.
Building an alliance of
partners
An alliance of partners to
implement the Sulu-Sulawesi
Seascape (SSS) Initiative’s detailed
implementation plan has been
engaged
*
and mobilized by
Conservation International (CI). The
alliance included government and
nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), academic institutions,
and experts at the local, national
and regional levels. Engaged as
co-implementers through grant
agreements or operating with their
own resources, partners implemented
projects consistent with the SSS
conservation campaign.
In the process of developing
partnerships, a series of
multisectoral planning workshops
were conducted to identify marine
conservation concerns in the
Verde Island Passage, Cagayan
Ridge, Balabac Strait, and the
Sea Turtle Conservation Corridor
that originates south of Balabac
and span the east of Sabah and
East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
In addition, a seascape-wide
consultation and communication
strategy development workshop
was organized, which resulted
in the identification of various
needs-based interventions,the
preparation of perception maps
(Figures 1-5 present various
perception maps for the Verde
Island Passage), and the allocation
of roles, responsibilities, funding
and expertise among partners
to match each identified need.
Convergence meetings provided
venues for project partners and
stakeholders to present, exchange
and validate information on
Partnerships at Work in the
Seas of Sulu and Sulawesi
By Sheila Vergara, Rina Maria P. Rosales, Miledel Quibilan, Nancy Ibuna, Hubert Froyalde, Rochelle Villanueva, and
William Azucena
threats, species conservation
concerns and locate marine
protected areas based on
collected scientific information.
These meetings also served as
mid-project assessments and
allowed for necessary changes in
implementation strategies.
The Seascape Congress organized
in June 2007 was an opportunity
for stakeholders and project
implementers to share results
and lessons learned and plan
the future of the Sulu-Sulawesi
Seascape. The Congress was
participated in by 119 partners
and stakeholders representing
national and local governments,
academic, nongovernmental,
community and private
organizations, and marine
conservation alliances. The
Congress contributed to the Verde
Passage Framework Plan, as well
as plans for the Cagayan Ridge,
Balabac Strait and the Sea Turtle
conservation corridor.
* The term “engaged” used in this article
refers to formal engagements such
as a grant agreement, Memorandum
of Understanding, Memorandum of
Agreement, service contract, consultancy
contract, and thesis grant, consistent with
CI’s process of engaging partners.
13
Tropical Coasts
In summary, through partner
engagements, 37 grants
to 32 institutions totaling
US$1,443,808.46 were shared
with partners through the SSS
initiative. The external grants
portfolio was managed by CI-
Philippines’ Fundraising and Grant
Management Unit with technical
oversight from the SSS programme
staff and the Finance Unit. The
various modes and levels of
engagement required an in depth
knowledge of the capabilities of
prospective partners to undertake
and contribute to the plan, a
knowledgeable and committed staff
and in-house facility to manage
both programmatic and financial
deliverables of each partner-
grantee.
Partnerships in
Governance
The Tubbataha Protected Area
Management Board ( TPAMB)
is an interagency and multi-
sectoral forum, which collectively
reviewed and provided input to
the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Bill. The bill aims to ensure the
protection and conservation of the
park’s reefs through sustainable and
participatory management.
Indicators of the strength of a
partnership approach in the Sulu-
Sulawesi also include the technical
and logistical support provided
to the Bantay Dagat (Seawatch)
for surveillance, monitoring
Figure 1. Fisheries Perception Map of the Verde Island Passage Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridor.
14
July 2008
and enforcement of laws and
regulations. The Municipality of
Tingloy in Batangas was able to
improve apprehension rates of
fishers using compressors and spear
guns as well as divers who refuse to
pay for diving passes. Other illegal
activities such as “muro-ami” fishing
were also deterred.
At the regional level, the Tri-
National Committee for the Sulu-
Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, with
Figure 2. Marine Habitat Perception Map for the Verde Island Passage MBCC.
the support of CI-Philippines,
facilitated the development of
the GEF-UNDP Sulu-Celebes Sea
Large Marine Ecosystem and
Adjacent Area Sustainable Fisheries
Management Project, proposed
under the GEF Coral Triangle
Initiative Program. The project,
which has potential funding for
three years, was endorsed by the
Governments of Indonesia and the
Philippines and has been cleared by
the GEF Secretariat.
Partnerships with the
Private Sector
First Gas, First Philippine
Conservation, Inc. and CI have
forged a partnership that is
implementing initiatives on Verde
Island, Tingloy and Apo Reef. In
addition, workshops entitled,
“Engaging the Private Sector in
Marine Conservation: Developing
Partnerships” have been organized to
raise the awareness of conservation