Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 263)
The primary purpose of Executive Order No. 263 is to adopt Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) as the national strategy to ensure the sustainable development of the country's forestland resources and provide mechanisms for its implementation.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the primary government agency responsible for the sustainable management and development of the country's natural resources, including the implementation of the CBFM strategy.
The adoption of CBFM is supported by Article II, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution on ecology protection; Article II, Section 10 on social justice; and Article XIV, Section 17 on the recognition and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral domains.
Organized communities may be granted access under long-term tenurial agreements provided they employ environment-friendly, ecologically sustainable, and labor-intensive harvesting methods, as outlined in a site-specific management plan approved by the DENR.
It recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral domains and land rights and claims, allowing them to participate in the implementation of CBFM activities.
The CBFM Steering Committee, headed by the DENR and including members from various government departments and organizations, is tasked with formulating and developing policy guidelines to create incentives and conditions necessary to effectively carry out the community-based forest management strategy.
The DENR is mandated to work with local governments, people’s organizations, NGOs, religious groups, business and industry, and other concerned organizations to empower communities to achieve the objectives of CBFM.
The DENR is to establish a Community-based Forest Management Special Account (CBFMSA), source local and international grants and donations, allot adequate funds in its budget, and coordinate with financial institutions to create favorable financing mechanisms for communities.
The DENR shall support and set up, in collaboration with colleges, universities, and both public and private organizations, community forestry training programs for members of participating organizations and government personnel.
The DENR Secretary must submit to the Office of the President a National Comprehensive Community Forestry Action Plan, embodying short, medium, and long-term plans consistent with the policies set forth by the CBFM Steering Committee.