Question & AnswerQ&A (PROCLAMATION NO. 178)
Proclamation No. 178 declares the years 2011 to 2020 as the National Decade on Biodiversity in the Philippines, focusing on promoting awareness and actions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management.
Biodiversity, or biological diversity, refers to the variety of goods and ecosystem services essential to sustain all life on earth and is the foundation of a healthy environment necessary for human well-being and sustainable development.
The Philippines is one of the world's seventeen mega-diverse countries with rich biodiversity and is considered a biodiversity hotspot facing constant threats of degradation.
The Philippines is a founding member state of the United Nations and a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), committed to global biodiversity goals including those set in the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties held in Nagoya, Japan.
The objective is to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity and promote nationwide actions at various levels to conserve and sustainably manage the nation's natural heritage.
All branches and agencies of the government, including commissions, national government agencies, local government units, state universities and colleges, government-owned and-controlled corporations, in cooperation with private sectors, community organizations, and non-government organizations are enjoined to participate.
The proclamation encourages cooperation between government agencies and private sectors of society including community and non-government organizations to initiate activities that support the Biodiversity Decade.
The proclamation does not specify penalties but enjoins all concerned entities to actively participate in promoting biodiversity awareness and conservation efforts.
It aligns with the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, which recognized the urgent need for worldwide efforts to reduce biodiversity loss and its social, economic, environmental, and cultural impacts.