Carl O.

Binayao
Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) Student
PA 312: Environmental Management in the Context of Public Administration

Paper 4: Application of strategies/approaches for environmental management

to respond the environmental problem on land use conversions

The environmental problem

The large-scale land cover alteration due to various land use conversions of
the agricultural and forest lands in Malaybalay City has been considered as one of the
environmental problems being experienced by the inhabitants (see problem tree
below). Its root cause is the disguised “development” being introduced by the
bourgeoisie for their investment in agro-industry, and the necessity for food security
through agricultural production in the forestlands. However, its long-term effect is the
imbalanced physical and spiritual ecology.

imbalanced physical and spiritual ecology

pollution in the land, water, air, and spiritual world of the IPs

unsequestered carbon dioxide or ecological footprints in land, water, and air,

and disconnection with the spiritual world of the IPs

scarcity of soil erosion/ soil nutrients run-off/ loss of sickness and desecration of
flooding soil surface humus or organic materials as
staple food run-off source of nutrients malnutrition sacred areas

no staple crop un-intercepted soil acidification/ extinction of herbal plants destruction of

production precipitation sediment contamination and wildlife species sacred areas

loss of land cover

Effects loss of agricultural lands soil degradation
and wildlife habitats

large-scale land cover alteration

Core Problem due to land use conversions

Causes agro- deforestation/

industrialization forest denudation

investment of agricultural
the bourgeoisie production

development food security

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The objectives to address the problem

In responding to the identified environmental problem, sustainable land cover

alteration in the land use conversions is necessary to address their desire for food
security and development in the forestlands and agricultural lands, respectively.
Through responsible agro-industrialization, and forest protection, a balanced physical
and spiritual ecology is achieved (see objective tree below).

These desired actions are not mere recognition of Malaybalay City as the
ancestral domain of the ICCs/IPs, or to the phronesis or practical wisdom of these
people on environmental protection, but also as a sensitivity and respect to spirits that
dwells therein, as part of God’s creation.

balanced physical and spiritual ecology

clean land, water, air, and spiritual world of the IPs

sequestered carbon dioxide or ecological footprints in land, water, and air,

and connection with the spiritual world of the IPs

availability of normal water preservation of humus or practice the

organic materials as source of good health
staple food flooding infiltration nutrients
belief system

staple crop intercepted preservation of herbal protection of

fertile soil
production precipitation plants and wildlife species sacred areas

utilization of agricultural land cover and wildlife

Ends soil preservation
lands habitat protection

sustainable land cover alteration in

Core Objective the land use conversions

Means responsible agro-

industrialization
forest protection

social responsibility traditional agricultural

of the bourgeoisie production

development food security

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The application of strategies to realize the objectives

In consideration of the physical and spiritual ecology, the formulation of the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for the land use conversions in the political
jurisdiction of the city government of Malaybalay must be inclusive of the concerns of
various stakeholders. The executive agenda of the city mayor as local chief executive,
the legislative agenda of the Sangguniang Panlungsod members, the special power
and responsibilities to the City Development Council, the coordinated mandate of the
different national government agencies, the role for check-and-balance of the non-
government organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations (CSOs), the
recommendations of the ecologists and experts, and the concerns of the commons
where the power of the public office emanates, must consider their mutual
complementarity of “network,” “empowerment,” and “transparency,” instead of
“hierarchy,” “control” and “privacy” or “secrecy” (Chakhoyan, 2017).

Though it is a fact that in this network, there are certain stakeholders who are
more powerful and influential over the other, there are also stakeholders whose role is
really necessary, like the experts who can make recommendations based on science
or ecological construct, and the inhabitants, whose interests and impacts, should be
considered. These inhabitants include the ICCs/IPs who have indigenous ecological
knowledge and practices that are based on their phronesis and relationship with the
Divine, as the God of their ancestors. Gone are the days that these ICCs/IPs are mere
spectators of the government affairs, as it is now a fact that they hold vital ancestral
knowledge and expertise on how to adapt, mitigate, and reduce climate and disaster
risks (World Bank, 2018).

In the application of this strategy, the public policy process of Birkland (2011)
needs to be reframed to ensure the participation of experts and ICCs/IPs’ wisdom
keepers in the “political ecology” (Loftus, 2015 & 2019), as important actors, namely in
the following stages: (a) from issue emergence, (b) agenda setting, (c) alternative
selection, (d) enactment, (e) implementation, (f) to evaluation.

The other strategies that need to be considered in the formulation of CLUP to

address this environmental problem are the following: (a) environmental impact
assessment (EIA), (b) environmental monitoring and management (air, land and
water), (c) ridge-to-reef approach in river basin management, (d) ecosystem services
and economic valuation, (e) protected areas for biodiversity conservation, and (f)
vulnerability assessments. These strategies are usually expressed in the language of
ecologists and/or experts.

In the application of these strategies, explanatory models must be employed to

ensure that the other stakeholders understand its essence, meaning, or significance,
and their relationship with other creations. On the part of the ICCs/IPs, it is inherent to
them to protect and preserve their ancestral domain, as this is the place on which they
live, and the natural resources on which they depend, are inextricably linked to their
identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being (World
Bank, 2018).

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Reference

Birkland, T. A. (2011). An introduction to the policy process. Theories, concepts and models
of public policy making. 3rd Ed. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
Chakhoyan, A. (2017). Is the era of management over? World Economic Forum. Retrieved
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over?fbclid=IwAR35hQ6q4ZxGdY1MRMbwgcKU-
WkbKxTxDPScHnfKXdHDv77pPd6VXaY8eA8 on 14 March 2019.
Congress of the Philippines (1988). Republic Act No. 6713: The Code of Conduct and Ethical
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Congress of the Philippines (1991). Republic Act No. 7160: The local government code of
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Congress of the Philippines (1997). Republic Act No. 8371: The indigenous people's rights
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Loftus, A. (2015). Political ecology as praxis, Handbook of political ecology. Edited by G.
Bridge, J. McCarthy and T. Perreault. London: Routledge.
________ (2019). Political ecology I: Where is political ecology? Progress in human
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Marcos, F. (1981). Executive Order No. 648, s. 1981: The charter of the human settlements
regulatory commission.
Ramos, F. (1993). Executive Order No. 72, s. 1993: Providing for the preparation and
implementation of the comprehensive land use plans of local government units
pursuant to the local government code of 1991 and other pertinent laws.
World Bank (2018). Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples

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