The EU engaged a fact finding mission in early 1993 to determine opportunities for cooperation in the forestry sector. Palawan was a logical choice for a forestry programme, as the EU had earlier provided assistance to Palawan. The Palawan Integrated Area Development Programme Phase 1 was a project co-financed with the ADB, where the EU provided assistance for the environment component.

A preparation mission was fielded in May 1993 to work out the details of a programme for EU assistance. A financing proposal resulting from this mission was approved in October 1993, for a grant of ECU 17 million. In March 1995, the EU and the Government signed the financing agreement during the visit of Vice President Marin of the European Commission to the Philippines.

Overall: To contribute to the preservation of the forests in the province of Palawan, through an area-based programme emphasising a community-based sustainable and development strategy, within the framework of the SEP Law (RA 7611 of 1992), and the NIPAS Act (RA 7586 of 1992)

Specific: In particular, the project aims to:

1. Improve land classification for both forest delimitation and most appropriate agricultural land use
2. Help stop illegal activities which are damaging to the forest through a better application of environmental protection laws
3. Assist in the stabilisation of communities currently practising shifting cultivation, through improvements in their living conditions and incomes
4. Help create a substantial public awareness in the province of the need to protect the environment
5. Help ensure the sustainable long term management of protected areas in the centre and south of the main island of Palawan, including in particular St. Paul’s National Park and other critical watershed areas
6. Strengthen local institutions involved in environmental protection

1. Execution of a detailed socio-economic survey of upland communities and of a substantive information and consultation exercise with these communities;
2. Assistance with delineation and demarcation of Protected Areas and areas of the Environmentally Critical Area Network. Assistance to national and local governments to strengthen their monitoring and patrolling capabilities. Working with communities to minimise contraventions of environmental laws.
3. Promotion of sustainable upland agricultural techniques for communities living in and around the protected areas. This will be done through (1) introducing socio-economically effective techniques of stable upland agriculture, (2) strengthening demonstration and extension services, (3) developing training and extension packages, and (4) implementing small livelihood, health and sanitation actions;
4. Preparation and implementation of a major and sustained environmental education and awareness campaign, covering the whole province;
5. Strengthening of sustainable management of protected areas, through the preparation and initial implementation of a General Management Plan for the St. Paul’s National Park and possibly for other protected areas. The project will assist in the expansion of St. Paul’s National Park and in having other watershed areas declared protected areas as appropriate.
6. Assisting with institutional strengthening, to upgrade the capabilities of national and local government agenices, NGOs and community organisations to protect the forests and promote sustainable development in the long term. Assistance is be done through training, policy development, equipment and facilities, and a contribution to initial operating costs;
7. Helping ensure that the rights of indigenous communities living in and around the protected areas are respected, and that gender issues are given due attention in project planning and implementation;
8. Establishment of an geographic information system (GIS) that will provide the necessary data to facilitate the identification and delineation of protected areas (core, buffer and multi-use zones), to assist in the allocation of under-utilised agricultural land outside the protected areas, to assist in the sustainable monitoring and maintenance of the protected areas and of the SEP as a whole;
9. Provision of the facilities for operation of the Project Office and of the protected area offices (PAOs), and for overall project planning, operation and management.