SUMMARY

The Philippines possess one of the world's richest biodiversity, hosting nearly two-thirds of Earth's
biodiversity within its borders. This wealth includes over 53,000 described species, with more than half
being endemic to the country. the Philippines ranks fifth globally in plant species and third in marine
biodiversity. However, this abundance faces severe threats from habitat loss, human activities, and
climate change. Over 700 plant and animal species are currently threatened, including iconic species like
the tamaraw and Philippine eagle. Since the 1990s, the country has lost nearly 93% of its original forest
cover, with marine and inland water biodiversity also deteriorating. Rampant forest degradation, mineral
extraction, and population growth contribute to habitat loss, while pollution and overfishing pose
significant threats to marine biodiversity. Additionally, the introduction of invasive species and climate
change exacerbates the situation. Despite the critical importance of biodiversity to the country's
economy and ecosystem services, it is undervalued and underfunded. This undervaluation leads to
overexploitation and biopiracy, where genetic resources are exploited without proper compensation.
Weak legislation and lack of investment further exacerbate the problem, with biodiversity conservation
receiving minimal funding. Closing the gap between the economic value of biodiversity and its
conservation needs is crucial to safeguarding the Philippines' rich natural heritage

The Philippines has been at the forefront of recognizing and regulating the management and
utilization of genetic resources. It introduced legislation on bioprospecting, the collection, use, and
development of genetic resources, even before 1995. The National Museum of the Philippines initially
supervised bioprospecting activities before the responsibility was transferred to the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Executive Order No. 247, signed in 1995, established the
regulatory framework for bioprospecting activities, making the Philippines the first country to enact such
legislation. The order aimed to ensure the conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of
benefits from genetic resources. It covers all biological and genetic resources for pharmaceutical,
agricultural, and commercial applications, and requires mandatory research agreements and prior
informed consent from local and indigenous communities. However, implementing Executive Order 247
encountered challenges, including broad scope and coverage, processing delays for consent and research
agreements, and issues related to fair and equitable benefit sharing. To address these concerns, the
Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act was introduced in 2001, providing a more specific
procedure for granting access to biological and genetic resources. It limited bioprospecting activities
solely for commercial purposes and simplified the process for obtaining and prior informed consent.
Additionally, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 recognizes the rights of indigenous cultural
communities over their traditional knowledge and resources, requiring prior informed consent for the
use of such knowledge. These legislative measures aim to balance the conservation of genetic resources
with the fair and equitable sharing of benefits, ensuring sustainable development and protection of
biodiversity in the Philippines.

Despite efforts to conserve biodiversity, overexploitation of biological and genetic resources remains a
significant issue in the Philippines, leading to smuggling, misuse of traditional practices, and biopiracy.
This problem persists due to the lack of effective monitoring mechanisms, comprehensive management
systems, and support for research and development concerning biodiversity. To address these
challenges, initiatives have been undertaken to strengthen the country's Access and Benefit Sharing
legislation. In 2016, House Bill 2163, also known as the “Philippine Genetic Resources and Access and
Benefit Sharing Bill,” was introduced by Cong. Josephine Ramirez-Sato. This bill aims to reform existing
policies to ensure equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources and traditional
knowledge. Key provisions of the bill include strengthening rules and regulations on access to Philippine
genetic resources, generating funds for biodiversity targets and sustainable development goals, and
recognizing customary laws and community protocols of indigenous cultural communities and
indigenous peoples. Additionally, efforts have been made to draft an Executive Order titled
“Strengthening the National Policy on Wealth Generation from Access and Benefit Sharing and from
Utilization of Philippine Genetic Resources.” This Executive order aims to establish an Inter-Agency
Committee on Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge to coordinate national efforts and enforce
Access and Benefit Sharing provisions. Comprising various government agencies and organizations, this
committee would have the authority to craft rules and guidelines on Access and Benefit Sharing and
related activities. However, both policies are still pending enactment, undergoing reviews and
consultations before implementation.

The Philippines is globally recognized for its incredibly diverse and unique biodiversity, harboring
numerous species found exclusively within its borders. This rich biodiversity has been essential to the
livelihoods of millions of Filipinos, providing resources and services for food, medicine, wood, and other
products, as well as invaluable ecosystem services like water provision, soil protection, ecotourism, and
flood control. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of conserving biodiversity, issues of
overexploitation persist. Policies and regulations aimed at protecting and conserving the country's
biodiversity have been in place since the early 1900s, with agencies established to regulate and manage
access to genetic resources. In recent years, legislative efforts have been made to strengthen the
management of genetic resources in the country. Bills introduced in the 17th and 18th Congresses seek
to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources and promote the sustainable use
and protection of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. While these legislative initiatives
acknowledge the critical importance of biodiversity, their enactment and robust implementation are
essential to effectively safeguarding the country's natural heritage.

TERMINOLOGIES

 Biodiversity - is the variety of all living things and their interactions.

 Legislation - the action of legislating.
 Unsustainable - not able to be maintained at the current rate or level.
 Megadiverse - a high level of biodiversity
 Resources - a stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on
by a person or organization in order to function effectively.
 Overexploitation - also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the
point of diminishing returns.
 Coral triangle - a marine area located in the western Pacific Ocean.
 Organisms - an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
 Undervaluation - the act of deciding or saying that something is less valuable or important than
it really
 Pre-commercialization- any and all activities undertaken before the Approval for the Product that
relate to the marketing, promoting, distributing, importing or exporting for sale, offering for sale
 Legislation - laws, considered collectively.
 Flora – ‘’flower" in Latin
 Fauna - he animals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.
 Wildlife - efers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that
grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans.
 Bioprospecting - defined as a systematic and organized search for useful products derived from
bioresources including plants, microorganisms, animals, etc., that can be developed further for
commercialization and overall benefits of the society.
 Protocol - the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic
occasions.