The DENR-ADB/GEF IWT Combating Organized Environmental Crimes in the Philippines (IWT Project) held its 3rd TWG meeting last February 5, 2020 in Quezon City.

The meeting which was presided by Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Assistant Director Armida P. Andres discussed the directives from the 2nd Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting and progress updates of the project.

Atty. Asis Perez, Policy Specialist of the project presented the updates on the outputs of the following Component 1 (Policy) of the project: 1)Draft Resolution on Wildlife Trafficking as Serious Transnational Crime 2) Draft LGU Resolution in Support of the Amendments to the Wildlife Act of2001 and 3)Draft LGU Ordinance in Support of the Implementation of the Current Wildlife Act. Mr. Eliot Avena, IT Consultant of the project presented updates on the draft Electronic CITES Permitting System (e-CITES) Philippines Staging Site.

Atty. Ronely Sheen of Tanggol Kalikasan (TK), presented updates on the following Component 2 (Capacity Building) outputs of the project: 1) Results of the Training Needs Analysis and Module Review and 2)Draft capacity Building and Module Development Plan.

Representatives from NIRAS presented updates of the following Component 3 (Demand Reduction and CEPA) outputs of the project: 1) Results of the consumer research surveys and FGDs and the 2) DraftCEPA Plan of the project.

Representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headed by Dr. Francesco Ricciardi and University of the Philippines Los Baños were also present in the meeting. Representatives from several DENR-Central office including the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Services as well as from DENR Regions 3,7 and NCR where also present in the meeting.

Some next steps that arise from the meeting are the following:
• Sending of official communication re the extension of the project implementation considering that the official take-off of the project was delayed, including the extension of the contracts of firms and consultants;
• Forming of a sub-committee to evaluate the request for the revision of the ICCWC indicator
• Discussion of the proposed Project activities during the World Wildlife Day celebration with Assistant Secretary Calderon;
• Submission of a full TNA report and capacity building plan from Tangol Kalikasan