The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS) and James Cook University (JCU) have forged a partnership for “Enhancing the Role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Philippines in Marine Resource Management, Maritime Security and Policy Implementation” with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Thursday, July 13.
JCU is one of the oldest universities in Queensland, Australia which specializes as a teaching and research institution.
Under the agreement, a four-year Maritime Consultancy 2.0 regional program of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that aims to assist its partner states in South East Asian Countries to strengthen their maritime policies, frameworks, and capabilities in line with the international law will be implemented in Palawan.
The prograam will enable the formation of Community of Practice (CoP) among local CSOs on the field of marine resource management in the province of Palawan.
The MOA will also identify, develop, and deliver locally relevant, effective tools, methodologies and approaches for promoting and implementing best practice in managing marine and maritime resources and space; identify current opportunities and challenges for CSOs and Government to support each other on marine and maritime issues, and assist in designing solutions for those issues; and develop programs to support CSOs to meet the capacity needs for implementing identified solutions via the establishment of a CoP.
Present as witnesses during the MOA signing were ECAN (Environmentally Critical Areas Network) Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief Engr. Madrono Cabrestante, PCSDS District Management Division South Chief Dr. Glenda Cadigal, PCSDS Dr. Marianne Faith Perez, Sharon Rose Anonciado of Western Philippines University (WPU) Maricel V. Elorde and Patrick Regoniel of Palawan State University (PSU), and NGO Representative Marvi Trudeau.
