The Philippines’ first biodiversity offset program (BOP) was recently launched in Barangay Pamarawan in Malolos, Bulacan Province. The program has been named Saribuhay sa Dampalit, and was inaugurated by San Miguel Aerocity Inc (SMAI), a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp (SMC).
This pioneering initiative is part of SMAI’s nature-based solutions to building its New Manila International Airport project (NMAI) in Bulacan. It aims to balance development efforts with environmental preservation, support local livelihoods and address flooding issues in Bulacan’s flood-prone areas.
The pilot BOP site covers 40 hectares, with plans to expand to 800 hectares of offset sites across various areas.
The launch event was attended by Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Undersecretaries Juan Miguel Cuna, Augusto dela Pena, and Ignatius Rodriguez, Dutch Ambassador Marielle Geraedts, and SMAI representatives.
“The Saribuhay sa Dampalit project is an integrative approach to development that respects and enhances the natural environment alongside our infrastructure objectives. We firmly believe that progress and nature can co-exist, benefiting both the ecosystem and the local community. We thank everyone involved, our partners in government, environmental groups and local community members, for helping make this possible,” said SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang.
Adhering to the International Finance Corp (IFC) environment and social standards, the project has provided a rich feeding ground to the visiting migratory birds which has been in record numbers this time—proof that the offset site has successfully provided sufficient food for the shorebirds.
Yulo-Loyzaga noted that this was the first and the largest biodiversity offset project in the country.
She stressed the importance of embracing the mitigation hierarchy for net positive infrastructure development, highlighting its importance in building inclusive and resilient communities while protecting biodiversity for future generations.
According to SMAI, its efforts include a range of scientifically grounded measures to ensure the newly created habitats meet the specific needs of the wildlife they aim to protect. More importantly, the BOP project has engaged local residents affected by the NMIA project, providing employment and raising awareness about the importance of preserving migratory shorebirds.
SMAI project director Cecile L. Ang said, “By involving local residents in our efforts, we’re not just building infrastructure, we are cultivating a community that values and actively contributes to environmental preservation.”
Birds should be valued
Alejandra Libao, relocated from the airport project site and currently serving as team leader in the offset site, shared how the program has transformed their outlook in life. “Now we know birds must be valued, and that we have migratory birds here. Before, all we knew was we had herons. When our community began to have livelihoods, we also valued the birds. We weren’t aware that we needed to protect them. We only thought they were just there for us to shoo away.”
Ang is optimistic that the project will extend beyond wildlife protection, potentially turning the area into a prime location for bird-watching, boosting tourism, and creating even more opportunities for local communities. (Story courtesy of SMC Media Affairs)