PEMO wins top DENR coastal governance award

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) has earned first place in the 2025 “Mga Kwentong KLIMA-likasan Tungo sa Katatagan” Climate and Disaster Resiliency Awards (LGU Category) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its inclusive, community-driven coastal governance strategy.

PEMO’s approach—uniting coastal local government units (LGUs), fisherfolk groups, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs), women and youth leaders, NGOs, and academic institutions—has strengthened coastal resource management, boosted climate resilience, and created a thriving sanctuary for biodiversity and coastal communities.

The DENR recognized the province for its leadership in protecting and managing the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (NOCWCA), which is the Philippines’ seventh Ramsar Site, the first in Western Visayas, and the only Ramsar Site in the country administered at the local level.

At the core of this recognition is PEMO’s formation of the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Area Management Alliance (NOCWAMA) in 2014, which harmonized the efforts of 10 coastal LGUs overseeing 86,065.50 hectares of municipal waters and 109.52 kilometers of coastline.

The provincial government, together with LGUs and grassroots partners, continues to advance climate resilience, promote inclusive governance, and protect an environment where both biodiversity and communities can thrive.

These collective efforts led to NOCWCA’s designation as Ramsar Site No. 2,271 in 2016, marking a historic milestone in Philippine conservation.

The official awarding ceremony will be held in Manila on Nov. 25, 2025.