LocationsPhilippines showcases Access and Benefit-Sharing partnerships and conservation efforts at COP16
November 5, 2024
Mr. Philip Cruz, President of Herbanext Laboratories, Inc., presented their partnership with the Maporac Ayta indigenous community of Cabangan, Zambales
The Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Project organized a side event at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia on 24 October 2024. Over 20 participants gathered to spotlight the Philippines' commitment to biodiversity conservation and equitable benefit-sharing.
The event opened with an introduction to the recently updated Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), expected to be submitted at COP16, by Atty. Elpidio Peria, ABS Project Policy Specialist, on behalf of DENR-BMB. Mr. Anthony Foronda, National Project Manager of the ABS Project, introduced the project and emphasized its role in implementing the Nagoya Protocol since its launch in June 2022, featuring its first ABS agreement through an audio-visual presentation.
Mr. Philip Cruz, President of Herbanext Laboratories, Inc., showcased the importance of partnerships between the private sector and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in promoting sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. He highlighted the successful collaboration between Herbanext and the Maporac Ayta indigenous community, demonstrating how ABS initiatives foster economic opportunities for IPLCs.
Mr. Cruz also emphasized the importance of using elite medicinal plants in herbal products to ensure therapeutic quality, noting that cultivating elite plant varieties could double IPLCs' incomes. He proposed further strategies to establish transformative impacts, including a multi-purpose cooperative processing facility to engage indigenous communities in the value chain and increase their share of profits. Additionally, he suggested involving IP communities in sales and distribution to significantly boost their income.
Mr. Salvador Dimain, Chieftain of the Maporac Ayta indigenous community of Cabangan, Zambales, shared in a video interview how their community has benefited from their partnership with Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. and the ABS Project
In a recorded video, representatives from the Maporac Ayta community shared the benefits of their partnership with Herbanext Laboratories, Inc., including training in sustainable harvesting and planting of Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), the construction of a drying facility, and the potential for increased income.
Director Dhalialyn Dait-Cawed of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) underscored the importance of acknowledging indigenous rights in facilitating ABS. She highlighted NCIP’s 11 building blocks as the agency’s top priorities and discussed balancing state and indigenous interests in the context of self-determination.
During the open forum, Mr. Foronda highlighted the concept of “ABS branding” as a potential revenue stream for IP communities, emphasizing the value of biodiversity’s intraspecies variability, which can enable niche, community-specific products. Although the Philippines is yet to have an “Access and Benefit-Sharing Policy”, existing national laws and guidelines address how to access genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as well as how to share benefits with providers.
Dir. Dait-Cawed clarified that NCIP has regional and community-level offices to serve the needs of indigenous communities. Furthermore, Mr. Cruz emphasized that the incentive for his company to implement ABS is to contribute to biodiversity conservation while accessing high-quality materials for production and manufacturing.
During another side event, a Japanese group specializing in ABS agreements across Southeast Asia highlighted the Philippine case as a successful national collaboration between a local private company and an indigenous community in developing a product derived from Banaba.
The ABS Project’s side event reiterated the Philippines' commitment to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. By prioritizing IPLCs, fostering strong partnerships, and integrating these communities into ABS agreements, the Philippines provides an example for other nations to consider, adapted to their unique contexts and needs.
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The Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Project, also known as the Implementing the National Framework on Access and Benefit-Sharing of Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge in the Philippines, is implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
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