QUEZON CITY, Philippines – The 7th Operational Phase of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme in the Philippines (SGP-7) awarded PHP 100 million to twenty-three (23) community-based organizations to build socio-ecological and economic resilience in four priority landscapes and seascapes across the country.

SGP-7 will champion conservation initiatives in the Catubig Watershed in Northern Samar, Aurora Province within the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) in Surigao del Norte, and the Calamian Islands in Northern Palawan. This project is supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with civil society organizations, with the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) serving as the implementing partner.

Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems and Climate Change and GEF Operational Focal Point highlighted SGP-7's alignment with national and global sustainability goals: “The Seventh Cycle of the Small Grants Programme in the Philippines or SGP-7 responds to the country’s commitments to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and our National Adaptation Plan’s ambition to ‘effectively build resilience to minimize climate-related losses and damages and builds its adaptive capacity towards transformative resilience and sustainable socio-economic development by 2050."

UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrié also underscored the potential impact that these projects will make: “While we call them the Small Grants, as opposed to larger grants that are being given to a bigger organization, this is an extremely strategic approach—a very determined approach—to drive development from the grassroots."

FPE Executive Director Jerome L. Montemayor, PhD conveyed support for the partnerships forged through the initiative: "We act locally—that’s why we have partners on the ground, such as yourself. But we always think globally and align our efforts not just with the needs of our local stakeholders but with the global community of biodiversity, conservation, community, sustainable development, and climate action."

Through SGP-7’s technical and financial assistance, the approved proposals from the twenty-three (23) community-based organizations have been developed and designed to support a diverse range of conservation efforts, such as biodiversity conservation and ecosystem rehabilitation, biodiversity-friendly enterprises, sustainable agriculture, watershed governance, ecotourism, and climate-resilient agribusiness and food security. The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 20,000 individuals, with an estimated 300,000 benefiting indirectly, across the four project sites.

This milestone recognizes the commitment of these organizations to SGP-7’s goal of fostering socio-ecological resilience through community-initiated solutions that deliver global environmental benefits while promoting sustainable development. The grants will empower community-based organizations to implement scalable and replicable conservation projects in the selected landscapes and seascapes which are rich in biodiversity, yet highly vulnerable to environmental threats.

As the first twenty-three (23) approved proposals begin implementation, SGP-7 will also proceed with evaluating the proposals submitted during the Second Call for Regular and Strategic Grants, which concluded on 31 January 2025.