The Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) participated in the 31st Annual Philippine Biodiversity Symposium held at the city of Sorsogon from August 22-25. The annual symposium serves as a venue for institutions and individuals involved in the research and management in the field of biodiversity to update its status which includes recent discoveries and gaps that need to be addressed by the country.

Among the topics that were included in the symposium are  the discovery of new species; geographical distribution, prediction and modeling, and other behavioral/morphological patterns of flora and fauna related to their habitat; inter-species interactions; management of habitats which includes protected areas, and key biodiversity areas; and indigenous interactions and utilization of flora and fauna. As the research arm of the DENR, ERDB through UBRDEC aimed to gather inputs from these topics for the development of the Bureau’s roadmap in forming research for the Philippine’s biodiversity resources.

ERDB also joined in the symposium’s exhibit showcasing one of its completed studies on the Market Chain Analysis of Selected Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for Equitable Revenue Distribution. The study aims to provide inputs for the management of NTFPs, ultimately to conserve our remaining flora which are sourced for the production of NTFPs. IECs and publication materials were also disseminated to visitors for the duration of the exhibit.

The convention also tackled the agenda on how the country’s pool of experts and researchers will be able to collaborate with government and private institutions, as well as communities, to communicate their findings and pursue further research to pave r a way forward to conserve the Philippine biodiversity. In the future, UBRDEC aims to align its targets and strengthen its ties with the entire community of biodiversity experts and enthusiasts in the country through its studies as ERDB’s center of research for biodiversity. For. David Ivan T. Malinao, UBRDEC

Published: