The Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Unit of the the PRDP recently conducted its Midyear Assessment and Refresher Training at the Bohol Plaza Resort and Restaurant in Panglao Island, Bohol. The meeting was attended by SES personnel from the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO), island cluster Project Support Offices (PSOs) and Regional Project Coordination Offices (RCPOs).

During the activity, the group reviewed the SES-related findings of the first World Bank implementation support mission, and discussed local issues and concerns encountered in SES implementation for PRDP sub-projects.

For the SES refresher training, in-house consultants and experts from other government agencies and the World Bank were invited to share knowledge and skills on relevant SES areas useful for the staff to further improve the PRDP’s SES implementation.

Among the topics tackled were the World Bank’s natural habitat policy; PRDP-Global Environment Facility objectives and guidelines and its implications to PRDP’s SES work; strengthening marine protected areas vis-à-vis conserving marine key biodiversity areas; legal framework on tree-cutting and coconut palm-cutting permits; and land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement.

The group also enhanced its Integrated Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (IESSF), SES documentary instrument templates, and Grievance Redress Mechanism protocols.
(Photos by Joseph R. Caldino, PRDP-NPCO-InfoACE)