The Negros Occidental Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) was first place in the 2025 “Mga Kwentong KLIMA-likasan Tungo sa Katatagan: A Climate and Disaster Resiliency Recognition Awards” LGU category of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the awarding ceremony will be held in Manila on Nov. 25.
The DENR recognized Negros Occidental’s outstanding legacy in protecting and managing the 7th Ramsar Site in the Philippines, the only locally-managed Ramsar Site in the country.
To strengthen the assessment, rehabilitation, and protection of coastal resources, PEMO organized the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Area Management Alliance (NOCWAMA) in 2014.
This alliance unified 10 local government units, covering 86,065.50 hectares of municipal waters and 109.52 kilometers of coastline. Their collective efforts led to the designation of the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (NOCWCA) in 2016 as Ramsar Site No. 2,271—the 7th Ramsar Site in the Philippines, the first in Western Visayas, and the only one managed at the local level, the Capitol said in a press release Nov. 14.
Together with the 10 coastal LGUs, fisherfolk groups, FARMCs, women and youth leaders, NGOs, and academic partners, the provincial government said it continues to advance climate resilience, promote inclusive governance, and nurture a sanctuary where biodiversity and communities thrive. ||
